From THE CAFE

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1532, 29 April 1882, Page 4

From THE CAFE

— w^ — ' ! Mr Richard, ormjmi more generally! called, Dick Fo]tu* ! ha* appeared in a new role. He hajjjtong been known as the champion of .thqsons of oldjColouists, and as a friend and admirer of the champion r of theiV doWn-trodden serfs," Sir George •Gity: Now he appears as the would-be . liberator of C. A., Martin ,, who was. senntenced to nine months imprisonment at - the last Session of the Supreme Court, for • receiving «tolen property. A man, named Oi'msteiu, who was employed as a poiter at Mr Artlmr. Nathan's, stole a number of cases of spirits from his employer, and sold. them, to Martin, who paid him for goods of the value of £22 10s od, either -,it>Boi'.i£B 10s Od, less than the amount/ of duty .paid on the spirits by Mr -Nathan. The, jury, . before whom the case was ..tried, found Martin guilty, and the judge sentenced him to nine months imprisonment..'. Dick . Feltus wants to get up a petition to the Governor, praying for Martin's release, on what grounds I know not, and why Mr Feltuß should appear as his champion, I know not, unless it be "that it is another proof that "a fellowfeeling makes, one wondrous kind." The Papakura races took , place last Saturday. These races, which were prigi- "' na'ted as a sort of "consolation stakes" for Mr Walters, have of late failed in tljeir i purpose, aa the rose and white stripes have not been very successful. A considerable number of Auckland people ' went to the races by special train, and .most of them seemed well satisfied with | their" days' amusement. They were not ';, well' satisfied, however, with the way in n which* the railway Authorities managed matters. The run up to Papakura wits performed satisfactorily enough, but the return journey was another proof that the general manager of the Auckland railway lias successfully studied "how i not to do it."' The train left Papakura at 5.45. p.m. and reached Auckland at - 8.10. p.m. thus doing the journey of 18 - miles in the wonderful time of two hours . and twenty-five nimutes, or at the rate of nearly H'vul mid <t fialf ntdct, par hour. The passengers by the tiain showed theii 1 appreciation of Mr Maudonald's excellent management by hooting him ab he left file Newmarket station. The <S7/// &,iya that "he took no notice of the uideness." How could he take notice of this well-deserved tiibute to his excellent '" mode of conducting the business for which he is paid a handsome salary by the tax-payers of the colony, including, of course, the passengers by that train .' The opinion prevalent among the public is that Mr Macdonalds t ilents are wasted in his present position, and that he ought to bo afforded an opportunity of exerting Tiis energies in a more congenial sphere. There seems to be cause for the fear that, at Tawhiao's meeting next month, there will be a scarcity of that choice and savoury delicacy— dried shark. It appear i that an order for a ton of this swe.it- , smelling viand was given to an Auckland fishmonger, who sent to Mahuiangi foi the odouriferous esculent. The fisherman there caught the requisite quantity uf sliaiks, lmt the eaptiiu of the " Rf*e Casey" refused to bring it to town, fmtnliiitely for the passeugois by the steamci, but not for the Maori younnands, wlio • will probably have to bo put on short allowance of their favorite article of food. By the way, "To Korimaki," the new Maori newspaper, contained, a-. .vsupplemcnt to this month's number, ;i splendid lithograph of Te Wah.uini, Tawhi.io's fighting chief, who was the admired of all observers when lie was in town, on account of his immense proportion*. The residents of Parnell seem by no means unanimous about the desirability of borrowing £14,000, to provide a water .ripply and drainage system for the Borough. , A meeting, for the purpose of discussing the matter, was held on Monday evening, when it was found that the majority of those present, though approving of the drainage scheme, were opposed to the proposal to procure a water supply from Seccombes well. Among the foremet of the opponents was John Abbott, the bill-discounter and money lender. He caused a good deal of merriment by saying his water ' ' came cold as ice, duty paid, straight from heaven. It was pure as crystal and was provided direct from theGrjat Alchemist." I am txtjoiuoly dubious about the purity of the water. Pure it may be when it leaves the clouds, link, befot'ii it gets into John Abbot's tanks or cisterns, it washes all the dust and other impurities off his roof, and takes them down into the tanks or cisterns. If anyone doubts thid, let him use a uoveved cfctern, into which nothing can liavu licoesa ittoiipt lain wotcr tuul what it Mity CiU'ty' duw'H th« pip * With it, and lit the wid ot a yu&v let him remove the cover of i»la oistowi, huh vun off the \Ufoti H<* Will find that t\\m Will l'uluaiu BUfflulout awliment to mipply all the prisouora.in Mouut Edun Oaol, if that isudiimmt" would bo tiu'iujd into pea *>bup\ His Kvodlciicy, Sir Arthur Goidon, has been graciously pleased to permit the HlHuljitants of Auckland to enter the (jdcrcit pi'ddni'ts of (Wehmlent House grounds on three days in each Week. As he has given permission to u?e the grounds on four days in eajh Week to the " haiistocracy," he could hardly refuse to allow the general public the same privilege on the remaining three days. A petition to Parliament, pi ayuig them to hand over Government House to the University to be used as a college, is being largely and influentiijlly signed, so that there is every probability that, in a few months, this valuable property ay ill pass from the control of the Governor. No better proof of the prosperity of ' the colony could be given than the immense incicasc in the customs revenue, which exceeds the Colonial Treasurer's estimate by nearly an eighth of a million sterling, being £162,22!) irore than that for the previous financial year. This is the more satisfactry when we consider that there has been no exceptional influence at work, in the way of assisted immigration or exceptional business activity ' consequent on' the spending of borrowed millions. On the contrary, it might have been expected that there would have been a slight faljing off in the customs levenne, on account of the remission ot duty on a number of articles, of which there is a large consumption. The increase can be due to no other cause than the steady influx of immigrants of the l'jght class, attracted hither by the splendid climate and other natural advantages of'the colony. That that influx has not been checked by a disastrous change of Government, we must thank neither Sir Arthur Gordon 'nor Sir George Grey, but the Press of the colony, backed by,;i healthy public opinion. Rt. Munoo.

1 Johnnie, here you , aro at breakfast ,tab}eand your face is unwashed,' said hie mother, with a sharp 100k. ,. 'I know , it ma. I saw the animalcules in pa's niiproScope last night,- and I ainjt going to ,hpv& those things, crawling -os, over my face with their ftuiny littlt* legs.'.-rj ' ;ff, ti.^i^-jr.tjrcler has b<3<m ,issw,ed in India that iv future all Protestant and - Roman iCatfiblic'churdhes which- have l«#i built •bjF the'Govfcftunent, 1 ' or which have been-, ""madeorertb the Govenimenti shall beSneß ' paired aiid iliiintaiiied in proper.' order at the cost of the ' State .and.be.. treated as ! State property.