PASSING NOTES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 7, 25 June 1887, Page 2

PASSING NOTES.

Wans are our candidates for Parliamentary honors going to make a start? Gannon bustles about like a parched pea in a frying pan, Looke has not showed up yet, and the rubicund and stalwart Machas not yet begun “to begin in earnest.” Waat we want to see is a fair exposition of their political views. Until all three express their views either at a public meeting or in print, we must “ lay low ” and “ say uuffin.”

Poor Old Vog»’ cut up pretty rough when they were going for him in the house the other night. Stout kept badgering T'm until he got quite angry, and from what I hear from an eye witness, called out in a stage whisper—“ Do be quiet; you know nothing at a'l about it.” The question was a small one, but the next dav the Hon, Premier had to eat the leek and run up to the Upper House to get the affair put right. Vogel falls in for a lot of sneers and captious criticism now. a-davs from the very people who used to eat his c i oners and drink his" fizz in the good old days of the ten million loan. Some of the members or the animated idots they call members are amongst the meanest of God’s creations. They will lick a leader’s hand one day, and the very next blackguard its owner if they think a point is to be gained thereby.

The Queen's Fund for the relief of women in distress is a capital idea in theory, but with all due respect for the good intentions of the promoters, I am afraid it will not work well in practice. No doubt we have distressed women in our midst, but surely not so many as to warrant a special fund being started. The Benevolent Societies have all the necessary machinery for relief in operation, and I question very much whether it is advisable, even in the interests of those most concerned, to start a new institution. As for getting £5OO, the very idea is absurd, and as for the suggestion that the school children should be asked to contribute their pennies, I must euter a vigorous protest. What the dickens do the youngsters how about women in distress ? I hope it may be long before they do. For goof less sake let the subscription be a genuine one, don’t let us collar the children's pennies, which should go for lollies and other really children’s necessities. Why, to go cadging round the schools would be worthy of the Imperial Institute beggars, All the same, I would not for the world throw deliberate cold water on the Queen's Fund scheme, but do not let it interfere with existing organizations which do good and useful work. A Wellington paper, which knows every, thing, or professes to know everything, says Mr DeLatour is going to contest the Mount Ida seat with Mr J. Soobio McKenzie. Inis is mere nonsense. Mr DeLautour will, I wager, do nothing of the l''nd. lam sure he cov'd not tear himself away from the Gisborne mud—and mud throwing—to court the sweet favors of Mount Ida, that classical’y named, yet dreary land of interior Otago. The House doesn't pay, as Mr DeLautour has doubtless found out—and Soobie wi” have the field to himse'i. It is rather amusing to notice the new “leader" tap turned on at the Herald office last night. The subject was the Harbour Board (action, Thing-im'-bob versus What-d’ye-call-em and others, I hate local eqabbles, but what tick’ed my fane-’ about the article was the artful way in wnich the writer who, although he be-yawija on the Harbour Board question cleverly came round to the election question. The Herald people are generous indeed to give Mr G. a free 11 ad.” The end of the article showed the cloven hoof moat painfully. The last phrase “it ends except in the _ memory of the Sectors of the fstriot ” betrays the authorship of the article. To write a leader and give yours? f a cheap “ad ’’ at the same time is smart work. Mr G. can go up one!

Just to show what a lot of blatant humbugs some of our politicians are, I may mention the fact that the other day, six of the South Island’s elect actually put the country to the expense of a special train to cart themselves down to Dunedin. Three out of the six had been specially active in their demonstrations of economy when the House was sitting. And these be your Gods, oh Israel. If there is one reform more needed than another it is the immediate and everlasting extinction of that most iniquitous of abuses, the free railway pass for Members. They get their screws, and why should they not pay their way like other folks. A special train for six men, why when these men seek another world they’ll want a free pass right up to where St. Rater holds the magic key.

One has read, at least, those fond of Mayne Read's stirring stories have done so, of the Headless Horseman and many a grim legend was current in the good old days when George the Third was King of the phantom “gentlemen of the roaa ” who, after swinging in chains at the corner of four roads, took to frightening stage coach passengers with their ghastly presentments] As a parallel to these may be mentioned a story which is agitating English racing circles. Every night at the mystic hour of midnight, Newmarket Heath is said to witness the ghost of England’s late great jockey, “Freddy” A-cher, wearing the “Mr Manton’s ” colours, in which he lost his last big race, the Cambridgeshire, and riding frantically across the celebrated training ground on a grey thoroughbred. All scepticism is ill received in the town, and hundreds of quondam admirers of the famous light weight are said to swear to the truth of the story. When Fred was in the land of the living, he had barke-s many and enthusiastic, but I fancy v y few of the t. ent would care to back his present mount.