TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1904

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1086, 6 September 1904, Page 2

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1904

THE refusal to allow the officers and men of tho French warship Protol to land in Auckland without an application to the authorities at Wellington, as published in the telegrams yesterday, was a circumstance that will not be forgotten for a while by the visitors) and will not increase our popularity in the eyes of tho Fronch people or any other people that happen to be foreign, There can be no objection to a law of the kind appearing

on the Statute Book. It is probable that most countries have a similar

law as a safeguard to protection. But to enforce it at a lime when the visited and the visitors are at peace, and especially when a treaty ensuring peace hereafter between them has just been signed, tho enforcement of tin law is a stupid and

absurd blunder. The French are a sensitive peoplb, ami tho politest in the world, and this bting so the act of discourtesy shown lo tho comrao" (lore, and through the commodore to the French Ropublic, was a. regrettable tiling, for tho French people are tho most unlikely in the world to act discourteously to others Moreover, wo are afraid that if they did France would hear moro about it than a mild remonstanco such as that oft'erod by tho commodore. Events of far less moment than the one at Auckland have been construed by the jingoes into insults to the British flag that demanded the despatch of a fleet and the securing at all costs of an ample and full apology at the hands of the offending country, There is a saving point that in his calmer moments

the commodore will not take the action as having beon commit tot! seriously. When he recovers from the insult offered to France ho will undoubtedly fool amused at the pranks we cut out here. Perhaps

by the time that this appears in print he has summed us up as a country of lunatics. Tn fact, we hardly see that he can sum us up in any other way. First he gels a letter warning him he cannot land without a permit, which savours of a clause fro.n the Factory Act; and having received the letter,

and uttered his he gets a wire from tho Premier cordially inviting him lo land; and having received that ho is priced to come ashore by tlui very officials who but a fow hou-s before had challenged him at the risk of his life to budge from his ah, p. What can the commodore think of us ? There [9 of course the ejecuue to fall back

I upon that tlio authorities thought :he day of tlio Protet's arrival waa the French All Fools' Day, ami we suggest tlio excuse in tho hope that they will adopt it as an escape from tho very stupid fix they have got themselves into. It would be «

fairly good way out of the.difficulty, and cause the affair lo bo laughed oft'. We anticipate thai no mono | will be leftuiitnnied by the Premier aud tlio Auckland authorities to wake the commodore and his olficeVH, and even the crew, happy forlhe rest of the visit, and thna make up for the stupid act- If they do this

tho cotnmodoro, being French, will be sure to make a note of the civility; but wo doubt if ever ho will

rid himself of the idea that the solony ie a vast asylum, and ought to be examined medically.

In our Brief column the paragraph in referenco to Padorowski contains r error. It should road pianist," not violinist as stated. The secretary of the Thames Land Building and Investment Society pays a visit to Waihi to,morrow (Wednesday) in connection with (ho Socioty-and may bo consulted at the residence of Mr Joseph Slevin, next to the baths, Haszird-stroot. A rich treat is in store for lovers of good mnsic to-morrow evening. Master Stanley Williams, whose voice ia truly a marvel, and Mr, W. Eowo, lmvo consented to render songs prior to the sacred cantata "Esther" by a choir ol 50voicos and leading soloists o( the town. This combination will form a musical treat ol rare quality. For particulars soc advertisement in this issue.

It is stated that iho Chineso who arrive the colony are brought under contract a largo Chinese syndicate, whoso head' .artora is on the West Coast. On 31st iccmbor, 1903, there were 2800 Chinoso the colony. In 1881, when the tax is first imposed upon Chinese iuniiants, the mimbor in tho colony ms 104, but sinco Iliac year there has been marked decrease, the departures each mr exceeding the arrival?. A wedding of somo interest was Boleran ed at Wailoa, To Arohn, tho other day, hen Emelie, tho eldest daughter oi Mr nd Mrs 8. S. Driver, oi Woody Nook, Mtoa, was joined in Ibo holy bonds o( latrimony to David Hickey, eldest son of Ir W, Hickey of Csimbrid«c, Tho Rev. I. R. Taylor, of the Church of Christ, Ihnmos, tied tho nuptial knot. About 'ls ueßts, somo of whom had come from Vaihi and Thames, wore present at the vedding breakfast, which wbb tastefully aid out in a Bpacpis marquoe orected on ho lawn. At Christchiuch two dairymen pbadod ■uiliy io having sold milk that was not sure, The milk was adulterated with about 15 por cent of water, though it was still ibovo tho minimum allowed by the Act. Mr Hnseldon, S.M., imposed a fino of J25 and costs in each caso. Ho said it was time that dairymen got rid of tho iuiati>ken idoa that ihoy could reduce the strength of tho milk, and unless the prnctio was stopped ho would feel it incumbent upon him to inflict the maximum penalty. He expressed a hopo that dairymen would ronlise, before it was too late, that honesty was tho best policy.

The Waihi Hockey Association has ar~l ranged an " A " and " B " praetico match, to bo played ouWorih'i paddock on Wednesday afternoon, Tho following teams have boon selected;—A team: Goal, Holmes; fullbacks, Lnmb, Noakcs; halves, Rowo, Cooko and McKinloy; forwards, Corbelt, Taylor, Ulrich, Box, Roberts. B team: Goal, Astloy; fullback, Haszwl, McDonald; halvos, Eoady, Gray, Cavo; forwards, Tumor, Burnoll, Louiif, Torrons, Sooley. Emergencies, Leslie, Smith, Manning, "Konrick, Morpeth. From this game players will bo pickod to represent Walhi against Thanios, Play starts at 4 p.m.

Unusual activity exists in tho croxiuiity of Waimangu (aaya Saturday's Rotorua Chronicle), and tho stored up enorgy assorted its strength nt what haß always been considered a weak and dangerous spot, known as the " Frying pan." On Wednesday afternoon an outburst lifted the sand and mud as high as tlio top of Gibraltar Hock, which is about 100 feet. On Thursday Waiuiangu Goysor was activo, and soveral shots ranging from 400 to 600 foot wcro obiorved during tho afternoon. Tho guides at Waiinangu aro of opinion that thero will be no nioro eruptions troui what was known as tho frying pan, but what is now only an agitated lagoon of half an aero in extont.

On tlio Pohutukawa Beach last Sunday, Mr. Frank Q'Grady, of Waihi, made what appoars to bo a valuablo find. Re was s'rolling along tho shore when ho calne. across a substaneo roserabling ambergris lying amongst tbe sea shells. Securing tho find ho brought it into Waihi, and showed it to soveral people, who expressed the opinion that it was ambergris, Wo wore shown tho specimen yesterday. It is of a dull greyish colour on the outsido and brown inside, and is lib in weight. In Bhapo it is similar to a French loaf, but rather smallor in size. Amborgris is of considorablo commercial value, and should it provo to b9 (and there seems to bo not muoh doubt about ii) the genuine artiolo, it should give tho finder a handsomo return, and his excursion to tho boach, which Mr, O'Grady states is tho first long walk ho has undertaken sinoohisnflliotioii 6ixtcon months ago, will have provoda highly lucrativo one. Round about tho spot whero tho find was made there wero a number of footprints, showing that the people who had passed to and fro wore unawuro of the nature of tho substance,

Tbo Into Hon, T. Russell had ft bu9y and interosting caroor, some of tbo foaturos of wh'cli aro furnished by tho Auckland Star, Ho oanio to New ZBaland in tho year 1839 in tho ship Lady Leigh, landing at tho Bay of Islands, thon tho Boat ofGovornmoitof tho northern part of Now Zoaland, Mr Russell received his education through private tutors, and from tho lato DrOomrio, of Aiic'slaml. At an oarlyago ho was artioled to the late Mr Thomas Outhwaiio, remaining seven years with him in iicijuiring a knowlodgo of tho profession of law, Ho passed tho usual examination by tho Chief Jus* tico, Sir William Martin; and followed his profession with considerabln success, In tho yoars 1862-68, Mr Russell was inoluded in tho Domott Ministry; and also in the subsequent Whitakcr-Fox Ministry in 186361 In both of these administrations ho hold tha portfolio of Dolonco Ministor—a position at that tiuio involving grave iosponsibility, Tho Whitakor Fox Miiw istry, resigned in 1864, owing mainly to a dilkenco oi opinion with tlia Governor, Sir Goorgo Grey, on questions connected with tho conduct of tho Wailtato war and the maiingomont of native affnira generally, On his rcaignation of officii. Mr. Russell retired from parliamentary lifo. During his caroer us a colonisi ho took a conspicuously active and loading" part in tho formation of oompanios that aro now deservedly apokon of us institutions—notably tho Bank of New Zealand, tho Now Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, the Now Zealand Insurance Company, and tho Now Zealand Laud Mortgage Company, Mr. Buiibll wbb a liberal contributor to ihs Auckland Society of Arti.