ABOUT THE TAPROOM.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1995, 21 April 1885, Page 4

ABOUT THE TAPROOM.

Ali. ordinary topics of public mteipst in Wiiik.vto have passed into conip.u.itne oblivion in the pieseiicn t >f tli.it all-ab-.uil>-ing matter, tho Russo Affgh m-Anglo dilhculty. Taproom fie,iiu<>titeis li.i\e neither tlio tuno ivir tho tendency to discuss iinythiug but tho latest war intelligence, and speculate on tho piob.ib'lities of a gse it and Luting struggle on the Affglian boidei. And how iuch a htruggle would affect the destinies of New Zjalandei>, foiim another impoitant piia>ie of tho flHcu^sion, and by no means the least inteiesting 1 . All kindi of throne*, defensive and otfea'.ivo, aie piomulgated and dubated, and contin^'Hcies mnumciablo aie conceived and diicussed. Of I'ouiso, the usual Jui(,'o spirit is rampant. Every man his <{ot something in hi> mouth about " tlm»,liiiig the lieai," tho " rousing ot tho Bntiali lion," and " colonial heroism." Theio aie few whohavo not got some specific solution of tho diihciilty, and it u quite a tie it to moot a niun wh.» docs not seek to dull into your unottonding head so m 13 sago lntoipietatmii of tin- peiplexing conduct of tho tieachoious Koina loff.

But to mo loc.il subjects have a still gie.itei mteii'st, fur while 1 m.vy lay claim to umleislund the (me, any pietensions that I ini^-ht put forth to a comprehension of th»^ «.ther would be very probably ruJiculoii. So every m.in to Ins own groove. Complaints «iro regularly mado in m.my paitsof Waikato, anent the t?redt &c«ircity of Justices of the Peace, and the great inconvenience consequent thoreon. People who h tve littli' legal differences with their neigh'nouis h.ivo frequently to travel many links to secure the sijjn.ituie of one of tiiu gi.at unpaid digmtaiies of the law, and veiy often run the lisk of not finding him at home. Oidmary sittings of the Resident Magistrate's Court are often adjoin ned because no justices are available, and suitors are subjected to great inconvenience and expense in consequence. Now 1 do not know that the scarcity of thc^e precious moitals is as much a source of complaint as their unwillingness to diHchuge the duties of their position. They like the honour ; but not the work ; and it is tho business of the Government to see that i>eople who are disinclined to undertake tho one, should be debarred tho enjoyment of the other. The people of Alexandra seem uncommonly hard up m lespect of this commodity. During the visit of the Native Minister to the district ho was asked to make a few appointments— one considoiate gentleman even went so far as to express his willing-ne-ts to do the nominating — and Mr Ballame, with his usual blandness, piomised, not, lemenibnr, to make a few appointments as your correspondent seems to think, but to "enquire into the matter on hn i. turn to Wellington." Whether his enquities have been unfavourable or otherwise I know not, but the Alexandra people complain of his unwairantable neglect nevertheless.

I do not think that that exceedingly happy and peaceful little hamlet, Te Awamutii, can complain of being overlooked in tins respect. I remember some months ago, while on a visit to the town, being eicoited by a friend (not the policeman) to mi establishment which, ho gave me to understand, residents were wont to speak of ,is the Magistrate's Couit. We entered, it must have been unceremoniously, for we weie hailed with a gruff voice (that of a constable from Kihikihi), which bespoke, "Orther in coort," and the owner of which looked at us as if demanding an oxplana tion for «uch outrageous conduct. Perched behind a small barrier or bench were, I think, eight men, _ all huddled together, looking a» serious and as grave as if the very existence of the State depended on their deliberations. The centre man I learned was the Resident Magistrate, and the other luminaries who whom ranged on either side of him constituted the entuo justico list for some miles aiound. By way of explanation, my friend infouned me that with one or two exceptions they wore all iccent cieations, and their simultaneous presence on that occasion \v .is , i mere formal demonstration of their official existence, anil might therefore br overlooked. It could «afely be assumed that they would ne\er offend in that manner again.

IVrhaps tho most striking feature from a W.nk ito point of view of thedofonco question which is now agitating tho minds of tho colonial public, w this grand spint of forbearanco and manly lesigiiahon which has chaiactorised Waik.it" settlers throughout thu distressing prniod. While tho good people from Timiiru, Oamaru and T.aianaki havo been woikinj' them^rhes into. i state of the most painful alarm about their defenceless position, we heie in Waikato have been looking passively on and ti listing to ,i mercitul Pio\idenco for our Hafely. Wo ha\e made no pl.unlive outcry about the defenceless btate of liagl m haibour or Tort Waikato, and notwithstanding the exposed nature of their situation, tho bee like population of those prosperous localities have not been heard to whimper forth one word of complaint against the palpable ni-jjlect with which th^y haye been tieatcd. What is there, I abk, to present a Russian cruiser entering Raglan haibour, ransacking the town, bearing off its troasuies, and laying tho wholo place in ashes '! We can only contemplate m Kilent horror the ruinous effects of such a calamity. And, again, why should wo bo Mil prmed on descending to tho river for oui matutinal plunge Home morning to find a llussiaii flotilla getting into position for tho hombaidnicnt of Ngaruawalna, Hamilton 01 Cnnbudgp, in the event of orr refusing to ante-up our bullion and other untold tieasure. How dheadful to contemplate; how disastrous to realibe ?

I was rather surpiised — I think amused would l>c a l>< U<m .."id— lit the attitude of tin Cainbndge Town Boaid towards your repiesi ntative at tlio last convention of that \eiy iii)|»n!t.uit and intelligent body. I fjintc a;_'iee \\ i tli soino of the memlieii that it is unf.ui to the public and to themselve* th.it then proceedings should not be faith fu'ly leportcd. I" the first place the public mi* \t ry ofti n domed <i treat, at once edifying and enteitaimnir, to which m all fairne"s they 'in- entitled, and the sage saying* and l.< coining doings of Home of the more pioiiniif nt munbeis do not receive tin* ventilation wl.ioh such rare Hpecunens of local statesmanship meiit. That the pio ceedings ( ,f tlm body have not been fully reported on many occasions I havo every reason to behove ; but tho loss, I fear, was not tin irs -it wan the public's. It is a uMi.il thing with men who aspire to public life and n piesentativo position to fir^t make themselves thoiou^hly acquainted with the duties and preio^atives of the position they seek t<> occupy. Unlevi this is done they can never e.xpect to dischdiKethen functions with any thing like credit to themselve-t and satisfaction to th'>->o wliimi thpy i-])i.^ctit To preside over the d< stinies of an important town like Cambridge is a po-ition which icquircs a cci tain amount of titt, experience, and, I mif^lit ity, discretion, to sustain with anything bkt! dignity to the holdd, and when the-,e aie w. inting ikliculc is thu ine\itable rew. ud of any one who may Heck to reign without them. 1h it thu chamnan of tne Cambridge Town Board is wanting in that knowledge which is indixpenwiblo to the proper conduct of his office is indisputable from the attitude ho assumed — or endeavoured to assume— on the occasion referred to. His official knowledge has not bepn rudimentary ; but perhaps like most other gieat men of equal cahlno it is only an additional pioof of In gt catnip, that he should en in littli tlinig-.

Suiilv tho HH'inlx i of the Caniluidpo Town JJiuil ai< millk ieut.lv toiueMJilt with tlic duties of tin 11 position to know tli.it then ordinal y mutiny's aio public iiici'tiiiK-'i n "t litipivus' iiu<i.tiii(r->, and tlint stiangi'is can only Ik excludtd on ,<c count of divnduly comluct. P.ut pciii.ijn it ih ono of tlic-e tliiiif;-i wliuli tlio bo.ud prof»r, i .n t\n ,(<ni- nf o^pitlni.t-y, not to knou, and doubtlf--. lind tin n if-'iioranco on kulli piuiit-t vi'i> ciiincnit'iit afc tune . Tlu-y iliould a' j'.eu in mind that whun tin n ppxMilii^M ai > iiiisioi)irsent' d, wliitlioi thi'nijjh c iii'lc->-in is oi incoinjicli nf > , it i> .lii i i,y in. ttur to <^rt tliL.ni(•ulvc s iif^lit .ifti'i tin inaiiiitsi u j u.il m such c.im( -, -tlio Loliiiini'i ()f tliu papei in which (In y li.ivc \>u n nn^ifpic-f ntcd are open to tin in— they must not feck to exeicHu then wi.ith on tliu lt'poitci who has not done them justice; lie is ie-ii>(>iiMblo in another quaitei, not to tlioin. Themfore, l»y ob Heiving the uilo in such cmscs in future, they would escape th it ndiculo which they Bcein so an> inns to a\oid, and the unjjle:i".mt com| ht.itions which must otherwise ariße.

A lady's Mi. h— "Oh, liow I do wish my skin was as dear and soft as jours •'" said a. lady to a friend "You <in c iMly make it so,' answered the fru nd ' How mijuirrd the first lidy "H> uhinjj Ur '~<>uU * Hop liittcrs, that ni ik< s pur<- rich blood and blooming health. It tlid it for me, ab you observe." Kead

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