ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2040, 4 August 1885, Page 4

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

On Frid \y 1 i«t tho House of Ropresentatives passed a resolution authorising tho Government to renew the San Francisco mail ouu.iot f(ir tin i" years vt a nominal cost to tho colony of i' 30,000 per annum. I wiy a noinin.il cost because it whs shown thnt the aotuil cost for l.mt yoir, .ifter deducting postages, fee , was only about £3,000, while foi the June quaiter there was actually a vnall balance in favour of tho colony. Unfortunately, the trouble is not over yet, a* the Hous* may refuse to accept thtj resolution carried in committee, uiil, ovl'i if it floe* not, the iimoiint miy bextiuck out when the estimator aro being cousidond. It, thcrefoie, behove* the Auckland members to exeiuisc the greatest vigilance in this matter, f>r we .ire the greatest gaineis by the S\n Fr.mci>co service .ui'l would be the gieit^st losers by its discontinuance. It is quite out of the question to e\|>f*ct the colony to be satisfied with th • direct steamers as the only mail boats. They liavo been making excellent time, but h kvc been qoito unable to compote wvth the 'L'Vwpo service, and that excellent tune is not likely to be maintained. The boats have been going at their utmost npoed, which has resulted in a h'wvy lo*s to the owners, who iuo not likely to «anc tion tho continuance of it, more especially if the incentive of opposition should bo Withdrawn, and even if they were willing to do so, the vessels will be unable to maintain their piesent high rate of speed. It is, thorofore, to the interest of the whole colony that tho 'Frisco mail contract ■hould lie renewed. Of course, we in Auckland are most deeply concerned, because we get the greatest benefit from the Acific mail, to be furtbei increased if Auckland is made the terminal port, and becauso we gnt least benefit from the direct mail service. Tho Harbour Boaru has decided to go in for another loan, nominally of half a million, but really of £200,000, an the other £300,000 is to be applied to the conversion (not of the heathen, as that is an undertaking in which the board does not intend to engage at present), but of existing loans. The £200,000, if the board gets it, is to be spent on permanent whaivos and other improvements, and there can be no doubt but that that sum, if wi-ely expended, would greatly facilitate tha business of the port, but the moit clear headed of the mombeis seem to bo of opinion th.it £100,000 would bo as much as would be tequired for the next tho yeais, and I fully expect that tho members of the House of Represent itiv es, if they pass tho bill, will take tho samo view of the matter, and make an alteration accordingly. One of the works proposed to be earned out when the new loan is floated is the reclamation of Fieeman's Jsay. At present that bay is at low tide a malodorous expanse of mudflat, very nnplc i^.uit and injurious to the health of residents in the vicinity. They, at any rate, should wish to see the loan floated, and the luclamation, when compluturl, uill idd very matoiinlly to the already handsome rent-roll of tho board. However, as €100,000 will bo sufficient to meet the lequirements for the next five years, it is a pity th.it tho counsels of the moderate men did not prevail, and tint instead of mortgaging the expected mcioasc of revenue to pay interest, it wa-s not decided to reduce the charges for haibour and pilot due.-", *>o as to nuke tlu-> .is f.ir as possiblo a free port. Wo sh ill soon have the finest gi.ivmg dock in the Southern Hemisphere, and if, in addition to the use of that, we could allow ships toco no and go without being requited to pay any port dues whatever, »3 would vq an iinmonco incieaae m our time trade, to tho manifest advantage gfff jtown and country alike. * By the 'Frisco mail which arrived on Sunday, full particulars woro received of the death of Mr J. T. Mackelvie, «mcl of tho provisions of his will. It appe.it b that ho has bequeathed between £40,000 and £">O,OOO to trustees to bo expended m tho building and maintenance) of an Art Galleiy for Auckland, and in providing works of art to be pi. iced in it, in addition to the valuable pictures, <fee, he has already went here, and which are now in the Auckland Institute. Mr Mackelwe h.is undoubtedly proved himself tho greatest benefactor Auckland has had. There is no comparison between him and Mr Costley, for instance ; the former not merely spent his money on us during his lifetime, but alvi devoted a Hig" amount of care and attention to the st lection of the pictmes, book-<, i\.<* , ho -<oi)t us, « lule the lattei kept his money as long as he lived, and it was only when he could keep it no longer tb«*t he directed that it .should be divided among out charitable and public institutions. As a matter of fact, he did not ho direct, for there can be no doubt but that the will of Edward Costley was in reality the will of Hamuel Jackson, and it ■peaks volumes for the disinterestedness and integrity of that gentleman that his name did not appear in the will as a legatee of £},000 or £10,000. It is to be hoped that the citi/wns of Auckland will show then appreciation of the geneiosity of Mr Mackelv le by erectiug a .suitable monuni' l nt to his menioiy. I think tint a bronze ntatntr> of him, to be placed in front of the Art (Jallery when finished, and paid tor by Kub.enptions from all classes of the community, would be a fitting tribute to the niemoiy of our greatest benefactoi. I know tint I would be very happy to contribute my quota for »uch a purpose, and I believe that handreds of othcra would do likewise.

The othei dly I •t.iw a threatening letter received by one of nm citizens who occupies rathei a prominent position, being a mem ber of t-cveral of our moist important public bodies The luttei was headed and Mgiied with a death's head and enmsbones and threatened the recipient with a violent death if he continued in tho course of ac tion he h.id been purtming. The reason of the letter the recipent believed to be a tspcech made by him at iv public meeting recently in which he denounced tho Church of Rome an tho enemy of education and enlightenment, and pro\ed by ntastics that in Italy not more than ten per cent of tho people were educated and that in England and Australia one half of the criminal class belonged to that church. This h supposed to be a free ftountry, whero evciy man i-. allowed ti> do and iay what he pleases without let or hiudiance, piovided lie doos not bicak tho law, but if a man's life is to lw thieitcned because he states what he li»>li< yes to bi« fact-., Uieic Nan end to all ftc'lom. I think it is a pity that Uranium and ltibbonism were ever introduced into tins country, in-lead of bning left m un foitnnite Ireland whoie they oiigm.itcd, and tlmik tins piocosioiirt on July 12th and March the 17th wliould be discontinued, Ijut if anything would iilter my opinion on this flubjpet it would bo such i letter as that leferred to. tf a man n to lia\« his life tlnoitenrd f"i danng to evprcis his opinion on what is with him a matter of conscientious conviction it would ie,dly Hecm to be ncce<saiy to havusomu oiganiiation to protect that man, and such conduct would make me inclined to dv what I li.vve alwnys been vrry much a\er-m to doing, join an Change Lodge.

Talking about unfortunate Ireland, T sco by the London cablegrams tli.it the ConHPrvatiw Ministry propose to ad\ance thp money t« buy the land from tln» 1 indlordt, .md to -«'lf it to the tenants on veiy cany terms of deferred payment. I should think that this piopoial would input with as much favour among the lnndloidn as nrnong the tenant*, as owning land in Ireland has be°n neither pleasant nor prohtable foi some time past. 1 know of one family here who own largo estate* 111 thn Emerald IMe who have received no rent for the past three years. They would lie only too happy to sell the land to the TJntinh (Joverniiipnt, or anyone elso who would [ia\ Minn for it, nnd got tho put (li.i-c mows -<nit out here, when tlm ioiildin\i>t it at rates of intcn-t, and to enjoy ,i hind-'onto mcornc 1 . It hto bo Imppfl tnit the Onn«prv.itivp Miuictiy will not only ( irry out their propoh.il, l>ut will iiUn allow the pcojile to tnnu.igp then own intern.il nrf.iirs. ifere wo are ,illo\\<>rl to ta\ our-ches, to borrow monr y, to rawc oik own poheo forco and rtnndiiiK auny, to apiioint din own jud^ei .vnd m.igi tti.ili-*, to pcrpeti,iti> i iil'vjj job«, if we sull, and do almost anything wo jilouhc, except declaic war and annoN. Hamoa, without any intci fereucu on tht> (nit of the British fio\eminent, and why the residontd of Ii eland whould not be allowed similar privile^ps J Snnot for tho life of m<? underxtaud nwevor, *' theie'u a K"od time coming ' ifld it lit to be hoped that it ha» already begun to come in tlm Eniemld Tslo.

Whflthpr in spite of, or in conncqnence of our synteni of National Education, tliero scoin-i to bo ft large amouafc of juvenile depravity liorc ju«,t now. It is truly piti.ibf«- to re.id the rcpoits of the pioceediu^rt at tlio IV.lico Court, « hero yonnpr boys from nino yean of ajfe and ujiw.nils arc Almost daily appearing, chni^M with

cnn os varymp fiom fnut stealing to house-breaking. Kurely there is .1 -.crew loose Mimcwlicip, and it seems as if the proper nieins to tighten it ha\o not been found. I belie\e that thrro .iro two classes of people who me m<>ie de^PiMng of pum-«liinent than the boys—thi'ir parents .intl the recener*. i>f the >.to]i"i (,'o<>fK The i).irents aie most to hi line becaiwo they allow thoir children to run about at all hoius of tho day and ni^lit without attempting to o\oin>e any cnntiol ou>i tlioin. For this I think thoy should bi> punished, as al-o should the people who buy from bo\s giuti]* which tlioy must know they would not lime for xnle unless ttu-v had stolfii thorn. If our legislators would Irt 1 iilw.iy jobs alone and atton.l to ->uch matters a< thw they would confer a benefit on tho country. Sr. Mlw.o.