CHIT-CHAT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1221, 9 December 1882, Page 2

CHIT-CHAT.

(FROM CORNER BOY.) The first act is over, and though the leading actor, a poor JV-sAerman did his best (?) to redeem the character of the New Comedy, “The N. Z. Land Company’s Trials and Triumphs,” the public were sadly disappointed. lam much inclined to think that ere this piece will be at all favorably received by Gisborne people, the Dramatis persona will have to be changed, and an entirely new cast made. The latest attempt to cater for the public has certainly many sustained features to recommend it, but the management hitherto have sadly erred in the manner of its productions, and will have to go over the ground again with care ; cutting away f.o.n all “philanthropic balderdash” and intuoducing more “business” cuts in it, before it will at all go down. Poverty Bay men alone, without the accession of Northern or Southern critics, are excellent judges of a good thing, and The Land Company needs much alteration to ensure anything like success. Ho.vevei, Nil Desperandum. Rees, have another slap at it. ’

Draft after draft of witnesses are conveyed away from the shores of litigious Gisborne. Growl after growl is heard from the columns of the local press, and still the Government refuse to recognise the imperative necessity that exists for the appointment of a sitting of the Supreme Court here. The veriest Tyro in arithmetical deductions, should long ere this have seen the iniquitous folly of such procedures. It certainly does not require much obstruse calculation to discover that the present system of transporting witnesses and others to and fro is outrageous extravagance, and how those gentlemen permitted to pull the strings of the public purse, can even attempt to justify this continuous, criminal waste of the public moneys would be gratifying to discover. A Supreme Court sittings in Gisborne is a most urgent need, and had this been a digging community long since monster indignation meetings would have been held, and this crying injustice made manifest to the muddled brains of the Wellington Solons, and no peace accorded until they had satisfied this very legitimate demand.

And so the Doctor came to grief. Well! taking into consideration the peculiar structure of the narrow causeway, yclept a road, running to Waerenga-a-hika it is almost a miracle that far more serious mishaps have not occurred befor this. The tramway, with a puffing coffee-pot running up and down it on one side, an abrupt ditch on the other, with a few feet of a singularly rough causeway between, certainly presents unlimited opportunities of breaking one's neck. Still we can hardly afford to lose the kind and valuable services of our local M. D. or other good men and true, and perhaps it might be worth the while for our County Councillors to take this into consideration, and if possible, at some future period, widen this perilous pathway. Unfortunately just at present the Bankhaving put the “screw on” dollars are scarce, and the County Exchequer most awfully low, ao much so, that I see by the reports that even the unfortunate printer must “ bide-a-wee.”

I had a peep the other day at Thornton’s “ Flying Palace,” and though he has tastefully embellished the lower portion with various symbols intended for “ Heathen Chinee,” I can inform him that this past of his mystical endeavour “won’t gee a little bit,” for one of our local “John’s” assured me that he could “no sabe dat Chinee; wella bad talkee ; all a same chop-stick.” However, the rest of it was all right, and if the various characters are as well sustained as the scenery is painted, “Aladdin” will most decidedly take, and take well.

All of us are well acquainted with the phrase “ Its no use locking the door after the horse has gone,” and it would be as well before our Fire Brigade becomes an institution of the past, to recognize substantially their most important service. It can’t be done without money, and that must be got. First to figure as very prominent supporters should be Insurance Companies, then those who have large interests at stake ; and the whole affair should receive the fostering care and support of the Borough Council. To dream over this and let the Brigade disband would be the supremest folly, and ere our dreams arc disturbed with the fearful cry of “ Fire !” one and all must do their best to prevent such an unfortunate result as the disbandment of the Brigade.