FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 11, 12 July 1930, Page 17

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS MOM " THE POST

VENUE OF PARLIAMENT

A motion tabled in the House of Bejireseiitatives by Mr. jNl'Caughlan:—--"That the next session of Parliament s'.ii-Jl bo hold at Christchurch, and that the GoTcrnment be requested to' place fl.,' r.i'.m of £-20,000 on the estimates to-.var-.Ls tlio expenses of sameI —d rey/ a sharp rebuke from the leading coir i: in us of the "Evening Post" of 9th July, ISSO. .. . ' We cannot'suppose for one moment that I he House will seriously entertain so ridiculous a proposal, -or, even if carried as a joke—which has occurred on two previous occasions—that the Government would iueur so wanton and extravagant a waste of money, stated the "Post." It is needless .to enlarge on the utter absurdity of a peripatetic Parliament. That. must be self-evident to the most limited apprehension. It must be equally clear that the public inconvenience would be enormous, if, indeed, the plan could possibly be carried out at all under the present circumstances, apart from mere question of expense. But this same question of expense is in itself so serious as to swallow up all other considerations. The £20,000 specified by air. M' Caughlan would be a mere drop in the bucket as compared with the actual outlay involved in carrying out this preposterous idea. Probably £50,000 would not cover even the bare expenses of so formidable an undertaking as that of'changing Parliament's jilace of fleeting, and even that would not represent the total loss and cost to Iho colony. It is not suggested that the Remotest prospect exists of any good-to the country and the public resulting from the carrying out of the idea. But there is no doubt whatever as to its enormous costliness and it is really treating the Government and Parliament like silly children to ask that such a prodigious new item of expenditure shall be voted for no earthly reason whatever. It is monstrous to suppose that the present Government would stultify themselves before the whole world by agreeing to this proposed wanton and idle extravagance in the state of our finances, which they themselves have disclosed. It would;indeed, bo a piece of mischievous tomfoolery were they, after saving £100,000 by stringent reductions in all directions, to throw away over £50,000 at one fell swoop for such a foolish freak as this. "Wo do not suppose anybody,, even the mover himself, is serious iv advocating it, but in these days of grave embarrassment such jokes are in rery bad judgment, and exceedingly ill--timed. ' KELLY GANG CAPTURED. Extended reports are published in the issues of Thursday, Bth July, Friday, 9th July, of the capture in Australia of the notorious Kelly gang of bushrangers, after an ambush. The hospital returns for the week were: Admitted, 6 males and 3 females. Discharged, 3 males, 1 female. Kemaining in the institution were 58 males and 22 females. , She was evidently a new arrival. With an air of confidence she stepped into the ~ Wellington Post Office this morning and said.to the clerk, # "I' want a sixpenny English stamp" (states the "Post" of 9th July). After much delay the stamp was produced, but doubtful whether this was the identical stamp she required, the clerk inquired for what purpose the applicant needed an English stamp. "To send a letter to England, of course," was the prompt reply. Considerably disgusted, the clerk exchanged the stamp for one of the right description) and the crestfallen young lady retired. A Dunedin telegram in the same issue states: —"Heavy nuggets struck ja Jones's claim, Long Valley, Panama Creek, Tanging from one to four ounces." PAVING OF "WILLIS STREET. At the meeting of the City Council; the City Engineer presented a report on the pitching of Willis street with wooden blocks. He estimated the cost at £2371 16s 6d. Councillor Brown thought that the estimate was excessive. He did not believe that a concrete foundation was necessary. He pointed out that a macadamised road was regarded by all engineers as by far the most unsatisfactory of any. It was difficult to maintain and was always filthy. At present -the Corporation put down a quantity of metal, then a lot of mud and clay was thrown on it; next a shower of rain came,,and the Corporation had to employ men to east the slush into the harbour. As a proof of the durability of wooden blocks, he mentioned that in Oxford street, London, it was found that the wooden pavement was only worn down l-16th to l-Bth of an inch in three years. While Councillor Brown was speaking, the Council was counted out. Councillor Miller, who returned at the belli remarked that the absent members had gone out to get a drink. (Laughter.) Councillor Maginnity strongly protested against +Ho disrespect shown by the absentees to the members who had notices of motion on the paper.

Peoplo -vvho are fond of talking of •'Windy Wellington" should study the meteorological statistics, which plainly show the Wellington weather to be much calmer than that of either Auckland or Napier (states the "Post" of Saturday, 10th July). For instance, in January last the "miles" of wind numbered 269 in Auckland, 187 in Napier, and 174 in Wellington; in February, 229 at Auckland, 175 at Napier, 160 in Wellington; in March, 263 in Auckland, 234 in Napier, and 188 in Wellington. There -ivas an extraordinary scene in the Masterton Resident Magistrate's Court the o'lht day, reports the "Pos*" of iOth July. A strapping young fellow named Franklin was sued by Mr. Ewington for debt, and pleaded "infancy." The Court would not accept the plea, it being unsupported by corroborative evidence, and gave judgment for the plaintiff. At the conclusion of tho case a little excitement was created by Airs. Ewington, the wife u£ the plaintiff, marching up to the "infant" in tho box and solornnly presenting him with a child's rattle. Of course, this joke, perpetrated under the very nose of the Bench, could not be tolerated. Mr. Wardell therefore had the offender removed from the Court, 'and later in tho day fined her £1 for contempt. Mrs. Ewington will refrain in ftituro from paying these delicate little attentions to any other "infants" she may be brought into contact with— at any rate whilo they aro in the witness box. A London cable stated that Mr. Parnell, having been accepted leader of the Home Rule .Party in Ireland, had'taken steps lo revive the anti-rent agitation in that country.

In the Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, 13th July, Mr. Shaw, R.M., commented in severe terms on the practice followed by certain tradespeople of exposing articles for sale at shop doors, thus offering facilities for the commission of theft by dishonestly-inclined persons. Shoplifting, he remarked, had been fairly prevalent of late, and in these hard times, when so many men were unable to procure employment, the temptation to steal proved only too frequently irresistible. Tradesmen who endeavoured to make their establishments attractive by the display of goods .•it their shop doors should not forget that they wove opening an easy avenue i.or disho/iesty and crime, and he hoped to see the present practise jflMMffrphnted, withotrt. dola®.