AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7636, 9 August 1886, Page 4

AUCKLAND.

(Fkcoi Ouh Own CoKUEsroxDENT.) July 29. Public attention has been riveted upon the Native disturbances on the West Coast, and much anxiety evinced as to whether Mr Ballance would prove equal to the occasion and manifest the qualities of promptness, decision, and steadiness of purpose which characterised Mr Bryce's administration of Native affairs during the Parihaka episode. The result of the lest and ordeal has been satisfactory, and the Auckland papers have been unanimous in praising the mingled firmness and prudence with which Mr Ballance has acted during the present emergency in putting down Maori lawlessness and sedition.

Tho cry of the unemployed is again heard for Government relief works. This time it must be said the agitation has a genuineness that former movements lacked. The various factories, mills, dock and railway contractors must have discharged at least 300 men, and therefore to that extent there is that number of hands out of work. Many of these are good, steady workmen, and quite different to the beer-sodden agitators and loafers who were formerly clamouring for a division of the national estate. They have endeavoured to keep the irrepressible Garrard, the great labour agitator, out of the movement to avert its being discredited, and have conducted themselves with a moderation and regard for law and order which secures public sympathy

and commands respect. Some £500 worth of work has already been given in the shape of lillingupapondat Mount Eden which has been a standing nuisance for years past. But tlii> is a mere drop in tho bucket, and, as one speaker remarked, would scarcely do more than give two or three days' work per man. An endeavour is being made to get Government to give out freak railway contracts in short sections to the unemployed. Many of these men, however, are quite unused to navvy work, and therein comes the difficulty, as the demand formerly made that each applicant should be provided with the class of work to which he had been accustomed is too absurd to bear examination for an instant. The Natives on the contracts on the Great North Island railway are at present getting (is a day, and the unemployed think that " the lords of the soil " should be discharged in favour of the poor pakoha who has neither soil nor money. The City Council is so satisfied as to the genuineness of a large portion of the present distress that they are casting about to see what municipal improvements can be effected, which may tide tho labouring class over the winter and aid the Government in meeting the present emergency. One of the resolutions passed at the open-air meetings of the unemployed expressed appreciation of the efforts of the Government to deal with the situation and recognised the great difficulty in dealing with this question, but the meeting was "at the same time painfully impressed with the belief that the House of Representatives, as at present constituted, is either unable or unwilling to cope with it." This is rather uncomplimentary to the collective wisdom. One incident which took place during this agitation occasioned some comment—namely, that on the day on which it was telegraphed " 750 men want immediate employment, many on the verge of starvation," there was a boxing match, the hall being packed to tho roof by an assemblage principally composed of working men. It goes far to show that there is a ciass in the community who will deprive their families of bread in order to gratify their own brutal and depraved appetites. The light was over in a few minutes, and the mob hooted and yelled with disappointment and rage because they had so little blood and skin and hair for their money!

There is no gainsaying the fact that the public works policy has thoroughly demoralised the working classes. When the telegram of the Minister of Public Works was read at the unemployed meeting, offering free passes on the railways to those who desired to try their luck on " the poor man's gold diggings " —the gumlields — the offer only elicited a shout of laughter. The day has been when it would have been received with feelings of gratitude; but nothing will now be looked at save Government relief works, and these must be near the town, so that those engaged on them may enjoy the~comforts of civilisation — the beer shop and amusements. One speaker at the unemployed meeting, in commenting on tho Minister's offer, said lie bad often made his £1 a day and his £5 a week on the gumfieids, but now he could not keep his wife and himself on what he could earn— forgetful that his present position was a poor commentary on his providence and thrift with such opportunities within his reach.

One hopeful sign at present is that the best section of the working classes is directing their attention to settlement on the land. From day to day the Crown Lands Office is filled with steady, thoughtful, intelligent

working men, acquiring all the information possible as to land available for settlement. iSoine delegates from the Trades and Labour Council and others have gone North to examine the blocks set apart under Mr Isallance'.s special settlement scheme, and by so doing are rendering better service fo their fellow-workers than they could hope to attain by making eloquent orations on the harbour reclamations, or the rights of man, and the future of the human race. The Survey Department authorities have rendered every assistance in their power to encourage and aid this new movement, blocks even being set aside for gumdiggers who may be desirous of becoming settlers under the act. Mr Ijundon is still actively engaged in furthering Mr Ballance's scheme, though illnatured people still attribute a political colouring to all his actions, and declare that he intends to get into the Assembly on the backs of his new Northern settlers.

The famous Petrel case is now over, and Captain Keid and Foley and Mendoza (liis mates), arc now free men, having been acquitted of the charge of murdering the cooper of that vessel. The trial has brought out the weak points hi the present Extradilion Act, and shows how a gross miscarriage of justice may bo brought about. Our .Resident Magistrate, while discharging them, said the evidence sustained charges of illtreatment of a serious character. After what transpired in evidence, Captain Webb, the acting American consul, interposed his consular authority on behalf of the unfortunate crew, and all of them are accorded and took their discharge. Even Foley, the mate, parted company with his chief ; and of the whole ship's company, Mendoza alone remains with Captain Keid, having been promoted to the post of chief officer. The latter officer has not yet succeeded in scraping a crew together at llussell, and it is scarcely likely the consular authorities will allow him to go to seaundermanned. The U.S. warship Mohican is expected here shortly, and it is possible her commander may interview him. A somewhat involuntary tribute was paid the other night to Captain Keid's abilities to " handle " men. One of his late crew was engaged in a boxing match with a local champion of the noble art of self-defence, when the former got knocked out of time .hkl lay stunned and bleeding in two minutes. When the doughty whaler recovered himself he muttered, " Why, that ' blooming ' t'ellow hits harder than Keid I"

At the annual meeting of the Chamber cf Commerce, the outgoing president, Mr

Graves Aickin, elaborately reviewed the state of trade and commercial matters during tlm past year. Alluding to these, he said it was jnly towards the latter half of the past year that Auckland felt the stagnation of trade, .md in accounting for it he remarked thai

"it was a mistake to suppose the depressions

affecting the pastoral and wheat-growing districts of Canterbury, Otago, and Hawke's Bay do not affect Auckland because her settled districts produce wool and grain in lesser quantities. Auckland has had to bear her own burdens as regards the lessened ralues of wool and grain, and been sensible to a considerable extent of diminished decnands for the products of her numerous industries." One remarkable feature in' the growth of the city has been the fact thai suburban and city property maintained their increased rates up to a recent period, notwithstanding the depression existing in the douth and the dullness of commerce experienced here. This is now attributed to oho large increase of population as disclosed by the census returns. There have been several trade failures during the 'past week or two, but none of them of a serious character or likely to affect trade much. The caution now observed and the restriction of credit has done much to render commercial natters more healthy, and to render dishonest compositions more difficult.

With regard to the Tarawera volcanoes,

bheyarenow tolerably quiescent, although the hydrothcr-mal action is continuous, the whole uainage of the district finding its way ap[jaiently into Kotomahana and dissipating itself in steam. A road party is at work on the liotomahana side making a practicable

route for tourists when the season sets in, a;

it is anticipated there will be a large infiux if visitors. The professors have indignantly condemned what they regard as extravagant language respecting the effects of volcanic •iction, as calculated to have an injurious ■ffect on the prosperity of the Lake district and to deter tourists from visiting the country. They, on the other hand, appear to

have gone as far on the other side, and unluly depreciated the importance of every-

thing which bus occurred. Dr Hectors predictions have been sneered at. The landslips " could be cleared away with a shovel, and visitors could go into Wairoa with patent leather slippers." One of the members ol' the Tarawera boat expedition—a cool, resolute, practical man—who has just gone over that route makes the following report, which disposes of the professors :—" It is astonishing what alterations the water has caused all along the road. Deep, wide waterraces are here, there, and everywhere. There is one water rift or chasm 95ft deep, and perpendicular. On the hills half-way round Lake Tikitapu a landslip has carried down hundreds of tons of earth and rocks." There appears also to have been a fresh shower of dust and mud on the Kotomahana side to tin: extent of partly obliterating the tracks of visitors. As the sand had become too much consolidated, the change could scarcely have been effected by drifting sand and the action of the wind. Professor Thomas professes to have gone up Tarawera and to have reached the great crater of Ruawahia. It "appeared easy enough to get to the top, but as it was getting dark he and his guide returned to Kaitereiria." One would naturally think that he would have again made an early start and scaled the range so as to be the first to give definite and exact information concerning the whole of the volcanoes on the mountain. Not so; he quietly packed up his baggage and headed for Auckland, where he further .discussed the situation from the platform of the Auckland Institute, ['hose who know Professor Hutton do not

need to be told that at such a stage he would

have seen the matter through instead of coming to such an impotent conclusion. It is to be hoped that the Government will again avail themselves of his services when

the summer season sets in.

He has come

lownon Dr Hector's "Mount Hazard"like the hammer of Thor and simply flattened it out.

I'ho Professor has taken a number of photographs illustrative of the volcanic system back with him on returning South, being of

opinion that Old Sol, unlike mankind goner-

ally, cannot lie. The assistant surveyorgeneral left this week for Kotomahana in order to make a second tour of the volcanoes

:ind, if possible, ascertain something definite concerning Tarawera and the effect of the eruption on the ranges.

A discovery was made by the police during ihe past fortnight which goes to show that fruit shops are not always what they seem.

The evidence —a large portion of which was never suffered to appear in the local press— read more like a chapter from the famous disclosures of the Pall Mall Gazette than

anything else.

It appears that here were

assembled nightly dozens of hoodlums and girls ranging from 10 to 17; where hideous orgies were performed. The man M'Donald, hoary in years and in sin, has got a term of imprisonment sufficiently long to give him time for reflection; but the disclosures made in the case have created a profound sensation, as showing the growing demoralisation of the youth of both sexes alid the steady iuereaseof the larrikin class in theoity. It has transpired that M'Donald had been pursuing his infamous calling in a somewhat similar fashion at the Thames. The press has now invited the police to turn their attention further afield, and survey some other fruit shops and cigar divans—a suggestion which gives city life a new and unpleasant aspect.

The police have been on a wild goose chase after Caffrey and Perm in the Waitakerei ranges, and after enduring considerable hardship and fatigue in inarching and countermarching for a week, the whole thing ended in afiasoo by the capture of two gumdiggers. The number of men who have turned up bearing a strong resemblance to Caffrey is perfectly astounding. Had the settlers in country districts acted with intelligence and promptitude in the matter, all the difficulty would have been avoided. As it was, it generally dawned upon them a week after the " cramps " had passed on that they were Caffrey and Perm, so that the alleged Great Barrier murderers were always some eight clays ahead of the search parties. Superintendent Thomson and his men are greatly disgusted at the upshot of the affair.

Trade generally is very dull, and merchants and tradesmen alike are complaining. This dullness is becoming very marked at tho places of amusement. As to transfer of house property or of land, speculation has contracted itself to the smallest possible dimensions. At the same time there have been no alarming sacrifices or forced sales, but holders are waiting, iUioawbcr-like, for something to turn up. It is anticipated that tho building trade, which has been latterly in a bad state, will shortly improve, as some extensive contracts for buildings to be erected out of the Costley estate will shortly bo ready for tender.

In the way of amusements there is little to record. Sheridan's dramatic company have evacuated the Opera House, and are now on their way southwards, playing en route. During tho past week, Mr A. 11. Burton (of Burton Brothers, Dunedin) has been exhibiting his limelight exhibition of the Tarawora eruption. The attendance was not equal to the merits of the exhibition, although the views were universally admired a.s among the very best that have been shown here. The Auoklanders were greatly exercised over the "phantom canoe," and

t hovi; have been many special inquiri"s as to Hit! size of if. There is little doub unit the real reason why the audiences were not so large as might have been reasonably anticipated is that the Tarawera eruption has now been nearly done to death, and the Auckland public are now suffering a reaction from a severe attack of volcanopiiobia. The eruption has been viewed from the clerical side, namely, that the Lake Natives have been swallowed up for their sins; from the scientific side by the Professors and the Auckland Institutes; and from the literary side by the newspapers, which by the aid of the lithographer's art have scattered broadcast by f ens of thousands views of the eruption, the Terraces, and the Lake country. In addition, there have been some local limelight exhibitions of the affair; so that Mr Burton came here heavily handicapped, and the wonder is that he had so much patronage as was accorded to him.