LOCAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9118, 28 July 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP.

" Let me have audience for a word or two." 1 y —Shaktpere. During the past week Parliament has shown its temper and disposition. It is evident that nothing very effective can be done in the way of retrenchment. •> The Ministry have attempted to cut down by discharging a few officials, but the amount of good they have done is very email. When pensions, and claims for compensation, and compassionate allowances are paid, the colony is worse off than before. If anything more is to be done, the Premier tells us, the cost for education must be reduced, or the wages of the railway labourers must be brought down to the market rate. The working man says he will not allow these two departments to be touched, and his representatives in Parlia ment obey his commands. lam not sure but that from his point of view he may be quite right. The working man, tradesman or labourer, has no right to consider the future ot the country. By virtue of manhood suffrage, he has a vote, but that is about all. lam amused when I see statements that every manof every classmust economise and bear his share of the grinding. The working man may reply, " Not a bit of it; why should I pinch ? I am a wagereceiver, and when the wages in New Zealand get too low, I have simply to go over to New South Wales or Victoria. You talk as if I were bound to the country. I am in no way interested in seeing that New Zealand is able to pay the interest on its indebtedness, or that it maintains its credit on the.London market. I exert the political power which I possess for what I conceive to be my own interest, and for that you surely cannot blame me."

The following advertisement has appeared during the past week " A young man ('2O) wants employment; otherwise will leave for Australia in a fortnight's time. It is a fine thing to have a high esteem of oneself, because people are apt to take a man at his own valuation, and so, perhaps, the young man who makes the abov6 threat has by this time got into the situation which exactly suits him. . But, unfortunately, a very large number of young men are now leaving the colony, because it is quite impossible to find situations for them. We must contrive to do without them for a time and even if the young man who advertises is compelled to go, New Zealand must still endeavour to keep above water.

We have all heard a great deal lately about the " boom " which is just coming, but which seems very slow of arrival. We have heard dim statements about syndicates being formed in Victoria and New South Wales, with capital always stated in millions, to purchase the bargains in land and other property to be had now in New Zealand. I have been keenly on the outlook for the first drops of this shower of blessings; but I have not descried any till the other day, when 1 lighted in the pages of the Herald on an advertisement, in which someone offered to give a property in Sydney in exchange for a farm near Auckland or Tauranga. The emphatic statement was, " Healthy district indispensable, as ill-health is my reason for living in New Zealand." I should think that man would find no difficulty in getting suited. Any number of snug little farms are going begging, and we have abundant supplies of fresh air and genial showers, which come quite regularly, and which we cannot forestall or hypothecate.

How many things are done in politics under pretexts ! We have patiently submitted to nearly £300,000 of more taxation rather than make retrenchments, which could easily have been made, just because we were told that the tariff would be the means of establishing industries which would make things " boom." And now, under the pretext of retrenchment, those Southern members who are interested in tho steamers which run the direct service are about to cut off the subsidy to the San Francisco line, in order that they may obtain dividends. Ib would seem that there is no use in New Zealand attempting to put the public interest against private considerations.

The collapse of the case brought by the Customs authorities against a well-known brewer, who is now in a tight corner, goes to show that some of the Customhouse subordinates possess more zeal than discretion. The intelligent Jackman, to whom bungholes seem to be the elixir of life and a perennial joy, and who appears to combine in his unique organisation the sleuth-hound vigilance of a Vidocq with the impulsive inquisitiveness of a Paul Pry, would seem to have made a slight mistake on this occasion. Dr. Giles let them down very gently, but evidently had the impression on

his magisterial mind that Mr. Jackman required a little salutary checking, and was evidently " gone " on bungs and bangholes.

It is not very often that the proprietor of an establishment, infested for the time being with bailiffs, bestows even the conventional quart of the " milk of human kindness" upon the necessary, but unwelcome representatives of the law. But when the Newmarket brewer said, in tremulous accents, that he locked the door on the bailiff because he was afraid the draught from the open door might make him catch cold, even the Official Assignee and the solicitors present were fain to admit that there is something good in human nature, after all. Indeed, it was quite a touching example of care and forethought for a fel-low-creature's comfort and well-being.

The other evening a well-known and eloquent clergyman of the Anglican Church launched out pretty vigorously against the lavish expenditure on skating rinks indulged in by the junior members of his church (the female worshippers especially). Some thought he was too severe, but, for my part, I think he was not. Rinking, of course, is an innocent and legitimate pastime, in moderation ; but when we hear of members of choirs neglecting their duties, and folks generally who belong to the church making a passion of the thing, night after night, probably to the detriment of the church funds, it is no wonder perhaps that the clergyman finds out that it is a sin, or something very like that.

That Cury-ous episode is not quite done with yefc. I understand that Mr. Napier is going to get a member to inquire how it came to pass that his ultimatum to the Minister of Justice, "I demand an explanation," was coolly ignored, and no reply sent to him.

The Maori whawhai up North affords a further proof of the rapid degeneration of the race. Formerly, the stalwart warriors of the taua would meet the foe face to face in open field. Defiant challenge would ring out on the morning air, the ground would throb and tremble with the thud of a thousand feet, as the hoarse guttural sounds issued from throats, in savage accompaniment to the terror-inspiring war-dance. Then, with hani and taiaha and mere, the fierce, combatants would rush to mutual slaughter. Is there not something of the chivalrous and heroic in that, as compared with the semi-European modern methods— the outcome of so-called civilisation ?

It is very depressing and melancholy to reflect upon the results upon the noble aboriginal race which have followed upon our vaunted civilisation. New Zealand history during the last quarter of a century, at all events, is full of mournful illustrations of the fact that the natives of these islands have every reason to curse the day when the white trader set foot upon their shores. Rum and brandy have, in a vast number of cases, ruined their physical manhood and obscured their moral sense. The pakeha-Maori land agent, with his shady methods and his hazy perceptions of right and wrong, has in many instances done his best to obliterate from the Maori mind all perception of honour and fair dealing. Look at that case which came before the Supreme Court recently, in which a Tauranga European and a Maori were concerned. The evidence clearly showed that the native was urged into complicity in the criminal act by the agent, who by specious arguments succeeded in distorting the options of right and wrong.

, Speaking of Maori cases, I noticed the other day that the outcome of Major Gudgeon's investigation into the Komata affair has been the immediate discharge of the natives who were tried, convicted, and imprisoned for perjury. The natural inference from this is, of course, that they were wrongly punished, being innocent. Now, who is going to compensate them for the injustice and degradation inflicted on them. We will hear of them petitioning the House for compensation next session.

Syndicates in bankruptcy, and the examinations before the much-worked Official Assignee, have supplied the principal newspaper pabulum for a few weeks past, and much food for reflection is supplied to the thoughtful reader. That " circumstances alter cases " is a very mouldy old copy-book heading, which might, perhaps, be now adapted in an altered form to "circumstances alter language." A principal creditor says ; "I believe that is a lie." Why could he not have said blandly: "My friend is imparting on unwholesome swelling to the truth," which would have been much softer and more balmy. Then the debtor interjects a few suave remarks : "My word is as good as your oath, any day." " I can supply you with a statement, but not with comprehension ; I think you had better hand me over to your solicitor," which certainly was no compliment to the examining ability of the chief creditor. Of course there is no doubt as to which side could claim the triumph in the conflict of repartee. But was it exactly prudent, or in good taste, for the debtor, under the circumstances, to give full play to the dangerous power he possesses ?

A strike of priests is quite a fresh and exhilarating sensation. The European papers tell us that all devout Catholics are horrified and scandalised by the extraordinary event occurring in the Argentine Republic. It appears that the Government decided on a retrenchment scheme, reducing the fees for masses, marriages,, burials, &c., so the clergy forthwith went on strike, and refused to officiate. Contrast this with the action of some of our local clergy, Anglican and Dissenters, who voluntarily accepted reduced stipends in consideration of hard times. sacrifice and self-denial are not the strong points of the Argentine Republic clerics.

At the meeting of St. Stephen's Band of Hope the other night, one of the speakers protested against the danger and sin of using tobacco. It is to be regretted that so many worthy and earnest people, by their extreme views and intemperate language, frequently mar any good effect which might otherwise be produced by their addresses. To denounce smoking as sinful is to say, in effect, that many of the greatest, best, and noblest men of the age, in the spheres of literature, art, science, statesmanshipaye, and of religion, too, are guilty of a violation of moral law. Pushed to its logical conclusion, that is what the statement amounts to, and is manifestly unreasonable and absurd.

But, had the speaker confined himself to denouncing juvenile smoking as wrong, no one could help heartily concurring in his views. If Mr. Withy or any other Auckland member of the House, who desires the conservation of physical and mental stamina in the juveniles of this city, would frame and introduce an Act in the direction of checking the evil, something practical might be done. Why not make it penal for any tobacconist to supply tobacco and cigars to boys ? Every day one meets mere children, who accost the passer-by with the request, "Give us a match, sir," and holding in their hands either a cigarette, a fragmentary pipe, or a cheap cigar. A friend of mine told me of an incident, the truth of which he vouches for. A woman in this city was visiting a neighbour, who was nursing an infant eighteen months 0 ] ( 1—it was unweaned, at all events. Well, the infant began to cry for something, and to the horror of the visitor, the mother deliberately lit a cigarette and inserted it between the child's lips. " She cries for it and I let her have it to pacify her, said the mother. Further inquiry showed that a ten-year-old son had frequently been sent by his mother to take the child for an airing. On many of these occasions it seems that the youth smoked cigarettes and had actually taught his little infant brother to take a whiff. The boy admitted this himself to his mother. Comment i 0 altogether superfluous here, I should think.

The air is full of rumours about belligerent encounters. In the august presence of the Official Assignee the other day, a lawyer said to a bankrupt, or a bankrupt said to a lawver, or both uttered the words, "You're a liar!" Then the man of law instead of waiting for an action, threw on his coat, and challenged the bank o come on." The bankrupt was a big man, but hostilities were prevented by peaceloving bank managers and others. I lien a train, we have the story of a Customs officer who accused a lawyer of ving been " squared," when the lawyer at once wired in, and knocked the Customs officer down. Really these men of law are getting fiery. J Mekcutio.