FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 54, 1 September 1934, Page 17

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS FROM "THE POST "

POLITICAL CHANGES

"Short as was the life of the StoutVogel Ministry, the existence of the Atkinson-Wakeficld Administration has been still more brief," comments " The Post" of this date fifty years ago. "Tho debate which led up to the cmphatie declaration by tho House of its want of confidence in the Ministry . was a remarkable one in many respects, and in none more so' than iri the surprising gentleness with which tho chief combatants treated each other. There was no very hard personal hitting, and nothing was said likely to embitter relations or to render it more difficult to bring, about the coalition which each of the four leaders admitted to bo both necessary and desirable under the pre- . sent conditions." Two days later "The Post" states: "Yesterday morning his Excellency sent for Mr. Stout, and had a prolonged interview with him, and afterwards saw llajor Atkinson and some other prominent men, the result being, that in the evening, Mr. Stout was entrusted with the task of forming-a Ministry, and uudertook it. The difficulties of the task are very great, however. Mr. Stout, is, of course, bound to associate himself with Sir Julius Vogel, and it is very evident that the policy of any ' Ministry, in jvhich they hold the chiefoffices must be the repeal of the property, tax and the substitution of a land tax. If Mr. Stout does not > succeed this time ill forming a,Ministry able ■ to command a working majority, a fresh appeal to the electors will be inevitable, and constitutionally he would be entitled to take their verdict on. the matter." MAORI MENDACITY. "Tawhiao's mission, to England has generally been regarded in the colony rather in the light of a joke than involving any serious consequences. Knowing'the man and how slight his influence is over his own Tace, it,was not thought that he .would do much good or much harm. In fact, it was supposed that both he and his colleagues would return to the colony with enlarged ideas and much improved by their experiences. It would appear, however,. that the Maori mission may after all .prove highly injurious to the colony, for, to put it very plainy, Tawhiao and Major To Wheoro seem to have developed unexpected talent for mendacity, and their statements seem to have been taken for gospel by men who^ ought to know better. We h<Jpe to hear that tlie Agent-General has taken some steps to counteract the mischief- -likely to. arise from their mendacious , tales about 'impoverished tribes.V -The Colonial Office has, we are, glad to see,, already done something in this direction by warning tho British public regarding Tawhiao's real status. This was not done before it was. time, but apparently it has had an immediate good effect.'' GLOVE riGHT IN WELLINGTON. "A very interesting glove-fight, for . £20, came, off last night a short distance out of Wellington. Tho affair was kept dark,.as there appeared to be an impression on the part of some of the parties concerned that the police would interfere. In reference to this we, may state that glove-fights have within the past; few .months been several times openly advertised in tho Auckland papers and Ijrought off with the fullest publicity. in the Theatre ! Royal without any objection being made;, by the- police or, tljo municipal authorities^- That which ■have, to ehron- • iclo was conducted in a ver veered itable manner, and there was notlffng during the whole of the prob|iQditigs ; whicU. could have disgusted' any 'feasonable,; man. Nine o'clock, was the'hour fixed, and within a few minutes\pf:*tli.at time, the principals stepped!iirto _ tlie ring.' The: sbectators consisted; .of about seventypersons, the behaviour,of all of ' them being most exemplary even smoking by tacit agreement being refrained: from.. The airtrcles of agreement, which were read/;-indicated that the fight was to be under'the Marquis of Qu'eensberry's. rules with slight1 modifications. One ofvthe combatants,, whom wo shall call P., is a,well-known ( baker, who in several 'boxing matches | has shown that he possesses considerable talent 'as a master of. the art of self-defence. Tho other, whom we,shall call F.,, is engaged in a city hotel and is comparatively "unknown to the game. , How the fight'would have ended had,, no accident occurred it is hard to say, but in the tenth round F.s right-hand thumb was put out of joint. He, however, maintained the strugglo very pluckily for another six rounds, but receiving such heavy punishment in the sixteenth round threw up the sponge. R's face was slightly marked'and there was. a little nose-bleeding, but with these exceptions neither man showed any ■■•visible-effects of.,the encounter. We understand that another meeting is tq be arranged.". '■' PROGRESSIVE PETONE. '" P'etpne is going ahead. Proofs of this are. the increased value of land and* the number of new buildings which are going- up everywhere. Sections which a few months' ago could be- acquiTed for £30 or &40 are now changing hands at' £50 to £60. The new Town .Hall, built as a private speculation; is a' fine edifice; Mr.. Wilkins's storey which has been-opened about a month, seems to be doing a.fair amount of trade; the drill shed has had three rooms built-on to it; and several substantial new houses and cottages are ' being 'erected or have lately been completed. The first railway carriage has been turned out from tho Government shops and: it is an improvement upon the imported article. The'post office has been' removed to the railway station^ and'now does telegraph, and money-order business as well. The Maoris'have been paid for the land on whieli.the Woollen Company's mill is to be, erected and are enjoying themselves with the proceeds. If_ there is an inspector of nuisances in Petone, there '■ should be plenty for him to do." HOP CULTURE IN WELLINGTON. "Hop culture is an, industry which is:about to be OBtablished in Wellington; Messrs. W., H. Levin and H. D. Bell, the owners of an estate of 500 acres at Lo wry Bay, formerly belonging to tho Government, have decided 16 ascertain the suitability of the soil , for hop growing, and arrangements have been entered into with Mr. Stafford, son of the late Mr. Hugh Stafford, an old settlor in NeJson, for the establishment of the necessary gardens on.a portion of their property. An area of 20 acres will bo cultivated, and about a score of men, are nOw busily engaged preparing the ground. Great interest will doubtless be taken in; the experiment by all those who havo tbo welfare- of tho district at-heart, and they will, we arc sure, wish that' every success may attend, the initial, cultivation." , NEWS FROM OVERSEAS. ■"The arrangements for the expedition to relieve General Gordon in Khartoum are progressing rapidly. It is expected that tho expedition will reach Khartoum by the middle of January. It Has now transpired that Lord Wolseley is proceeding to Egypt because General Stephcnsori has declared that • thep.transport" of. the proposed expedi-. tionvia the Kile valley is not feasible." j.