"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 1871.

Waikato Times, Volume VI, Issue 329, 23 June 1874, Page 2

"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 1871.

Thc inquest reported in another column, tells a tale illustrative of the life of the working men in the country districts of this colony, and of the treatment they are usually subjected to by those whose pockets they work to fill. Any person who has travelled, and been awake at the time of the closing of his resting place for the night, can hardly have failed to witness a scene somewhat similar to the one which has ended so tragically at Rangiriri. So long as the law allows the publican lo keep open his bar, so long will he serve liquor to any man with the money to pay, no matter if it is perlecily apparent to him and all on-lookers that one more glass will render the customer incapable of taking himself out of the bar. The time arrives when tho bar has to be closed, tbe publican or bis assistant walks from behind, and says in a peremptory tone, " Now the house is about to be closed, turn out all of you." It is not at all an uncommon thing for a poor unfortunate jnst able to articulate '«give us a bed governor," to be forcibly thrown out of the • door to fare like a dog, or find his way to some out-houso for tbe night. The publican caves not — the ejected pi obably has no more money to .spend, and if he has. the chances are strongly in favor of his not dying in the night and consequently being able to spend the balance in the morning. A more heartless case, even of the class alluded to above, has never been brought under our notice. At an early hour of tne night the publican knocked thc man down, and some hours later asked, according to one witness, whether the man was dead. Whatever answer Sherley may have received, the witness by his evidence to the jury appears to have been doubtful. The landlord takes no trouble in the matter, and a man lying outside a publis house door is so common a sight that none of the witnesses appear to have thought much of the circumstanceThe night was bitterly cold ; what cared the publican, lie bad made his profit out of the " human cattle,*', for which he apparently cared less than his pig. There is profit to bo made by keeping a pig warm, and we have littlo doubt that the porcine species owned by tho Fame man could have been found carefully bedded down. A human being has lost his life, si nd probably thc only punishment that will be out to thc man who indirectly is responsible for one of his fellow- creatures having died like a dog in tho guttur, will be, that a cursory discussion will take place amongst the members of the licensing bench next year. The question of liquor traffic is commanding attention in every civilised country ; tho difficulty in dealing with it arises primarily from the fact that the publicans themselves are not tho most interested, or those who derive the largest share of the profits. There are people behind whore influence, from their position in society is great, who are most to blame for preventing any real reform from being introduced. There is scarcely a merchant in any of our large towns who is not cither directly or indirectly interested in the inebriation of his fellow man. On their shoulders should rest the greater part of thc onus.

Up to the time of the telepi.i| It i IVo i Id ihjj in Aurklaml fi c «tr«nipr liart not arrived with the Sun l'riuu-isco mail. Plic \\ft« (Uif on Saturday. A dinner and pitsent.ition of a ]jie<o of plate to Mr ]\laekav l>y natives at Ttunalieio to»K place at, that settleiiient on Tiusilny, tlm Kith unt. A verj lengthy lppoit hh t \9 j cached i\», but ton Lite f»i this issi'.e.

O i Sntunl iy nfternon the fniui.'lot tne l.ite A S II ill toi»K jiKh cal JN'gjni iwiiln.i. Tiit'ii 1 w,is il.iiiip ,n tentiiinci' of OcUl-l< I on i and Oi in»t men, m,iny oi whom rode n tonMtleinblo disfnine to Mien tiuir respect, which was well met .ti-il, to then- (limmi-hhl Brother. Tht> following i^ tin* lneiiwe in the undermentioned item? bttrmi 1573 nnd I S7 !• • — \mnber ot holdings exceeding one :u-if, ,")7H , extent oi 1 »nd broken up but not under crop, 25,.',!S iioii-s ; wliput, 202, ( .>'.;7 bushels ; o.it", 071,721 bushels : bur!.'\, 2SI 3J)I biis'ioN, Inn, 2l>,lBSj tons; m pt-nnanent jii tifit ixl niaxs, 186. J72 ncres ; other crops, 4,28(!j' acres; t tit nl increase \,i munbt'i* of acres under crop, 20G, I.'jl. Tiie potntoe crop in the only one showing a decease, and that has bivn to the intent of 10,367 lons. On Saturday last the muma which appears to have seized the athletic pi rtion of the inhabitants of the Waikato district ngnin displayed itself when Butler, ft somewhat corpulent p.nnter, nud Wilson, a stilT-looking ex-member of tho Constabulary were matched to run tho distance of 400 yards for the sum of £5 a-side. The course was laid out on tho road m front of Harper's Hotel. At 'L o'clock (the time appointed for the nice), both men appeared upon the ground — and umpires, refcices, and starter having been appointed} toed the scratch ready lor a start. The betting was strongly in favor of Wilson in consequence of his having acquitted himself tolerably well in soiuo pievious pedsstrian eU'orts. The result, however,provcd that the "race is not always to the swift," for Butler headed his opponent from the start, and won in a trot bj r several jards. Tho race was a perfect farce, neilher men appearing to exert themselves in the least, Wilson quietly trotting behind his opponent, apparently without the slightest desire of overhauling him. The tune occupied in covering tho distance was variously stated from one minute and six seconds to one minute and twenty ssconds. The latter imi3t have been much nearer the mark. A good deal of money changed hands on tho event. Another dastardly attempt at incendiarism was made yesteiday morning, tho building this time being tho Catholic Institute in Wellesley street. Mr Smith, who is in charge of tho premises, and who resides next door, discovered at half-past six o'eiock yesterday morning that an attempt had been made to Ore tho building during the preceding night. He found that a quantity of p.iperand rags had been placed in the cellar under the institute and set tire to. The partition near wheio the fire hnd been made was fortunately protected by a piece of tin, or w e would probably have had to record the destruction of this and a large number of adjoining buildings. Mr Smith states that at 12 o'clock on Saturday night ho passed through the premises and saw that everything was safe, there being no indication of lire. At half-past two o'clock he was awakened by a brick being thrown through the window of his bed-room. On looking out he could see no one about. It is difficult to conceive w hat the motive of the miscreant could be, and it is to be hoped that the police will use their best endeavours to effect lm capture and thus pi event this Cyrus Haleyism from becoming epidemic. — Cross, June 22. We (Taranaki Herald) have the following on the best authority : — ' After one of tho immigrant ships, recently vi rived in the colony, had been at sea a few days, the captain finding that a number of the- passengers belonged to tho cl.iss known as the ' light-fingered gentry,' advised the immigrants that if they had any money, it would bo best, to place it in his hands for safe keeping till arrival. One free immigrant, acting on the suggestion, handed the captain a sum of £1200. Comment is needless. A vessel called the Acacia sailed on tho 20th from LyttelIcm for Auckland with 118 sacks wheat ; 259 sacks barley ; 235 sacks j3otitoes ; 239 sacks oats ; 112 sacks bran ; 150 casks malt, and GO packages of provisions.