ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1702, 2 June 1883, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Aster about tw,o mouths' residence in our city, varied by trips to the Waikato Mid other, surrounding districts, His Excellency the Governor, Lady and Miss Jqrv'ois, and the Governor's suite, left io,v Gisbourne, Napier and Wellington on oti" Saturday afternoon. During their (itay here they have wou golden opinions from all classes. Sir William Jervois, by his shrewd common senfe, lite practical knowledge, his clear yews of public matters, and his sensible remarks on works and .nil kindled subjects on which his enginceiing experience qualified him to give a valuable opinion, Jias gained for himself the cicilifc of being the best Governor we have had for yeais, if not the best who has ever iilled the vice-regal office. Lady and Miss Jervois nave proved themselves thorough ladies, and have taken a waim and kindly interest in the vatious public and charitable institutions of the city. Many ladies ha\e made a comparison between Lady Jervois and the lion. Lady Robinson, who, though a lady in her own right, was not \eiy lady-like, Very much to the detriment of the latter, while old residents say that the wife of our present Governor is the best Governor's lady the colony has seen since Mis Gore Brown was here. Altogether the ' vice-regal party created a very lavoui able impression here, and it is hoped and ex- * pected that they will repeat their visit as soon a» they can conveniently do so. # # The Volunteers turned out very well to take part in the demonstration in conconnection with the departure of the Governor. Some of them are complaining that they had rather too much " turn- ' ing out" to do last, week and say that if they had a few more weeks of Volunteering like last week, the ranks would be thinned very speedily. On Monday evening they had a long dull, on Tuesday afternoon they had to attend Major Withers' funcial ; on Thursday they had to take part in the Queen's Bntliday ieview ; and on Hatuulay they had to parade in consequence of the departure of the Governor. Considuiing that they are not paid for their seiviccs, but aio liable to be fined it they do not attend paiade, this was ceilainlya "little too much joy," but they ha\e the consolation oi knowing that Mich a plethoia oi parallels is not likely to ocuut ag.u'n. It was fortunate for the success of the Jfcluntecr movement in Auckland that flßlf' Government lost no time in appointing Col Lyou to succeed M<i|or Withoifc in the command of this diitnct, as the senior captain, on whom the command temporarily devolved, signalised his accession to power by a number of blundeis, one of them being the ommission to summon the Thames Voluntceis to attend the funeral of the late Major Withers. TJie gallant major, though a stiict disciplinarian, had endeaied himself to all the volunteeis in the district, and the Thames men weie much incensed at not being called on to attend 1113 funeral, as they weie very anxious to show their lespect for one of the best ofliceis that e\cr woreaswoid.

It would appear that our pilot service is sadly in need of le-oigani&ation. On Sunday even the baique Loch Ken armed horn London, and though the captain binned blue lights and il.ue-ups no pilot went to the \eh&cl, and the captain had to In ing her m unaided. It was foitunate that he had been in this poit on scveial occasions, or a seiious disaster might have been the result of the pilots' neglect of their duty. This nanow escape fiom a tiagedy was turned into a farce when the captain was called on to pay the sum of JL'7 odd foi the scivices of the pilots who had neglected his appearance. Of course, when the matter was bi ought before the harbour board at their meeting on Tuesday they piomptly ordeied the pilot dues paid by the captain to be refunded to him, and decided to call upon Dlie pilots for an explanation of their conduct. Our liaibour is a remarkably safe one to enter on the darkest night. pio\.dod the \esbel cnteimg is piloted by one who knows the entrance, while the \enc&t tyio in na\ igation may bring a ship in by daj , but it is too much to expect one not acquainted with the entinnee to pilot a vissel in onad.uk andstoimy night like that of Sunday last, &o it ia linpeiathely nccessaiy that efficient pilots should lie .ilwajs in ic.kliness, and th.it they should keep a good look-out, and not be like the police luice when a low is goim,' on, conspicuous bj thuir absence, it is to be hoped that the Hai hour Boaid will hold a most seaiching enqiiiiy, and put the pilot sen ice on a moie satisfactory footing, or our li.ubour may atcam as nnemiable a nntoiiuty for casualties as that of I'oit Chalmcis has been getting of late. Natuie has done a gieat deal for us, and man should do what ilse is icquhcd to maUeouis one of the best and safest harboius in the world. %* A mo&t remarkable event has occurred. Major Atkinson addicssed his constituents on Tiusday c\ening, giwng a fair rcsumC of the woi k clone dining th.. last •ession of Pdili.uncnt, and indicating what the Government piopose to do if the House supports them in the session which is shoitly to be begun. Well, there is nothing very lemarkablc in that, you will doubtless say. No, there is not. What is rcmaikable ia that he has failed to please evuiybody. In ,i countiy like this, peopled by " all .soi ts and conditions of men," the man who would attempt to please everybody would soon find himself in a woise plight than the old man and his a3s in the fable. What is the matter with Major Atkinson's speech ? >So far as I can make out it is that lie stated that the Government had done their best to legislate and m mage affans so as to piomote the welfare of the colony, and intended to do so if pcimitted, and did not propound any '" burning questions." Those " burning questions" are \ eiy good for a Ministry w liieh wishes to keep up a good deal of excitement, and make a great dust to hide its own mismanagement of the country, but we do not lcquiie that. Far fiam it. "What we do and alwajs will lequire is a Ministry that will honestly cany on the work of administration, without cither extravagance or niggardliness, doin what is best lor the geneial weal, without either fenr or favour, and I believe that we now have such a Ministiy, and I hope that it will remain in office, so long, and only so long, as it continues to do an * * 80. + I am very doubtful w hether the governors of the Auckland College and Grammar School are all anxious to do what is best for the public weal. lam ahaid that some of them are more anxious to cairy out their own fads and fancies. Some of them seem to have got an idea Mat the boys attending the common $w;hools are ot aninfeiior class, and lack the intelligence of those -w hose pai'ents can afford to pay the fees charged at the Grammar School, and that, therefore, the boys who attend the common schools should be precluded from obtaining scholarships which will entitle them to free tuition at the Grammar School. I have had a good deal of experience of boys in one way or another, and the result of that experience is a belief that the sons of wealthy people are not necessarily better behaved nor more intelligent than boys whose parents are poor. On the contrary, I believe that it will be found that the poor boy will outstrip the rich one, who lacks the incentive of poverty, and seems to think that his father can procure his advancement in life, and that it does not much matter whether or not he makes good use of his educational advantages. In my humble opinion, the governing body of the Giaininar School wants re-modelling. Some of the members should be allowed more time to desote to their own private affairs, and their places should be Biipplied by men who would look upon the Grammar School as the steppingstone between the common schools and the University, instead of as a first-rate school (which, however, many people say it is not) to be maintained at a largo expense for the; benefit of the sons of

wealthy people. There is too much of the " rotten norough" style in connection with the election of the governors, and, unless a change is made in the direction of saving the peoplo a more direct voice in the election of those governors, matters will soon go from bad to worse. St. Mungo.