COMMENTS

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2013, 2 June 1885, Page 2

COMMENTS

Jv the couise of his lecture on our Eastern tioubles, in Ha nilton the other day, his Lordship the Bishop of Auckland gave us a very valuable piece of infoimation He bhowed us what a delightful place India ib for out boys. We tall this a piece ot information, because we had somehow got it into our heads that India as a fortune-making field was pietty well worked out. The Bishop's .isbuiances to the contiaiy aie most welcome. According to his statement, theie is a splendid opening for clever young men in the Indian Civil .Service. The pay is exceptionally good w hile they choose to work, and when they get tired, which they are permitted to do at the age of, bay, forty, a pension of ample proportions is awarded to tliPin, aud they can then return to the temperate islands of the Southern Hemispheie, and enjoy an o/imn nan diijndntc under the shade of their own vine and fig trees, on estateb pnichabcd with accumulated Hipees The right rev. gentleman emphasised his statement !>y intimitatiug tli.it lie himself was tiaining up one of his sons for this kind ot life We do not doubt that New Zealand fathers and motheis will at once jump at the proHeied pri/e. The problem '"what bhall we do with our boys ':" is solved at last, and we need not go on swelling the already too crowded ranks of the professions in the colony any longer. •Such an education ns> will n't a boy for the workhchds to do 111 India will soon come to be regarded as a much more pi oh table investment than a hfeinsuiance policy. W lien the evening of life comes on, and the paternal fiamc has giowu too old and frcble for labour, home comes the the foi ty year-old s>on with his moneybags and if he has been In ought up in the knowledge of the fifth commandment the old folks are made comfortable for life. Per contra, it is of course possible that the pensioner has become possessed of a liver during his sojourn in the burning East, but in view of the innumenble spe'uiics for that complaint he will only ha\c himself to blame if he ha 9. In a tune of depression like the present, when all tho avenues to affluence aie crowded, the an'iOnncompnt of tho Bishop of Auckland comes, like the Pickwick pen, as a boon and a ble«sni(_' to men.

Tutv have sonic jolly fuu at election times in the Nelson Province. However sleepy the good folk of that part of the colony may be with regard to display a considerable amount of life in things they most political matters. For the Waimea seat, rendered vacant by the elevation of Mr Shcphaid to the Louis, there aie lulf a dozen candidates, whose views are about as divergent as it is possible to conceive. We ha\e j'ist perused a leport of a meeting held by one of their number Mr John Kcir, and for genuine fun we doubt very much if e\en the best efforts of Artenms Ward could beat it. T!ie difference of course lies in the fact that Artemus meant to be funny, whereas Mr Kerr did not. Mr Ken's political cieed is a peculiar one. His district fiist, he NcKon Province second, and the colony afterwards. Whatever else it may be, this is honest, though it is hard to square it with the candidate's loud denunciation of the ptactice of making the House of Representatives a huge und boaid, instead of a Legislative body. He condemns land nationalisation, but he appioves of a land tax, and in many otlici vvajs he manages in theslioit time at his disposal to jumble up colonial politics and political economy in the most delightful manner. But the real fun came on with the questions. Here aic a few specimens : — Mr Fittall : You are in favour of putting a heavier duty on English beer. Are you also in favour of the tax on colonial beer ? Mr Kerr : Yes, and I think it would bear htill more. lam not one to 10b a poor man of his beer, for I take a little drop myself occasionally, but I think the brewei can pay more. I know men who have made their fortunes at brewing when they had to pay never less than (is for barley, and they said they could manngo it up to Bs. Now they got it at 3s (id, and pay the grower when they like, and yet the beer in those days was as pood, (A voico : Aye, and better too) and now we pay exactly the .same pi ice, and I notice the glosses are smaller. (Laughter). Mr J''ittall : What are your views on Foi i^t Conservation ? Mi Kerr : I think the people who talk about it don't know anything at all about it. (Laughter). If you lived where I do you would know that you must get shut of the bush, and a lot of money it costs to do it too. But you must clear the birch tree 1 -, a number of which, like nome other things I know, are quite hollow. (Laughter), Mr Fittall : What would be the effect of a general clearance on the climate '! Mr Keor : I can't answer that, though T have read that it does affect it. If it did up my way I wouldn't mind, for wo got rather too much ram there sometimes. Mr Fittall : Now I have one more question to ask, though you need not answer it if you don't like to. I have hen id it .stated, and I would like to ask if it is true, that you said in a public room that tho presont Government wero a lot of (adjective) rogues, and therefore wo ought to send (adjective) rogue to represent us ? It is pleasing, if it be somewhat disappointing to find that Mr Kerr characterises this statement as "a deliberate lie," but it is still more rdfieshing to find Mr Fittall saying ho is glad to hear it. By the way, Mr Kerr, in his address lamented that he had not been educated, and quite unnecessarily remarked that though he might by and bye aspire to a scat in tho ITpper House

he was not sufficiently educated yet: and upon this point a Mr Harkness puts some lather awkward queries : — Mi J. Haikness: You do not considei ymiihclf fitted fur the Upper House"' Mr Ken : Not yet. I have not h.id the education for it. The Lovvci House is Quito diffeient. I have had a certain amount of education for that, and can go thcic and be taught more still. Mr H.irkne*<>: But don't you think £■><" iti i i"-i|>on-<ibility attached to .1 member of the Lower th.in of the Uppei Hou-,0 .' Mi Ken : Yes, but we go to the Lower House mine for local concerns. Mr Harkncs: And yet you say you behe\e in an elective Upper Hou-p. Mr Kerr: You fuo not going to put woids into my mouth. You come up here .is .1 cultivated .speaker, and think you arc going to catch me. Mr Harknes-s. On your own showing, if the Upper House was elective the mcmbei.s would have to look after their di.v tllCts. Wu have not space to give the remauidei of the lepoit, but it was equally enteitaimng all through.

Our Paris Letter, and " Echoes trom the Cafe w ill bo found on the foiuth page •f this issue. Very hard frosts were expeucnced on Sunday night and l<t«*t night, and all vegetable giouth lias now been effectinlly stopjied foi the winter. The police have made two arrests in conmition with the extensive jevvellorv rolibeiy .it Wellington, but leticonco i-< obscivod m connection with the affair. Mr Kelly, during a visit to Cambtidgo jesteid.iy, expipssi>s his intention of unse iting Mi Sheelnn under the conupt Piactices Election Act. Members of the Hamilton Choral Societ\ aie leqtiostod to bung their copies of the " Mos-iah" to rehearsal to-morrow (\Vedne-da\ ) evening. We understand the Government intend stai tint; a few gangs of men to repan and foim the Cambiidge-Tanpo load. The wink will bo commenced foithwith, Mr Dem- Muijili\, of Te Vmhi, taking charge of the men. At a large and enthusiastic meeting held in the Melbourne Town Hall on Satuulay night, it was lesolved to institute a movement to eieet .1 menioi ial statue to the late (ioneial (Joidon. Numerous -ub scuptions weie piomised. Mr Dodsor, MHR , addressed his constituents at Hlenheim, on Fuday night, and locoived a \ote of confidence. He announced hnn-elf a geneial suppoiter of M.ijoi Atkinson, but bitterly opposed the piesent education system. On Tuesday next the 9th inst the Camlnidge Town District Licensing Bench meets to lieai applications foi renewels of licenses and for other business. The Pukekma and Tamahero benches will meet on Saturday the (ith inst. all three benches will meet at the couit-houso at noon. The new grand organ at S. Patuc'cb Roman Catholic Cithedial, Auckland, was played for the first time on Sunday. The collections for the day, which went to theoigan fund, amounted to the magnificent sum of £320 10s. Tiw oigan was elected by the Rev. Fnthet Luck, of Waikato, bt other of tlie bisliop. At last night's meeting of the Hamilton I?<uough Council the M.iyor In ought foiw.ml the petition on the subject of iailwa\ refoim, for the council's suppoit and signatuie, and in a buef speech explained the object, and the action necessaiy tube taken. The Mayoi and eounci'lois all signed the pi tition. Morrinsville is at present the centie of a considerable amount of life, con- | sequent on the piesence of laipe numbci-i of men employed on the two huge lailway pkitelaving contiacts. Mr I). Fallon commenped opuations on the Rotoiua lailway on Tlnmdav, and Mi Livingstone on the Te Vioha suction of the W.ukato-Tluinei ] lailw.iy yesteiday. Mr W. J. Palmer, Carlton Gore Roul, has sent n- a descuptive citalogue of fimt tiei's and floweis foi this se-wm. His stock compiists o\ei 800 vanetii's of apples, woiked on blight-pioof stocks, cherries, giajies, nectanne^, peaches, pears, plum, kv., and m Howeis lie has in stock all the latent and choicest \aueties of roses, dahlias, cln\suithemunis, pelargoniums, wiben.is, cnnitioiis, fuch-ias, gltdioh, and a laige and laic assuitinent of stoic and greenliouse plants. Catalogues five on application. On Sunday evening last the Rev. Mr Raebuin, Piesbyteiian nnnistei, Hamilton Kist, preached his faiovvoll Rimini to a l.uge congiegation. The ie\. gentleman took his text fiom Ist Philippians and Ist v er.se, and delivered a veiy appropriate .sermon. Refeiring to the time he had been in AVaikato he said the friends of the church had been veiy kind to him, and he regietted leaving them. However, he should always look back with feelings of pleasure upon his Waikato mission. The new time-table which came into force yesteiday makes cunsideiable changes in the closing of the mails in Hamilton, as .shown by mail notice in another pai tof this paper. The pnncip.il changes are that the down mails close at 10 a.m. in placo of 10. 10, and up mails at 12.30 instead of 2 o'clock. There is, howover, a second mail for Te Aw.unutu, Ohaupo, and Ngaroto, closing at 3 p in., and foi Cambridge, closing at 4.30 These latter mails are carried by the goods tiain, and only serve townships on the lino of tail, all other mail services being connected w ith the eai ly passenger train A most diabolical piece of larrikinism was perpetrited at Oainbiidge. some few nights ago on the hoise of a io.spn.tahle settler. The horse was tied up atone of the posts in the town, while the owner was doinc some business. Two l.imkius, one «aid to be of temporary lesidence in the distiict, and the otlu i a well-known gentleman who has alieady made his debut befoie the di»trict magistrate, seeing the unfui tunate horae .standing by himself could not resist the temptation of perpetiatmga jiieco of blackguardism while the owner's back was tinned. So, providing themselves with some sharp instrument, they cut olf the horse's t.iil and inane and disappeared. The owner has been making an investigation, and he considers he has now sufficient cv idenco to bi ing the chaipo home to the culpiits. He ha.s placed the m.ittei in the hands of the police and no doubt the pei pet ra tors of the rascally act will be rew.udcd with the punishment they deserve. To inflict a fine is to deal too comideiately with such ; a few strokes of the lash, or a few weeks vacation in Mount Eden is the only just rewaid of such dowmight villany. The natives are credited with being excellent witnes.ses whenever a case in which they aie immediately concerned is being he.ud. In lcsnect of time, place and jiernon they aie seldom or never at vanance ; the story told by one is generally lepe.ited with marvellous accuracy in eveiy paiticular by the others, unless of comse when there are native witnesses on both hides, when as in every other case theie aie two very different veisions. In many other respects natives am thoroughly convorsant with the ins and outs of Couit procedure. A case came on for hearing recently at one of our district couits in which several native witnesses wore snbpo'ii'ied. One lady who was being allowed mileage was asked how far aim lived fiom cmut, when she proudly intimated that about thirty miles would cover the distance. Thi* rather annoyed her brother witnesses, who in a Hort of Irinh whisper infomiod her that she had spoiled not only heiself but thrin aho by ovoidoing the thing. On enquiry it tinned out that the dusky d.vinsei only lived somi> nine m ten miles aua\ Tlio >[aoiis aic ceitinnly innocent people. The following special messages to tlio Piess AHsociation, dated London, May 29th and 30th, have been published :— CJenoral (iraham, in his dcHjiatchoH, com mends the general order niiuntainod by the New South Wales contingent, and say-, that by then 1 action a bright example has been shown of the latent militaiy .stn-ngth of the Umpire, and that the soldierly spmt hliowii by them was a theme of univoiMil admiration. — The various Agents-(Jenoral and a number of merchants have waited upon the Government and urged them to modify the existing duty on colonial wines. — A pail of the Ku.ipehu's c.ngo of frozen meat im noft and spotted, and is selling at fiom 3 UI to ."id pei lb. The meat by the T.dnuiis .selling at ."i}d per lb — Tho shipment. «f grapes by tho steamers Oiiont an I I'ekin aie in *ood condition. The pears by the same vessels are excellent. — Tho Now Zealand Shipping Company's R.M.s.s. Aoiangi loft this morning for New Zealand ports. — Tho wheat market is inactivo, and quotations are unchanged. The weather is now much warmer, nnd tho harvest hns been drlnyod a fortnight.

The Wellington correspondent of tin 1 Auckland Herald, wilting on I'iulav List, stated th.it he h.ul it on ielnble authontv th.it a p.uty in opposition to the piesent (Jov eminent was being foiined in tin) South, and the lendcis weie Messrs Montgomery and Maeandiow. Thej vvoie reputed to hue taken Mr Ban on into then counsel, and had communicated with Sir (Jeoige (hoy. The .some correspondent, writing on the following day, says :— I line made furthei inquiries io»Jioetiiicr tliu pmty mo\ciiiL<nt s.nd to bo in piogte-s in Otago, and find that it is believed to be tiue by the bpst informed political men in Wellington. I heard to day that a meinbei of the Legislative Council, who was closely connected with the Government last session of Pailianient, and who is at present in Wellington, coii'm in* the statement. Two at least of the Wellington members have heard it, and belte\e it to be exceedingly probable. They aic of opinion that the movement will havo the effect of stiengthenmg Major Atkinson 'a party, by rendeiingit compact and united. Thoy believe that the majority of the electorates of Wellington will go with Major Atkinson's party. Tho stiength of the present (lovernniont, tliev say, lies chiefly in the West Coast of the Middle Island and Canteibury. They do not indicate how the Auckland representatives will be affected by the new combination, but they believed that Major Atkinson has a v cry considerable support in the North. They consider that the Auckland \ ote w ill veiv much depend upon the relations th.it aic likely to aiihe between the opposite, political elements which will be evolved during the session. I have heard it even stated that if the Government should b defeated upon any vital question they will appeal to the country. It is waid that the (}ov eminent would be in a position to ask for a dissolution, inasmuch as last session their measures were enthely tentative, and the countty would be entitled to express an opinion upon their matuied policy. The question immediately arises, what would be cniihideicd a vital pait of their policy? The answer I have heaid given to this is that the Local Government Bill is likely to furnish a Held of battle for the next Pailiatuent u v campaign. The ditfeience between the Atkinson paity and the pie»ent (Jovet ninent on this question is wide, and the points of diveigence aie obvious and definite. It is said that the opinion of the electoiates plight be taken upon this question, which concerns eveivpaitof the colony, and that the opinion taken would dftmninc for the future the direction which loeil gov eminent would tike. The new jinty is said to have its own battle ciy, but no one app mis to know exactly what it is. 1 st-nd v.Oll these items of political gossip without e\piessingan opinion of my own. I can only vouch that they are gathered fioin gentlemen prominently engaged in political life, some of whem aie well mfoimedof all that passes inregaul to politic il p.uties. Tf I wen- at libeity to mention then names, T think \ou would allow that some of them aio in a position to speak w ith considenble authoi itv .