ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1899, 6 September 1884, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE .

How long will the new Ministry last 1 is ie a question very frequently asked just Je now, an<) no-one seems able to nuswer it. 10 We have certainly had a variety oi ie Cabinets and Cabinet-makers since Pary hament was opened, about a month ago, and it is full time that the w.iste of , time 16 and public money should cease, and' 'the X members should devote a little of their . time and talents, for winch the country " has to pay so very dearly, to business The new Stout-Vogel Ministry is not b> any means what we would wish to see, but it is so far better than the previous Administiatior ot the same name, that it would be well to let the countiy see r w hat it means to do. It 19 so far satisI factory that the Land Tax proposals of c the Governor's speech aio to be aban11 doued, which 1a a gentle slap in the face . tor our dear friend Sir George Grey, and c a cause for congratulation to those euJ gaged iv tanning. The member for City , East has ceitamly not done much to s icstore his waning populaiity by the way 1 111 which lie lias voted dm ing the politic »1 s ctisis. Ho has ably filled the role of the 1 Irishman who asked : "Have yez a 1 Government?" and being answeied iv the aifiunative, said, "Then I'm agin it." When Major Atkinson was in office, at the beginning of the session, he was opposed to the Miuistiy. When Major Atkinson losigned and Mr Stout foimed ■i Government, he opposed that. When Mi Stout iesi.med and the Governor, acting on the uncalled for advice of Sir Geoige Gtcy, sent for Majoi Atkinson, and that gentleman foimed a Cabinet, he fc opposul that albo 1 wonder whether he ' v. ill be consistent and oppose the new ' Stout Vogt'l Muristiy. lam inclined to think that he will not, because he .should oppose them for abandoning then ' Land Tax piopos.ils, and we know that Sir Geoige Grey habitually leaves undone ' those things winch he ought to do, and does those flung.-, which lie ought not t do. How cv er, wo shall sec. Theie was a great debate at the la&t meeting of the City Council over the Fiee Public Libiaiy, the hall being opened by Councdlui Upton, who moved a icaolution atiiiming the desnability of appointing an advisory committee, to advise the Libiaiy Committee of the Council in the selection ot books. The question was \oiy fauly debated, the discussion lasting till neatly m duight, but the motion wa-i defeated by the AJayoi giving both his dehbeiative and his uisting \ote against it. The division allowed that, though all the members of the Libiaiy Committee, with the exception of Lounoilloi Aickin, were quite satisfied of their own ability to select books foi the hbiary, only three other councilloib cndoised their opinion, while nine showed by their votes that they thought it would be (juite possible to find gentlemen outside the council able and willing to give \dluible service towaids toiming a lilnaty w Inch would be a ctedit and a benefit to the city and the citizens. I think that the piese - it iibuuy committee docs not coiibibt ot the most suitable men in the council for that work, and that a special committee .should be selected, composing the best men in the Council, and that a number of outsiders should be iuvited to join them. At ptesctit the councillors lot m tin ee committees, called the Legal, Streets and Finauce, one member fiom each ward being on each committee. The Legal Committee has lemitted to it all questions of law, the management of the paiks, the Domain, the Public Library, &c. and it can readily be understood that men who may be fitted to consider legal niatteis and the contiol of the parks, aie not necessarily the best qualified to manage the libiary. * 1 see that Sir Julius Vogel, in his speech in the uo-confideuce debate on Fiiday last, gave Major Atkinson a wellmeiited "diessing down" for having paudeied to the Radicals, as he did in his speech at the Theatie Royal here, when he said that it was doubtful whether or not a freehold was the best ten me of land, but Sir Julius should lemembsr that " those who live in glass houses should not throw stones." If it was wiong for Major Atkinson to pander to the Radicals in this way, it is equally wiong for Sir Julius, holding the views which he does, to loim an alliance witn Mr Stout, one of the most pionounced Radicals in the colony, and to accept as a colleague Mr Tole, (Vho coidially endorses all that Sir Geoige Grey says about the nationalisation of the land, always excepting, of couise, the land belonging to the Tole family. Talking about the nationalisation of the land reminds me of a good stoiy, which was told about Mr Henry Geoige, the great advocate of the theoiy. When he was in England, a pick-pocket stole Ins watch. He angrily called out. "Some one has stolen my watch." " Say rather," said a wag, " that someone has nationalised it.' 1 Ido not know whether the joke compensated him for his loss, but the story points a very good moial. Nationalisation of the laud may appear a v ery fine theory to those who aie not land-owners, but those who are will certainly not admire it, and its most labid advocates would soon change their tune if they became the possessois of landed estate. They would be like the sailor who was constantly talking about what he would do if he were captain. In the couise of time he did become captain, but then he did none of those things. When reminded of his declarations, he said. "But when I said so I was not captain." ♦ Any of the Waikato settler.-*, who come to town and who hay c any time to spare after transacting their business, may spend an hour pleasantly and pi ofi table by going to the glass- woiks in Fieeman's Bay, where they will see the process of glass blowing m opeiation. Saturday is the gi eat show day, but the piopuetor of the works does not refuse visitors admission on other days. I went out one atteinoon two or three weeks ago and was well lepaid for my visit. The woik on hand was the blowing of the glasses used as rian gauges and I w atched the whole process, from the time that the molten glass was taken from the furnace till it was made into a rain-guage and placed in the annealing furnace, whence it would be taken out and marked oft in inches and poitions of an inch, and would then be ready for use. It is gratifying to know that the various articles manufactured at the glass-works are now turned out so satisfactorily as to compete successfully with imported goods, and glass-blowing is now a well-established local industry. Like the city of Zoar, it is a very little one, but there seems to be every probability that it will gradually increase in size and importance. It certainly has the hearty good wishes of all patriotic citizens, and I hope that the time if not Very far off when there will be ten furnaces for one that there is now. ' ' Let Auckland flourish" is our motto, and in order that she may do, let us encourage local industries. St. Munqo.

A Wise Deacon. — " Deacon Wilder, I want you to tell me how you kept yourself and family so well the past season, when all the rest of us have been sick so much, and have had the doctors running to us so often." " Brother Taylor ,_ the answer is very easy. I used Hop Bitters in time, and kept my family well, and saved largedortor's bills. Four shillings' worth of it kept us all well and able to work all the time, and I will warrant it has cost you and most of the npigh'bours £10 to £100 apiece to keep sick the same time. I fancy jou will take my medicine herealter." See. Yea !It is certainly true. Aak any of your friends who have purchased there. Garlick and Cranwell have numerous unasked for and very favourable commendations from country customers on their excellent packing- of Furniture, Crockery, and Glass, &c. ' Ladies and gentlemen about to furnish should remember -that Garlick and >Cranwell's is the Cheap Furnishing Warehouse of Auckland. Furniture to suit all classes ; also Carpets, Floor Cloths and all House ■ Necessaries. If your new house is npirly finished, or, you are going to get married, visit and Cranwell, Queen-street and Lofne t street, Auckand. Intending purchasers can have a catalogue . «ent frco. , _ ■ 'i ; •, ■. , , - ■t~ ,■ i -,