ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1506, 28 February 1882, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Tuu great excitement this week has been the election of the Licensing Committees for the vauous portions of the (Jity. The tcmpeiancc bodies were singularly unfortunate in their selection of candidates, choosing mainly men of extieme views or those who were personally unpopular. The Licen&ed Victuallers, on the other hand, selected men of moderate views and such as had an established reputation for probity and business capacity. The result was just what might have been expected — the candidates who were supported by the Licensed Victuallers were all elected. .As far as can be judged, the Committees, as elected, are composed of men who will endeavour to carry out the Licensing Act in a fair and impartial spirit. On Tuesday the Harbour Board elected a chairman for the ensuing year, the result being that Mr Compton was reelected, despite the opposition of Mr D. H. McKenzie, who proposed Mr Thos. Morrin, though it was well known that that gentleman had stated that he would not accept the position, even if he were elected. Mr (or Captain, though what light he has to the title I know not) McKenzie, who, by the way, is chairman of that august body, the Central Committee, is^ the gentleman who was re-" jected by' the hon« jidc electors of the Stttour Board, bewuw \% w#a opposed.

to the " big dock " at Calliope Point, but managed to obtain a seat on the Board as the nominee of the Parnell Borough Council. The Mayor gave Mr McKeuzie a " back-handed slap," by saying that he believed lie opposed Mr Compton's reelection on account of his advocacy of the big dock, but the "gallant captain" said he had abandoned his opposition to the dock at Calliope Point, us he was satisfied it would be made, whatever he might say or do. Mr McKenzie is more impotent in the harbour board than the cential committee is in election matters, and it i& well that he has lealised his position. Every-onc &eein& to be pleased with the proposal of the Government, made by the lion. F. Whitaker, with regard to the reclamation works and the new 1 ailway station. Well they may be, as the project if carried into effect, as it surely will be, will ensure the erection of a suitable rail way -station adjoining Queen&ticct, at> soon as it can possibly be done, an exchange of pioperties decidedly beneficial to the City Council, and an addition of about £7,000 per annum to the revenue of the Harbour Board. Even the Grcyites now admit that there never was a Ministry, since the seat of Government was removed to Wellington, which has clone &o much for Auckland, and has shown so much inclination to remedy the injustice done to this provincial district by the Giey Government, and the Ministrios which preceded it. Yesterday was the one-hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the birthday of George Washington, the successful general of the United States army, and the first President of what was then the New Republic. (N.B. This has nothing to do with " the New Republic," by Mr d. Mallock. That is a very clever book, written for the purpose of holding up to ridicule some of the theories of such men as Huxley and Tindall.) No doubt George Washington was a great and good man, and did a great deal for his country, but he lias caused an awful lot of trouble to the small boys in all English speaking countries. The poor little lads have read that story about the youthful George cutting down his father's pet cherry-tree, and have imitated his action. The con&equence has been such, in most cases, that they have determined never more to follow the example of George Washington. The harvest prospects in Canterbury seem to be far, far from cheerful, mainly on account of the prevalence of stiong nor'-westerly gales when the corn was nearly ripe. The Ly Helton Times, about a fortnight ago had a very good leader 011 the hai vest and nor'-westers, which finished thiui :—" But the north-wester, in addition to rendering the lives of man and his four-footed companions burdensome to them, is the special enemy of cereals and crops of all kinds. If possible, he prevents them growing at all, but where the southerly and eastei ly winds have frustrated his efforts, he bides his time, collects his forces, and waits for harvest. Then he is strong, and his brother winds feeble for the most part, and the heavy wheat-fields bow before hi*) breath with broken .stalks and thrashed-out ears. Blasphemy and the reaper and binder, are then the only refuge of the despairing farmer, who often ,sees> the hopes of a twelve-month literally dashed to the ground in a week." The Waikato farmers may thank a merciful providence that they are not troubled by nor'-westers. A women, who was arrested on a charge of bigamy, was brought up at the Police Court on Tuesday, and remanded till to-morrow (Fiiclay), to enable a medical examination to be made, as it is believed that &he is insane. A lady friend of mine &ays that theie is no need for a medical examination, as the fact of having married two husbands proves her insanity. She says that s.he knows by expei ience that one husband is quite us much us any one A\oman can manage, and that she is sure that any woman who marries two must be " as mad as a March hare." By the bye, is a March hare mad, and, if &o, why ? If not, why is the proverb used. My own impre&sion is that a March hare is not more mad i than any other hare, or any otlier four- I footed animal, so this is one more proverb in which I have lost faith. I cry"Peceavi."' I find that I was in error stating last week that Timaru Breakwater was constructed with a portion of our boi rowed millions. 1 knew that this was the case with the harbour works at Oamarn, and I thought that it was so at Timaru al&o. [Wiong again ! Oamaru built her breakwater out of a harbor loan also. Ed.] lam glad to find that I wa& error and that Timaru is not one of the places at which an attempt wos being made to con&ti uct a harbour at the expense of the colony. St. Mumu).