ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1351, 26 February 1881, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

What is an Art-Union ? 1 used to think that it was a mode of disposing of works of art, but I suppose I must be wrong, either as to the meaning of the word, or in my definition of a work of art, as in a recent issue of the Evening Star I saw that an Engine and Boiler (with certificate,) ( a Chaffcutter, for steana or horse power, an upstanding Hor c, warranted, aSpiing Cart (nearly new), and Harness, and forty acres of land, are the piizes to be disposed of by an art union. An engine and boiler, with or without a certificate, are, without doubt, very useful, but I should hardly call them works of art. Perhaps the certificate may be considered one, though it seems as if it were merely thrown in as a moke -weight. A chaffcutter is decidedly more useful than ornamental, whether worked by steam or hand power. I have heard a horse described as " a perfect picture," so we will let the upstanding horse, warranted, pass. A spring cart may be so embellished by the painter that it may pass muster as a vroik of art, but I most decidedly object to that title being bestowed on Forty acres of Land. The Gi eyites u&ed the Piako Estate as a whetstone on which to sharpen what they considered lances, but what olhor people considered toasting-forks, but not even Sir George Grey himself, in his great tirades about "the land for the people," referred to forty acres of land as a work of art. Mr F. W. Marsh, better known in Auckland as " pure love and affection," has once more come prominently before the public. The first time he did so, was some years ago when he was a bankrupt, after having transferred all his property to his wife for " pure love and affection," as ho himself said. The second time was when his wife asserted her rights ay an owner of property, and turned hor liege lord out of the house which he had given her for '• pure love and affection." His laWt appearance is in connection with the prosecution of a man named Pnrcell, who i» accused of fraudulent bankruptcy, concealing his property, forging signatures to promissory notes, and a few other peccadilloes of a similar mild nature. In these ca'-es, Mr Mars>h appears in the position of principal witness for the prosecution, a,nd his evidence discloses a complication of transactions with promissory notes, and cheques which would puzzle the proverbial Philadelphia lawyer. By the bye, why should it bo more difficult to puzzle a Philadelphia lawyer than to puz/le any other lawyer or any other man? Again, is a lawyer more difficult to puzzle than any other white man ? (Of course, we know that gentlemen of the nigger persuasion are out of the running, as we have all seen how easily they are puzzled at every Christy Minstrel Entertainment.) I think not, as I know a good many men who can see to the bottom of most things, (outside the intricacies of the law, of course), more quickly than lawyers, I see that Mr J. Fulton, M.H.R. for Taieri, has been bemoaning the small expenditure on schools in Otago, as compaicrl with that in Auckland and north Canterbury, especially in Auckland. There id no doubt that Otago has been very badly treated, and that Auckland ha 3 been grossly favoured, and tins with a Cabinet containing t«o Otagan members and only one Auckland representative, aivl he, the Attorney-General, with his attention fully occupied with business belonging to lm own department, whcioas, one of the Otagan inemheis is the Minister for Education. One of the grounds of Mr Fulton's complaint is that Auckland received £14,000, while Noith Canterbuiy and Otago received only £6,000 each, out of the vote for education labfc yeai, but lie ignores the fact thai, in the days of the provinces, Otago's rc■\enue& were computed by thousands, Auckland's by hundicds, and that Otago thus had plenty of money to spend on school*, &c , while Auckland had almost none. Now that the Colonial Legislature cndcavoius to make up some of Auckland's deficiency, Mr Fulton cries out about the injustice done to Otago. Poor Otago ! Poor Mr Fulton ! The Ilcuild on Tuesday contained a very vigorous letter from the Key. D. Bruce, commenting adversely on Mr Fcnton's conduct m connection with the Auckland College and Grammar School. The former part of his letter refeis to what was practically a vote of censure on the Secretary to the Board of Governors, foi having had the ♦"cinerity to read a statement, showing the results of the Univoisity examinations for 1870-80, as far as Auckland was concerned, on the occasion of conferring tho degree of L. L. B. on Mr R. H. I'attr.iy, without having having firstasked and obtained permission to do so fiom Mr Fenton and the rest of the Govemois. Mr Bruoo says that if anyone is to blame, which he doubts, it is he. Being tho delegate of the chancellor for conferring thf> degree, he a^ked and obtained permission to do so in the large hall of the C4r.ini mar School, and invited the Governors and the Hccictary to bo present Seeiug that ho wished tho statement read, it f-eemed to him both courteous and proper to ask the Secretary to the Board of Governors' to read it. Mr Bruce goes on to say that the resolution was, in reality, not meant for the Secretary. No one who knew anything about tho iratter ever supposed it was. Mr James, the Secretary, it, a quiet inoffensive geutlemnn, quite beneath Mr Fenton 's notion, oxcept as a means to an end. Mr Fenton' s resolution, which piohibited tho masters of tho Grammar School and the Secretary of the Bonid, from doing any official act, without the consent of the Governors, was a h baok-hancled slap" at Mr Macrae, the Head Master. Mr Bruce finishes his letter with a reminder to Mr Fenton that the chaiacter of the Chief Judge of the Native Lands Court should be, like that of Caesar's wife, above suspicion, and that he of all men should be actuated by a sense of justice and not by personal antipathies. Of course, the great event of the week has been the cricket matcm between the Australian Eleven and Auckland Twentytwo. The result of the match is already known to the readers of the Waikato Times. I do not think any one expected any other result than that which took place, the only question being by how ivmoh. the Australians would beat the local team. I was agreeably disappointed with the p)ay}ng of our team, No doubt, it was far from good, but not so far that it could not have been made good by practice. The reason of the want of success of our men is contained in four words— they did not practise. Some years ago, Auokland cfioketer3 won laurels for themselves from all comers. Most of those orioketors havo given up playing, left the district; or gone to a world where, so far as we know, there is no orioket, and their successors here seem quite satisfied to rest on the laurels they won. I should feel disposed to misquote Ben Johnson to, our cricketers, thusly—"Boast not the. laurels of your pedoccssprs, brave youths' ! Thcy?re tuclr possessions, none of yours, . When your own victories' havo equalled theirs, T'wijl be but fair to loan upon their fame." , Yes ! boys, spend' all ydur spare lime in practising, and you will certainly have something to' boast' about, which you cer- i 'tain ly have not now. . , , , j The governors of the Auckland College , and Grammer, 'SchooJ ( have, r I think, t j arrived at a very proper decision with regard ,to the* Burohasi charges.-* -Theyj have resolved to investigate the. charges , arid to admit .th*"fiublic -to the investigation which is to bet com- « raeuced ibis (Friday^ moyujog. M ww" 1

of their number retnarttecl, if "they are ' not capable of investigating the charges, they are not fit to retain their positions ■', as governors, and their resignations 1 ought to accompany their request to the | Government to appoint a commission to enquire iv the Purcbas charges. I have ' very little doubt as- to 'the result of the enquiry, as from his own letter it appears j that Mr Purchas "cannot suiistantratehia charges, However, we will soon know, whether he can prove anything or nothing. St. Mungo.