Passing Notes.

Otago Witness, Issue 1320, 17 March 1877, Page 15

Passing Notes .

The importation of salmon trout has apparently been a great success, but the selfish greed of a certain class in the community is likely to turn the success into failure. Big fish are frequently netted, and, though a matter to be regretted, the injury done by catching a full-grown fish occasionally is of no particular moment ; but I am told that some of the settlers about Biueskin Bay are in the habit of catching numbers of tiny fry, which they sell as " red speckled mullet." This is a matter the Acclimatisation Society should ace to, and if possible prosecute the offenders.

I have frequently written calling attention to the smallness of the exits and entrances to the various theatres and places of amusement, and the dangers arising therefrom, but apparently without any result. However, the Brooklyn tragedy seems to have awakened our City Conn-

ctllors, and they are beginning to pay a little attention to the subject. There can be little doubt that no place of public amusement should be licensed as such unless the City Surveyor or some other competent official is satisfied that in case of a panic the means of exit are sufficient to clear the building in a few seconds. I could point out a theatre in this town with only one door from the pit, and through which, in case of alarm, the crowd could never escape in less than thirty minutes— long enough to roast the lot.

There are occasionally a few shrewd men io be found in this part of the world. The other day a colt came to Dunedin for sale by auction. Four gentlemen — A, B, C, and D— agreed to buy him jo : ntly. Accordingly they proceeded to the sJeyard, where they separated and scattered among the crowd. The animal was put up, and A bid. B, who didn't see A, bid higher. C then had a shot, and D went a pound better, a3 they say in poker, but A was determined to have the horse, and so they ran one another till they all withdrew but A, who secured the animal at a high figure. When they came to compare notes, they were of course all virtuously indignant.

The public have at last got a little flense, and don't bet with the bookmakers till they see the horses at the post. This year the amount of wagering done, compared with last year, is remarkably small, and I think it is a most healthy sign, and hope that this state of things will continue.

The boys at the Pelichet Bay School seem to be a most mischievous lot of young scoundrels. The Station Master at the Bay has frequently told me that the little wretches are in the habit of altering the points and filling them up with road metal. If the Master were held responsible for the boys' actions while on the railway line in the immediate vicinity of the school, and if a constable in plain clothes made a capture or two, the safe working of the line might be better ensured.

It's a most singular thing that cricketers always squabble, and are a mosi cantankerous lot. They fight like cats here, and are always at loggerheads, while in Canterbury it is notorious that this year they squabbled to such an extent that there was a probability of their rot being able to select a representative team. Now, we know, that the Victorian and New South Wales teams are not on the most amicable terms. I wonder why it is? Cricket itself is such « fine manly game, and one would think it would tend to cult'vate all the manly virtues, while, as a matter of fact, it seems to develop all sorts of petty jealousies.

• Iklr John -M*Laren rather put hia foot in it the other day, and has found, to his cost, that law is a troublesome and expensive piece of machinery to put in motion. I think everyone was delighted to see that he had been let in for costs, and in future, I hardly think he will try to gratify his private Bpleen by laying informations.

Have you been to see the Davenports, and how do you think they do it ? is the common question just at present, and I m getting just a little sick of hearing about them. Though I think it would be better for them to maks no pretence that they are aided by spirits, for if they do, they will most assuredly be exposed, as they have been before. They had much better admit that the performance is a matter of sleight-of-hand, ,and that it is possible to tie them so that they cannot unfasten themselves. I see the celebrated W J. Barry, of the robe lined with vermin ' notoriety, offers to tie them so that they cannot loose themselves.

The patriotic Mayor of St. Kilda offered the Town Council the use of a room in his public-house to hold their meetings. I suppose it paid him to do so, but he had a lawsuit about his election, the cost of which he wished the Council to pay. They refused, naturally thinking it quite hard enough to pay the expenses of their own lawsuits without being troubled about other people's, and were at once served with an account from jus Worship—for rent for room and lighting. This seems to me just a little mean on the part of his Worship, and not at all likely to be received favourably by his municipality.

I am glad to see that the question of the Railway Crossing at Hillside has began to attract attention, as it was a most dangerous one. I have scon people frequently on the point of being run over, and I remember one case in which a small urchin, seeing the train approach, was petrified with terror, and unable to move. By putting the break on the train the driver succeeded in stopping it, though nob until it was within a couple of feet of the child. There is no doubt gates should be placed at the crossing, but I suppose until someone is smashed up the Government will do nothing in tie matter. Economy is a capital thing, especially when practiced by a Government, but economy in railway management may be carried too far.

Pooley, the great wicket-keeper, seems to have got into trouble at Christchurch, and has been committed for trial for wilful destruction to property. It appears that there was a dispute about a bet, and he not only punched the offending bettor, but went the length of going into his

bed-room, and destroying bis property. Of course Pooley will be unable to play in the Australian matches, so that even if acquitted, hi 3 freak will cost him pretty dearly, more particularly as every member of the team forfeits ten pounds a day for every day he does not play, through his own fault.

Common sense is the law of England ! The great Jones has said so, therefore it must be true. I have heard that the law of England was founded on reason. Bacon said so, I believe, though most p. ople caa'fc see much reason in it ; but what "common sense is the law of England" means I don't know. I suppose councillors ought to be good lawyers, according to thia, for Mr Jones saya councillors are supposed to have common sense, a supposition not applicable to Mayors, however, at least I should fancy not, judging by the proceedings of His Worship of St. Kilda.

A little has been said about the Jockey Club members levying black mail, in the shape of subscriptions, but the facts have not been fairly represented. Two members, who were canvassing the town, went into the shop of a news agent, who is agent for nearly all the sporting papers, and who supplies these two gentlemen among others. Under these circumstances, it waa reasonable to suppose that the news agent would subscribe a small sum to the fund. Judge of the surprise of the collectors, when they were told that he disapproved of racing ! They left the shop, but were so disgusted, not with the man's refusal to subscribe, but with his hypocricy in pretending to disapprove of what he actually, to a certain extent, made his living out of, that they returned and requested him to supply them with no more sporting papers — a thing I should have done myself under the circumstances.

There is a great we. Izness among Colonials for titles of all sorts, and when they or their friends have anything of this sort, byestanders soon find it out. The other day a gentleman, a son of one of our wealthy squatters, on returning to his house with his wife and some friends, asked the gardener if the Honourable Mr was in? The gardener stopped and looked astonished ; then Baid, with a ßmile, "Is it your Pa you mane ?" There was a titter— nothing more.

A case of drowning took place the other day, and a cabman who happened to be present held the body h9ad downwards, bo that the water might run out, in accordance with Captain Jacy's instructions, who, it will be remembered, suggested that a body should be hung upaide down, " similar to legs of mutton in a butcher's shop.". This having been carefully done, the %oman w?.s effectually prevented from reviving.

When betting men don't pay their bets they are po3'ced, but it i 3 a novel idea to do the same to people who don't pay their debts. That such is done, however, any one will see who pays a visit to a certain lawyer's office in this town. For hung in a conspicuous place, and written large, so that he who runs may read, is a list of persons "to be called on for arrears of interest." Rathßr cruel, I think.

I hear that an officer recently appointed to the Hospital belongs to a religious sect notorious for its aggressiveness, and that he has been giving undue facilities to members of his own sect to visit patients, to the exclusion of those whose religious persuasions differ from his. I hope this is not the case, as we have seen how much any sectarian difference interferes with the usefulness of such an institution from the example of the Melbourne Hospital.