ABOUT THE TAPROOM. [BY "BOOTS."]

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2006, 16 May 1885, Page 3

ABOUT THE TAPROOM. [BY " BOOTS."]

Th i m, is «iv old aaj in? ab nit tho futility of tijing to make a man sober by Act of Kuh uncut. No doubt thi-i doploi ible con elusion his been arrived at aftei a \eiv genoril e\piTioncv, not onl\ in Now Zimluid, but in mmy othoi putt of tho \wnid. Pnbltc-lioiis-es have been dosed mi Sunday ; still I lme not unfioquontlv seen ini'ii who smelt stioiitflj of soino \ ili> coin pou.id stiollm^ .iiomid, i\nd e\en w.ilt/ing into chinch on that day. Bus h.uo been shut up at 10 o'clock, still I ha\o inn against an old fiiend about two m tinnioiiim^ who uisi-1-.d upon om condolnis? with each othci, and di^ussing the situ.i tion o\oi a " wiv di i|)pio' at tho neigh bouiintf pub, .md, stiaiifje to s.iv, we h.uo niv.uitbU lidimi succi'ssful. But tlu'Ciowunij; sti'i>kt' of I his ingenious policy of making' people sohei by acl of Parb.inient is that which v. is coiicen ed omio time ago in io-sp.-ct to the «'\ulu-ion of liquor hoin the Rlll2 Coiintiy, and which has muco boon prrtulannod law.

The whole thing t«» my mind is .1 capital lokc, and there aie few I think— Mr C. O. Davis being one -who incline to l«»«)k upon it in .my oth.-r light. Even the intelligent Mmistui win) i-MK'd the piouluuttmn must have been fully convinced of the futihtv of tlio step which he lud been induced to t ike. Of coiii-o, no (Jovernn^nt could assume a negative attitude in the face of such a largely and influeiitially signed petition, to which even tho signatuiet. of royalty were attached, and so this crowning ettoit of teui(>orance fmolity wa« indulged. And so these blue libbon magnates really think that the issuing of this great proclaim}tioii will have the denned effect? All credit is due to those men who succeeded in tinning his Maori icaiestv and a few of his attendant satellite-, into the path of lccititude, in this they succeeded admirably. Moreover, I have r\oiy icason to believe that in the case of these feu, the conversion has an air of permanency about it, at least I hope so. Uut if thi y think that the issuing of this proclamation lms established and will maintain tempet.nice thioughont the country, oxer which it extends, they are greatly mistaken. Though sobriety has been established among a few of the leading spuits, the fact cannot be concealed that the natives as a people are far from being reel iimed and temneiate. Sobriety prevails in the uvijontv of cases simply because it is inevitible. The smews of w.u aie wanting. .For let the apostle of temperance claim what success they may, the want of funds has done more to assist them, than all the funous declamation that has been hulled at the heads of unfortunate publicans, and the nefauous traffic in which they are engaged. The possession of funds impels natives to leave theii settlements for the pin pose of enjoying the atti actions held out to them by their neighbours acioss the boidei ; and once they get into a European settlement with a well tilled purse, all the moial suasion m the world would not induce them to relinquish their acquaintance with the atti actions, so long as they aie naturally inclined that way.

Before many yonrs have passed townships inhabitated by Europeans will have been established thioughout the King country. Kawhia will he an iu.poitant port, and along the line of iailway theie will be mam thickly-populated centie-> wheie hotels will be indispetiMiblo. Ti.uelleir. cvinnofc be iv^ked to tinvei*c such a uildoiness in a New Zealand railway c.un.ige without being peimittcd a little refreshment on the way. And if the tempeiance community think todebai them from such an indulgence they ute gie.itly mistaken, and not at all likely to succeed. Clearly, some othei metn . must be adopted to keep the natives .sol)i»r than that which has lately been provided.

It was generally understood that the resuscitation of the Hamilton B.vnd was to foimpaitof the propi .unme in the estib lisbnient of the pioposcd Hamilton Rifle Corp--. So I -<iip|ii!si' as the pioffeted serwcesof the latter have not been accepted l>y the (4<>\ eminent the pioposnl respecting the band has been allowed to fall through. Now I don't e\nttly know why this should be b'>. The band m-tiunu'nts, uniforms &c. .lie still on hand, .tnd the iiiernbers, theiefoie, could not liaxo been e\ pectin? any matunal assistance through the nflc coi \i*. If by the eufctenco of the coi ps the b.aul could h.ive been stai ted, hinely without it equal •jiicce'-s c.tn be achiexed. The history of the Hamilton hand has been in many 1 expects mteiesting; its career has been full of vicissitudes. How often has it been re-organi^ed, re-started and re-e&tab-liahed on new bases? E\erv successhe effoithas, after a brief peiiod of hucccss, been overtaken by some fatality. At one tune the Hamilton band was one of the most popular institutions in the distiict, and why it bhould not once mote assume that position I am at a loss to tindei stand.

I am told that it is the intention of the Cambridge Town lioaul to effect some imp] moments to the public 1. .til nt .m e.uly date, and that two menibei-> of that body h.ue been told off as a committee to see what )-• reciuned. 1 think they will hud out that the lequirements are of a -.oinewhat \aiied character. A« a public a-^emblv room, there is not another building in Walkato that excels it in rebpect to the striking nature of its deficiencos. Fiom an c\temr point of \ie\v, it is an e\ceediugly handsome little building no doubt, and i-> an ornament to the tow n, but once the stranger enters its dre iry precinct-, tin* bleakness of the aspect is stnking m tlio extreme. Tho scenic effects «iie staitling, and contiast favourably with the nakednesh of the walls. The stage fittmgti are of an intensely delicate charactei —so delicate in fact that performers Oiufit be in incessant dread of an awilanchc of the whole concern. Now as the taiitf of the Cambridge Hall is in advance of that of eveiy ntlior lull in Waikato, and as the hall is moie frequently used than any other, the boairi should excit it>elf towards making it moie comfoi table for jniblie use. La--t yeni tl)t> balanceHhret showed a handsome -.uiphis ; so handsome in fact as to fully justify the board in launching out liberally in then contemplated impio\ements.

I would lespcctfully suggest to the Hamilton Borough Council that it s-honld without lots of time prohibit the owners of cattle. md hordes fiom allowing then animals to wander about the streets. I do this in the inteiestn of the biugcsps, or rather such of them, wale and female, as aie cmi.ti.uiu d to be out after d.uk. The sen-ation e\peiienced in tumbling over .1 cow lecumbant on a footpath is not of the pleasantest kind, nor is it cheerful to contemplate the possi bility of receiving a kick m the \ ital paits of the body from a vicious hor-e \\ ho may be taking his ovening stroll along that poi tion of the King's highn.iy set apait foi the uso of pede«tiians. I .mi awaie that it 1-. unpopnlai to shut off the cittlp fioin tlie htieets, and I am aUn awaio tliat tlie pie sent membeis of the council weio noiiily .ill lL'tuined on the "popular" ticket; but I will put it anothfu way. The wmtei, which ia now upon us, while it heighten*, with its dark nights the dangeis Iha\e adveited to, will very soon demolish tho little gieen feed left by the long spell of diy weather. Nobody will bo hint, and ;i gi eat many moral natures maybe meserved in their integiity, not to mention now many limbs and lives will be naved, by compelling keepers of cows and horses to be keepeis of paddocks also.

A very graceful wooden structure is at pie^eufc in counto of erection in Vic-toiia-stieet, Hamilton. I cannot be positive as to its style. My limited knowledge does not embrace anything nioio than the most superficial acquaintance with the art or science of aichitecture, and the edifice in question n light be Gothic, Elizabethan, Norman, li.mc, Doiic, Counthi&n, or anything else \. ithout my knowing it ; but if I were linked to n-dke a guosB I should nay it was enily (very eaily) English. The foundation stone wa.s not Lutl by the Sons of Light, because it is clc.irly not on the Hqumo, beiiif, in f.ict, skew-w liitf, so to speak. But I cannot •itti'inpt a description of it. To be appre ciatud, it must be seen.

The deputation on the subject of Riiilway Reform last week was not neaily so interesting as it might ha\e been— to tho'.e who went to inform their minds. To the liiirikin element, which wus largely repio sented, no doubt the " tv quoque " stylo of argument adopted by Mr Vaile was acceptablo, but the thoughtful portion of the audience weio not concerned to know what Mr Swarbrick'* qiuhfieationß are. It is Mr Vaile's htne«H to deal with tlie subject that thrv wish to bo as*ured of. The scheme of cheap fares and ticket statioi/ti la not Mr Swarbrick's, and (the more especi ally as he was openly challenged to do ho) he had a perfect right to criticise it. In stead of indulging in the Billingsgato or Whitechapel style of argument, Mr Vaile bhould liitvu risen to tlio lm^oitaacd of tho

occasion and contented himself with replying to li i— cntit's objection-. Tin-* tie did not do to tliu yenm.il •satisfaction ot the audience Ho\\e\ei, it is p'easintf to leflect that Mi \',ule\ notions upon the Mil>)ect of l.uhv.u lcfoim uealongw.ij in ad\.mce of In-, sense of decency.