COMMENTS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1915, 14 October 1884, Page 2

COMMENTS.

The Government, through the Constructed Railways Department, has issued a most extraordinary regulation, which is to the effect that no man over forty years of age is to be employed on the permanent way. What can it mean ? Has the race degenerated so much that men areof no use after they reach the age of forty ? Among all his new-fangled notions the Premier can hardly hold this one. When a man gets into his fortieth ypar the chances arc ten to one that he is a better workman than he was at thirty, and amuch better workman than he was at twenty ; and as he will in all probability be a family man he will not only cai ry more experience to his labour, but he will take a keener intprest in it. Any employer of labour would tell us this. It is no disparagement to younger men to say so — it would be a poor compliment to tell them that as they grew older they would be worth less, and that when they passed the Government meridian of forty they would not be worth having at any price. We do not for a moment suppose that the Government Iris acted without an object : it is very likely that in answer to the oft- reiterated question, " What shall we do with our boys," the Minister of Public Works has been instructed to give the boys a trial under him, with a view no doubt to making the whole Civil Service a boy's preserve in the good time coming For we take it that a line cannot well be drawn in this regard. If the tneu of to-day are incapacitated for manual labour at foi ty, so also at that age do they become unfitted for mental toil, and it is only a question of time when the present regulation of the permanent way will be followed by others having a general application. No man over the patriarchal age of forty will bo permitted to exerci&e tho fianchise, or to enter Parliament, and any member when he arrives at that a»e must accept the Chilte.rn Hundreds. Thus we shall always have a " young blood " Ministry with any amount of go in them, and no stupied caution. And a rule which is found to give Mich eminent satisfaction in the public set vice must of necessity be adopted by the country at large. Aud thus by and-bye we shall have no dyspeptic bankers putting the screw on, and no bilious parsons to take gloomy views of the world and worldly affairs. What a happy lot of sand boys we shall all be— until we reach two score. What is to become of us all then goodness only knows. Perhaps the ruling generation will decapitate us, perhaps they will gi\e us almshouses, or p&ihaps they will promote a system of emigration for our behalf If our juvenile governors adopt the latter, we, for our part shall leave by the first steamer. The report of the discussion on the duck and boat question by the Cambridge Domain Board, which appears elsewhere, is of an interesting character. There are few questions of local interest in the district which involve a stronger principle. The public are already thoroughly conversant with the question, and it is therefoie unnecessary that we should again refer to it in all its minor details. The whole matter may be said to have narrowed itself into one simple issue — boats v. ducks. A few peisons have at considerable expense put a number of small craft on the lake for pleasure purposes. The practice is approved of by a considerable proportion ot the people of the town, uho though they may not boat themselves enjoy the spectacle of otheis floating. On the other hand, the lake has hitherto been a favourite resort of wild ducks. A considerable number of people enjoy the apeotaelp of wild ducks ciuising about on the watem of the lake. They maintain that if the boat* are allowed it w ill be at the sacrifice of the ducks, and as the ducks aie piefei able to the boats the latter should give way to the former. Both sides of the question are almost equally in tho dom tin board, with which body the disposal of the question lests, In a pievious issue we pointed out at some length the vaiions arguments pio. and con., and showed conohiMsely that tho course advocated by certain members of the board was of a most unjust, selfish and arbitrary character. When acting in a representative capacity the members flf a public body should carefully avoid giving their o\\ n individual opinions precedence of the opinions of the majority of those whom they represent. They should carefully ascertain and consider public feeling on the matter, and decide in the best interests of the community generally. It must not be taken for granted that it the minority are represented by a majority in the board, the wants and representations of the majority should be overlooked and ignored. Mr Kiikwood was slightly inconsiderate in his remarks at Saturday's meeting, they were not the lcmarks of a man who viewed the question from a purely dispassionate standpoint, as all public questions sljoifjd \w y! cwe 'l l?y those entrusted with their disposal. T|je application of the boat-owners can hardly be termed " a piece of impertinence," and to characterise it as such savours more of that feature than does the application. People sail on the Lake for pleasure, and ljot to " develop their muscles," as Mr I£.iikwood s,eems to think, and as sailing PU fcbp Waikato river, as he suggested, is a toil and not a pleasure, those acquafcieally inclined have every leason for preferring the Lake to the river. It is decidedly uncharitable to attribute the depredations of poachers to the boat-owners, and then to deny tjie latter the means of putting an pnd to the practice of larrikjiis using tfyeij; boats, fpr. j;h_is purpose. I)y denying the rigljt fq erect a mooring post, tjie board would be more to blame for tJje poaching than the owners would- Jt js an exceedingly weak reason tp urge tljaji because "no sportsman woujd ajjqw boats pn the Lake " they should ngj; be £|}ere. Tlje community are not all sportsmen, and if they were it is very questionable whether they would care about contemplating through a veritable telescope of fines and penalties, what must to them appear the makings of a very good day's sport. Mr Iprkwood only expressed his own idea of tfoe bjeantifnji when he iuiqi'med the board fcljafc t^ere $-as nqthing more attpactiva to his eyp fcjian " weft-footed fowls," for the public fortunately ape nof all endowed with the same " web-footed " tendency aa Mr Kirk wood. Let the boat owners maintain their rights ; they have every reason to demand a continuance of the privilege which they now enioy, and to deprive them of it on the njere wbjm or caprice ot a few selfish persons 'woullcl be to countenance which any community might "w§ll be ashamed.

" Echoes from the Cafe" held over from last issue, will be found on our fourth page. Mr John Turnbull has been returned unopposed, to fill the vacancy in the Waitoar ftoad. Board,

A meeting of the Waipa Council will bo held this morning to receive application 1 ? for the office of engineer to the county.

We are requested to state that the defaulting secretary referred to in the report of the Camhiidge Cricket Club was not Mr Henry Wilson.

A committee of the directors of the Cambridge Dairy Produce and Btcon Factory, proceed to Pateranpi on Thursday to inspect the cheese factory there. The Hamilton Legislative Association meets to-night at the Public H.ill. A large attendance of membeih and visitors is expected. Tickets of admission may be obtained at Mr Jeasop's.

The object of Mr Robert Graham's vi<<it to Wellington, is the floating of a huge company to take over his hotel and other propei ty in the Theimal Springs districts at Rotorua and Taupo.

Mr J. S. Buckland will hold his Cattle Fair at Ohanpo to-day, when he will offer for sale 800 head of mixed cattle, 30 head fat cattle, and 200 fat and store sheep. The sale will commence at 1 o'clock.

The thirty-seven acre reserve of the Cambridge Domain Hoard adjoining Mr Taylors property, on the Vicfcona-m id has been released for another year to Mr Thos. Freeman at a rental of £35, on the same condition as heretofore.

A complimentary concert to Mr S. Meacham, of Hamilton, is in contemplation. The first practice will take place in the Public Hall, to-morrow e\cniii{,', at which all tho»c who are desirous of a-*sistiu£ are requested to attend.

At the Newmarket (England) Meeting on the 2nd inst., TiUtan and Lucerne ran a dead heat for the Champion Stakes with Quicklime third. The Middle Park Plate was won by Melton, u tth Xaintr.iilles second, and Gapt. Bowling * bay colt by Sterling third. The Cambridge Dairy Produce and Bacon Factory Company conM->t> of only thirty one (shareholders holding 123") bhar^b, or an average of nearly 40 sh.no-, each. One gentlemen alone lias> the c >nbiderable number of 500 .standing opposite his name.

The question of boats v. ducts on Lake Te Koutu at C.unbndgo was the subject of a very spin ted discussion at Saturday's meeting of the Domain Boa'd. It was finally agreed to adjourn the qu"s tion until a full meeting of the bnaid. As there has not been a full meeting for m\ months p.isfc, the question may lemaiu on the shelf for a considerable time to come. A full leport of the discussion will be found elsewhere.

The Railway Permanent Way officials are, it seems, under some new regulation or other, not pounitted to t.ike on men over the ago of foity years. M.my of those who fioin time to time have bri-n employed by Hie Railway authentic- :it Hamilton are protesting vigorously against the injustice inflicted on them by such a stupid rule and letters on the subject!). is e been sent to bothmembeis for the distt ict.

A somewhat remarkable circu nstanco in connection with the railway was brought under our notice on Satin day. ( hi Wednesday last a gentleman took ;i second class ticket at Auckland foi MomnsvilU j , and was chaigcd 12^ sd, which we take to be the proper fare, but when on the letum journey, on Satiuday, the station mastoi at Mori msville cluigod him 14s 4d for his ticket. The %ictim naturnlly asks '• wli.it was the extra Is lid for ?" and we can only repeat the question.

A gentleman suffering from the effects of cupping oft c del pig'> cheek and cabbage got up the other night and penned the following, after which feat he immediately fell off into a calm sleep :—": — " ' Why is the road always bo muddy opposite the Hamilton Boiough Council Ch.imbeis?' ' Because there is so much Peat at the bottom of it.' 'Why do the Borough Council meet at night ?' Because it take*, a Dey to m.iko up the Bach.' ' Why do they take longer to commence proceedings when they ha\e a full house?' 'Because they niu^t have Tucker before they can begin.' "

The following special messages to the Pre^s Association, dated London, October dth and 10th, have been published : — Commodore Er'-kine ba» been mstiucted to proclaim a British piotectorate over the Southern shores of New Guinea and the islands immediately adjacent. Thi-> step has been taken in accm dance with Mi (lladhtone'h reply to the question asiltod on the subject by Sir Win. McAithur in the Houso of Cnninions on the 11th of August last, — The Chinose have been defeated at Loo Chung by tho "Kieneh. Their loss is estimated at 1000, while that of the French was 25. — The Tongariro haa anived with her meat in splendid condition. Prime New Zealand mutton is realising GW per lb.

Mr W. A. Murray writes to us from Morriusville :— The Rev. Mr Macintosh, I'iesbyteran clergyman at Te Aroha, has pleached here twice and has given gieat satisfaction, m) that wo are glad to learn that he has decided to hold sei vices in the Morunsiville school on llJth October, !Jth November, 7th December and 4th January, each service at 11 o'clock a.m.— lt will be a, benefit, as you suggest, to have the telegraph line Gonncefced djicpt from heie to Hair llton, as tt ts a aliou|to|jfe loitto to send messages to Hiuuilton round by tho Thames towei'i and Auckland, and the Weekly News ooires pondent exposed his ignorance by sneeiitig at your suggestion. It is to be hoped that the Tclegiaph Dopaitnient will follow the railway i<m(e and not roi petuate continuing then. 1 abMiid follow ing of the public roads meiely to pievont tlio saving of ljjeitjDjg fchop depqitnient into the Kailw.iy Departmont,

A number of the people who took leases of the Gambiidge Domain piopoity some three yeari ago at f.mly high prices rentals aie now complaining of then baigain. It will bo letncinbeiud that ab,"«it a year ago a petition numoiously signed, asking foi a 1 eduction of the ient^, \y.is forwaidod to Wellington, but the reply canjp back that there was no law by wjppb t;hp (4o\prnu|cnt had power to make the lecHlofcion ftnpliod for. A few of the piinpipal holdeia nave been finding out that they paid t on iijuoh for their win'stle, and that the advantages to be derived from their holdings are not at all consistent with tho improvements which the terms of thejr Jea^s require them to effect and the rents thoy have, to nay. i\. number of the holdings have not boon improved as required, and some of the lessees are 1 behind with their lent. It is the intention of the board to take steps against defaulteis at an early date to compel them to piopeed with the improvement of their holcjing^ and the payirjent of their rents. Ifc Hl'iy b 0 fif if>tejetifc to know that one of the most peiMstepJ. "defanlfeif) js included in the happy five of which the bqai 4 conI sists.

In noticing " The Land Question," Mr Henry George'h recently te-'ued book, a S.m Francisco exchange says :—": — " This little work is a very able defence of that nationalisation of land theory of which Mi George' has become such a pronounced and distinguished aqvopaf,e. T-fyere. is a pievailinsr impression in the popular' mina to the effect that Mr George is the 01 lginator of this theory. This impression, however, is erroneous. The theory is a good deal older than Mr George, but there can be no doubt that he has done moi-e to popularise it than any other man. In the little woik under review this now famous author deals powerful blows at the weak points in the prevailing Jand ayspein, bu|> beyond the bald and "teijle ciy, ;' j^atjon.iluje the land," he suggests no remedy for the wrongs he points out. We all know that a,n uuskflled labourer can pull down a wall, but it fcakes a skilled artisan to build it up. In saying this, there js n.p indention of disparaging Afr George's unquesfjonatyo abjlitjes ; but before askjng. society {<) d.}§orgaqjzo itself, to practically destroy a large portion of the foundation upon which it re&ts, he should exert himself to show in detail what the results of that step will be, and how any or all of their objectionable featmes may be modified or prevented. This is the work he should apply himself to. We all knqw that there, ar^ weak s,pots ip {.he present" system,"^ut we. jjo not ajl ftijqw o^ a tjetbep onQ, «nA ho» r to puf; it in' operation. To c^y^ •'•' Sfacionaligp ' phe' lan^i! i'ikQ jj, parrot, is foolish. To let us know h()w'this can be done without destroying the social fabric would be sensible.

The thoroughbred stallion Retriever, will travel this season in the TV Awamutu, Kihikihi, Ohaupo Alexandra and Tamahere districts. Particulars in future advertisement. 4 p.Ai'rLEsNAKE's Buf.— The quick venom of the rattlesnake hlis not Jjiljed so rfany pfeotfj*- ai the more insidious but deadly poisons found m the air of foul rooms. The aeration of the blood by the lungs becomes impossiole sometimes, and the failing health, growing weakness, and loss of appetite are harbingers of approaching' death. For such cases Hop Bitters are the potent and all-powerful remedy to drive all fevers out of the system, purifying the blood, and giving a new and happy lease of life, Notice,,