HERE AND THERE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1136, 8 December 1893, Page 31

HERE AND THERE.

Nearly every paper in the colony is remarking favourably upon the promptness with which the telegraph employees forwarded the election returns. A word of praise is also due to the staff of the Press Association* a much and often abused body, which, however, on this occasion did its work admirably.

Chunk of sound solid truth from Napier News :—“ We are not at all surprised to hear the same absurd remarks concerning the newly-elected Parliament as have been written by each of its predecessors by the Conservative Press when the Liborals have scored a victory. The ordinary Conservative writer gauges the mental 'capacity of a man by his politics, and of course when only a handful of th 9 Conservative party get returned, the House must be full of the rag tag and bob tail, while the men who have been defeated were those of light and leading!”

By the way, the Neios is to be specially complimented upon the vigour and intelligence of its support of the Liberal candidate. The editor kept apace ; with the ever changing political position day by day, and hammered home his arguments most skilfully. The Neios had a great deal to do with Mr Carnell’s success,.and it is only fair that it should have some of the credit.

Mr Whitely King, once well-known in New Zealand journalistic circles, and now secretary to the Pastoralists’ Union of New South Wales, will be a candidate for a Sydney suburban seat at the forthcoming New South Wales elections. Many Maoriland friends will wish “Jack ; Kihg every success.

There is said to be a dearth of shearers on the East Coast. Another proof of the depression of which the Conservative papers—poor things—are so fond of talking about.

Christ Church, Wanganui, is to be considerably enlarged. Since the Rev. Mr Tudor rotired and his place was taken by the Venerable Archdeacon McLean, late of Greytuwn, the congregation has so increased that seats are at a premium. This is something new for the Anglican Chnrch in Wanganui. # The Manawatu Farmer , a live little paper, published at Shannon, strongly advocates the construction of a road to connect Shannon with the Hukanui railway station on the Eketahuna- Woodviile line. Seven miles of road, so ic is stated, only requires to be made.

The Maori, with his tribal ties, can appreciate the 'strength of the Scotch “dsn;” On election day a Maori ifai wan , on the platform * ‘at"' Otttkf itation

wearing qjn immense thistle bloom in his button-hole. “ What’s that for ?” asked a friend. “ That’s for Fraser,” said the Maori, “ he’s a Scotchman.” “So is Wilson,” said the friend. “ Yes,” was the reply, “but he’s got no clan.” Unfortunately the Fraser clan were not quite numerous enough to put their man in ! 1

Slab of bosh from the Rangitikei Advocate, a Conservative organ which is now feeling very ill indeed :—“ In its anxiety to return the Liberals to power the country has overshot the mark, and set up a coterie of Dictators. It now wishe*, therefore, [that it had been a little more moderate, and if , the flections were fought out again now it is quite possible that last Tuesday’s verdict would be reversed.” Difficult to. beat, that, as a sample of journalistic nonsense.

The Napier News, meaning well, but, we fully believe, misinformed, says that had Mr W. P. Reeves been rejected for Christchurch he would have gone Home and offered his services to an English constituency. We dp not think W.P. ever thought of such a contingency. He always expressed himself confident that the working classes of Christchurch would de true to one who was always true to them. Had Christchurch been foolish enough to reject him, he would soon have found another seat.

La Grippe has made its re appearance in the Makino (Feilding) district, and a large number of cases are reported. Shall we never hear the end of this mys terious modern plague.

The Onward March of Woman ! Hail to the first lady Maypr in New Zealand, Mrs Yates, of Onehunga. There ought to bo very few “scenes” at the meetingsof the Onehunga Council during the coining year.

A striking feature of the new Parliament will be the number of members who have been, or still are, local preachers. It is to be hoped they won’t take to inflicting sermons'upon their fel-low-members. The .whisky business at Bellamy’s will, however, suffer consider ably. - So much the better.

That wretched insect, the “hot fly,” is what Mr Mantalini would have called a “ demned unpleasant thing.” At Pahiatua the other day a settler was disgusted to find a fine harness horse sicken in a mysterious way, and die very suddenly. Upon the animal being post mortemed a cluster of the hots in the grub state was discovered. They were attached to the spine, near the kidneys, where they had played sad havoc. Several cases are reported in the country papers, and it is evident the “ hot fly ” is a very serious pest, and will have to, be seriously dealt with.

The Manawatu Times wants its readers to believe that the wicked Liberals will at once increase the honorarium frdm to £250 tb £SOB vn*K : Dh^th,

really think its readers are so 9tupid to believe such a malicious and silly statement ?

Mr Green, the new member for Waikouairi, is reported to have said that, jf he were elected, and Scobie were unsuccessful, lie (Green) would resign in his (Scobie’s) favour. Green is elected, and Scobie is not. Now, how about Mr Green’s promise ? Promises of this kind sound very patriotic —before the promisemakers are elected. They are seldom kept.

“Poor little Buttercup!” A correspondent writes to the Feilding paper advocating the grubbing up, before the seeds are ripe, of the yellow-flowering plant commonly called the butter cup. He says a few plants will spread and completely ruin the pasture in a Bhort time. Is this so ?

At Napier one of the Conservative papers kept on publishing returns from the various booths “ as compiled by Mr Swan's scrutineers.” The returns showed the genial George Henry to be in a largo majority, but, alas, when the numbers went up, the redoubtable “Sammy” Carnell was 500 ahead. The publishing of bogus returns should be made illegal.

Scobie McKenzie lost his temper completely at his last meeting at Palmerston the night before the election. He abused John and his followers right and left, and altogether made a lamentable exhibition of himself. This had, no doubt, something to do with John’s very satisfactory majority.

Mr W. P. Reeves at the declaration of the poll at Christchurch “Jf I could find words to thank you as I should like to, I do not think I could find the voice, and therefore I shall not say much. At last ! at last ! the voice of the people of Christchurch has spoken! (Cheers.) I have waited very patiently, week ;after week, in the face of the mud and vitro! and abuse and slander which have been slung at me. (Cheers.) I have waited and I have not answered. I have left it to you to answer, and it would seem as though you have answered to night in a way in which a constituency very seldom answer!” He might have added, but didn’t, “ How does the Christchurch Press feel now ?” The Press , in its heart, would have sadly answered, “ Bad, very bad.” The return of the Minister for Education at the top of the poll is the worst, smack the “ Stead gang ” have ever had.

There was a very large attendance of the Masonic fraternity at Wanganui on Friday last, when Bro. Francis Ark wright, of Overton, Rangitikei, was stalled District Grand Master, succeeding he late Sir Harry Atkinson in that office. Amongst, the prominent masons.present were Wor. Bro. Sir Edward Osborne Gibbes, D.D.G.M. ; Wor. Bro. Cohen. P.D.G W., of the Canterbury District ; Dr Hatherly, PP.G.W., Nottingham shire ; Dr Tripe, D.S.G,W., Wellington ; W. H. Quick, DJ.G.W. ; Rev. K. Wilson, D.G. Chaplain ; A. de A. Brandon, D.G. Registrar; C. P. Powles, D.G.S. ; M. Cohen, D.G.D. of C., also W.M. United Manawatu Lodge, 1721 ; T. Larchin, President of the Board of General Purposes; C. G. Esam,D G..SD. ; W. Parker, D.G.J.D. ; S. Gibbons, D.G.S. ; J. C. Nathan, D.G.S. ; H. J. Brooke, W.M., Wellington Lodge, 1521; V. Mangham, W.M., Ruapehu Lodge, 2136 ; N. W, Werry D.G. Treasurer, W. Aorangi Lodge, 2300 ; Williamson, P.M. ; Borlase, P.M.; G Marshall, P.M.; F. G. Newcombe, P.M., D.G.S., and a large number of other -brethteu from Wanganui and the surrounding district.

The Manawatu Herald considers that the Wellington R.M. has no right to “ banish anyone from any part of the colony,” This is in reference to the case of a woman of whom Mr Martin said, “if she did not leave Wellington she would be sentenced to six months* imprison ment, and she would be sent to gaol for a like period if she ever returned to Wellington.” This, says the Herald, is “ banishment from Wellington, but if the woman returned and behaved herself, what could Mr Martin do? ’

Bad language is a colonial vice. Says the Wairarapa Star: —“A Forty Mile Bush parson the other Sunday night said that some of the youths in that par; of the district used language that would almost disgrace Hell.” Strong expression this, but not far wrong.

Father Ginaty, a genial old soul, celebrated for his establishment, of the Mount Magdala Home, was at Otaki last week conducting a “ Catholic Miasionette.’' Father Gina’y is one of the warmesthearted, most self sacrificing priests the Catholic Church possesses in. this colony .

Tanner, M.H.R. for Avon, evidently had the parsons against him. At the de claration of the poll he said : -“ I ssid last night that the Conservatives were a doomed party, but now I say they are almost an extinct party—(cheers)—and the people of Avon have done what lay in their power towards bringing about this result. I thank the people of Avon for being true to the tmditions of their

ing after the interests of their children. I had to fight the machinations of the Tories and the thunders of the Church, and both have been vanquished. I hope the people will always be true to themselves, as they were in 1890 and in 1893.” (Cheers).

One of the factors in the success of “ Jack ” Stevens for the Rangitikei was the circulation of slanderous reports concerning his domestic relations. It is only fair to say that Mr Lethbridge, the defeated candidate, conducted the campaign in a fair and generous way, and that the reports referred to did not emanate from him. There is not a member of the new Parliament better qualified to speak on behalf of the country settlers’ interests, than Mr Stevens, and we are very glad to see him back again in the House.

That demon comp, again ! The Marton Mercury, in a leading article, gravely informs its readers that “ In the war of 1868 a naval battle was fought in the Adriatic between the Australian and Italian fleets.”

An old Marton resident, Mr David Mewelt., passed away last week. The deceased left the Old Country for the Ballarat diggings about 1852, and afterwards tried his fortune at the Oiago and Hokitaki diggings. Leaving the West Coast he came to Wanganui, and when Mr Lambert got the contract to built Sir William Fox’js residence at Westoe, the deceasee was one of those employed. He has lived in Marton since that time, which is about 22 years ago, and was well-known to most Rangitikei settlers.

Thirteen candidates forfeited their £lO in connection with the late election.

Significant 1 Mr Carncross, who had spoken in favour of aid to denominational schools, had to issue a statement the day before the election staling that he had changed his views, and would suppor the free, secular, and compulsory system, and that alone. Several candidates attribute their defeat to supporting the Catholic claims. It would appear tbac the vast majority of the electors are dead against anything which may tend to undermine the present system'.

Colonel H. E. Colville, C. 8., who is going out lo Uganda for special service wi h Sir Gerald Portal, is a gentleman of a distinctly adventurous turn of mind. One of Ins minor freaks was playing the role of a policeman in a Gaiety pantomime some years ago. When he was only 16 he turned up at Charing Cross with a light canoe on his shoulder, took the train to Dover, and without any precau ions to get a crowd to see him start, quietly paddled across the Straits to Calais. He thought the Frenchmen would give him a bit of an ovation when he landed, but they only gave him a bill for harbour dues, and dunned him for the amount because he had not brought enough money with him to pay it. He married Miss Daly, a neice of Lord Dunsandale. The ages of the bride and bridegroom totalled thirty-six, and they started on their wedding Iripui a balloon. They came down in a wild part of Eseex, took train back to town, and were refused admittance to the Charing Cross Hotel on the ground they were runaways with no luggage. Soon afterwards the young couple started on a tour in Morocco disguised as Arabs, risked their lives a hundred times, and naturally wrote a book when they got home.

Scobie McKenzie saya the evils of in temperance lies, not in the drink itself but in human weakness. Once get over the latter, he says, and the problem is solved.

One “ free and independent” at Foxton refused to vote because the corner of the voting paper was gummed down.

A sarcastic Feilding man, of course a rabid Oppositionist, says the present New Zealand Parliament will in future days be known as the “Women and Water” Parliament. —Feilding Star.

There recently appeared in an Irish paper this advertisement : —“ Wanted— A gentleman to undertake the sale of a patent medicine ; the advertiser guarantees it will be prqfitable to the undertaker.” This is even an unhappier mode of expression than that adopted recently in a local paper, when the edi'or “ regretted to have to announce the death of Mr So-and-So, but was not astonished to hear of the sad event, as deceased had been attended for some time by Pj? Smith.”

Christchurch Truth on the- morning of the elections said -“-The* disgraceful interruption caused by a few dirty boys sent by Mr Reeves to Mr Evison’s meeting at the Theatre Royal last night has, it is said, given Mr Evison hundreds of votes.” “If this be true,” says the Oamaru Mail, “ Mr Evison may thank Mr Reeuvs for saving his deposit, for the votes he polbd only totted up a few hundreds.”

Says the Napier News “The severity of the recent gale on the western coast of Europe may bo pretty well gauged by New Zealanders when they learn that the s.s. Ttkoa was hove to in the channel for three days. IVIW New

who do know her can well conceive that the gale must have been indeed a severe one. At the same time the incident serves to draw one’s attention to the disproportion that exists between the bulk and the power of these huge freezers. Their cargo comprises tens of thousands of carcases. They are broad beamed and substantial, and the motive power is nothing like so great as that of a passenger packet of lighter and narrower built. What the result of a vessel of this class would be if'she got into the trough of the sea, ‘ off the Cape ’ let us say with a broken shaft, we tremble to think of. Her poor fore and aft apologies for sails would not stand her in much stead. Only her unsinkableness would befriend her, and let us hope, therefore, that every one of these boats is unsinkable.”

A horrible death. —In celebrating Guy Fawkes in Melbourne a lad named Charles Lefevre, aged 16 years, lit a rocket and placed it in his mouth, but ins ead of the rocket shooting out, the powder exploded and recoiled, the full charge going down the boy’ throat. He died a few hours afterwards in terrible agony.