ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1565, 15 July 1882, Page 2

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Of course, the principal topic of conversation just now is the bombardment of Alexandria. Very few people seem to fully understand the cause of the trouble, and it would require a very bulky volume to explain it properly. If any one would undertake to explain the causes of the war, for war it has unfortunately become, clearly and concisely, and publish that explanation in pamphlet form, he would make a small fortune in a very short time. Of course, every-one who knows anything of the history of this century must be aware that the present state of affairs in Egypt is the natural outcome of many years of misgovern1 ment, the consequence of which has been that the people are reduced to the moat miserable state of poverty and distress, ground down by a system of extortionate taxation, which practically amounts to the confiscation of the results of their labours, while every penny that has been wrung out of the life-blood of the people has been spent in building and maintaining palaces for the Khedive, his sons, his relatives, his ministers, and his courtiers. Every observant traveller in Egypt tells the same story of a magnificent country ruined by mis-goveinment 5 of a people, poor and down-trodden, deprived all of incentive to honest toil by the knowledge that they will not be permitted, to eivjoy the fruits of their toil ; and of a governing class, cruel and lustful, who treat the lower classes as if they were so many animals, the whole purpose of whose existence is to provide funds for the extravagances of their rulers. An end must necessarily be put to this state of affairs sooner or later, and there is every ground for the belief that that consummation devontedly to be wished for will be attained by the present intervention of Great Britain, and that the oppressed, down-trodden Egyptians will at last receive the treatment due to human beings. There has been a great deal of gaiety in Auckland lately, in consequence of the visit of H.M.S. " Nelson." Shooting, hunting, and excursions have ocenpied the days, and balls, parties, and concerts, have practically demolished the nights. What time the Commodore and the officers have had for sleeping during the past fortnight, I must confess that I do not know. Perhaps they are. in regard to sleep like the Esquimaux, in regard to food, as the latter are said to be able to eat as much at one meal as will suffice for a foihiight— amatterof fourteen pounds of solid flesh, to say nothing of a pound or two of fat taken as a mild dessert. Now that is what I call a "good square meal." What do you think ? The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court began on Monday, and will probably last till the middle or end of next week. The calender was an unusually heavy one, for which fact the thanks of the community are partially due to the present Ministry, and to those to whom wa& entrusted the task of capturing Winiata, Epihaand Paora, and who so admiringly performed that task. I am somewhat surprised that Mr Justice Gillies, as the representative of law and justice, did not tender the thanks so justly merited to those who effected those captures. However, he is a " peculiar people," and no one can tell what he will say or do. He took it on himself to say that the Maoris who were taken prisoners at Parihaka were illegally arrested, and he omitted to thank those men who took their lives in their hands and effected these important captures. Truly, ' ' we do those things which we ought not to have done, and leave undone those things whicli we ought to have done," and judges, are, in this respect, not always better than ordinary mortals. By-the-bye, the other evening I was in an hotel much frequented by bookmakers and other sporting men. There I saw a number of Observer cartoons, which had been slightly altered and embellished. Among them was one of Mr Justice Gillies, in his wig and gown, sitting on tha bench. Some " spoit " had drawn a picture of a gaming-table, such as is to be seen on almost any race- course, or might have been seen before the Gaming and Lotteries Bill was passed, and the judge is represented as calling out, " Now then, gents ! Pop it clown— pounds or crowns." Sir Julius Vogel has arrived in Melbourne, and, as soon as he has sufficiently recovered from the attack of gout from which he is suffering, will probably set sail for New Zealand. Ido not think he is at all likely to remain here, or to reenter the political arena in this colony, for the simple reason that I do not see how it would pay him to do so. If he were to be made Premier as soon as ho arrived the salary would be a mere bagatelle, compared with the income he can make in London. The Premier's, salary is not sufficiently large to pay' the Hon. F. Whitaker for neglecting his legal practice in Auckland, so it certainly would not pay Sir Julius Vogel for neglecting the opportunities' of making money, whicli he has in London. The only place in 'the Southern: 'Hemisphere,

worthy of Sir Julius's attention at present is Tonga, where the Treasurer has received such a plethora of money that hefcduld not atone it-all in the safes provided, but had to borrtowmore safes from all and sundry who had them to lend. ApkceOvrithCan r jover.flowiiig treasury is what suits such a man as Sir J. Vogel, so, if he does not want 1 to 'return to London for some time, I would advisa him to go to Tonga. v The scheme of national insurance propounded by the Colonial Treasurer is well njjrorthy of the careful consideration of everyone who has at heart the future welfare of the people of the Britain of the South, It may require to be modified to a certain, extent, but it, or something similar to it, will eventually become the law of the land. What an immeuse incentive to immigration would be given by the knowledge that, in this country there was neither a pauper ,nor a poor rate, but that, by a 'grand system of of ' national insurance, every man and woman made ample provision for maintenance in case of sickness and old age ! Of course, the scheme has its opponents, but was 'there ever anything proposed for th'e 1 human race which had not its oppo; nents ? ( Equally of , course, Sir George Grey is 1 due of the oppononts of this scheme. It would do away with the "down-trodden serfs," and, that done, "'Othello's occupation's gone." It is apity that, in his Public Works Statement, the Hon. W. Johnstone has not been able to promise to place the management of our railways on a more satisfactory basis. Whether the plan of having a Board of Management with similar powers to those of the directors of an. English railway company, is practicable, it is difficult to say. At any rate there can be no doubt about the necessity of having our railways more or less under the control of practical business men. Why some of the men who are now in the position of railway managers were selected for those positions is an enigma. Certain it is that no practical business man would entrust any portion of his business to their care. Some of them seem to have been brought up in the Circumlocution Office, and taught " hownot todo it, "and to have learned the lesson excellently well. However, it is to be hoped that before long this, our most important department, will be placed ootan t a more satisfactory footing. Poor W. G. Garrard, (I expect lie will "go for" me for not putting Mr before his name) has been " crushed again." He can get no redress in the colony for his terrible grievance, so he is going to lay his petition at the feet of the Queen. It is a great pity that he did not go home with Sydney Taiwhanga, who 1 see by the cablegrams has reached London, as they -would have made a sweet pair. By-the-bye, I am very much afraid that the proprietors of some of the Australian newspapers used " a great big D," when they found they had to pay for the extremely interesting information that Sydney Taiwhanga and his confrere had reached London. St. Mpxco.