ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1452, 22 October 1881, Page 2

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Monday was a Bank Holiday, as far as the Bank of New Zealand was concerned, the occasion being the twenty-first anniversary of its opening. The institution has come of age, or, as one gentleman at the Cafe expressed ifc, has reached maturity. The Herald, the proprietors of which are also proprietors to a large extent of shares in the Bank, missed a splendid chance of having a jrood leading article, showing the progress of the institution, whioh, beginning in a very small way in very small premises, has gradually and rapidly extended its operations and is now one of the most flourishing concerns in the colonies. However, the Herald missed the opportunity, and I am not sufficiently well posted in the statistics of the Bank of New Zealand to supply the deficiency, but I think that, had I been the editor of the Herald, I would have written a good leader on the subject. Many of the readers of the TFaikato Times are probably not aware that Auckland was the birth-place of another bank —the Bank of Auckland, which flourished "like a green bay horse " for some time, and then came down with a crash. There was terrible excitement and consternation when the Bank stopped payment, and Shortland street, in which the Bank's premises were situated (where Hampton's tailor shop is now) was filled with anxious and excited men and women crying out for their money. Of course, the failure of the Bank brought ruin on many unfortunate people, but, as some of the shareholders were wealthy men, able to bear the loss, all the depositors were paid in lull. I believe that the heaviest loser was Mr David Nathan, who was a laige >-hareholder, and who paid every call made by the liquidators as soon as xt was announced. Fortunately for him, he was a wealthy man, so he was able to pay his losses without being reduced to poveity, but it wab not so with others of the shareholders, who lo.^t all that they had. The causes of the failure were the discounting of worthless bills and the giving 1 of overdrafts to men of straw. The Manager, Mr Johns, did not remain to face the storm, but " cleared out for Guam." Mr Frank Lawry has announced himself as a candidate for JYankliu South ajruinbt Mr Harnlin. Why he should think it neoess-aiy to announce that he opposes Mr Hamlin Ido not know. Mr Hamlin is one of the sitting members for FirMiklin, and when the distiict was divided, piesumably by arrangement with the little "Major," he intimated that he would be a candidate for South Fianklm, while his former colleague decided to stand for North Franklin. That being the ease, it was hardly necessary for Mr Lawry to announce that he was going to contest the election against Mr Hamlin. By the way, the last named gentleman neaily lost all interest in the general election by taking a hurried departure from this world, during last session. He and a number of others were dining at Dr. Diver's one evening, when the conversation turned on vaccination Mr Hamlin said he would defy nuy doctor to vaccinuto him, as several had tried, but had been utii-ucceb&ful. Dr. Diver said that he felt sure that he could peiform the operation successfully, as ho had some lymph of the purity of which he was quite certain. Mr Hamlin offeied to let him tiy iho experiment, and bared bis aim. The doctor did vaccinate him, and the vaccination did take, ciud Mr Hamlin was f-o ill that hi- life was in danger. To leturu to Mr Frank Lawry, Ho 18 a very decent fellow, but iiwinc — mad on two point's. In the first place he is a believer in Sir George. Gtey, believing that, he is .1 good and noble man, who has no object to seivc in his political actions but the bencfi ttin<r of the whole human idee in (rciicial, <md the emancipation of the "down-trodden seif.i" of Ne>v Zealand iv particular. I?i tho t-ecund placo, ho hah the c tewt/tos {.cub n-l>, and delights m writing lon^-winded, ill •irieil, and ungramin itic.il letteia to the newspapers. ISTo ' Mi Lawiy is not the mau to roprebent Franklin S'mMi *n tl o noxt Parliament, 01 auv other coiibtituen o 3'. Mr Jl.imliu is b,id enough, but Mr Lawry would be far vvoisc. There should be a good fhance for aiospectablo man to slip in between the^e two Greyitc*, and givo another poetical illusti.ition of the proverb " When logues fall out, 5 ' &c. L^t week tho Obbeutr, which has been tetently enlarged, and w h oh i* t-oon to be further motoased in s,izo, contained an excellent pen .md ink sketch of Vincent Fyke, M.H.R. for the Dunbtan, otherwise known as " the slippeiy '}I'C,'' or "the hliDpciy fiSh." ExfvpthiLr the sketch of our " Vicai of Bray," Mr l?e..der Wood, it is, I think, the. bust sketch in an excellent series. It If-ciibes his personal aud political eueT. find is really valuable to politicians, iii niiortiiig how often a man can change side-. He and Reader Woorl ouyht to bo, it tli»y aio not, bosom h'iends, a<» they aieequillj' rem.ukable for the celenty with which they can desert their friend-, for the time being, and go ovec to the enemy'n camp. The Gladstone Ministry seem determined to bring tho Irish trouble to a head, nnd to have it settled one way or the other very speedily. I should like to know who forced or persuaded Mr Gladstone to sanction the anest of the most prominent Land Leaguers. It is fortunate for Sir George Grey and Messrs Tole, Lundon, and Speight that they are in New Zealand, not in Ireland, or they would certainly have got into trouble in consequence of their having taken part in that seditious meeting which took place at Wellington somo time ago. lam not sorry that they are not in gaol, because, if they were, it would make their ! elections sure, for there is- nothing like posing as a martyr in the cause of liberty to gain the sympathy of the masses. Mr W. H. Leake and a fairly good company are playing at the Theatre Royal jusfc now before houses crowded in the stalls and pit, but very sparsely attended in the dress circle. Most of the pieces played are of the highly sensational type, but Richard 111. was very well played last week. The several plays have been very well mounted, and the scenic effects have been far better than we have usually seen in Auckland. Work at the new Opera House in Wellesley street has been stopped, in consequence of a dispute between the contractor and the clerk of works, the former asserting that the latter requires him to do work not stipulated for in tho con. tract, which would involve a loss of £400 instead of a profit. I have no doubt,, however, that an amicable arrangement will be made, probably by referring \fche matter in dispute to arbitration. }t?vi to be hoped that the disagreement will not result ia the wGrk being: permanently stopped, as the new Opera House, as proposed, will be a credit to the city ; and, being so much larger than the Theatre Royal, will allow so many more of the "down- trodden serfs" to hear tbeir champion orate, to say nothing about the great facilities for theatrical performances. St. Muxao.

A wealthy landowner in Essex, England, rather than see his fields altogether out of cultivation, thinks of planting 100 acres of very heavy clay to oak , and elm trees— counting on a good rate- of interest, payable to himself or heirs fifty yeatelwnoe.