ROUND THE CORNERS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 849, 8 June 1888, Page 17

ROUND THE CORNERS.

'The talk about the seriously depressed state of the Colony continues. Pessimism is in the ascendant; you meet with it everywhere—apparently. But it is astonishingly dissipated by a confidential interchange of opinions and experiences. “ How d’ye do,” is the greeting of one man to another. “O pretty well, thanks, how’s business ?” 11 Oh awful; very so, so,” and then tho lips purse and-the eyes glance corner ways. “ Aye, ’tis pretty bad,” mutters the first; “ but still I don’t think ii is getting worse. Mine isn’t at anyrate.” “Well I can’t say mine is,” replies'the other, “and if the price of produce will only keep up we are right, I think.’ 11 No doubt,’’ is the ready rejoinder, and then with nods and mutual “ good days ” they separate. And that’s about the position. The Colony is a 3 right as rain if tho price of produce will only keep up, and the price of produce is sure to keep up if the quality of produce is unexceptionable. If producers will only pay close attention to theiif

work and offer nothing to the markets but the first-class articles which New Zealand is singularly fitted to bestow they will never have to complain of unappreciative customers. But if thev send out cart grease for butter and a mixture of lead and putty for cheese, who can wonder if the ma.kets anathematise New Zea]au,; her producers and their wares. However, it is satisfactory to he assured of the great improvement in the quality of dairy produce that has taken place during the last two years. The Colony is really sending away only «what is likely to command a market, and as long as that line of action is held to we shall hear of continuous progression on the part of producers. At last New Zealand produce is in demand ; and the demand —for butter at anyrate is in excess of supply, and very high rates for that commodity are likely to prevail this winter. Townspeople and others who have to buj ought to be delighted to have to pay the increased value, for it means prosperity to the whole Colony.

lam pretty well advised on th's point; but strange to say my informant, who is particularly well informed, says it will be some time before the butter trade of New Zealand will be really over its trouble on account of the singular difficulties which beset it. And the latest of these is the superlative richness of the milk, which militates against the preservation of butter during transit to market. However, he declares he has found a remedy for it; means to keep it to himself for a time, and hopes to reap a rich harvest out of it. As a proof of its effectiveness tliedairy wares he sends tomarket> right to the Old Country, are commanding attention and finding ready purchase. '•

This is an age of comparisons and exhibitions in small things as well as great. Comparing qualifications is by no means uncommon. Men have been compared in their capacity fur gluttony and drunkenness, and other evil propensities, not excepting lying, of which I can adduce a recent and ri iculous instance. A man had coma from “a far countree 11 and while conversing with a friend, about one thing and another, mentioned, in a casual way, that he ha i a fellow in his place who could lick creation inlying. “ Bet ye I’ll match him,” promptly responded the other. “ Don't think it,” replied the first dubiously. “ Come along,” said the other, “and we’il soon test it.” And away they'hastened to the place of business of a well-known tradesman. Greetings were exchanged between the two who knew each other and then came the introduction of the third. “ Say J.” said the townsman with his friend from afar in tow. “ Want to introduce you to Mr So-and-so.” And then suiting action to word, “Mr So-and-so, Mr , one of the oldest of our townspeople.” “ Really,” said the latter, “am delighted, but God bless im, we’ve met before. Don’t you recollect I was introduced to you iu this town fifteen years ago.” “ O Lord,” muttered the visitor turning to his friend, “.that il do, I’m satisfied, you’ve got him.” “Got who,” whispered the friend as they turned away. “ Why the biggest liar to be sure. Never been in ti>is town before iu my life.’’ Neither he had.

It is very rare indeed for a man or woman, 'either for that matter—who invariably runs straight not to come out right in the end. All along ha finds admirers, even his very foes respect him ; but then his straight running must be invariable. It won’t do to be very straight to-day and a bit/ crooked to-morrow, let it be ever so tiny a bit. He must be straight and loyal to the spinal narrow ; and if he is aud is not a fool absolute in his business capacity, he i 3 bound to succeed sooner or later. Bor honesty and loyalty do pay, and pay well. They who practice them put in motion forces that are potent and invariable in effect. But my houesty and loyalty must not be mistaken for softness and credulity. The qualities I indicate are usually the concomitants of hard headiness; hard-headedness combined with large, not soft-heartedness. Softness of any kind don’t pay now-a-days. A large heart, enough to entertain all that is grand aud elevating aud compassionate; a bard head, hard enough to resist false and evil imprfessions and the assaults of tricksters. That’s about the size of it. I say, Mr Minister of don't you think you had better try and culd. vate a little loyalty aud straight-going with your Ministerial confreres ? That was a nasty show up you got in the House the other night.

To the bitter end I go with Sir. Harry not to fund one penny more than is absolutely imperative. If we are ever to pay our way we must make a beginning—a beginning of action, not to be everlastingly protesting and theorising. What’s the good of telling the world we are go ing to stop borrowing if we don’t show the world we are really putting the screw on ourselves to raise the necessary wind. But tire disciples of expediency are again to the fore with their excuses and alluring alternatives. “ >Tis too much for the people t > bear.’’ “ Don’t be in such a frantic hurry with your reforms.” “ Let us down easy, do please,” and so on. But I say the time has come to put our foot down on hard ground, the hard ground of the Colony’s bottom dollar. We owe the Mother Country getting on for one hundred millions sterling and very much regret that we can’t show more good work for the money than what we have done. The assets are pretty toJ-tol mind, but it can’t be said we have made the most of the capit il so liberally placed at our disposal. 1 should like to know whether the country thinks it has done ali that it could do to make its possessions secure from foreign aggression. Has it played the part of a good steward by making everything as sure as possible ? It stiikes roe that the question I have stated can be answered one way only. If I were in Parliament I would propose the borrowing of one more million to be ear-marked as a loan for defence purposes, to defend the eighty or nicety millions we have borrowed from Mother England. And I think Mother Enrland would reply ; "flood boys, you shall

have the money. But mind you every penny of it on defence. Train the boys ; bring them up fighting men —and true men and there s more money for you by-and-bye, if jou need it.”

Last week I related an incident savoring of an Hiberni ism, and- now I appropriate a delicious paragraph redolent of 1 the sod from the Spectator. Says that paper : “At a rec-nt meeting of the sliaroliolders of the Waterford and Limerick Kailvmy, there were many furious sneakers, one of whom stated that •he disapproved of the directors altogether, on the ground that they were always, unanimous, which lie held to on a must datijerons ciisposiiion, though he promised to cure that'particular evil if they would only elect him a director. Evidently ho held that, oven if they were right unanimity was a mischief, and that even n minority of one who should 'be in the wrong would remove the mischief: But the same gentleman brouspt a more seri *us eompluint against the Gonipauy, You get into the train very early,’ ho said, ‘ and you are delaved at every station, and in the end you never arrive anywhere all/ That must be the lino that metnpliysicians so often avail themselves of. Another liislimttD who on a visit to Dublin had been greatly struck ny the sight of some trunks beautifully decorated with ornamental nails, when a friend said to him ’Ah 1 sure, yon should buy one, Pat!’ replied. * What for. man?’ ‘Why. to put your clothes in of comae. -An’ is it go. naked myself? sai.l Pat. Paddy’s Clothes-philosopliy does not take into account the contingency of more than one suit, and regards a trunk with Rome jealousy, Indeed merely as a competitor with himself for the possession of the clothes he has on.”

Dead, passed on ! Aye, the hope of the FitzGeralds has left us. We shall long miss the cheery smile, the pleasant, honest, voice of light-hearted, wise-headed, loyal, straiglitfor ward, “Willie” of many friends. They die young whom the gods love, ’tis said, and although he lived long enough to leave his very own flesh and blood behind him, to mourn tlieir loss, still his life was a short one ; it was a young life he resigned to the Power who bestowed it. And it was a stainless life. Unselfish, honorable, ever-stirring for the right; a human life, therefore not without its weaknesses ; but still ahigh life, a valuable life, that would, had it been spared, have told with effect on the swirl and rush of humanity hurrying onward to its unknown goal. Only four-and-thirty ! Some of us who knew something of his characteristics, who could surmise his latent potentialities, can imagine what he would have been at four-and-fifty. He was what he was after years of physical suffering with the shadow always about him, but in the sunshine of a healthy life how much more he would have been ! Always high-minded, detesting meanness, resolute in keeping to the higher walks of his profession, lie attiacted a clientelle in harmony more or less with himself. And he is the fourth “ bierdly ” son that passed from his mother’d side into the dark unseen, the sixth child that she has bad to surrender to the inexorable. But only for a time, for what is life but a phase of existence, the existence which is the inherent, natural, right of all who are capable of aspiration, and self-conquest. And in the next phase of existence many will meet again. Only a phase, O, fools-to doubt it!

The Hon Mem. for Lyttelton on brass bands and Sunday schools. This is one of the latest striking and startling Parliamentary poses with which we have been favored. The House has been duly advised of the discord that must be between brass bands aud Sunday afternoon schools, and is called upon to restore harmony. Arid we’ve only just found this out, thanks to the fertility of resource, the penetration- and originality cf the hon. member for Lyttelton. The House was dull and he introduced a brass band ; it was slightly irreverent and he promptly appl.ed a Sunday school corrective. I am told a wet blanket wa3 nothing to it in effect. Well done, good and faithful member for Lyttelton. But what next, I wonder! We live in an age of surprises !

Capital, Mr Chairman of the Lambton Licensing Committee. You read all and sundry a homily on the evils of gambling in public houses. Said you, sir, “ There was too much of this sort of thing going on. Dice-throwing wa3 indulged in in almost every hotel in the city, and it \yould have to be put a stop to,” and then the committee immediately granted the license for the hotel against which the charge of gambling had been luid. What a farce ! And prior to that the committee had extended the licenses of twelve houses during the mischievous hour from ten to eleven. ’Pears to me the licensing committee system will have to be rigorously revised if temperance and moral principles are to have a chance to expand.

What is the meaning of “ weak debility.’ The phrase was uttered from a high place the other morning. If two negatives are equivalent to one affirmative we have strength in it.

Can’t say that proposed tariff improves upon acquaintance. It is too piece-meal, seems to have been just hove together without that due consideration which, apparently, is never ex. tended to ihe creation of New Zealand tariffs. It is called a Protection tariff,, and certainly does savor strongly of Protection, and yet if it is meant foster local industry why, in the name of all that is puzzling, are those very things taxed that are indispensable to local industry and which cannot be made this side the Equator ? The idea of taxing machinery for the production of manufactures is too absurd altoge.her. All.such things ought to be free. Inde.-d, I am not rure that it would not bs sound policy to offer a bonus upon their introduction. And still education is kept up to the hilt, and still the absentees are let alone 1 And why are totalisators forgotien ? I suppose a levy on absentees and a progressive property-tax will be the last resource of all. Asmodeus.