AT THE CORNER.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4815, 14 June 1884, Page 2

AT THE CORNER.

[by nemo.]

Homo sum, liumani nihil a me alienu.n puto.

The Licensing Act has many beauties quite unrecognisable at a cursory glance, but very distinguishable when brought under ones nose. One of the most peculiar prominent points in many districts about the Auckland province ia that provision which allows a Native Assessor to sit on the Licensing Bench, and places his "nay" in a native district as a thing to be feared or respected. A case in which the wily native acted as Assessor came under my notice recently, and I must confess my admiration for the business-like manner in which the Maori took advantage of the opportunity offered to him. It appears that a County license was applied for, and a Native Assessor had the yea or nay in his hands. He was shepherded for a fortnight by the opponents of the license—even a Sore and Dash Company's influence was brought to bear in the case. Everything was settled satisfactorily; it was decided that the Committee would not be hasting, to grant the application, some matters of form were gone through, when lo! the Maori was recalcitrant to his previous expressed views, and helped to push the license through. Naughty rumour says that one side spent some time and money over this guileless, childlike and bland son of the soil, before the opposite party got him, and having plucked the berries on one side of the lane, he crossed over and found those on the other sweeter. Moral: Put not your faith in Native Assessors, unless you can rise higher than your, antagonist in the game, and get last show for your money.

With all their efforts to introduce new bye-laws for the the taxing of pedlars, and other attempts to increase the revenue of the local bodies, Ors of both Borough and County appear to me to have been somewhat remiss in one particular. Every year large sums of money are spent in metalling and otherwise improving public roads, bat at the same time there seems to be very little restriction as to the kind of vehicles allowed to be used. At the present time the tires of the majority of dray wheels are narrow when the weight they carry is considered, and " Nemo " takes the liberty of thinking that if bye-laws were passed by the two Councils providing that in future the tires be wider, it would result in much less wear and tear on our roads, especially in the out-districts, whore they are not so hard, while the expense to the owners of the vehicles would be inconsiderable. ■

One of the greatest pieces of folly extant, is that amount of ceremonial expense which seems to attach itself to marriages. We daily read, in society and other papers, of lavish expenditure over the union of two members of the populace, and as much fuss is made about this most commonplace occurrence as if it were an event of importance to the nation. I recently read of a fashionable wedding where diamonds, gold, silver, silks, satins, &c, formed part of the show, and an extraordinary waste of money was caused over the everyday matter-of-fact event/ viz., a marriage. It was somewhat surprising though to see that in the same week as the Southern paper chronicled the gorgeous display, the father of the bride had his name affixed to a petition in bankruptcy. He had joined the majority of white washed ones.

Some sensible individual down South has been objecting, to the introduction of stoats, weasels, and other obnoxious animals which have been, and will be—according to report—introduced for the destruction of rabbits. Doubtless rabbits are a great nuisance, but so will weasels and stoats become, and the result of this foolishness will be that the last will be worse than the first, There are'plenty of means to be triedi in the way of phosphorous and other chemical remedies, be fore falling back on the dernier ressort, which will introduce pests whose fecundity is proverbial, and which will overrun the land themselves when they—if they do—rid us of our " bunnies." XX X It was in the " wee sma hours ayoafc the twal" on board the p.s. Enterprise. The saloon was pretty well filled with passengers, amongst them being several gentlemen belonging to the elite of Auckland. Some, who had managed to secure bunks, were sleeping soundly enough, whilst others were endearorjng to. woo " Nature's sweet restorer V upon the seats that circle around the saloon table. There was one individual on board, bow* ever, who kept continuously ranging about the saloon, singing snatches of songs, whistling operatic airs, and making periodical calls upon the steward for "whisky." Afc length one> ojf the eiils, who apparently cou.ld, aot stand the annoyance any longer, addressing the ."Musical Bowdy " exclaimed: "My good man, will you be kind enough to bay down, and give one a chance to sleep."

Musical Jiowdy: "Look here, ole hoss, I don't know who you are or what you are, but I do know that your education has been most damnably neglected— lay down; d'ye take me for a hen. Now what you ought to have said was lie down, but blessed, are the ignorant, for they know nothing. Steward, give me another whisky, and aak the illiterate old party what he'll take." Collapse of the Aucklander, who declined to imbibe.

A member of a southern School Committee ha 3 expressed an opinion that military drill in schools is calculated to lead youth from the paths of virtue into habits of a murderous tendency. What next? I rather incline to the opinion that drill is a most useful addition to School routine: it teaches boys the discipline of ready obedience to words of command, to walk erect, to act in concert with others, and is besides a most healthy and desirable change from the irksomeness of indoor instruction. I hope military exercises in our public schools will never be discontinued. .

It is said that virtue is its own reward, but what does it bring to a man who jumps into the tide to save a fellow creature, and spoils his clothes ? In these materialistic days one looks for more substantial compensation, that other reward which always sweetens a good act.

It is a true saying that small minds take pleasure in petty revenges. I do not envy the man who, to visit his enemy for some wrong, real or supposed, seeks revenge bj indulging in disgustingly profane and insulting language in the hearing of "the wrong-doer, and with a covert allusion to him, but, at the same time, a careful ambiguity of meaning, such as would leave a loophole of escape should the language be applied as really intended, and an explanation be demanded. The practice I have mentioned is indulged in by some personst and to say the least it is cowardly, as well as being low and unbecoming.

The recent utilisation of the telephone at Coromandel to call a medical adviser from Auckland to that place, instances the value of the instrument. What a splendid thing it would be for our sharebrokers to form an association and obtain a telephone wire to Auckland. Every member would then be able to communicate directly with his partner or agent in the Exchange at the metropolis. This would be an immense advantage in times of speculative excite* ment.