Mustard and Cress.

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 19, 20 December 1904, Page 3

Mustard and Cress.

The various and varied opinions of the hiembcra of the Auckland Harbour Board, on the subject of Mr. Hamer’s scheme for rftbdilding the wharves, are very 4| amusing. The average member of any public! body is not financially responsible for collective action, and accordingly there is little to restrain the individual from supporting the open-handed policy m which usually leads to bankruptcy. Such € a large question as the alteration of the Auckland wharf accommodation requires very careful consideration, and though the Board’s Engineer is doubtloss the most comj>etent, yet for the satisfaction of the public any such scheme should have the approval of a board of at least three engineers. That it is time some improvement was made in Auckland is certain. To-day, from a cargo carrier’s point of view, Auckland is the most objectionable port in the colony. Writing of joint control and tho absence of personal responsibility, does not the report of the Auckland Hospital Commission point a moral and disgrace a tale ? We believe that bad the Auckland Hospital been under Government contra!, competent inspection and good management would have prevailed; but at the same time experimental surgery would still have been rife. It is impossible to hide the fact that, given the opportunity, fifty per cent, of present day surgeons would have been guilty of —if not quite the same—similar experiments to those of which Dr. Collins is popularly supposed to have been guilty. Dr. Collins’ arrest can only be looked upon as a mere matter of form, and we venture to predict his early discharge. . So! We are again to have an agricul--4 tural show at Oruru. If memory correctly serves us, the last Omni Show was productive of much recrimination and oittemess of spirit, more especially among the ladies. The writer doubts whether this, or the Kaitoia Show either, benefits the district. From what we have heard the cattle exhibited are rarely > of very high quality, and from a domestic ■totodpoint the show has—on previous occasions—had a tendency to cause a distinctly kittenish feeling among 6omc of our lady friends. As further proof that these two functions, at Omni and K&itaia, do not tend to improve the locally owned stock, we have the fact that when the Government placed a specially valuable beast in the district, for the use of the settlers at a nominal figure, very few farmers took advantage of the opportunity afforded, and the beast had to be removed to a part of the colony where it would be appreciated. When and where is the great cricket match—Manpouui C.C. versus some club or other—to take place ? We know that there is a cricket club in this township; we have seen the wickets and bats (f); wo have, however, only once heard of u the game being played. Presuming that the M.C.C. exists we would remind the club that good coaching will have as much effect in a match as good players. We mean ( hat the poor player who would probably improve if coached (and become 0 a valuable man) is often overlooked, the selfish and good player taking much more than bis share of the time at the wickets. Ten minutes batting for every member of a team would soon produce a strong batting side, and Mangonui might then play one match for the season. Who would not be a Snowflake ? We always understood that snowflakes fell lightly; it appears that they can hurt themselves sometimes. Had the wielder of the blue pencil, which is such a feature of the editorial sanctum of this paper, not been a Snowflake, we understand that we would now have been writing an obituary. The purler was a bad one but, luckily, only a small piece of the Snowflake has been chipped, wherefore we look forward to editorial censure for tbi6 “ par. ” at an early date. This writer would be glad to know whether the Mangonui Public Library % still exists. As a subscriber this indi- ' vidual cannot but notice that there now seems little opportunity for obtaining or exchanging books. Surely some publicspirited individual, who can guarantee to > be always available, will undertake the I duties of librarian. We recognise that a librarian’s position is often very trying, and fully appreciate the annoyances sometimes inflicted by careless subscribers, still, something (or someone) might be done. ». It dees not seem that the Australian colonies have benefited by Federation. The extra cost of the Federal Government has already considerably exceeded a million sterling—and this has indirectly to be paid by the people. The various States and the Federal Government appear to come into collision very frequently, and on the whole it is to be aoubted whether there has been one small fraction of good emanate from the federation. The outcry for a white Australia, which has become one of the features of tho Federal Government, has caused a deterioration in the mail service between Anstralian ports and Europe, is likely to cause serious loss in Queensland, and in the future may be a menace to the security of the colonies. New Zealand is to be congratulated on its waiting policy in respect to federating with Australia, and Mr. Seddon, in adopting most unusual tactics (for him), may be congratulated on having saved this colony from grave error. Had a referendum been taken in New Zealand—prior to the formation of the Commonwealth—a huge majority would have been in favor of federation with Australia; to-day the proposal for such an union would be L overwhelmingly defeated.

Christmas being upon us, we may look It for the usual fourteen days during which no man in this County will work. Why is it that such a lengthy holiday is cusL tomary here ? At a time when every gum- ' digger, buahman, or laborer (because of thft good weather) should be making money, every man seems to think it beneath him to work. Ibis disgraceful (the writer considers it nothing less than disgraceful) waste of time oauses serious loss to the individual and to the community at large. Christ mas Day and New Year’b Day should be sufficient holiday for any of the local men at this time of the year; they get enough of enforced holidays during the wet dftys of winter. But the creed of the loafer is in the land, 1 and it is anything for aii excuse to escape from work# SIDNE Y HERBERT.