Whispers from Town.

Northern Advocate, 28 August 1902, Page 2

Whispers from Town.

|_By Eata.] MR SKI) DON. The Right Hon. Richard John Seddon, P.C., LL.D., etc., has not visited South Africa for naught. He has now conic to the conclusion, after mature consideration, that it is necessary for that great country to import a strong statesman to champion the cause of the working classes. Hundreds of his supporters in town will not believe that he has expressed himself in such terms ; but large numbers who know the man are strongly of opinion that Mr Stead, editor of the Review of Reviews, has struck a true chord, and that the music produced has made our Dick dance to his tune, for there can be little doubt about our Premier's intentions if he can get what he wants. New Zealand has been conquered, and the political gladiator sighs for new worlds, wherein he may again 'pose as ,ythc friend of the working man, carry his high falutin into the Courts of Law (vide Conciliation and Arbitration Courts), where he may set every man's hand against his brother's : pile up a mountain of debt, place it firmly on the shoulders of the luckless land' holder, and after a few years he will retire from the scene again, and end his old age in his native town, and perhaps represent that place in 'the Hojjse of Commons. When he will then die full of years and honours, and the working man will shed tears of gratitude for all his hard work. THE TROOPSHIP MONTROSE. H.M. troopship Montrosc, Captain Martyr, arrived in port a few days ago, with a full cargo of passengers and returned troopers. The ship brought a large number of the Tenth Contingent home. It appears from conversations I have had with a number of the men that there was not much to complain of ; the ship was well officered, and Captain Martyr is spoken of in very favourable terms by all. The food was, it seems, not too good ; as one chap put it, "It might have been better and more of it." Fifty of the number were landed at Motuihi Island, having measles, scarlet fever, pneumonia, and influenza. Last reports from the island state the men are progressing in a satisfactory manner ; but the same day that the balance of the troops were landed no less than fifteen of them were sent to the Auckland Hospital suffering in various ways, and on Saturday afternoon one of the men died. It seems strange that so many of the returned troopers have died since their return. One can only think that these men must have been in a weak state of health when they embarked at the other end, and that proper care has not been used at that end, to see that the poor fellows were able to stand a voyage attended with a good deal of hardship. It is a most heart- *" rending thing for the relations of these young men to have their bodies handed over to them. Hut such has been the stern reality on several occasions quite • recently. Of course on shipboard the sick cannot receive the same attention as on shore. Hut proper attention ought to have been paid to the condition of these men, who have given their lives just as much for the Empire as those who fell on the veldti MEAT. Meat has "ris"; good, we can afford 'to eat less, or pay for it. It is very encouraging to know that 'our, hardworking farmers are now likely, to get sonic benefit out of th<* rise m .the price of niieat. These startly, honest people, deserve . all they receive; iop wero it not for their eyerla¥|i^iißtay-' ing "power the towiwi woijja > v g§ "bust^ iri oripi act. The drought Tft«^3ag||j2of nieanO>roken up 1U Avlstr^^HHr though, thanks God ,__rairi h£«HBR and good rain aftnat. "Still it • will ttfKe three years' good seasons before those forty million sheep, which have died of^vstarvation through the late drought, can be increased or returned to their owners, to say nothing of the tens of thousands of horned stock which haveV perished within the last few months* for want of food and water. It is a great pity that the loss of our neighbours across the herring pond should be our gain. Still the fact remains, any farmer who can send a few fat bullocks to Sydney can get from twenty-four to thirty pounds each for them, and fat sheep are much in demand, so also will be breeding ewes as soon as the grass grows in Australia. We have done wonders in the way of frozen mutton and lamb lately. We have sent away from New Zealand within the first six months of this year no less than 1,130,000 frozen sheep and 1,550,000 frozen lambs. New South Wales will require at least five million sheep for her own consumption within the next twelve months ; Queensland and Victoria cannot help her ; they will have also to import for breeding purposes, so that we may safely say we have a large market for a good many months ahead where we may send large quantities of live and dead sheep and cattle. Wool is also looking up ; there is steady enquiry at Home for that great .staple, and taking things all round from meat to butter the farmer in New Zealand is in the way now to make a few pounds if he is wise. But as soon as ever the farmer is known to be getting in a bit of the slack, which has been dangling, for years past, a push of bumptious trade unionists in Wellington come on the scene, and want the Acting-Premier to put an export duty on meat and live stock ! For why ? Hccause his greedy maw can never be satisfied with higher wages and .shorter hqurs, but he must have cheap meat also, at anyone's expense but his own. This little move shows the cupidity of certain classes in this country, or, more correctly, a certain class, a class who have for the last ten years spoken, and it was done. Not so fast now. for we have, thank goodness, been driven to protect ourselves by the formation of a Farmers' Union. And if they only knew their power, and the awe in which they are held by this would-be governing class, they would just put things straight this year, now that the general election is coming on. There is more in the rise of the price of meat for the farmer than he at present realises ; and I promise him unless he takes the bull by the horns, and acts promptly by throwing him, he will find no quarter given, if the trade unionists are returned to Parliament with a majority at their back. Coming events cast their shadow, and a very ugly shadow was cast upon the sheet by this move in Wi'llino-ton to put an export duty on nifat last week. THE TOTALISATOR, There appears to be some reasonable hope that somethiner may shortly be done to control, if not to prevent, the \ist; of the machine at race meetintrs. The Acting-Premier appears to realise the time is at hand when the Upas tree must at least have some of its limbs pruned, and he promises a Referendum Hill, by means of which a plebiscite of the whole of the colony may be taken upon this subject. I am not so sure that a plebiscite would be an unanswerable reply to many questions which might be submitted ami carried by a. majority. It

doos not always follow that the majority arc right. However, it could do no barm to have a plebiscite taken on the question of gambling, with a straight-out issue for and against. We could then go one better, and take it on the liquor question, and again on the question of borrowing large sums of money, or the question of the Elective Executive. Still it would not be an unmixed blessing, as it would relieve political leaders from a vast amount of responsibility, and would be used in many ways to the detriment of the country. Thousands of people who would not like it to be known that they take a ticket, or lay a wager with the "bookies," would, in the secret chamber of the ballot, vote for the retention of the machine. This would also apply to the liquor question, large borrowing, etc. Instead of this referendum, why does not the Minister refuse the licensees to work the machine ? He has the power now in his hands, but he fears the people, and, like Pilot of old, he will wash his hands of the matter, antl say, "I am clean of this business, see ye to it !" BOARD OF EDUCATION. Last Wednesday the Board of Education elected its new chairman, when Mr Jas. Muir, one of the newly elected members, thoiigh an old member of the Board, was called upon to occupy the chair for the next twelve months. There was no opposition, but when it came to appointing the committees there was some plain speaking. Mr Hobbs had moved for a return showing the amount paid to each member of the Board as travelling expenses (statement herewith), and he stated which was quite true, that there were members on the Board who lived in or near the city, who could do the work on the Selection and Finance Committees just as well as those members who lived away in the country. It is obvious that now Mr McKenzie is a member of the Selection and Finance Committee it will mean four days at ten shillings per day each fortnight, added to what will be Mr McKenzie's steamer fare from Whangarei ; at least eight days a month and travelling expenses. Who would not be a member of the Board and live in the country ? The return speaks 1 for itself. School Committees should mark, learn, and inwardly digest it. Many country Committees have to wait for their grants, which often they are in great need of until a convenient season. I do not say one word against Mr McKenzie ; he is a first-rate member, but it is a pity he, like Mr Bagnall, does not live near the town. There is likely to be a little hot water spiinkled at the Board over an open letter addressed to ComruUlws by the Teachers' Institute while the annual election of rr.en.KTs was going on, which was published in the Auckland dailies. Mr Hobbs said a wo^ir. would turn when trcd( ! en upon, and le' thought the Institute had done right, as they had been charged with a very strong indictment in a circular issued by one of the candidates, and now a member of the Board. How the matter is just going to end it is rather difficult to predict. But. the member who issued the circular, which was the cause of the remarks which fell from Mr Hobbs, got two or three stinging letters into the press, and, so Jar as one could read between the lines, h^ scored •..'every time, ; and in the end came out "top o' . the, heap." T^; Teacfc^ :In^ tute at e a splendid foody of- educated ladies 'and;:.^n^me^^and^e^'''nl(ye ai, great destiny "^bef dfefc 1 them; and much useful work *to perform ; but they would be wise ati all times, niQre especially at time* :s. the annur ;-M election for membej^^the Board *gp- — Erfnoolionl — if thCT * V n '!-- Jnt tight and -say little,' so > says the , sum in the street: '' " •-'■■■' ■;■■• ''•-- '.-.; Betunr ordered by Board August 6th, j 1902,^ upon the'motion of Mr Hobbs, showing all. monies paid to members of the Board as (ravelling expenses and allowances for the past two years, ending June 30th, 1902 : — Name of July 1900 July 1901 Total. Member. to June to June 1901. 1902.

Vincent E. Rice, Secrotary & Treasurer. Auckland, 20th August, 1902.

Mr L. J. Bagnall .. 76 2 6 69 13 6 145 15 0 Mr J. Blades 000 000 000 MrT. Cooper (resigned Feb. 1901. 000 000 000 Mr H. Farrell , retired Aug 1901 ..000 000 000 MrK Hobbs re - elected Aug., 1901 000 000 000 Mr W. Latnbe .. 23 9 0 20 3 0 43 12 0 Mr S Luke 10 7 0 10 0 0 20 7 0 Mr P. M. M acka y, elected May 1902 000 000 000 Dr. A. Arthur,resignedjuly 1901 ..000 000 000 MrJ.D. McKenzie .. 46 16 6 74 6 0 121 2 6 Mr M. A. McLeod, elected April, 1900, resi g n c d March 1902 $4 14 6 23 14 II 73 9 6 Mr J. Muir, re - elected May, 1901 000 010 0 010 0 Mr J. G. Butherford, elected August 1901 ..000 000 000 Total .. 211 9 6 198 6 5 409 777 1