THE WANDERER.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 274, 23 November 1894, Page 8

THE WANDERER.

The Maropiu sports passed off as successfully as usual. The handicapping was satisfactory and the faces were very well contested. There were a good number of people on the course who appeared to thoroughly enjoy themselves, and I am glad to say there was an almost entire absence of drunkenness, which of itself speaks well for the manner in which the Sports were managed throughout, * * The masher vocalist was at the Sports, and as usual expressed his opinion on several matters in his usual dogmatic Wriy. This gentleman (?) when asked by a friend whether he was goiug to the Wesleyan Sale of Gifts at Aratapu in the evening, was overhead to reply that he would not give a darned cent to the Methodist show. A very polite answer I must confess, but I quite believe him, his liberality evidently does not incline towards doing good unto others. A man who will be guilty of such coarse and. unwarrantable utterances in a place, where numbers of respectable females with children are congregated ought to he ashamed of himself. Vulgarity under such circumstances is indeed a strong proof of ignorance and cannot ho tco strongly condemned. * * While in conversation with the Secretary of the Gumdiggers’ Local Union the other day he in form i d me that he had written io the Government about the Hokianga Inspector of weights and measures and that the Government had ordered that < fficer to mfike a tour of inspection throughout that district. The gumdiggers will not be sorry. * * Some exceedingly ugly rumours are going the rounds of <w '+' onr settlements about the misdoh government official while in a 1 ■ i- intoxication, and while in tl public exhibition of himself. The'report reaches me from eyewitnesses whose veracity cannot be impugned. It is perhaps not cur place to cavil at any private individual who—as long as they do not annoy other people might choose to act thus, but it is certainly most regretable that any official holding a responsible position, should belittle and degrade himself before those whose respect he ought to command. A public servant cert; iulv ought to be as far as above reproach as possible and should strive to merit the esteem of all ; and not by gross misconduct lay himself open to be sneered at and have pointed at him the finger of scorn. Any individual who, not content with getting into a beastly state of intoxication himself will deliberate!) proceed to deal out the intoxicating liquor to a lot of natives until ho has reduced them to a state of drunken imbecility, undoubtedly ought to be doubly ashanv. d of himself, for his conduct is, to say the ! asfc of it, both reprehensible and disgraceful ;•> the extreme. Tar better were it for such a: individual with his much vaunted superiority position if he would set refining instead of basing influences at work. Recently your contemporary publi. had a paragraph containing' particulars of a burglary committed at Opanaki, and which stated be robbery had been perpetrated by a son of or .1! the blue blooded chiefs of the Kaihu Valley. Afterwards jour contemporary published a stab, cut to the effect that the original par did not i, far to the son of the Rangitira Rikihana. So far so good hut that will not remove any idea v i.ich might still remain in the minds of some tlj: i one of the sons of that highly respected c-h'if Te Rore Taoho was the guilty party and it i- on account of that I have been asked to deny lb rough the columns of the Bell that the offeree was committed by either of the sons of t";..:t Chief. I am also requested to state that tl. Postmasterestimated the supposed loss at thirty shillings and the natives gave £3 and two horses as repayment and compensation or utu. Further the alleged offender is not- the son of a chief at all neither does he in reality belong to either of the hapus at Waikaraka or Opanaki. Your contemporary should be more careful about printing such very incorrect statements as they only tend to bring discredit upon respectable and innocent parties. * * The Railway Commissioners paid a visit up the Kaihu Valley line a few days ago and no doubt you will soon be in possession < f all reliable information respecting their intentions, There are some wonderful reports flying around as to what is going to be done but there is no doubt that many of the rare ours are but garbled statement' Im; inatiou is a wonderful thing-. My 'ommwsioners has been that tl . ird nuts to g-et information on . .lly f lick to it closely until the light time comes for publishing it in the proper quarters. * * The papers forwarded to me about the truck system came to hand. I have made enquiries into the matter but so far have not succeeded in eliciting anything very satisfactory. I cannot find anyone answering to the name of the writer ot the letter in the district and am perfectly satisfied it did not originate at Maropiu. At present the y/hole affair appears to have originated from some personal animus or a disagreement between master and servant, but, bide a wee, something may yet crop.up. Fire in Christchurch—Shortly after eleven o’clock last Friday evening a fire broke out in the premises of Fletcher, Humphrey’s & Go., wholesale wine, spirit, and general merchants, situated in Chancery lane, off Cathedral Square Christchurch. The building was a substantial three-storey brick one and the lire originatep in the top flat. The upper storeys were completely gutted, but, fortunately, the fire {was prevented from reaching the spirits stored in the lovrei floor and cellar. The stock was valued at £7Q,000 and the damage is estimated at £31,000 jite insurance only covers £121,000.