AT THE CORNER.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4791, 17 May 1884, Page 2

AT THE CORNER.

[by nemo.]

Homo turn, himani niliil a me alienum puto.

Tbo public ought to feel much obliged to the Bey. Mr Neill for bis excellent lecture the other evening. He has let in a flood of light on the doings of the SalTationists which should enable all sensible people sea to clearly that the " Army " is not what it represents itself to be, viz., a band of men and women warring against sin and Satan, but rather a combination of "money-grubbers," who are directed by their rules to use as much deceit as may appear necessary to gain the end desired. The principles of the Army are wrong from the foundation.

A friend of mino who has recently ▼isited Te Aroha suggests that all the land-holders on Waihou Biver above the Junction should.plant willow trees along the banks to prevent the earth crumbling into the riter, at it does every time a paddle steamer passes up it.

X , X

The licensed victuallers at Waiorongam*i are furious at the immense success of the " lightning jerker " in the interests ol " Blue Kibbonisai." I hear that about 130 have donned the temperance badge.

The Choral Society has entered upon another year of its existence, but I am afraid the new rule as to prepayment of annual subscriptions will deter many from joining. The payment of a fixed salary to the conductor is a mistake. The Society should be composed entirely of volunteers, and the services of the conductor might be (as it is at Ponsonby) recognised by a gratuity, as the funds.would permit, at the end of the year. \ XXX Whatever were the members of " that Rifle Company " thinking about to pass that balance sheet without production of vouchers. I think the Defence Office should require captains commanding volunteer , corps to furnish a properly audited annual statement of revenue and expenditure to their district commander.

Can anyone inform mo why a swing bridge has been considered necessary at Te Aroha? It would, in my opinion, have saved a lot of time and money if the bridge had been constructed without the "swing;" the Kotuku and other river boats passing up. the river could have carried topmasts.

xxx The Government will require the finest generals they can obtaia in the coming session, as their opponents;, are of late gathering strong followers—who may yet be leaders—at every fresh extraordinary election. The latest and strongest addition to the! Opposition, results from the unopposed return.of the Hon. E.Richardson for Kaiapoi, who, in the House, has many followers, end has proved himself a man of weight in previous adminiatra- , tiohs. Should Sir Julius Vogel "pull, off" the Ea6t Coast seat, there will be far from a happy lime in the /'popular

chamber " during the uext two or three raonlbs.

A. tea, coffee, and cocoa man. has beett showering his waistcoat and other buttons around lately in vain efforts to suppress

bis mirth occasioned by " peggiag a hole or two " over the printer man. He wanted some labels printed relating to "tea, coffee, and cocoa/ 9 aod called on, the printer, with a request to be informed as to what contingent liability there was in connection with a supply of the same labels. He was not an explosive'

man,—he was very, very tame, but when the boss of the type said, by way of addenda, which printers takiog^ordersaie prone to make, " Fresh daily P" he blurted a little, said •• No, this i'stf't oysters," and

wrote his own copy. The schoolmaster is. fo*<m#MHWiV«nd

appears not to havo half enough to do.with., exuberant information'wiffifh;She limits p£ . his school. Under the name,-"Beta" he. ( disports.bimself in the columns of your contemporary. Fancy his taking a poot f printer to task for misplacing an apos-~ trophe. Is " Beta " now quite sure that he is right, or did he endeavour to" bulge' 1 with learning, for the. sake of trying tp'd/>,; a little cheap advertising. Verb, sat.sap. XXX

There is a society for the prevention of -*- cruelty to animals.. It should bo that the animals protected included human beings, yet I must express my abhorrence at seeing a certain advertisement published in a newspaper which claims to be one of the leading newspapers, if not the leading one, in the colony. Considerable' outcry has been made regarding- slavery,, in the Polynesian islands, as wellas in the old world, and the ancient customs of the East; in the matter- of the treatment of

youth, have for centuries aroused feelings 'of indignation in the breasts of humane . persons; yet we see in-an issue of the Auckland Herald one day last.week: " Wanted a boy for bottling." Surely this is not a sell. . . , , x x x .■. : ' I wonder what some of our local clergy* men think of the expose of Salvatipnism made the other night. The way one or two of them have been " used," vide S.A. regulations, by the leaders of the move-. ment here since their advent amongst us, must make them feel very small I should imagine. It is sincerely to be hoped that all who have been in any way led away by the over-excitement occasioned, have read Mr Neill's admirable lecture on the sub* ject.

X X X

The action of the Deep Level Cross G. M.Co. in stopping operations at the 640 ft level comes somewhat as a surprise, especially as the reef to which the men have been moved —the Caledonian lode seaward of the Big Pump shaft at the 400 ft level—is not more promising in appearance, and is not situated in such a good locality, as that in which- work - has been stopped. It also seems oat of reason that a company Bhould spend a large sum of money in driving some 700 feet, and sinking a costly winze .over, 200 feet, and then throw up the sponge ,after only testing two reefs for a length, of about 40 feet each, .and that too, not at a point where the besfgold was got. This gives rise to a supposition that ■ there is some motive behind, and though nothing can be stated for, certain, it appears likely on the face of it that it is in connection with the pumping. The company has demanded a reconstruction; of the rates of contribution of the' other companies wi|hin three months, and by having no interest in the keeping dry of the 640 ft. level themselves, they could easily say to those companies who have:—•• We don't care if the level is drained or not; if you want the pumping/ to be done, you must "pay for id your* . selves." Ido not say that such a course_ is intended, but slill it is quite possible for the directors to carry it out, should . they agree to do so, to, the great detri» „ ment of the field in general. Tbat a few men should have such power as this is unsatisfactory, and it is high time that tha Big Pump management was vested in a ,~ public body, and not in any one company.