The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, JUNE 23.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 164, 23 June 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, JUNE 23.

Last week although not big with “ the fate of Cato and of Rome,” was in some respects eventful and exciting. Monday opened with a hotly contested election. Saturday closed with a declaration of the poll. The official return will be found in another place in our columns.

Mr. Locke obtained a much larger number of votes than the most sanguine expectations of his friends looked for. Mr. Rees a much smaller, Mr. Gannon being some ten or a dozen votes ahead. If a reason be sought for Mr. Locke's so largely heading the poll, it will be found in this. Our former representatives had been able to do little or nothing for this district, inasmuch as they had always opposed the party in power.

Now it is bad for a Member to go to a set of Ministers and ask for favors, when he has always been in bitter opposition to them. Of course Ministers don’t say in so many words, “Youhave opposed our measures, you ignore our policy, you vote against us on all occasions, therefore we shall not recognise the claims of those who returned an obstructionist to the House.” Ministers don’t say anything of the kind ; but they think it, and act accordingly.

Had Mr. Rees, or Mr. Gannon have been in Parliament when the work of the session commenced, either would have gone with Sir George Grey, and as Sir George is nowhere, or no one, in the House, beyond being a fluent speaker, advocating and urging chimerical schemes which at present, at least, are in the womb of time, neither Mr. Rees or Mr. Gannon would have beisn of any service to the constituency. Hence, with his well known earnestness and sincerity, has come Mr, Locke’s success,

If a traadesman blackguards his merchant, calling him all sorts of wicked names, and charges him with all sorts of grave offences, and then goes to ask him for accommodation, the applicant ought not to feel disappointed if his request be refused’

We do not think Mr, Rees feels greatly hurt or disappointed at his defeat. He is a man of the world, an old stager, and possesses such a mental buoyancy that nothing that can befall him, discomposes him. He fires off a long speech which acts as a John Collins to him, and he is all right again for the time.

Mr. Gannon is of more brittle metal. There is a complete absence of elasticity in his nature. He is like a trader having a good stock of goods in his warehouse, but has not the tact, or knowledge, how he should best dispose of them. It is so much value lying dead on his shelves. It will not assist him very much by running down his fellow traders’ wares, and declaring they are so very much inferior to his own.

Mr. Gannon has undoubtedly a certain amount of ability, but he has not the tact to turn it to profitable account. Before our candidate can hope for success he has to undergo a long course of training. He must avoid abusing his opponents, of indulging in personalities, and of boasting of his own powers. He must be truthful, honest, and straightforward in addressing his constituents. He must show that he can be thoroughly trusted. And almost as much as anything, he must explain to his unenlightened brother electors what he means when he says he belongs to the “ Liberal party.” In this lies the rub.

Mr. Gannon might learn from his successful opponent that in Parliament the party to join or work with is the party that will assist him in helping the district he has been returned for. That is the party Mr. Gannon should be en rapport with.

A more melancholy subject to dwell upon is the disappearance of Mr Downes who was despatched as deputy returning officer to the Mahia, and from the time of his departure up to the time of writing this has not been seen or heard of. The horse on which he was mounted returned the following day riderless, and it is only too well feared that he has fallen a sacrifice to one, of those treacherous flooded creeks which intervene between Gisborne and the Mahia,

It is unnecessary to tell our readers what they must know only two well of themselves, Four days of the six between Monday and Saturday last were given over to long-continued drenching rains and storms and tempests, which raged with destructive violence over the country. Need we say, too, that business of all kinds has been at a dead stand-still, that there is an awful scarcity of money, and that with most of us it is, as one may say, “ all going out and nothing coming in.” Still people live. People eat as much, drink as much (perhaps a little more), and wear and consume as much as if trade and commerce flourished as of yore. It is a great country we live in.

As concerning the late elections: If only clairvoyance could be brought to bear, as to who promised to vote for one candidate and then voted for some other, what an awful number of perverters of the truth would be brought to discovery. The ballot like charity undoubtedly covers a multitude of sins in respect, at least, of lying.

It is not generally known, but the sooner it is known and the sooner the law is repealed the better, that a Masters and Servants Act passed in the reign of George the 11. is in force in New Zealand. Last week, at Hamilton (Waikato district) Messrs. Knox and Riddler, of the Excelsior Flour Mills, charged Henry Weekes, their miller, with absenting himself from his work without leave for two days and a-half. Mr. Knox stated that his mill had been at a standstill since noon on Monday. Accused pleaded guilty. The Bench said it was at the option of the Court to imprison for a month, to fine to the extent of £2O, or to order the defendant to be whipped. The Court discharged the prisoner with a caution, fining him ios., last Monday’s wages, and, in addition, the costs of the case.” When (asks the Auckland Herald) did the Masters and Servants Act come in force in New Zealand is one of the things the public will be glad to learn, and who were on the Bench dispensing justice.

We will inform our Auckland contemporary when the Act was put in force. It was ten years ago at Picton (Marlborough province) a respectable female servant was brought before Captain Mellish, R.M., charged with being saucy to her mistress. Captain Mellish is dead now, and in virtue of that excellent saying of an ancient philosopher we shall say nothing in disparagement of his memory; but Captain Mellish sentenced the young girl to the cruel infliction of three months imprisonment in the Picton jail with hard labor added. The charge was laid under a statute passed in the reign of George 11., which is still unrepealed and not yet obsolete, as is shown in the case of Messrs. Knox and Riddler at Hamilton.

After one months imprisonment the poor girl was released from imprisonment upon petition. It was shown clearly enough that if the law had been just and equitable the “ missus,” like some other missuses, deserved the punishment as she had delivered the first “ sauce ” by calling the maid a dirty slut. Under the law, which Mr. Mellish delivered, this girl could have been flogged at the cart’s tail.

It may be just as well to say that Captain Mellish did not have very pleasant times in Picton after passing the sentence. But he is dead now.

It was hard lines upon David Orr when his Honor the Judge, sitting in Bankruptcy on Saturday suspended the order for his discharge for a term of twelve months. Hard, we mean to say, that those who have committed infinitely worse and more glaring bankruptcies have got off with flying colors, and hands down. No doubt the applicant deserved his sentence. There are not many who will not endorse it. But if David deserved a suspension of one year, there are bankrupts who have gone before him in Gisborne who ought to have had their certificates suspended for life, with a few months at hard labor in jail added.