ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2022, 23 June 1885, Page 4

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

By a lecent nml I received from Welhngnon tho io|>oit, bil nice short, &"., of the Ne\. Z-ilmd (i'Xi'iiiiuciit insui.uico A>»-5 Kiitmn, .urn) tw.> pioxy fomis and nt.it' mi'iits of icismis f"i and against tho estibli-lmn'iit uf l-)cil lvnnN in Aurk land, ('hn<tchuiuh, .uid DuntMin, foi tlic mm v^i mc.it uf tie business of the a»-'.oci-ation. 1 um^t admit tint f .mi sni prised th-it it should In- tlio elected members of the bnnl nh'i .no oppo->,;d ti> the local cHiti >1, and the oMici.vl and nuiimn c mo klkm-. whi.irc m fav.nu of it. If it h (1 '-uilili' tint th»i« slmii'd l)p a ho.ird of inui.iff 'iniMit .it Wellnitrton, it soodim to mo to 1»j (H'-n inoip u^io -try th.it th»n sh >uld If 1 10 ii h>ird-< .it olh»r principal towiw Th" ffu at olijfction to inn pi "-.cut oysti'in of (!ou'iniu"iit, in all dopaitiniMit", i^ c ntr ih-in I4\ti> thing must bu doiio at Wellington, tho con-ictfuonci' Ik ing ©xponco and di-1 ly, and w»» should Iml vrit\\ Hiti'f.u't'on .uiv itti'inpl Lh it is m.uloto liro iK d iwn lln • V't .i of ojnti ill .mi. Tli' lll'Wh IlllJOStloM to t'l > tl' ¥ \V piop'H.ll 111 d" by t!i % <!i t (1 iin'tiiln'l •> h tin th' 1 hciic of ovpoiiM'', bub I think they had pil d up tho fi him-> h iin-> nd . <<ly. llow.'.oi, tint i-> morel v hij opuuuii. Tho only iulditiuii.il oxp'MiM 1 now pMpn^jd would \v titOO ]>et nnnuiu — tlnoe Unectors at tho tl.ro* princip.il towns, c.ich of whom would recoivo £100 ,i year. Tho asst'ition is mn'lo that, if three locil boards wcrj crr.itod, more must follow. I take it that tins would bo the case only if tho throe were found to work .satisfactorily — to bring increased numberw of pohejholders, and to facilitate business. If they do no, other boards would doubtless be found wherever there was .v prospect of a ■imilar remilt, while if the three were not a nucccss, they would bo abolished at the expiration of the term for which the member* wero elected.

One of tho most important of our social nrolilotm is " what are we to do with tho larrikins ?" They arc of all sizes and age*, from mere boy* to grown men, and belong to all classes of society. A number of them are positively vicious, but the majoiityof tno in get into mischief simply bec.ui^e they havo nothing to do in tho evenings, and are not subject to parental control. Foi tho \icious we require a reform vtory, and for the others we need healthy and interesting occupation for their ioifuue time. What we rtquire are workshop*, gymn.nia and dull-sheds. Of course, it would not bo fair to evpect a lad who had heen working .it a carpenter* bench all day to do the H.iirio work in tho evening, but hV might sprnd I'is time in a gymnasium or a drillshed, while thoso wluiso occupations 3ie of .1 sedentary nature might be pleasantly and profitably employed with the carpenter's tools. Of course, the gr^at objection to the scheino is its co»t, but that need not be \ery great, And the mij>r p >rtion of it might hi recorded by tho s.ilo of work done in tho workshops. At auyratc, something will ha\e to be done, and that speedily, to check tho growth of lariikinism, iuid it will probibly co^t less in poiuidn, shillings and pence to affoid profitable occupation to tho l.uiiknis than to add to 0111 gaoh and our jmlice forci", to say nothing of the indirect g.iin to the coiunmnity.

So far there does not seem to be much prw-p'ct nf an oijfuiwvl Opposition in our Partuin 'lit tin-. "P» Kin, the Addit»Hs-in-ftrply hi' injf "P<~n fauied without debate. It is certainly to be hoped th.it thi* " let it riido ' jiohcy h not to bo punned much longer, for nothing tends so surely to prorinco s]o\enly legislation. It study cannot be tli.it nil tlio members jiic satisfied with the present Ministry, tho way in which they .uc conducting the luih'int> < » of tho country, nnd tho (Jovenioi's Spoccli. Indeed, it w.'s evident that the proposer and ft'tfruidor of tho A<ldrt l s : (-in-l{cply were not nltoe;! th"r «ati>4fipd. I boli"\p that if the truth were known, n consideriblo majority in the Hmw arc opjiused to tho present Ministry, but they c.mnot turn tlietu out at present for want of cohesion amoui? thomrolvch, and Ixjcause they do not yet Hee who would bo their nuccf\->sor-i. I am not particiU.ti I\' .invions f.> see the <Jo\crnnii'nt defeated, not because I am satisfied that they are tho l»cst obtainable, but because uo might go from bnd to worsp, nnd bocnnxp cinst.irit cliaujri-s are not pood for tho country, but I do sincerely hope that a go kI hoilthy ()p]> isitio'i will soon be fonriPfl, a*> without it it h hopeless to expect satisfactory legislation.

__ There in one mattei which particnlnly requires the rarpft'l attention of our legislators and tli it w tlin linnien-c expense entailed on the colony by the present •ystetn of fhing ei'dit. Wohato a little army of i< ident magssti ate, clerks and bailiffs pu. l fni the purpose «f enabling credit >rs to ucoter their debtH. Then we have buikriijitcv jmlgci", official aiwignees Ac. pdid to on.iblu trio debtors to escape the pavtin'iit of thosn debt*. The question k whether tho whole lot coul.l not be swept away. If debts could not be recoicrcd in the l,i w courts an irnmonKU Having would bo effected, as the Resident Magistr-.to'* Courts would not be icqiiiiod nnd the work of bankruptcy courts would be nil. This would stop tho present credit «y-tem, .md peoplo would lie coinpolled to pny tlicir w»y and live w ithin their inoau-<. It would atop niostt of the si\ty per cent, nionry lendiiifr Im«tncs4 too, a« pcn]ito without tungible Rccurity would lie unable to borrow for tiio^e who luvo tiugiblo wcurity to oder cm obtain loan* at reasoniiblo TAte% of nucri'st, and in niont in ■t-incps, they would not require to borrow were it not that they guccrt (lit. In Engljind the ciedit sy^te.n Ins icceiwd a sc\ .ro blow through the establishment of co-opern-ti\e On" of the main olcnientu of the miccuw of those wocietns was that they wild for c.ish only, and on Id consequently undersell tlirotdmaiy ti.uicr wlio sold on credit. The latt-i hoon found that the only way in which they could compute against the societies was liy adopting the ca-*h principle. Many of them did so with marker) flm.ee>*, while those who did not Aery frequently found them-ehrs dm en into the baukiuptcy court. I am quite jure that it would be a lasting benefit to the poople of New Zealand if the credit ey^tcm were abolished, a* it compels thorn to pay more for their goods than they would have to pay if they naid cash, and it in a great inducement to many to live be yond their income*.

Ono of tho most flagrant bankruptcy cnnc« wo ha\e had in Auckland wns th.it of Linabury, a drn|)cr, who recently nought tho protection nf the court. According to his statement irudo before, tlio official Rssipioo, he began business in f^ni'cii stiwt about two yp.nn ,w> withncnpit.il of £1!>. Ho took a shoo ,it £'ft per week, and bought lm stock -in-trade on cicd\t. Ho does not appeal to have, [Mid any rent, as fie owud ftbout £*iOO to ]i\h landloid, who diHtr.vinerl and >-ol(l tlif Htrick, wlncli Lmabiiiy valued nt £l.") 00, for n sum baiely suifiuient to pay the lent. The consequence u.ib that Lin a buiynlf-d liis schedule, xliownif; li ilnliLicof about t'2ooo and no awts. How he in.m.i^rd to obt.ii)) ciedit to mtJi an extrnt is mo-t "inprismf,', < |ipui.dlv as he h.ul bin n lunki upt ju t before he hc^.xn biisinos-, with th" b< fore iiieiitioiied cipit.il of £t!l. I d<> not think thatth" landlord acted quitu fjinly Id tin* i/ilin rrcdil-xH in Hllmving tlm lent fo aeuiuiul.ite .11 ho did, and it doo^ not 'teni n/ht that th» law yhould prrttect the landloid to such an extant. Indeed, I do not sec why the landlord hhouid have special piotection beyond a reasonable tune, say three inonthn in the case of a weekly or monthly tenancy, or nix months in the c.ise of a leas'*. If a man lets hi< rrnt get info arrears for three or nix months it m.iy fairly be a««iimed that he either cannot or will not pay, and the winner he make* way for a better tenant the better for all concerned.

Tho Hoard of Education have come to a aonsible decision in revolving to leduco tincost of the inupcction of 'chooK by employiiiff only three inspect"! -. instead of four. The n,il.vry saved will en.iblo them to j>,i> threw or four additional teachers for countiy hclioolk, and tliouffh competent inspection is very dcsii.iblo it is f.ir hettei to h.ui the tlneeoi fou i oxtra hcliooN, oven though all the, scho iln m tho district are \ i-.it' d Riniicw li.tt !(•«,>< frequently l>y llir> iiimjh ctnr^ At the Kline time, Ido not think tins inhj»'( tion v jl) l.faiiythiiif,' loss efficient, liur, on th''fni h ,ry nioro so, ,is ,i miiii< ,\ li.it »lilf"ir)> 1 1. 1., Ins lwcn ndnptr-d. Jlithoi to \Ji 0.-u('i\ n Jkis ntttd nn ll'-nd Trisjifcto,. diMcnii^ the other inspccloi* which s', 1 r»iN t.'i. } werr to \i«it and when, while hf limiv !f tins paid occasional viait'. In futuie ho 1-, ~,till tn net an Chief Tnspectar, but is to take n di«trict ah tho othei* do. All tho schools are to be di\idrd into threo dwtrittH, one of which will be \isited l»y oacli ins7iector, none of them t.ikisip the Hiimft di-tnct. for two coimrntive ynnr'. Tljiw cac-li will check the work of tho othei two. A nice little >«tory in told about the recent mayoral election at Newmarket, which

slu>'.\s a low state i>f 11101 ilit> if tun- One iifttiec. iduUU'j i-» ch.ui mtn <>f 111 ■ lie in me: coir mtti-e It wis jnettv jji-niM.illy Illld^lhtl 1(1 tll.lt tin 1 IIU Mr- <rt c.:t.> <>! t'lO hotels wo.ild lie I (-fused unlo-w .1 new lioiimw>Nrl)>iilt. 'Ih- "\\nii of Llio liotd \\as ( of poiirv* \ci oto nifiirmg tin' i'\p.»nsrt, .tiid it i tint the ih.m ni.'ii «i the li "ii in^ci.muitVo piduu cd to nl low l ho l>i <-nt hou c tii imp mi if t'm ov.iui suf'P'i tcrlhun i.i the m.i^mi) i'li ct'Mii, Tarn not in <i ]»>'it'on t > \oUi h for tin- tiutli of the story, but I do know th \t the owner of the h nuc woik i-d .iv.mv h iul to si-cuie the rlfctio'i of the chairiiian, iin'l that h 1 <>i.(l <a\i«w^l ti pT'-t th'^ hci">so renewed to Hu 1 olrl h-'ti-l, with mt any ]»ri)\i-> about ii Imililmg. Sr. Mln .o.