AUCKLAND NOTES. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Auckland, Wednesday.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2045, 15 August 1885, Page 4

AUCKLAND NOTES. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Auckl and, Wednesday.

As f piitly .uitici.i itud list week, the incutiug convened bv the Libei il Assoei.ition to consider the questum of the unomploy>d ended in nothing pi.icticil bo ing dono by the Ijilht.il refoimor-. to a hip mrate the conditi >-i of tlimo now out of empl-i, ment Politic tl que-tlo-is worn dlst u>si .1, and favourite pol.tic.vl 1) tl) l >i •■> » xpl.iintd by Mi Re--- .i-i 1 ntlifi speikei-'. And.i!iion,'-.t the in hi v -p ik i-, tli j only one who at .ill •ppio.tched t!i 3 <|'i"»tion tot th a discussion of whicitli" Miian^w.i- cillcd uiln my d"!<i<<' of-,iK'iit\, w ii Mi Pa,)ne, who sci'intd t> b- the on!v |i.>ih'in who n-allv felt the in 1 " s ity of vusuns o.uploviuou::, and Urn obtain t'fc means whci.-wit'i to piu<!iise the ii'-crssiiir-. of lift- foi those dependent on hin. Vft»r tlw bildmlish which had been s| ,»Uen by somo of the othei •|io.vkciN, Mi Payne's view-, wore cordully iiceived by the people pic^ent. This s-eiu 'I t> l.itli'-r nettle tilt* v.uut\ of Mr Otto, who hivd Ik 1 .mi speikin,,' about the '' nationals ition of the 1 mil," and h id not onco rofiured to the question of the unoinplov ed, and he indigu mtly a«ked the meeting wli"ther " they wanted their bread and butter light off the ieel."' Exactly «>, Mr Otto ; do you suppose a man can feed his children off your flowery phrases, or wait for their breakfast till your pet hobbies become established facts? What the majority of those present wanted was to be told how t<> got a day's work, and this the meeting failed signally to do, or even to surest how pressure could be brought to bear on those who had it in their power to do ho for them. From this the unemployed must learn to act on the motto, " Heaven helps those who help themselves," and, not relying upon public agitator*, trust to themselves, and accept any sort of work before they fall back upon what the chaiity of others may provide f^ojr, them. The storm in to* city council still keeps o». A» >tw> hmtr Mimiinn-Cau Uuldie mil &km* (•«¥• th« m*rk) bjoqghi scveid ennrg** ag.iin«t the town clerk, which, however, might easily be condensed into two. Fiist, that he had been unfoilunitc enough to m ike a failure in pnvata business, and secondly, that ho hid onto or twicj trot some ot the council employes to do .t little private vvoik for him. Now, con-idonnsr the many years th it Mr Phillips has tilled the position of town clerk, I think the accusation*, or rather intimations, in ide against his character have b -en ni"st ill timed and nnlicio.H If Mi Goldish id it in his power to prove that Mi Phillips had ever heun guilty of frauduh nt b.iukruptcy tK ie might be <i show of reason in making the all"gation. As it is, Mi Phillips' bankruptcy seems to have been no more thin a misfortune, such as ughteou-. Mi Goldie or .my otlii'i man is likely to meet. And what in tlio mine of all that is just has his pnvate f.iilme got to do with tlio dischaigo of his offiud duties '' So much for Mr Goldie's accusation. Councillor Garratt may have sorno right to com pi un of the council employes doing a little private work for thuir clerk, and after all if the employer had so much spate tini 3 on Ins hands it was not ho umeasonahle. A good deal of sympathy is expiosspd foi the town cl«ik at the present moment, but at tho s*mu time it w thought tint the council would be doing right if they engaged some respectable solicitor to act as cleric, and thus 4o something towards saving the large amount of the ratepayer's money now wasted on law costs, which are in many ca^es the result of careless interpret ition of our city by-laws or ignorance of the ront'ne of work lequired by our local Government measure*. And ho our Giand National Exhibiti' n, about which m> much his been s,ud and written and of which so much was. expected, has been duly decl.ued open with all the pi>mr> and panoply, which seems to be imep.ir.il tie from such ceremonies. A lot of bungling appears to have taken place ovei the ceremony, which could hardly le c\ci.»'d fr. iin the want of tune to make pi< paration. For months the b<m ton i>{ the Einpne city had been all agog foi the fextiv.ll, and wo hear of the shoddy aristocracy of Wellington, with thou powdered fortune, and " tigers " behind their cat i iaf;ex, which would lead one to imngine th it a nobility like that vv Inch att« ¥ nd»d the opening of the Crystal Palace, or the Ti oeade.ro of Paris, had hnnouicd the proceedings with their presence. It does not Hpcak well for the arrangements made, when wo hear that, the Governor and Lady Jeivois had to "squiim "' their way tlno.igh the crowd to reach tho seats reseived for th.m. But piobably thpro have born difficulties to contend with, of which I know nothing, so [ shall foi bear from finding inme fault. Of one thing, however, I feel sure, and th it is that the Exhibition is not be a financial success. This is to b3 regretted. I have lvon told by impartial judges that the exhibits are as a rule excellent, but that tins budding is most unsuitable, and not much order or taste is being manifested in the setting of them out. Tho number of ceople who have as yet visited it i* but •mall in coinp..ri-on with that which paid for admission &t the Christchurch Kvhibition during the same penod. We may heir of better things in the course of the coming spring, and they will coitainly have to be --inch b'-tter than now Ivfoio we may anticipate a lespectnhlc balance-sheet. Gieat interest is being manifest' d here m the efforts now being made by your locil c iiiimif tee to establish a me it tinumg industiy in W.nkato. Eich and all admit that «onif> determined cffoit must be inad'i to do sdineth.ng by which wo may tiust to see the surplus beef used up, a:id thing-, ni ide much better for the grazier than they now are. Times ,iro indeed ba 1 f n the farmers nt the present time, and will continue so as long aH tho price of cattle and other live btock remains at tin lr current value. The Freezing Compa ly is falling far short of what w.s expected of it. Instead of helping to nripiove oHr agiicultur.il interest they are doing the reverse by importing beef from other parts of the colony to incien-e the glut now existing. They have had several sluplouls lately, and as a cons - qnenco we. have a still smaller inquiry for tlit* local aiticln. They aie now disposing of beef and mutton to the local butchers at «iich prices a« simply riofy competition from the locil producer. Mutton is now being retailed here nt Hd pel pound, and beef fiom 2d to 3d. I low is tho farmer to Hiibsist on this? tt is impossible, and as- a consequence we find things coinmercally dullei th in thi y have been for the Inst ten years. J lmv cinit bo otherwise, when we undei stand that tho ii«iiculsural inteiests of this colony form tho backbone of its prospenty and j-rcgiession. And let me add that every well wisher of our common interests di-sires to see and hear of Un.> in oject now being set on foot in youi town brcoming an established fact, and meeting with the success, the eiu'igy .iiul enterpiise which animates tho minds of those who aro ci eating it deserve. M>- Gerald M.^wy, the Freethought lecturer, still dr.tAs immen < -ely at the Theatre lloy.il on Suudiy evenings. He leceives 4*lo for each lecture he deliver, and has Ixen orfcicd £'*»Ofor tho iiMiiu«cnpt of each of them. The local papers, as a rule, give n>> lepmts of Ins kctuns, whith are, how ever we may disagree from th" views set foi th in tin in, both bnlli mt and -chol.nly. Tin 1 fn'i thought oig.ui, howcvtl, to vwt the l'.iti'inaiivt, docs not foigel to do so. 1 hive»er,n.i co|>y of this production, and there is indeed much in it to m, ike it reIxllant to tlii) feeling' of ,my peison who ins b< en brought up hi tho belli f of Christian di.ctnne. Freethonght iv,i v , however, making lajnd studes m this city, and now we ho.irtli.it you aio to have a blanch of the association est.il li .bed in Canibudge. I presume tho acquisition will not prove a Very valuable one. The me< ting held li«t night in the Temperance ilall to consider Mr W. L. Kee<' j>iopnf,ali for the cit ibliMiment of « N.Z. Co-opeiative Land and Labour Coni|>any was a well attended and enthusiastic one. It wa« attended principally by working men. Several good addic-ses were delivered on co-operation, anri Mr itees' proposal? for the settlement of 400,000 acres of land on the Ka*t Co.nt was geuoially approved. The undei taking i« . i gigantic one, and if carried out in its entirety must prove a flouice of much benefit to many. It i), howevei, a< yet questionable whether tho Kchetiie, ivhfii considered in detail, will prove piacticable. Of nno thing we are cei tain that Mi Itees has 400,000 acres of land which he wishes to sell, and it will be to his lnteie a to make the best sale he can of it. Jr.owe\ei, if the movement ends in the settlement of this land, and thus hlievintr our city of a laige number of the unemployed now in it, Mr Iteos will deserve tho thanks of the ctinmnnity for his Yvork.

La vrm.ADY (to lodper): "Beg pnidon, air ; did I under tand as you was a doctor of music?" Lorlgcr: "I am, ma'am, Wh\ "' Lfinrtla'l- • Wdl sii, itp, Eilly \iv. )i's lim and l.nk'' In ■> p()in i itin.i ; mil [ tli nvt -is ow 1 like to put a job lv jcr way."