ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1469, 1 December 1881, Page 2

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

The best free entertainment that has been given in Auckland for a long time took place on Friday evening last in the Temperance Hull, when Garrard, the champion of the unemployed, delivered an address to the electors of City West and Cit7 North. I regret that I was not present, having another engagement, but, as Mark Twain remarked after he had been induced by the brother of an auctioneer to purchase a " genuine Mexican plug" that he -would " put off all other amusements so as to attend that auctioneer's brothers' funeral," so I 'may cay that, if J had known thu amount of fun there was to be at it, I should have put off all other amusements to attend Garrard's funeral no ! I mean his meeting on Friday evening. To give an account of the meeting would be beyond my powers, but it seems to have been a great improvement on that which Sir George Grey held on the previous Monday evening, inasmuch as there waa plenty of fun, though little profit at the former, but le3s fun und no profit at the latter. The conduct of the chairman of tiarr'irJ's meetiugjwas such m to load to the impression that he had been doing wh.it the ''sad old sea-dog" in "Olivette" says he never does mixing his liquors. As the individual in question h an officer in the volunteers, come enquiry should be made with regard to the state in which he was. The Premier's address to his constituents at Leeston was an excellent, temperate, carefully-prepared speech, giving a fair account of what was done by the Government during and since the last session of Parliament. Of course, there are those who cavil at the speech, but there always will be cavillers. Besides the opponents of the Ministry, there are a number of hike-warm supporters (who are always more dangerous to a party than consistent opponents), who profess to be disappointed that the Premier did not declare more definitely the intentions of the Government. These people forget, or ignore the fact that the present Ministry does not attempt to raise tip before the electors a number of "burning questions, " and advocate certain so-called reforms which it has not the slightest intention of endeavouring to carry out, No ! it leaves such conduct to the Greyites. The strong point of the Hall Government is administrative reform, which it has carried out to a large extent, and to which it intends to continue to devote itself. So long as it so devotes itself, the people of the colony can well afford to dispense with the " burning questions." Mr Hall referred again to the necessity of a reform of the Legislative Council. Every thinking man must acknowledge the requirement for an alteration in tne system by which seats in the Upper House are filled. I object to the nominee system in any form, and certainly there should be an alteration in a system, which enables the Ministry of the day to nominate members of the Council. Of course, the present Government weald not nominate any unsuitable persons, bat we know that the Grey Ministry did so, and, as in the natural course of events, » change oi Government must inevitably take place sooner or later, it is well 4ihat steps should be taken to prevent^inorif unsuitable pefrons obtaining seats in the Upper House— seats held practically folr life. It seems that Sir George Grey has been interfering in a matter in which he bad not the slightest right to meddle, as he has telegraphed to Mr W. L. Rees to come up here and contest Newton with Mr Swanson. Mr Rees is a man of considerable ability, but as he has not turned his talents to profitable account, it will not augur well for the common sence of the " free and independent " of Newton if they throw over an old and faithful champion of their rights and interests, and allow Mr Rees to make a muddle of their affairs. The Central Committee, then in the heyday of its power, succeeded in getting Mr Rees elected for City East» and what was the result? He did nothing for the constituency he wu supposed to represent, nothing for' the wjony, and. so'tbiog for Sir targe Gtrey'f

friends— the human race. Ail he did was to talk. He is undoubtedly great at talking, though, having a harsh, unpleasant voice, his speeches, which cost the colony far, far more money than they vrere worth, did not afford much pleasure to his auditors. He has not the slightest interest in Newton, cannot powibly do any good for the electors of that constituency or for anyone else, being a mere talker and not a doer, and yet Sir George Grey calmly proposes that he should oust Mr Swanson. No, thank you, Sir George Grey ; the electors of Newton know when they are well off, and will take care to elect the man whom they have tried and proved and have not found wanting, instead of a mere talking machine, even though he is provided by you. The champion of the " down- trodden serfs " would do well to mind his own business, let Newton alone, and devote his whole attention to City East, where he is not likely to have the " walk over " he anticipated. I think there is little doubt that he will be opposed by Mr J. M. Clark, who was on Tuesday re-elected Mayor of Auckland, without opposition. It will not sny much for the citizens of Auckland, who are electors of City East, if they allow the Mayor of the city, a man of unchallenged probity and honor, and one whose whole interests are centred in City East, to be beaten by one who has not the slightest interest in the constituency, and who robbed a great number of them of the right of voting in the place in which they are most largely interested by obtaining the abolition of the leaseholder*' qualification. That little matter of the Land League meeting at Wellington will tell against Sir George Grey, too. We are a quiet, law-abiding people, and are not inclined to support a man who takes a prominent part in a meeting called to sympathise with an organisation which advocates robbery and murder. We do not forget that one of the speakers at that same meeting (a friend and supporter of Grey's), said that only about twenty landlords had been murdered in Ireland, and expressed his regret that a single one was left alive. No ! the electors of City East do not want the man who took away the leasehold qualification, the man who sympathises with the Land League, and, if I am not greatly mistaken, they will show this on Friday, 9th December, 1881 . After the general elections, the principal topic of conversation just now, at the Cafe and elsewhere, is the epidemic of " burgling," which has broken out in the city and snrburb I.1 '. It is generally believed that many of the burglaries which have been reported owed their existence only to the fears and fancies of the supposed victims, but there have been sufficient successful and unsuccessful attempts at burglary to prove the existence of an organised gang of house-breakers. Many and various are the theories as to who they are and whence they came. Some assert that Fred Plummer, whose successful burglaries kept the whole place in a ferment some years ago, and who has recently been released from Mount Eden Gaol, is the leader of the gang, others that; some "new chums" who recently arrived h»re are the culprit I*,1 *, and others that, they arc a number of expert " cracksmen," who came out to Sydney at the time of the International Exhibition. Whoever they are, there can be no doubt about their existence and their crimes, and unless they are caught soon there will be a row. St. Mungo.

Anniversary services in connection with the Hamilton Weslcjan Sunday School will bo held in the Volunteer and Public Hall on Sunday next. 'Ihe Rev. J. T. Pinfold will conduct the services in the morning at zi a m., and in the evening at 7 p.m. 'Ihe Rev. D. Fulton will deliver an address in the afternoon at 3 o'clock.