ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1912, 7 October 1884, Page 4

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Wednesday, October Ist, was a somewhat important day witnessing as it didtlie opening of the eleventh Synod of the Anglican Church, the usual quarterly meeting of the Auckland Presbytery, and the beginning of the Criminal Session of the Supreme Court. At the first mentioned of these ceremonies, the Bishop of the Diocese read a long and carefully-prepared address giving very full information as to the work done during the past year. From this it would appear that, despite all we hear about the progress made by Freethought Associations and other kindred societies, the Anglican Church is surely, if not rapidly, progressing, and is steadily increasing its agencies in this part of the colony. After carefully reading the Bishop's address, I think that it will be admitted that it is an advantage to the Anglican Church here that it is not dependant on State aid, but must pursue a self-reliant policy, and my opinion is that it would be well for the State if there were more self-reliance in general matters than there is. We will soon lose much of our spirit of indcpendance if we do not learn to rely more on ourselves and less on Government. In the early days, when the settlers wanted anything done they used to do it themselves. If a bridge was required, one would give the timber, another would cart it, or more probably sledge it to the place at which it was required, and others would do the work. Nowadays all this is altered. It is decided to ask Government to do the work, and the member representing the district has to look after the matter in Wellington. This always involves much delay, and if the work is done it costs far more than it would have done in the old days ; it is not nearly so well done, and the people do not feel the same amount of independence as characterised the early settlers. * * * The matter of most interest to the general public which was brought before the Presbyteiy was the question of opening the Museum on Sundays. It wae stated that an extensively - signed memorial in favour of the proposal was in circulation, and that, at a meeting of clergymen of all denominations, they had prepared a counter petition, which would be placed in the various churches for signature on Sunday next. No doubt there is a good deal to be said on both sides of this subject of Sabbath observance. Those in favour of the opening of the Museum on Sundays contend that it will afford mauy people an opportunity of spending an hour or two pleasantly and innocently in looking at the vanous objects of interest and instruction in the Museum, and will be the means of pre venting them from spending their Sunday afternoons in more questionable ways. On the other hand, those who object to the proposal contend that it will compel the attendants at the Museum to work on Sundays, tiiattheic aie few, if any, who cannot go tlieie on other days if thc\ wish to do so, and that tlieie is no such advantage to be gained by the opening of the Museum as will compensate for what many consider a desecration of the Sabbath. For my own j>ai 1 1 am disposed to agree with the objector", because I can see no real necessity for the change. I suppose it would be made ostensibly for the benefit of the " working classes," and as most of them have a half-holiday on Saturday they can go to the Museum on tliet day if they wish, and I feel sure that it would be better in every way for them to spend their Sunday afternoons in the Domain or in the country, rather than in the Museum. Talking about the Domain, I notice that Mr Rolleston's bill to allow a charge to be made lor admission to public domains on fifteen days in each year (not public holidays) has passed its second reading. I think that it is only fair and reaoonable that the. bill should be earned. Take the case of the Auckland Domain, for instance. A portion of it was set apart as a cricket giound, and the control of it was gi\en to a number of prominent cricketers, who spent a large sum of money on it, for the puipose of rendeiing it lit to play on. Every Saturday during the summer a number of matches are played on that ground, the players paying for the use of it, and the public having the right to go and look on without fee or charge. But in addition to ttio oidinary matches there are special matches which involve large expense, such, for instance, as those with an English or Austmli.wi, or even a Waikato team. In those cases I think that it is only fair that a cliaige for admission should be made. As a matter of fact, a cliaige lias been made on those occasions and has been cheerfully paid, e>cept by a few mean people who never pay when they can avoid doing so, and by a still smaller number who are so caieful of their lights that they have refused to pay as a matter of piinciple. It the Bill is passed, the mean people must either pay or stop away, and the people w ho now lefuse to pny on piinciple will then do so because the charge is a legal one. I had some little experience in this matter a few years ago wnen the athletic club held its meetings on the cricket giouud. I was one of those who volunteered to act as gatekeepers, and I found that very few lehised to pay the admission fee, and, of those who did, most paid when I asked them to give the fee as a contribution to the expenses of the club. Still, it would save trouble and put all on the same footing if the right to charge for admission were legalised. I do not think that the public will be pleased with the new rule which has just been brought into force, compelling them to pay for telegrams by affixing stamps to them. In many cases it will cause much inconvenience. It often happens that a person travelling by rail wishes to send a telegram. Under the old system he could do so at a railway station, which was also a telegraph office, where the train stopped for a few minutes, but if, as under the new system, lie has to go and get stamps after wi iting out his telegram, he runsagreat risk of missing his tram or of being unable to send his telegram. Again, a merchant may wish to send a cablegram to England or elsewhere in the evening, the cost of w hicli is upwaids of a pound, perhaps two or three pounds. It is veiy unlikely that he will be able to purchase the necessary stamps and so he must wait until the next morning, and the delay may have the effect of rendering his cablegram valueless. I believe that it would have been been far better to have made payment by affixing stamps to telegrams permissive, but that to make it compulsoiy will cause much loss and inconvenience, the loss falling both on the revenue and on the public. If Sir Julius Vogel had let the telegrams alone and turned his attention to the initiation of a comprehensive scheme of parcel post at a low rate, simular to that lately inaugurated in England, he would have earned for himself the gratitude of the colony. Our present parcels post is a great convenience, especially to country settlers, but the scale of charges is too high and the maximum weight is too small. * # I have much pleasure in being able to congratulate the Morrinsville readers of The Waikato Times on the opening of the railway to that important district, [and hope very soon to be able to perform a similar courtesy to the residents of Cambridge. These two valuable feeders of the main line seem to have been an unconscionable time in progress, and we in Auckland cannot help thinking that there has been much avoidable delay in their construction. The Public Works Department seems to lose sight of the fact that the longer a railway line ,ie in courae of construction the greater the cost to the country, and there certainly seem to be good grounds for the belief that time is " fooled away " on the construction of our railways on account of the fear of some of the officials that when the lines are completed they will find that " Othello's GC<

cupations gone." I think that they may well put au ay this fear. The sootier a line of railway is completed and earning money, the sooner will more land be occupied, entailing more traffic, and the requirement for further extension of our railway system. Our present want is more producers, aud that want will not be supplied unless the producers can get a more remunerative market for their produce, which they cannot get unless the co^t of sending to market is reduced, and this will be attended only by such an increase in the traffic on our railways as will allow of a reduction in the tariff of charges. It is patent to anyone who considers the matter that the more branch lines there are to act as feeders to the main line, the more traffic on the main line, and the more traffic, the less the rate at which it can be carried. There is a great deal said about the loss on some of the branch lines in the Middle Island, but, despite that loss, the system shows much better results than the system in the North Island, because what is lost on the branch lines is more than compensated by the additional traffic they bring to the main line, St. Mungo.

Packed Eons. — Eggs packed in salt should he turned upside down every week. When the eggs are in boxes or barrels, the turning of the barrels upside down is a wholesale way of turning the eggs. CkijKstfvl Crctelty to Debtors.— Whether during the recent Chinese festival the gods privileged the commission of acts of barbarity, it would be difficult to say ; but it is only too certain that the punishment administered to petty debtors has been of the most atrocious description. Only a few days ago a native who had incurred the debt of 200 cash, was caught by his creditors and dragged to the ordinary place of summary punishment, when the modus operandi was first the gouging of his eyes from their sockets, and then depriving the unfortunate fellow of his tongue, which was literally rooted out. Ikstivo Ego^ for Hatching. — Fertilised eggs, or eggs that will produce chickens, can be distinguished in from five to seven days after the hen begins to sit on them. If held against a strong light the germs may be seen in a dark spot, and the examination may be relied upon. If no dark spot is visible at the end of seven days, the egs; is sterile, and may be removed. When examination shows the egg full and dark, the chicken is within a diiy or two of hatching, and if the little birds are alive the ear will readily detect its movements within the shell. Eggs for hatching should be selected with care. The largest are not always the best. Choose the medium sized and those that taper sharply to the small end. Carefully j examine against a &mall light. Eggs may be selected which in nine cases out of ten will hatch. One of the English contemporaries, in reply to an inquirer, recommends a syrup m.ulo of the following ingiedients for coughts and colds : " T.ike IS ounces of peifcutly sound onions, and alter lemovmg und make several incisions, but not too deep. Boil together with 13\ ounces of moist sugar and 2£ ounces of honey in 35 ounces of water, for three-qu.irters of an hour ; strain, and fill into bottles for use. Give one tablespoonfull of this mixture (slightly warmed) immediately on attacks, and then, according to requirement, five or eight half tablespoonfulls daily. It is said that this recipe was that used by the Zulu CaiFres when visiting Europe some two years since, and who&ulTered much from the climate, but unvariably 'recovered upon its use.

Remember This. If you are sick Hop Bitters will surely aid Nature in making you well when all else tails, If you are costive or dyspeptic, or are suft'eiing from any other of the numerous diseases of the stomach or bowels, it is your own fault if you remain ill, for Hop Bitteis is a sovereign remedy in all such complaints. If you are wasting away with any form of Kidney dieca.se, stop tempting Death this moment, and turn for a cure to Hop Bitteis. If you are sick with that terrible sickness, Nervousness, you will find a " Balm in Gilead" in the use of Hop Bitters. If you are a frequenter, or a resident of a miasmatic district, barricade your system against the scourge of all countries — malaiial, epidemic, bilious, and intermittent fe\ers— by the use of Hop Bittei s. If you have rough, pimply, or sallow skin, bad bienth, pains and aches, and feel miseiable generally, Hop bitters will give you fair skin, rich blood, and sweetest breath, health, and comfort. In short they cure all Disea&cs of the stomach, Bowels, Blood. Liver, Nerves, Kidneys, Bnght's Disease. £500 will be paid foi a case they will not cure or help. Druggists and Chemists keep. That poor, bedridden, invalid wife, sister, mother, or (laughter, can be made the picture of health, by a few bottles of Hop Bitters, costing but a trifle. Will you let them sufFoi?