ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1386, 21 May 1881, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

The two champions of the people— Siv George Grey and Garrard — addressed a large audience in the Theatre Royal on Monday evening. The former was received with cheers and applause, tile latter with groans and hisses, There was nothing new in the speech of Sir George Grey — nothing but what he said before. This caused disappointment to those who expected that he would unfold the policy of his party, and tell his hearers what he intended to do at the next session of Parliament. Those who know him best are not disappointed, as they did not believe he had any intention to state his projects, but merely to tickle tlie ears of his audience with the oft-told stories about the "land for the people," " gridironing,*' " dowu-tvodden serfs.'" etc. It was stated in the Herald that Sir George Grey had consented, " at the request of a number of citizens, " to address a meeting, etc. Of course the object of the paragraph was to lead the unwary to believe that the meeting was not got uj) by the Central Committee, which, of course, it was. I believe the " number of citizens" were the chairman and other prominent members of the committee. An invisible auditor of the interview between the " saviour of the country " and the "number of citizens " gives the following account of it : — S< l.Ni — The strangers' room .it the Northern Club, Sir Ocoitfc Grey sitting- in ,111 arm- ; chair, and, like Mr Micawber, "waiting for something to turn up." i Enter — " A number of citizens," including ! the C.C.C. C C C. addrcsies Su & G. — " Will jou tell the people on Mondi) night, In the fhe.ttie Koyal collected, Of the noble deedb jou mean to do, If for Promiei you're selected." Sir G. G. — " I hank-., trusty it tend, I will be theic, And you shall ocuipv tin* Uuir ; Hut I cm tell them nothing 1 more Than I have often told before." C C.C —"Tell them the old, old story, 'lell them th.it they are sla\cs, 'ili.it jou a:id yout fnendb aie righteous, And all who oppose jou kna\es." Sir G. G.— '• lh it stoo I «nee more will tell For )ou, and 1 do know full well That falsehoods, well .uid often told, Appe.u like truths, as brass like gold " Ihe '' numbei of citi/ens " kiss the hand of Sir G. G and retire. N.B. — In case the Jtmild calls the above lines "knock-kneed," I will not try to p.ilm them off on Pope or any other dead limn. By the way, " Toby Twinkle " in the Wealhi Newt, last Saturday had a " Random Shot" at me about that " Paliida man" translation, but he missed his mark, as he tried to palm off the Herald* t> erroneous translation on Pope. (Memo, for compositor : Do not alter my spelling of Weakly Neict,, as it is more correct than the usual one, and as " Toby Twinkle " calls me a witling, a booby, and a fledgling, I can hardly be expected to spell correctly). Another of "Toby's" "random shots " missed its mark. He accused Mr Crowther, the cab and 'bus propiietor, who is also a city councillor, of having worked slily against the tramway project for Auckland, and of having- induced the cabmen to take a legal objection to the "engaged" c.ird which they are compelled to put up in th^ir cabs, because there was a flaw in it. la Monday's Herald there appeared a mauly outspoken letter from Mr Crowther, stating that the "siap shot' 1 was " totally, grossly, and shamefully untrue," and explaining the position he had taken with inward to the tramway subject. Following it, was a letter from the Secretary of the Cdbmens' Committee, emphatically contradicting the statement about the " engaged card." "Toby" funny dog that he is, had better act on the advice he gave me, and "be more caieful next, time." Messrs. Kohn Bros., the well-known jewellers, have added a new branch to their business — the sale of key-rings. The lings have a small plate attached to them, on one side of whir-h is inscribed "Kohn Bros., Auckland," and, on the other 5s reward, and a number. The numbers and the purohaseis' names aro carefully registered, so that in ca=e a bunch of kpys is lost, the finder can return it to Messrs Kohn, Bios., and receive the reward, and they, on referring to their register, w'll know to whom the keys belong, and return them to the owner. The key-chains will be a gieat boon to mercantile men, also to those who have so much affection for work that they keep as far avv.iy from it as possible. They will be able to make a good thing out of the key -chains, as they can buy them for half-a-crown, put some kevs on them, lose them, find them, take them to Messrs Kohn, Bros, and receive the xeward of five shillings, and making a profit of half-a-crown by the transaction. Yes ' it is a " big thing "' for the loifers if properly woikcd. Messis Batkin and Seed are reported to have "struck a big thing " in the way of lctrenchment. They aie going to save £10.000 a year by dispensing- with Resident Magistutes and 'making the Justices of the Peace do their work. Was there ever a more absurd jn'Ojjosal ? Granting that the J.Ps. are competent to perform the work, though it is wellknown that many of them are not, the majority of them could not spaie the tune, and the change would be followed by many of the best of them, those who will not accept an office to which they cannot attend properly, tendering their resignations, i What a lively time the clerks of the Courts would have, too. I do not suppose the J.P.s who live in Auckland are more negligent of their duties than elsewhere, but it is not an uncommon thing for the business of the Police Court to be delayed for want of a J.P.. If the Justices had to perform the duties of the Resident Magistrates as well, the result would be confusion worse confounded. Retrenchment is very necessary, but not this sort of retrenchment. I wonder if Messrs Batkin and Seed'd retrenchment recommendations include one for the reduction of the salaiies of the Assistant Controller of Audit and the Secretary of the Customs Department. I fear not. Lnst Friday evening the annual meeting of the subscribers to the funds of the Home for the negiecte'l and destitute children, was held, The evening" was wet and the attendance small, and those who were present, in spito of the recent disclosures, metaphorically patted the committee on the back, told them they had done their work admirably, und reelected them. It would be unjust to blame the committee for all the missmanagement at the Home, but there can be no doubt in the injndofa ny dlspaasion, ate observer, that they were to be blamed for, at least, a part of it. However, no one took sufficient interest in the matter to go and tell them what the public think of their management, and their statement that they had done everything wisely and well was allowed to pass unchallenged. If they had called a meeting of the subscribers at the time the enquiry into the charges brought against the master was held ? it would not have been quite ho muoh of the "happy family" type as that on Friday evening, They, did not do so, lioweveri but waited until public indignation had time to <iool, the consequence being a small attendance at the meeting and no unpleasant remarks made about the committee. > The Governors of the Grammar School met on Tuesday, when a letter from the Head Muster yr&s ' read in? , whieji peated his request, niade before the b. etdnning of the* Pdrohas enquiry, for a full enquiry into his mode of 'conducting fche epftqol, from the Ung of his ag-

Burning 1 his position as head master till the present date. It was decided that the request should not be granted, because the Pnrchas enquiry had resolved itself into a general enquiry into the management of the school. Could anythingrbe more absurd? Because the Governors allowed evidence to be given during the Furchae 'enquiry which was totally irrelevant to the subject under investigation, and because tney allowed wbat should have been a very simple matter to drift they knew not whither, they refused to grant the reasonable request of the head master. It is full time that a radical change should be made in the constitution of the Board, seeing that the present members take such absurd views of a matter brought before them. St. Muncso.