LOCAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10425, 24 April 1897, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP.

"lit as hive audience for a word or two." —Shtkeiftri. J wis glad to see that the "carnival "for the benefit of the mission to the streets and lanes was successful, but was grieved to be made aware of the fact that it has created considerable friction amongst our Anglican ecclesiastics. The "streets and lanes" which are to be the scene of the mission operations are in the city, but the promoters of the carnival have naturally crossed the city parochial boundaries, and have obtained assistance from the more aristocratic parishes in the suburbs. But it is feared that that will cause a diminution of the funds available for the clergyman's salary and other expenses. Hence these growljugs, But if we are not to obtain help for the mission to the streets and lanes of St. Matthew's from Ponsonby and Remuera, what are we to do ? Are not the people of those places also citizens of Auckland ?

Auckland was privileged to have the last glimpse of Mr. Seddon, who will return with a trail of glory in titles and dignities that will provoke the hornyhanded to ask, "Can it be Dick?" The colony will contrive to get along as best it can without our own Richard, thankful that ve have still Mr. John McKenzie waiting for his knighthood as the reward of his consenting to stay at home. By the way, I doubt very much whether Mr. McKenzie will appreciate the way in which the Premier referred to him in his last great speech at Petone. The subject was the salt of Bushy Park, and Mr. Seddon said " Because in this case the persons concerned wtre the sons of poor old John McKenzie. the Minister for Lands, they were to be punished because their father was an honest administrator of the lands of the colony." This is somewhat contemptuous. Mr. McKenzie is not so much older than Mr. Seddon, and as for bis being " poor," that might havo been said of both him and Mr. jjeddon when they entered office, but caniiot be said of them now.

The Chinaman and the Caucasian faced each other at the last meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board, with the remit of an easy win for John. When the tenders for the supply of vegetables to the Wellington Hospital were opened, it was found that that of Wall Kee Bros., a Chinese firm, was tho lowest. Mr. Fraser said he was always in favour of dealing with Europeans, but in regard to vegetables it almost invariably happened that if they bought from Europeans they really bought second-hand from Chinese. Mr. L. L. Harris said there would be a terrible howl if they accepted a Chinese tender. Mr. Kirk: Are there any Europeans amongst the tenderers? Mr. Fraser: Yes, but they are very high— per lb as against |d. Eventually it was decided to accept the lowest tender, that of Wah Kee Bros., at jd per lb.

I have not yet quite settled with my wife the basis of our future relations, whether we are to jog on as we have been doing, or are to erect the domestic edifice on tho basis recommended by the Women's National Council. There is one thing, however, certain, and that is, that every delegate to the '(invention would at once on returning feel bound to carry out the resolution which was carried unanimously, namely, to require that her share of the joint income should be paid to her separate account, or that her name should be included with that of her husband in their common bank account. Perhaps some of these ladies will say that the proposed law is not for those couples who are happily married, and where the wife has everything she wants because of mutual love, but is to apply in cases where marriage has been a failure. But then, I reply, that if love is dead, and the wife has to take proceedings for her share of the earnings of the husband, to be paid to her joint account, then the sooner there is a separation and divorce the better.

Connected with this a correspondent sends me the following story:— remarks about a man bringing his wife up at the Police Court for ill-using him, and who should be master, etc., put me in mind of a tale that I heard my father tell some sixty years ago. We lived at a email village about four miles from Bolton, Lancashire, England, between Blackburn and Bolton. At that time there used to bo what we called 'Travelling- Scotchmen,' who came round about every fortnight with small bags on their backs containing drapery goods, and I think they had tea as well. , - One of these men called upon one of the 1 > neighbours to sell them some goods, etc. When he gob to the house lie saw a fine, powerful man leaning against the doorway, almost out of breath, and on looking into the house he saw a fine-looking woman leaning against the chimney-piece in the same condition, puffing and blowing almost out of breath. He said to the man, 'Pray, sir, are you the master of this house!' Tho man looked at him very anxiously, and spitting on his hands at the same time, 'I'm d dif I know until 1 have had another round.' The Scotchman did not wait to see who was the master; ho thought he had best leave that until the next time he came round that way." There are many versions of the above legend, but it contains a moral worth remembering.

The National Council are filled with the t' idea of securing absolute equality between t the sexes. Why do they not-secure it in y one important particular? Consider the \ ease of Lady Travers Twiss, as set forth in the Herald a few weeks ago. She had made a mistake in . her life. From the time of her marriage to one of the most eminent and rising

lawyers in England she had been irreproachable. But there was no place of / penitence for her. She had to go down, and live an obscure and hidden life. With a man the offence would have been trivial. But the women decreed the unjust and unequal sentence, and insisted upon its being carried out. Why do they not decree equal punishment for equal offence? They could carry out that without changing the law.

What's in a name 1 A good deal as the sequel will show. Tha Mariposa came in I on Friday forenoon with the notorious > on board. A number of highly- ■■ esteemed and respected fellow-citizens f shortly after she came in, were lunching at i Canning's, when one of the luncherj shortly i afterwards walked out. A wag at one of the tables suddenly exclaimed, " There goes Butler," and two dozen iunchers leaped to their feet—two dozen noses tools a right turn— four dozen eyes peered in the direction indicated. The subject of the remarks, whs is a son of Anak, nearly " telescoped" himself, when he heard the hubbub. He got an awful turn when he remembered he was the namesake of the famous prisoner on the Mariposa. _ You might have knocked him down with a feather, and he positively "saw tars. Two fellows on the Mariposa who looked into Butler's cabin and saw Chief-Detective Grace on guard were discussing Butlers chances of escape. One of them remarked that Butler's chances for the future, if not for the present, wore good, as there was not the slightest prospect of his " falling away from Grace I" 1 met some ladies on the wharf, who were going down to the Mariposa to shake hands with Butler— fellow. A cynical joker remarked that although women are not logical as a rate, they had reason on their side in this case. ' Some people do well, but they were of opinion that Butler did Weller!

§£•; I see that the labour people are not parS' ticularly complimentary to the Labour >t\ Bureau officers in Wellington when they y. state that there are women and children $ in that city working in places " which are little better than fowlhouses." It is current | that the Act is less rigorously enforced in ifft Wellington than in any other part of the iv • • colony. Mr. Ferguson may talk Beytalian p (from Cork) to Italian bladder vendors, but the "bloated capitalist" never lands "a fowl-house" on him. When they try that game Me is "a cross dog and a whole team plunder the waggon." 1 ' - ''''"' IJ; 7 ' ' s "• • '

There is a capital picture at the Art Exhibition by Mr, Trevor Lloyd, entitled, "The New Woman." She is toasting her feet at the fire, keeping herself abreast of "theburning questions," while the "old man" is tubbing the kiddies. A wag who was looking at the picture, and who is not strong on the "economic independence of woman," suggested that the Auckland Women's Political League should purchase it, to place on the wall at their meetings, and replicas be also procured by the Women s Liberal League and the Women's Democratic Union. Ido not mean any reflection on Mr. Trevor Lloyd when I ear that the " New Woman" it not half bo black as she is painted.

At the Federal Convention, I notice that "Mr. Glynn moved inclusion in the preamble of words invoking divine providence, so that the constitution should recognise the supremacy of God. After discussion, Mr. Glynn offered to withdraw the motion, but Mr. Zeal objected to this course, and the amendment was negatived." That is a poor constitution for a nation, which has not God behind it, below it, and above it. This is one of those cases of" Zeal without knowledge." Many long years ago, I heard the Inspector-General of Education for South Australia (afterwards Minister for Education) preach in the old Wesleyan Chapel, High-street. He took for his toxt, " The fool hath said in his heart there is no God," and leaning over the pulpit boards, he remarked nonchalantly, after the announcement of his text, "That's just what I would expect a fool to say I" He was not a singular parson either, on the contraryParsons. Mkkcutio.