COMMENTS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1886, 7 August 1884, Page 2

COMMENTS.

The railway stations and post-offices of the colony have long been objects of wonder to the uncivilised visitor from over the sea. These edifices are all on a dead level of unsuitability and ugliness. There is not one station on the line between Auckland and Te Awamutn which is at all fitted for the purpose for which it was ostensibly erected, while there are some in the case of which regard has not been had to common decency, to say nothing at all of comfort. And these delectable buildings are not confined to flag-stations, but flaunt their miserable proportions in the midst of busy settlements. There is one of these structures at Taupiri, the sight of which out>ht to make the District Engineer blush for shame every time he sees it. It consists of a booking-office and a shed, intended by the designer to seive the purpose of a waitingroom for the general public. The dimensions are modest, and the floor ia a pleasant combination of clay and sand, which in wet weather serve to produce the most superior order of mud, and in summer could give points to any other mixture for the manufacture of dust. Were this all there would, perhaps, not be much to complain of. Mud is useful, and so is dust, m its way, and it is better to stand in the one than to get drenched to the skin by the rain, and amongst the other rather than run the nsk of getting a sun-stroke. But unfortunately this is not all. lii the first place this elegant waiting-room is also used as a goods shed, and — though the department makes no provision for this — as a cattle shed and pig-stye in addition. Pigs and cows have the free use of the station ground, whicli is not fenced, and as one side of the station is open to the elements, it is only natural that the poor creatures should take advantage of the shelter so considerately placed at their disposal. This arrangement is very onesided, for what is fun to the pigs is, so to speak, death to the human beings whom hard fate compels to waste some of their precious time at this particular spot. We may be, and doubtless are, ' pproaching the millenium, and by-and-bye we shall think nothing of lying •down with the lion and the lamb, but if there are any ladies with faith strong enough to induce them to anticipate the good time coming by heiding with swice, all we can say io that they are not in the circle of our acquaintance. Yet it is a melancholy truth that at this same station, at the busy little village at Taupiri, during the recent bi-autiful weather, delicately nurturedjwomen nave had to make choice between the pigs and the pitiless rain. to say, the latter almost invariably won the day. Now it is really too bad that such a condition of things should be allowed to exist. Taupiri is the natural outlet for a large and growing district — scarcely a train passes without depositing or taking up several passengers— and yet in the face of this we fiud there a station absolutely devoid of the commonest comforts or the most ordinary conveniences. We trust that this brief reference to the subject will have the effect of bringing the Railway Department to a sense ot its duty.

The larrikin, as was the Indian to the immortal Showman, is p'isen wherever found. The genus does not give us much trouble m Waikato certainly ; the type, indeed, is not so virulent as that which prevails in Melbourne, but when it does rear its head it is quite calculated to rill our minds with disgust. The larrikin had an innings a couple of years ago, and for a short time skied the ball in every direction in the freest and merriest style, giving any number of chances which were not taken, and the field generally had a warm time of it. He was bowled out eventually, of course, but though vanquished he was not conquered, and it has just occurred to him that be ought to take up the bat again. We should be very sorry to clog in any way ths free scope of boyish amusement. The flow of animal spirits cannot well be checked without danger, and so long as it runs in respectable channels we should shrink from any attempt to dam it up. On the contrary, indeed, our aim is rather to keep it there and prevent it running out over the surrounding country. Having said thus much by way of perface, we intend now to offer a word of advice to the heroic youths who disdain all forms of recreation, which do not involve inconvenience, loss and even pain to their fellow creatures. They contemn football, entertain a profound indifference to cricket, would not condescend to engage in a game of lounders, or '• prisoners' base," while they laugh consumedly at the bare . mention of marbles ! What really hits their taste is the game of hanging a piece of wire across a footpath, so that women returning home. from church might fall down and hurt themselves, or qongrogating near a church door to indulge, in foul language for the edification df children as they enter or come :< out.. Both these modes of enjoyment ."have i been indulged in pretty frequentry' pV late. A' day 'or two ago some tnpnv bers of a family narrowly: escapedtfalliugf into the main droinfwKifeh- flows through! the towri, by.trjppin r g ( o?eE-wn'mp*rom'ptu iwire;fepqe in AngkseVstJpeetiilfa order;t|ief

the larrikins occasionally e,o to some church or other, and by their antics do all that lies in their power to annoy and shock the worshippers ; they even occasionally tear up hymn books and prayer hooka belonging to others, and, by way of variety, fasten the pates of the church enclosure. This, so far, is the extent of the mischief, but as the disease has only just commenced to show itself, there is no telling how far it may extend it proper remedies are not applied. In its present form it is difficult for the police to inteifere : the medicine they dispense is too drastic : but if milder drugs fail, their aid will have to be invoked.

Messrs J. B. Whyte ?nd E. Lake, M. H. R,, were passengers for Wellington by the Government steamer Hinemoa on Tuesday. Mr D . Murphy is a candidate for the seat in the Piako Council, vacant by the resignation of Mr H. E. Whitaker. Commander Edwin telegraphed at 1.28 p.m. yesterday :— lndications further rise of glass, and very cold or frost tonight. The usual fortnightly sitting of the Cambridge Tt.M. Court takes place tomorrow. There are few cases, beyond civil actions, set down for hearing. A few boys will be tried for assault and battery on the cat of one Mary Edwards, an elderly lady. Two gentlemen, said to hail from Salt Lake City, are busily engaged proselytising the natives. They deliver regular addresses on the subject of Mormornism, and are reported to have large audiences. The natives seem to appreciate the new doctrine. A West Coast contemporary informs us that one of the " posers" put to Mr Fantham at Opunake was— Can yon tell me the difference between local option and manhood suffrage ? The reply was that the candidate had not considered the matter. At the Hamilton RM. Court, yesterday, before Mr H. W. Northcrotit, a 'first offender, charged with drunkenness, was cautioned, and several rate cases were disposed of. The Patetere Settlement Company has now constructed a good load, with bridges, over the various creeks between Lichfield and Mangaiti, a distance of only eighteen miles. When the railway is finished to Lichfield traffic will go this way to Taupo and the interior, thus effecting a considerable saving in freight to the settlers of these inland districts. It will also tend to make Lichtield an important centre, and mateiially tend to open up the country in the immediate vicinity. We regret to hear of the serious illness of Mr Samuel Meacham, who has worked so hard to make the concert to be given to-night in aid of the Hamilton Wesley.in Parsonage Fund a success. As he will be unable to be present Mr Templer has vary kindly consented to act as conductor in the emergency. Mrs Reynolds, of Woodlands, will also be pj evented from taking her song, but the vacancy will be ably filled by Miss McPherson. Mr Warner will preside at the piano, and Mr R. Salmon at the harmonium. A few days ago Mr A. B. Stubbing, surveyor, who is engaged laying off the sub-divisions of the Tatua block, Taupo district, was obstructed by a number of natives, who took possession of his instrument, and knocked it out of gear. He subsequently retook it after considerable contention with the obstructing party. The obstructionists asaeit their claim to the land, notwithstanding the adverse decision of the Land Court. It appears that a number of the native owners who have sold their interests, on hearing of the action of the obstructionists proceeded to the scene of the contest, and by their presence protected the survey party from any further interruption. The case J. W. Merrick v. E. B. Walker and others, directors of the Patetere and Kuranui Land Company, claim, £487 Os 3d, for goods supplied to natives on the order of the company's agent, Mr R. E. M. Campbell, was concluded at the Supieme Court on Tuesday. The defence was that the debt was from the natives to Mr Merrick, and not from the company, but the latter hoped to be able to pay when they secured the purchase of a ceitain block of 4000 acres. It was also pleaded that the company told the storekeepers in 1880 only to supply goods on orders given by Mr Mr Grace and Mr Moon, and that order was never altered. His Honour held that Mr Campbell was an agent of the defendants, and gave judgment for the plaintiff, with costs. Mr J. Allwill of Cambridge is at prebent about to enter into a legal contest with»the Government, over the land taken by the formation of the railway through his property at Redwood. It will be remembered that when the Cambridge railway was first contemplated all property holders along the line offered the land gratis, but the line then laid out did not run through Mr Allwill's farm, and so no offer was ever made by him. The railway has taken about eight acres from him, and though he applied for his compensation about twelve months ago, he has not as yet had any satisfactory communication on the matter. The Government referred him to Mr T. Macffarlane, their agent, who has now requested Mr Allwill to wait until after the land is gazetted, when his claim will be attended to. The Auckland Agricultural Company who gave the land for the line through their property intend claiming compensation for the land taken for the Fen Court station ground. In compliance with the request made by the Hamilton Borough Council to the Government, the Resident Engineer, Mr D. M. Beeve, made a thorough examination of the traffic bridge on Tuesday. With the exception of two piles in the first land pier on the West side, the timber work was found to be in a very good state of preservation. The piles referred to, which are kauri, have suffered considerably from dryrot, but they can be repaired at a trifling cost. The mud-sills were found to be perfectly sound, and the result of the inspection goes to show that so far as the understructure is concerned, the bridge will not demand much for repairs for many years to come. The decking, however, is surely, if slowly going the way of all flesh, and before long will require serious attention. It has been suggested that the floor of the bridge should be covered with asphalt, after the manner of the Auckland wharf. The suggestion is a good one and we trust the borough council will give it proper consideration. Were it adopted the bridge might be kept cleaner than it is at present possible to do. The asphalt might be raised to a crown in the centre and thus afford the water, in wet weather, a means of escape. Doubtless the whole matter will be brought before the council at its next meeting. The bridge is now under the joint care of the borough council and the oounty councils of Wajkato and Waipa, the first named body having the direot oontrol. The limelight entertainment for the children of S. Peter's Sunday-school, Hamilton, came off at the Public Hall on Tuesday evening. There was a very large attendance of young people, belonging not only to S. Peter's, but to the other Sundayschools in the town, and there was also a fair muster of parents and friends, The Rev J. S. Hill, of Auckland, conducted the entertainment, and graphically described the various views and pictures as they were thrown on the screen. These views included illustrations of the Old and New Testament, views in Palestine, Egypt and England, homes without hands, and a number of intensely comic slides, The show was far aud away better than anything else of the kind that has ever been exhibited in Hamilton, and was well calculated to afford amusement and instruction, not only to the children, but to their elders as well, During an Interval the hall was lighted up, and the audience were regaled with buns, tarts, cakes, &c, an ample stock of which had been laid in. The Rev. R. O'C. Biggs, Incumbent of the parish, next presented the Bishop's prizes to four pupils of the school, namely, M|s.ses Nelly Sandes, Jeanie Biggs, Bessie Sandes, and , Alice Sandes. Mr Biggs explained that the prizes were given in the ratio of two for each school competing, but they were not confined to any school, and might all fall to one. This year seventeen 'sencfors's'had competed, out Of whigh on\y ejjjfrfc sucgeeded in Wcurip[T prizes, Of these Davenport headed the <iist with eleven, S, Sepulchre's came next with) six,- and. Sf Peter's, next with ionr. He' hoped that this, sohool would, not be iCpntenttojernain third,, biit would #ndeft . y qur to ,be, fiws> The rev, gfentlemaii pr^ed to ■ pay earnest attention to their' Sunday lessons," and, \ 'impressed ' upad, p'aients £he riecesaity'fb'r seemsr that "their children' 'were* regular 1 attendants' at theach66l,'iindbythisrrtearisdouig!iill they could"to. helplines teachers; t'AtHhe^closejloifith'e' iifttitartain^ent^TO

given for the Roy. Mr Hill, for the incumbent, and for the teachers, the proceedings closed as they had commenced, with a hymn: There are three or four specialists in England, observes a London paper, who are practically left to name their own fees for professional attendance, but it may bs doubted whether any of them can rival the honorarium awarded the other day by the young Nizam of Hyderabad to Dr Beauannt, the English doctor who pulled His Highness through a serious attack of cholera. On his recovery the Nizam caused the sum of 31,000 sicca rupees, and jewellry of the value of 10,000 rupees to be pent to Dr Beaumont for his 14 days' professional attendance. The story goes, the Whitehall Review says, that when at Monte Carlo a, loser at the gaining tables commits suicide in the gardens, the attendants stuff his pocketß full of bank notes, and when the victim in brought in it is loudly explained that with so much money on him losses at the tables could not be the cause of his having killed himself. On one occasion, so goes the story, a shot being heard, the attendants, rushing out, discovered an Irishman lying apparently dead. They immediately filled his pockets with bank notes and retired for a stretcher. Before they came back, however, the face of the Irishman broke into a broad grin, and he rose and gracefully retired from the seene — a livelier and a wealthier man. The following special messages to the Press Association dated London August 4 and 5 have been publibhed: — The English Press are delighted at the failure of the Egyptian Confeience, as freeing^ England from her promises regarding Egypt. — The report of the Congress of the French Chambers, held at Versailles yesterday, alleges that Australian prospeiity is the result of convictism, and advises that exile should not be perpetual, if the conduct is good ; and fuither that the Government would assist those convicts who were willing to work, and would deal rigorously with those who were not. Marriages between convicts would be allowed. It was indicated that Cayenne would be the most suitable place for the majority of the recidivistes, but those belonging to the artizan class would be welcomed in New Caledonia. — In the House of Commons, Mr Gladstone stated that if the Government were assured that the House would adopt the Federation Enabling Bill it would be introduced immediately. This statement was loudly cheered. — At a large meeting at Birmingham, re the franchise question, the Hons. Messrs Bright and Chamberlain spoke very strongly against the action taken by the House of Lords. A trustworthy correspondent of the Standard writes that the chiefs of the London police make no secret of their opinion that such outrageb as those of dynamite in London will recur from time to time, and each time in a more alarming, if not destructive shape, until they are armed with the power of the purse, which is possessed by all the Continental police, j and is not corruptly used any where, except in Russia. Experience has shown that public authority is helpless against seciet and assassination societies, but when seciet service money can be obtained and be secretly supplied, ninety-nine per cent, of the conspirators will sell themselves and their confederates to the police. There is always a very small leinnant nt earnest and sincere fanatics, but they can be ciicmnvented, if only the sinews of war aie forthcoming ; and it is found everywheie that when conspiratois will not even for a great consideration betray their accomplices, they will furnish in time the information upon which authority can act to prevent outrages such as those which have newly alarmed the country. If the contention of the police can be supported by proof, no cost should be suffered to stand in the way of baffling the atrocious Fenian conspirators The account of the success that has attended Mr Petrie's excavations at Sau (Tanis-Zoan) is most interesting. Among the valuable relics in the prophesied Pompeii the remains of a new temple of Ptolemaic date have been identified. Antiquities of various descriptions have been turned up in con&ideiable numbeis, and last, not least, MM 1 * Petiie's laborious examination of the building materials employed by successive kings in the construction of the great wall, the second wall and the pylon has brought to light an unsuspected mass of re-worked stones of all periods, " each stone a fragment torn from a page of history." But of all the discoveries the most startling, thus far, if not archaeological! y the most valuable is that of the cut up colossus of Rameses 11. This proves to have been the most stupendous colossus known to have been sculptured by the hand of man. This statue, enough of which has now been found to measure the whole correctly, stood erect and crowned, and measured 100 feet, and with pedestal 115 feet. This is iust 6ft 2in higher than the obelisk of Karnak. The minimum weight is estimated at 1200 tons. The statue was sculptured in the hard red granite of Assouan. The correspondent of the London Times, writing from Assiout, says :— " Among the in Egypt are many ardent Liberal and Radicals, formerly admirers of Mr Gladstone but the feeling is so strong that I have been unable to find a single Englishman, official or otherwise, who does not feel a sense of shame at the results of our interferance. It is significant that the single note of praise throughout Egypt is sounded at the Bosphore Egyptien, the paper that openly declared its object to be the destruction of English popularity in Egypt, that ridiculed our desire to benefit the fellah, that defended the crowding of the prisons with innoncent persons, and advocated solely the. interest of usurers, that accuses Geueral Gordon of assassination and peculation, and that praises Mr Gladstone for his patriotism. And on the other side is every man, whatever his nationality, creed or position, except those who hope to profit by Egypt's disorder. At different periods I have expressed sufficiently strong \iews in refrence to Ismail and Arabi. It was different to imagine any system likely to produce the injustice of the one or the ' disorder of the other, but it has been reserved for an English Liberal administration to prove the posibility of exceeding both, to make one look regretfully at the less desponding future offered by either, and to render the fellah more miserable and I the Turk more oppressive. The practical value of Mr Gladstone's sympathy with the fellah would appear to be singulai ly akin to that for the Soudani. General Gordon was sent to relieve the one ; Mr Clifford Lloyd to relieve the other. The Soudanis were characterised as patriots fighting for their liberty ; the fellahs as the victims of Turks and usurers. Having killed a sufficient number of the one at Tamasi, and of the other at Tel-el-Kebir, we hand over the remaining Soudani to the Mahdi, and the remaining fellahs to the Tuiks and usurers, throw overboaid the two reformers, and then appeal to Europe in proof of disinterestedness of our policy and the sanctity of our motives."