Passing Notes.

Otago Witness, Issue 1160, 21 February 1874, Page 17

Passing Notes.

There is no subject upon which legislation is more urgently required than upon the use and disuse of our streams. Fortunately, the R.M.s for the most part are men of the soundest common sense ; otherwise there can be no doubt that con flicting decisions and great hardships would result from the present state of the law. The case tried about the Water of Leith is only one of many in which the use of running water for one purpose renders it useless for another. Sometimes a fellmongery is established at an inviting spot ; and as soon as it ia fairly at work, a sluicing claim some twenty miles up stream renders the water the brightest red — i.e., makes it useless for cleaning sheepskins, though it might dye them. The effect of the up Molyneux "diggings again has been to ruin that river, and so change the bed owing to the deposits, as to flood low-lying land a hundred miles down. Who is to pay INo one of course supposes that any of these industries can be stopped ; the thing is to make such reasonable regulations as will insure a man investing capital against ruin from some new comer higher up stream. At present there is an uncomfortable doubt about these things, and the law at present is impotent to deal with them. Now, awake legislators and give us a good "rivers bill," it's a sad want.

A little forethought would have prevented Sir James Fergusson from absenting himself from civiiieition just when he happened to be wanted. Governors are not wanted in New Zealand every day ; nine days out of ten indeed no one would be much the wiser if there any Governor. A miserable fate seems to pursue this unhappy man wherever he goes. He ought to attend to such work as he has to do before he goes careering in his yacht all over the Southern Seas. Here we have the whole machinery of legislation thrown out of gear, and possibly the expense of a general election thrown upon the country, because no one could get the signature of the one man -who can prorogue the AsAssembly. 'Tis really too bad. If it were not for Mr Strode's good nature and the willing work of some unpaid J.P.s, we should be having a regular rogue's holiday in Dunedin, jirat because Mr Bathgate's commission cannot be signed as Resident Magistrate. Anything like a reasonable holiday iB right enough, but officials who go beyond telegraphic communication ought to put their affairs in order first. And, after all, Sir James didn't burden himself with official cares while on dry land. He might have done more than get a holiday — deserve it.

Will no one appeal to Mr Julius Vogel to institute penny Post Office cards ? The blessings of all correspondents will rest upon him if he would start them.

When a Magistrate sentences an offender to the " common gaol," what does he mean ? Is there an uncommon house of correction kept open for superfine offenders ? I have heard of the " common people." That means out here the people that do not wear broad-cloth, and that have not been lucky in. the accumulation of capital. But a common gaol still puzzles me. I thought imprisonment, like death, now-a-days obliterated all distinctions. Are we to understand that the successfully fraudulent merchant or cashier who stole several thousands has a gaol especially created for gentlemen of his breeding ? Or ia the phrase, "common," merely a relic of the language employed when a difference was made between classes of prisoners ? How is it?

So the children attending the Presbyterian Sabbath school at Tokomairiro collected £90 in three weeks for a mission

fund. Well done, little ones. Badly done on the part of those who sent them round coveting* 'Tiw't very jo»g ago

that & little girl— a Sunday school scholar —stood' at the door of the Princess Theatre to collect for some fund or other. Isn't that what it' comes to. ' I admire the engaging looks of the small fry when they are engaged in soliciting your halfcrown ; but I can't help wishing they were dressing dolls or playing marbles. Seriously, I don't think it's a good habit to send little children round collecting, more especially little girls. In Dunedin it is simply wicked ; even in 'the country it has a tendency to make children know too much. I cannot congratulate the mission fund upon its increased revenue, increased by such means.

The other prisoners in the " common gaol" objected to the society of Sullivan, and for this, among other reasons, he was turned out. I suppose he will not be admitted again unless he reforms. Good for the prisoners, bad for the public. Humanitarian forethought will soon make our houses of retirement all they ought to be, which is so far satisfactory. Of course it doesn't matter about the outside world, it can take care of itself. The American Consul in Auckland is to be congratulated upon his firmness, and we have the consolation of knowing that when America proposes to send her criminals here, we shall be able to say, " but we didn't send you Sullivan," and that's something. lam heartily glad, for the sake of the other unfortunates whom a stern country has shut up, that the demoralizing presence of Mr Murderer Sullivan has been removed from their midst. In course of time, no doubt, we shall have a properly correct public opinion in our gaolseliminate, turn out those who cause trouble and are unpopular, and the society will be what it should be. Mr Vogel might give a prize to the most popular prisoner—happy thought. As the High irchool boys couldn't make up their mind, why not transfer the prize ! " Those elements of character which conduce to the success of public men everywhere, at least as much as profound scholorship or honesty," &c, &c., all that kind of thing might grow up, you know, in a well-conducted gaol just as well as outside.

Shades of iEsculapiuß ! what a dreadful ■week this has been for your representatives ? On one side sardonic triumph— the "I told you so" business; on the other side despair and groaning. At the ■ame time if the tibia of my right jaw emashed up when I told a cracker, I cannot see why the malleolus shouldn t cut a caper under the ball of my big toe. lam inclined to think that the proper position for the patient to assume during one of those horrible inspections is gently to press the terminal joints of his dexter digit ad loins pwbosci, at the same time Blowly shutting his occulars and ejaculating, Omihi beate Martin— Anglice : "All my eye, and Betty Martin!' Now, if I were an aspiring sawbones, I should rush in where angels fear to tread, and see if I couldn't make out a practice. We have got about six good medicoes, and what are they among so many ? and the rest are Shall I name them? Thank you, not if I know it. I will leave the names to be put in according to the taste and fancy of the individual. But mind you, I know what the public says, and, with certain honourable exceptions, the healing art is at a discount in town. O fortuuatus minium suaaibonanorint Agricolas.

Why must I put via Suez upon all my letters upon Wednesday, under a penalty of having them kept in the Dnnedm Post Office for three weeks ? This sort of despotic utterance on the part of the Government is but a relic of barbarism— an attempt to bolster up a new undertaking. The punishment of forgetfulness will just fall upon the ignorant and careless, not upon those who have a personal interest in either line. I sincerely hope the new San Francisco route will beat Suez in fair and open competition ; but I do not see why the public should be inconvenienced on its behalf. If it is thought good policy to snuff out the Suez route let it be done openly, and warn everyone that no letters will bosent by it. Don't go to work indirectly, and bo annoy unoffending folk. The vast majority of the public do not care which way the letters go, and are only anxious there should be no nnnecessary delay, and this is just what the new directions do not ensure. The official mind is a curious study, and can with difficulty be brought to understand that the ipse dixit of authority can do nothing now-a-days in these matters, and that a new route will stand or fall upon its own merits in the long run. We shall be told by-and-bye of the vast numbers of letters that have been taken across America, " showing the great favour with whioh the public of jfew Zealand regard the establishment of a new link between these Colonies and the great American Continent." Booh ! it trill only show that there are a good many wrelew aouta among uq, In the long run

the result will be to injure, not benefit, the 'Frisco route.

1 If Mr J. C. Maynard would come here and lecture our School Committees on their duties, he would get a warm reception in every sense of the word. It is the duty of School Committees "to use every possible effort to prevent any child living within walking distance of the school from being absent without cause," also to " protect the teacher as much as they can from being worried and harrassed by unreasonable^ and vicious parents." It is just as well to inform the schoolmasters in the country, because it often happens. I mean that they do not recognize the Committees as their lawful protectors. Sometimes indeed it will be found that the master looks upon his Committee as almost irreclaimably vicious itself, and knows very well that if he is harrassed, it will be by them. If Committees would look after the first of these their duties a little more, it would be well. After all, the only cure for a bad master is to dismiss him. You can't expect to cure him. Worry only results in disorder. The nature of his office is despotic ; and as you can't teach a general on the field of battle, so you can't teach a schoolmaster at his desk. Dismiss him if he is incompetent ; make allowances if he has many good points, and only a few bad ; back him up, if he is a good officer ; but for heaven's sake, don't worry him.