ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.
The Prince of Wales's birthday occurring on Sunday last, Monday was observed as a general holiday, and the cattle show was held on that day and the previous Saturday. This compelled exhibitors of cattle of all sorts to incur the expense and trouble of removing their exhibits from Ellerslie on S.iturdny evening and returning them on Monday morning. Of course, this was unavoidable, but it was to be expected that the Pastoial Association would endeavour to recompense exhibitors to some extent by increasing the prize money as far as possible. Anyone who indulged m this anticipation was doomed to realise the truth of the extract fiom the Koran, or some other book, which reads, " Blessed are they who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed." Instead of increasing the amount of the prize money, the association reduced it by more than sixty per cent. The natural consequence was a falling off in the number of exhibits, though, to the credit of the farmers be it said, not to the fame extent as the diminution of the prize money. If the annual cattle show is to be continued, and is to be a success, there will have to be a more liberal spirit shown in the preparation of the prize list. I expect that the next meeting of the Pastoral Association will be a very lively one, and if it is not it ought to be, and there certainly should be a radical change made in the management. The association deserves its income from the public, in the form of subscriptions and gate money, and from the farmers in the way of entrance fees, and I am quite sure that neither section of the community can be satisfied with the wretchedly parsimonious way in which the cattle show just held has been conducted. * * We have had another demonstration of the " unemployed " under the leadership of that rank humbug, William George Garrard. That there are a number of men ii Auckland able and willing to •work, bnt unable to obtain employment, is unfortunately true, but they do not belong to the class whom Garrard represents, and with whom he is associated. There aie clerks and others of that class who are physically unfit to do manual labour. For some time past Auckland has been known to be in a very prosperous condition, and people of all sorts have been flocking hither, only to find, in two mauy cases, that they are not wanted. For those able and willing to do haid work there is no lack of employment, but Ganard and his toiifiocs, though they may be able, aie not willing to do hard work. Wli.it they want is what they are not likely to get — high wages for doing •• Government stroke." They profess to be looking for woi k, but they sincerely hope that they may not be able to find it. I heard of one gentleman who, in tho couise of fonr days, was asked for employment by no less than six strong, able-bodied men. He set each in turn to dig up his garden, and each of them dropped the spade and sneaked away as soon the gentleman's back was turned. These are fair samples of the Gairanlites, whose innocent demand is that the city council should do some of thewoiksin the city by day labour instead of by contract, they to be the labouiers. If the council were to be so culpably foolish as to accede to their demands, which they will not do, those works would be of an alarmingly costly nature. * * ♦ Talking about that palladium of our liberty — trial by jury — at the Caf6 the other day, one of the regular diners mentioned Ins experience of the jury system. He was summoned to attend as a juryman at the Criminal Soßsions of the Supi erne Court, and accordingly put in appearance on the proper day. While waiting for the piouccdmgs he was accobted by a man, who spoke to him with reference to a. case of cattle stealing, and asked him, if he should be on the jury, to acquit the accused. He told the man that if he asked him again to do such a thing he would knock him down. When the ca3e was called on my friend was one of the jury. The evidence against the accused was most conclusive, but when the jury had retited it became evident that the majority were in favour of an acquittal. Indeed, one of them went so far as to say that he was there for the express puipose of acquitting the prisoner. Unfortunately for justice, my f ieud was very unwell that day. He stiovc as long as he could to obtain a verdict of conviction, but when he found that if he did not aive in the jury would be locked up all night, ho was compelled to gi\ c way, and the result was a veidict of "not guilty." lleally this is a nice state of alTaiis, and shows the gtcat ad\antago of living in a country where exists that gi and old inbtitution — trial byjtuy. It a jury could be persuaded to acquit a guilty man, it would not be much 11101 c difficult to pel su.ide them to convict one who was innocent. It is certainly full time that Mine change was made in our jury sys tern, or else that it should bo abolished altogether. * * * Mr Richard Marsh, a former inmate of the Lunatic Asylum, has been making Borne very damaging statements with legaul to tho management of that institution. Piesumably to asceitain whether those statements were veil founded, the Mayor, and lcpoiteisof the daily newspapeis, went to the asylum last Thursday. As they went out by invitation, of course they found everything in applepie order, the visiting justices being in attendance to receive thorn and show them round. Under these circumstaneis the visit of inspection was a mere farce. If thcie were any giounds for believing Maish's statements, that is not the way to test their ti uth or falseness. The asylum should be visited without notice, at vai ions timea— early in the morning, in tl.c middle of the day, and late in tho afternoon, and no prior intimation of the visits should be given. I have clone this myself and am quite satisfied that there aie no just grounds of complaint. Of course, theie may be occasional cases of patients being more roughly treated by the attendants than they should be, but, it 80, they aie the exceptions which piove the rule, and they would be piomptly stopped and the delinquents punished if the matter were reported to either Dr Young, the Medical Superintendent, or Mr Hardy, the chief warder. Of the insanity of Maish there can be no doubt. Some years ago he wrote letters to Judge Gillies, stating that, though perfectly sane, he was detained in the Asylum. The letteis were so moderate and sensible that the judge was disposed to believe the statements contained in them, and .so held an enquiry. Two or three doctois gave evidence to the effect that Marsh was insane, but the Judge was not convinced, so he began to question Marsh whose replies were so rational that his release seemed certain, until he got on one of the topics about which he was undeniably mad. Once on that, he soon convinced Judge Gillies that he was a fit inmate for the Lunatic Asylum. * » * There is much dissatisfaction caused here by the way in which Auckland is treated by the New Zeaiand Shipping Company with regard to the direct steamers. Time after time has a steamer been advertised to sail for Auckland, and time after time has her destination been altered to one of the Southern ports, to the serious loss and inconvenience of the Auckland importers. (Seeing that the head quarters of the company in the colony are at Chrislchurch it is only natural that the preference should be given to Lyttelton, but a spirit of fairness should induce the directors to give Auckland something like her fair share of the advantages of the direct service. Unless they do so they ■will certainly have cause to regret the omission', because Auckland importers will .give instructions to have their goods shipped by the -Orient Company's steamers to Sydney. In almost every instance they.
would receive them more quickly in that way than by direct steamer to any of the Southern ports in this colony. Auckland importers were the first to break the monopoly of Shaw, Saville and Co. by forming the Auckland Freight Company, which was, unfortunately, afterwards amalgamated with the New Zealand Shipping Company. What Auckland con hi do then, when she was poor and weak, she can assurredly do now tint she is richer and more powerful. Unless she ia more fairly treated she will either make an arrangement with one of the large companies which send ste.uneisto Australia, or form a company to charter steamers to compete with those of the New Zealand Shipping Company. Powerful as this company is, and though the directors may think that they 1 aye secured themselves from opposition, they will find that they cannot afford to ignore Auckland. She is rapidly becoming the largest and most important city in the colony, and her merchants are not so blind to their own interests as to sit quietly by and see her debarred the advantages of direct steam communication with England, and the sooner the directors of the New Zealand Shipping Company realise this fact the better for themselves and their shareholders. St. Mungo.
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Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1930, 18 November 1884, Page 4
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1,606ECHOES FROM THE CAFE. Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1930, 18 November 1884, Page 4
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