Passing Events.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 1, Issue 39, 10 June 1890, Page 2

Passing Events.

The Government seem to have had a sort of mania for making appointments during the last year, without any regard as to whether the officers were required or' to public opinion. They were not satisfied with keeping District Judge Ward out of his rights, but they seem determined to prevent him ever having a chance of being a puisne Judge of the Supreme Court, or one might be led to believe that, seeing that they have appointed Mr Edwards as a sixth Judge. It appears, however, that this new appointment is illegal, and how they will extricate themselves from the difficulty will be well worth watching. To our mind these appointments have not been in keeping with the grinding economy practised in other ways, and is anything but consistent with the professed intentions of the Government to reduce expenditure in every possible way.

English statesmen are evidently desirous that the working classes shall have a little relaxation, as two members of the House of Commons have introduced two bills bearing on the subject of half-holidays. One Bill fixes a certain day in the week for all employees to have a half-holiday, while the other stipulates that each employee of an establishment shall have a half-holiday during the week, but it shall not be given on any particular day, but when it suits the employer, who will give three days’ notice when it will be allowed. Of coarse this latter plan will not necessitate the establishment being closed, and ws see no reason why it should not be carried out, as it would meet with very little opposition,

In another column will be found a letter on the subject of the public library, but we do not know of any much better plan than that suggested in the letterr In most other small towns they generally have a librarian at so much a year to attend at certain hours every night. In one place the Town Clerk looked after the library as well as his other duties, but it was not a success, and in another place a house was attached, and rent free granted to anyone looking after it. The only way we can suggest would be for someone who takes an interest in the matter to have the books at his house, and be granted a percentage on the subscriptions for his trouble.

Will we ever have the road made over the hill to Mahakipawa, so that there will be easy communication between one place and another? The Government think nothing of appointing some friend to a lucrative position of "a thousand a year, when there is not the slightest need for it; but they think twice before they execute some small public work which would be ten times more advantageous to the country, and would not cost half so much,

The committee in connection with Mr Scotts’ fareweii dance met on Friday evening last, and made final arrangements for the same. It was decided that should anyone accustomed to attend the Havelock dances or friend of Mr Scott’s, through inadvertence, not receive an invitation that they would be heartily welcomed. The telegraph lineman stationed here had to go through to Picton last last week. He reports the track from the Grove to Picton in a frightful condition and unsafe for horse traffic. Glad to think he had finished his duties without losing his life he returned via Tua Marina. Sainfoin won the English Derby, Kirkham being seventh out of a field of eight. The annual meeting of the Wangamoa Licensing Committee was held last week. The police reported satisfactorily on the two houses in the district, and renewals of both licenses were granted. Mr J. B. Sinclair was re-elected Chainmm.

Dr Hodgkinson, M.H.R. says that the interest on our debt if paid in produce would amount to about eleven million bushels of or three million frozen sheep, requiring a fleet of a hundred ocean steamers to carry it to the English bondholders. A meeting of the Havelock Licensing Committee was held on Saturday. Present: Messrs J. H. Reynolds (in the chair), Maule, Perry, and Clarke. The applications of Messrs W. Reader, H. C. Smith, and Chrichton for the Masonic, Commercial, and Post Office Hotels were granted. The whole of the business being transacted in about ten minutes, which speaks well for the excellent manner in which the hotels are conducted.

There was only a fair attendance at the performance given by Mr T. M. M'Kay, assisted by Messrs R. E. Hay and Gus Mathieson, on Friday evening last at Havelock. The entertainment certainly merited a much larger attendance, as the audience were kept in a state of thorough good humour from start to finish. Mr M‘Kay’s playing of the bagpipes was much better than we have heard on previous occasions. Generally speaking people are not at all fond of pipe music, but Mr M‘Kay played in such a manner as that harshness usually so disagreeable at a short distance was altogether absent, and the notes, though well blended, were distinct, and the effect on the ear was most pleasing. As a dancer Mr M‘Kay is not to be beaten, and, notwithstanding the stage was all against good dancing, he fairly brought down the house with the sailors hornpipe. Mr Hay is a host in himself, being a good vocalist, instrumentalist, and character actor, as was shown by his bringing forth sweet music out of an old coffee pot, and his character representing a large Spanish rooster, the latter being one of the most novel productions we have ever seen on a stage. Mr Mathieson gave several character songs in first-class style, showing a decidedly natural talent in that direction. The performance was repeated at Cullensville on Saturday night to a bumper house.

We have received a catalogue from Mr S. Bolton, gardener, of Nelson, containing a full hst of ornamental and fruit trees, shrubs, seeds, &c., with prices. The catalogue contains fiftysix pages, which speaks for the large variety Mr Bolton has in stockThe Wellington Jubilee Committee have decided to hand over the surplus to the Free Public Library, to be devoted to placing pictures and books relating to the early settlement of the Colony in the library. The Hutt (Wellington) County Council have the bailiffs in, being unable to pay the costs incurred in testing the legality of their action in erecting toll-gates. At the annual meeting of the Wellington Licensing Committee a renewal of license to Mrs Townsend, of the Pier Hotel, was refused, on the ground that a house frequented by seafaring men should not be conducted by a woman. Mr Inman has a further testimonial in this issue as to the efficacy of his Rheumatic Exterminator. Mr John Smith, of Blenheim, who has been a sufferer for ten years from rheumatic gout states that he has been cured in a very short time by the use of this valuable ointment.