LOCAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7008, 3 May 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP.

" Lot me have audience for a word or two." — Shdktpcre. There is a happy-go-lucky, " canna be fashed" spirit shown by the Corporation in many things. Take the fire-bells for instance. They are the property of the Corporation, and it is the business of that august body to look after them, to see that they are'kept in a state of repair, and that they are not allowed to become imperfect or useless. But it is a business more common in the breach than in the observance, it is, like many other things, left to take care of itself. The result is that some of the firebells are considerably out of tune. I passed one the other day which had no rope attached to it, so that in case of fire in that locality it would be impossible to give any alarm by means of the bell. In other instances there is the merest apology for a rope, the rungs Of the ladder by which the bell is reached are broken, and altogether things are in a shabby, miserable, and disreputable condition. The present fire alarm system may not be tho best in the world; it may, in fact be, as some people hold it ,is, aniODg the very worst in the world; but so long as it exists, so long as it is the only one we have, it is surely worth while keeping it in something like working order.

Mr. Binstead, senior, whoever he is, makes a suggestion in the Herald. He would have each householder have a number of rookets, to be used in case of fire. When a fire broke out a rocket would be sent up, and hey presto ! the fire brigade would be on the spot instanter. This caps everything. It is the anti-climax of absurdity. Imagine a sleeping household awakened in the middle of tne night by the house being on fire; imagine them half suffocated with' smoke, dazed by the glare and confused by the roar of the flames, groping about in their night dresses for Mr. Binetead'a wonderful firerockets, and when they had found them, in their hurry and bewilderment lighting them at the wrong end. Or suppose the rockets to be in the room in which tne fire happened to be raging—a pretty pyrotechnic display there would be. Mr. Binstead, senior, is no doubb a well-meaning man. I give him credit for the best intentions. He is honestly anxious to be of service to his fellow men. But Binstead senior knows not what he sayeth when he comes forward with his rocket idea. He would add a new danger to civilised life, and increase the terrors 01 the night. Rockets, ae everybody knows, sometimes go off by accident; and even in the best regulated families they are liable to do so. It might happen tbat when we were having a social party at home our supply of theee explosive fire alarms might take it into their heads to have a little fun on their own account. Picture the consternation, not to say danger, tbat would be caused by half a dozen rockets, " with a bursting charge in the form of a cross or letter T" suddenly darting into a crowded ball room ! Or if they found-their way into the street you can easily conceive the mischief <;hey would cause. We should have to walk about encased in armour, with helmet and vizard. To receive a rocket full in.the face can't be a very pleasant experience. No; let us "rather bear the ills we have than go in for Mr. Binstead, senior's, rocket system.

Better than rockets, fire-bells, or electric alarms is the carefulness which renders fires impossible. I fancy if we knew everything we would find that very few fires are due to purely accidental causes, or could not, by the exercise of a little care, be prevented. Assuming that people don't deliberately burn down their places, it may be stated with the certainty of a mathematical axiom that ninety-nine fires out of every hundred are due to preventable causes, and are the result of sheer carelessness. But human nature, I am afraid, is not quite so unsophisticated as to assume anything oE the kind. We all know that people do sometimes set fire to their houses or their shops. If the truth wero known the majority of fires are incendiary. This is the great danger to honest pcopls. The question is how it is to be lessened. We line a man who allows His chimney to get on fire ; why should'nt a man who allows his house to get on fire be punished? I make the Council a present of this suggestion.

History is soon forgotten, apparently.. In passiog along Queen-street the other day I noticed outside Councillor Montague's shop a flaming picture labelled, or libelled, " The Surrender o£ Tel-el-Kebir." Now, as Macaulay would say, every schoolboy ought to know that Tel-el-Kebir was captured by the British on the 13th September, 1882. There was ho surrender. It will astonish a good many people to learn on the authority of the Mayor that the City Council have no power to order the removal of houses declared to be unfit for human habitation. The sooner such power is obtained the better, unless we wish Auckland to become notorious for its rookeries and slums. • ' ' It may be too much to expect the dust cart-men who empty our dust-boxes, to take them up gently and to treat them with care, but there is - nothing unreasonable in the request that they should handle the boxes a little less roughly than they are in the habit of doing. After emptying them they toss the boxes on the ground as if they were made of indiarabber, smashing them right and left. A correspondent informs me that on aa average he has two dozen boxes destroyed per annum by reason of the " unnecessary violence" of the dustmen ; arid he threatens to bring aa action against the Corporation for the recovery of damages ! Last Tuesday we had- in Auckland at the same time a Governor and two ex-Governors of New Zealand—namely, Sir William Jervoie, The Marquis of A'ormanby, and Sir George Grey. It was s. coincidence unparalleled in the history of the colony. What such a gubernatorial conjunction portends, who oan Bay? Only two out of the three distinguished personages met. Sir Georga unfortunately is not on visiting terms with the other two. But for tnia they might all have sat down at

the festive and hospitable biard at Government House, and over the walnuts and wine have joined in the melo-dramatio catch—' ' ' — When shall w» three meet again, ' ■ i In thunder, llghtalng, or in rain? , When the hnrljbnrlj'e done, . When the battle's lost and icon. .

Bishop Luck is unfortunate in hia logic, and the occasions which occur to him for the use of it. -Surely a meeting of a " Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" was not the place to split metaphysical haira; or enunciate non-discributive propositions. He is reported to have declared that "We owe a duty, to superiors and equals, bat not to inferiors." Taken by itself, such a propO'Bition is revolting. Nobody believes - that Bishop Luck would tolerate an act of cruelty to his dog. But he owes no " duty" to that obedient animal. The philosophy of the 1 world is better than Bishop Luck's theology. All states'of human existence imply either privileges or obligations ; obedience implies justice, benevolence gratitude, fidelity steadfastness, as their .And the quittance of the obligation is the duty which society insists upon. Biehop Luck cited the instance of a lady who petted a Mount St. Bernard mastiff while- she was cruelly negligent of her servant. It was not because she pampered the dog that she starved the menial. The menial who was starved was lacking in the self-regarding virtues. How unseasonable this metaphysical trifling of the Bishop was appeared from the fact that, while he was speaking, a huge but benevo-lent-looking mastiff, belonging to a lady who sat next him, was lying at hia feet. Was it tho lady or the dog the Bishop was " pitching into?"" Would the Bishop have deemed it his duty to disturb the dog to please the lady ? Most people would have thought it was rather a duty "not to dietnrb.the dog" when it served no purpose to do so."

Someone who knew human nature tolerably accurately has said, " That man's religion is a very poor affair if his pwa dog is not the better for it." That man differed from the Bishop, and recognised that it was quite becoming and even imperative on Christians to recognise a duty to inferiors. Evidently the ascetic schoolman who wields the crozier in the Auckland diocese is not so "sweet" on dogs as his Hibernian predecessor, Bishop Croke; Now, .if Bishop Croke had a bosom friend it was his dog, and the dog was lucky in his master. The worthy prelate, while in Auckland, was accustomed daily to pass the shop of a well-known Hobson-street butcher on his way to and fro from the episcopal " palace" in Hobson-street. The dog got into the triok of darting into the shop if he saw the coaat clear, and scuttling off with the first chop or steak he clapped his eyes , on, at which the Bishop was wont to laugh loud and long, and as he passed the shop door would say to the butcher in his genial, humorous way, "My dog doesn't need a ' shove' on in the world, and knows hia way about. He's a true Holy Roman, and spoiling, a 'Prod' and a heretic doesn't count 1" The butcher used to he as much amused at the science displayed by the dbg as the prelate, and "never grudged the poor dog a bone." We should be inclined to say to both, "Bravo; well done !"

We have heard a good deal in Auckland lately of the Kindergarten system of education, and the numerous doctrinarics, who are such a nuieanoe in matters educational, are always attempting to thrust it on the State. It means little besides what we were wont to call an infant school, and ao long as only private parties have anything to do with it, no objection can be made. But I doubt very much whether the State should take up the idea. I see by the last meeting of the City Schools Committee that the Board of Education are about to establish a Kindergarten school in connection with Wellesley-street school, and this new separation will no doubt be attended with considerable expense, I see that in' Sydney.it was proposed to vote £500 for the establishment of Kindergarten, when a gentleman remarked:—"When he was in America he had a good opportunity to witness the working of the Kindergarten system. A more ridiculous system he ne»er saw. It wbb nothing more nor less than a plan for taking charge of all the babies of the town. A lot of babies who were scarcely able to tcddle were sent to the school, and several grown-up girls were hopping about and doing kangaroo on the floor for the edification of the youngsters. It would be far better to allow each mother to look after her children." The, general sentimagt in New Zealand is in favour of economising in education by raising the school age, and if 'we embark in Kindergartens, we shall have to increase the estimates.

Last Sunday an Auckland preacher gave a strong temperance sermon, hia text being, "If meat make my brother offend,' I will eat no flesh while the world standeth." He said that whatever we might think of the politics of Sir George Grey, all must acknowledge that he did a knightly ■ deed when he donned the blue ribbon, in order to be an example and encouragement to Tawhiao. Some say that the saoritice did not amount to much, as Sir George Grey never did drink any liquor, except occasionally a little beer and water mixed.

In my opinion the most glaring injustice to Auckland at the present time is in connection with Government House. The other night, when hundreds o£ carriages were driving in to the grounds, the place was in almost utter darkaess. Generally there is no light at all around the house, and anyone going there at night, unless well acquainted with the curves of the paths, will go stumbling over the flower borders and amongst the trees. On the occasion of the "At Home," a huge ugly tin lamp, which would have disgraced any hoarding in town, and which a respectable farmer would not have put up in his barn, was stuck on the top of the post at the' entrance gate, to keep carriages from running on the post. Government House at Auckland is now inadequate for the accommodation necessary for the Governor, and the hospitalities he has to dispense. All our Governors like to live at Auckland, and the place should be made suitable for them- But, at all events, a gas lamp or two might be erected in the grounds, so as to light the approach, and avoid the necessity of sticking up a tin lamp on the top of a post.

There are, it seems, in Auckland a number of men who make a livelihood in a somewhat questionable manner. During the absence of the head of the house they call and tempt the wifeQ to purchase drapery and finery by offers to take the payment in instalments. They say that the husbands will never know, thac they will take the money jast as the wife finds it convenient to save it. Knowing their business, and female human nature being what it is, they are very successful. The whole matter is very bad. In the first place, it tempts a wife to concealment from her husband,* and when this is begun there is no saying where it may end. Where there ia no extra pinch in the household, the concealment may be kept up,' but in all likelihood the wife has to tell before the debt is cleared off, and the result is nnhappiness in the house. Add to this, that the articles are charged at probably twice the price for which they could be obtained at any store, for the man must be paid for the trouble he takes in calling for his instalments of a few shillings every week. Book canvassers are almost as great a nuisance. It is doubtful whether in these cases the debts can be recovered, but there are few men who would let.them go to Court, involving the appearance of the wife in the witnessbox, and a disagreeable exposure of domestic affairs. But women should be warned, in such cases, as in all others, to. resist temptation, and to incur no liability till their husband knows all about it. _ '

Things in respect to the general election, still a good many months ahead, are already getting pretty warm. We shall, I suppose, have first the contest, for the East Coae't, vacated by Mr. A. MoDpnald. There are a host of candidates, among whom are Mr. Locke, Mr. Gannon, , and Captain Porter; The constituencies inand about the city are much in the same tate, except that every' now and then a new , name emerges, of a more or less formidable nature./: ;I look on Mr. Moat as a formidable, competitor to Mr. Seymour George for Rodney,-for -Mn Moat was a great favourite ■ amongst the settlers, and ran M»v Sheehan:. very... hard some years ago. In the South, Mr. Downie Stuart is going to make an effort to get in. Mr. Poatlethwaite, who ousted Mr.' Wakefield from Selwyn, is going home' after the session; and it is said that Mr. Rolleaton, who has no chance again for Avon, will be a candidate. Mr. Andrewß, who formerly sat for Chrietohuroh, will again stand. ..fin fact, it would seem as if we were to have p>. a few old identities again trying theirporting before the electors. • ' ," "

I The announcement that Mr. W. F. Buck land has passed the barristers' examination after only studying up for it since last June must come upon the public as a pleasant surprise. The burly, yet genial, ex-member of the Board of Education, was known to be a "don" at athletics—being a muscular Christian—and on racing and coursing matters, but no one had suspected him of being able to make this " new departure" so promptly. The sneers about the " bucolic intellect " will now fall pointless. It appears there rfas no cramming or even coaching—W. F. B. being a whole team in himself—but tbe entire business, I understand, on the very highest authority, was accomplished on earsaparilla and "Hitehen's Blood Restorer." Good Templarism again scores a win 1

Sydney Taiwhanga is irrepres«ible. But yesterday, as it were, at the bar of the Police Court, at the instance of Madame Taiwhanga. on a charge, as she alleged, of suspected wife desertion, to-day he " bobs up serenely" as a philanthropist of the first water, under the very nose of the representative of Her Majesty, and as a ohampion- of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The admirable manner in which he combined business with philanthropy cannot fail to 'elicit admiration. It is not every prospective Eolitical candidate who is enabled to make is preliminary canter under such favourable auspices, or to get a cheap advertisement that he is going to contest a particular seat so adroitly as it was effected by the dusky orator at the Theatre Royal. Tawhiao, I see by the papers, was entertained in Australia by Quong Tart, who, I presume, is one of the Sydney Chinese "jam "-Tarts. It must have been delightful to see the almond-eyed Quong eitting cheek by jowl with Tawhiao, discussing matters concerning " the played-out Caucasian." It may not be known, however, how narrow an escape Tawhiao and his party had of falling a prey to the wiles, of some Melbourne tradesmen, only intent upon vending and puffing their wares, as the following document received by Tawhiao before setting out oh hia mission she we :— /Melbourne, February 28, • 18S4. — Long live the King ! We salute your Majesty ! The King wants to CO to England. We make trunks and portmanteaus far better and cheaper as anybody else. Let the King give an order and it will be executed. We have ipoken. May the Lord preserve your Majesty for alee, akS, alee.—Paniaclcer, Evana and Co.. 8 and 10, Lons dale-street, West Melbourne. His ft. H. Tawhiao, the Maori King, Auckland, or Waikato, N.Z. Tuhi, the King's secretary, was much exercised, on receiving the above document. The first impreseion of the Kingites was, that it wa3 a communication from the Victorian Government, respecting the Maori embassy, and they handed it over for interpretation to their Mentor," Tuwha, te ftoia " —Mr. E. T. Dnfaur, solicitor. JN'ot quite certain whether the missive was of good or evil omen, Tuhi adjured Mr. Dufaur to interpret it, literally, to him, and with his prophetic eye upon Mr." Thomas Spurgeon, said, give us " The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." When the letter was interpreted to Tawhiao, and it dawned upon the royal mind that the note was from some Melbourne portmanteaumakers, who desired to be favoured with his patronage, the aged monarch, broke forth into some very mixed expressions, as to what he would do to the " trunks " of Pan-' sacker and Co., if he had hold of them. Tuhi, with grim humour, remarked, in the solemn conclave convened on the affair, that there would have been some sense in the thing if the Melbourne pakehas had sent over their letter in one of their own trunks, to King Tawhiao, as "a , sample of the sack." As it was, did they think that Auckland tradesmen could not make trunks, or to insinuate that the Maoris were not patrons of local industry. He begged to move, "That the letter be simply received." Carried accordingly. Mercdtio.