Town and Country Notes

Southland Times, Issue 12124, 2 May 1908, Page 4 (Supplement)

Town and Country Notes

(By “ Traveller.”) < All communications relating to this column should be addressed to "Traveller,” c/o Southland Times Office, Esk street.) At the time of writing, 6 o’clock on Wednesday evening. I have not the slightest notion how the poll for the Mayoralty is proceeding, nor am 1 worrying any, but I venture the opinion that Mr McFarlane’s enlargement in Ross’ window (near the main polling booth), wil have played no small part in the contest. Doubtless it made UP other minds besides my own. On the way to the ballot-box, the legend, “Vote for me," in violent ink, called loud for the brake, and I must needs get off my machine for a closer inspection—anything in the advertising line arouses keen interest in me —call it a kindred feeling, if you like—and here I met an artist after my own heart. I couldn’t have done the thing tetter myself, but mark the touch of the master hand—the enlargement represented the candidate as he appeared, say, fifteen years ago. I call that real genius. Mind, I am not saying that Mr Scandrett is at all behind the times in bringing and keeping himself under the public eye, but -Mr McFarlane can, surely, give him stones and a beating when it comes to advertising. X wonder if anyone can guess to whom my vote was given. I am getting quite diplomatic in rny old age, Oh ? t While on the subject, did any of my readers notice the exceptionally silly letter of “ Citizen No. 2" in Wednesday’s Times ? A good old nom de plume that, but quite worthless without the name of the author. I intend to vote on Wednesday for the present Mayor. Air Scandrett, because he has performed the duties entirely in the interests or our town. I shall also, next November, vote for Air Hanan for the same reason, and i hope the people of Awarua will reelect Sir J. G. Ward. Very proper, indeed. It is not because I disagree with ” Citizen No. 2 " as to the representation of Invercargill that I criticise his little e'.fort. U hat matters Is that the writer, without giving it the support of his personality (for What It is worth) should have imagined, even In his most sanguine moments, that such a letter could of itself effect anything at all in Mr Scandrett’s favour. If it had any influence at all, it would be in the other direction, I should think. Both Mr Scandrett and Air McFarlane have had occasion during the past two or three weeks to exclaim, ” Save me from my friends." The following from the Alataura Ensign is distinctly the best of Us kind I have ever seen : jg ORO UG H OF MATA UR A. ELECTION OF MAYOR. PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, at the Nomination of Candidates for the Office of Alayor, the following gentlemen were nominated, namely ; JOHN GALT, proposed by John Gray, of Alataura. J.P., and Robert Duncan Y'ule. of Mataura. Gentleman. THOMAS AIACGIBBON, proposed by Catherine Cameron, of Mataura, and James Smith, of Alataura. Builder. I Bay COLT, syrs. by Kentucky Yet (broken io saddle) 1 Bay Hackney MARE. There being more Candidates than Offices to be filled (I), a Poll will be taken on WEDNESDAY, the 29th day of April. 190S, between the hours of 9 o.m. and 7 p.m., at the Borough Council Office. Coronation Hall. J. C. MACGREGOR. Returning Officer. Alataura, April 22. I may add. for the benefit of my readers, that Mr Galt came out on top, but the mare, I submit, should have been sleeted. • * * * * I hasten to make the amende honorable to Councillor Stone. Lust week I was unable to call to mind that the disgraceful state of the town footpaths had moved any of the City Fathers to hold forth on them in the council Chamber or anywhere else, lately, until Councillor -McFarlane was seized with a brilliant idea. It seems I was wrong, altogether wrong. Councillor Stone has repeatedly raised his voice at the Council table on this very subject, and It must not be laid to his door that no one paid any attention. Let his persistence la the matter count to him for righteousness now, and next April. I only trust he will not lose he.trt because his has been like a voice in the municipal wilderness. I am an optimist, and T feel convinced that, SOONER OR LATER, something will be done. The Works Committee have been thoroughly aroused, I believe, to the imperative necessity wlrich Councillors Stone and McFarlane have ventilated. May I once again express the hope that the ratepayers’ money, which is now wantonly wasted, in attempting the impossible, viz., to keep the streets free of grass and weeds with spade and Government stroke, will be used to better purpose in future. It is probably too much to expect, but why withhold the word in season ?

I am a prohibitionist. I would not •Ten allow liquor into the country for sacramental purposes, holding that it is not necessary to the worship of God. fills fanatical peculiarly of mine is merely mentioned to show that, in what follows, I am moved by no desire to belittle the Prohibition cause—far from it Touching that famous manifesto On the state of Invercargill under Prohibition. and its hundred signatories—two names, at least, appear on it which, to my mind, are very out of place. One is that of a business man who has never tired during the past IS months of bemoaning the depression brought about by the abolition of the bars : so much so. indeed, that (according to himself) he has been trying hard to

dispose of his business. It doesn’t lit in, somehow. Another merchant who signed the testimony always keeps a bottle and glasses ready In his office for customers. He evidently finds it necessary to oil the wheels of business —and it takes a good deal of oil, let me tell you. Perhaps I am wrong, hut that gentleman’s signature doesn’t appeal to me strongly amongst the hundred. Though a fanatic, as I said before, 1 firmly believe that Invercargill would not have been one whit loss prosperous —or more so—under license, though that the town is better off. Infinitely, in other ways, does not, I think, admit of two opinions. I am doing a very impolitic thing, of course, in expressing my thoughts, for they will please no one, but then 1 am no politician. 1 cannot treat each person X have communication with as if he wore the one man whose views I think worth hav-

I wonder if oven if his most enthusiastic admirer, if even " Citizen No. 2," for instance, realises Just what a genius our member is. Take the last election as an illustration. The prohibitionists supported Hr Hanan (they alone, if anybody does, know why) ; the liquor party gave him their votes, too. which was very nice of them. The Catholics gave him a block vote, yet so did the Orangemen. Now, that's a very remarkable thing. I take it. Then large numbers of really decent young fellows, exercising the franchise for the first time, laid their gifts in his lap because lie went to the same school as they—sublime faith. And capital and labour also worshipped at the same shrine. A off, there must be some extraordinary quality in a candidate who can wobble s i discreetly as to please all men. and particularly all women. I feel that 1 must re-arrange my ideas on this question—give the devil bis due, in fact. Vet it must not interfere with or diminish my powers of criticism, for 1 bate Mr Italian's trimming ns the devil bates holy water. The thing wants looking into. I am convinced that too much is made of Sir Joseph Ward’s triennial electioneering visits on behalf in’ Mr Hanan, and that even if the Premier never put in another appearance, and Mr Hanan never condescended to address the electors himself, the combination of liquor party and prohibitionists, Catholics and Orangemen capital and labour—not forgetting those electors who went to school with him, also their sisters, cousins and aunts—would put J.A.H. at the top of the poll. What’s to do Nothing, I fear, until they find him out.

The rain it raineth every day, and this is die cry all over the country. Feed everywhere is plentiful, which accounts for a Press Association telegram from Wellington, received last week, to the effect that best factory butter is down there to Is 2d. retail. Here the unfortunate consumer is still paying Is sd, ami I want to know why. In my own modest household, where there are only Darby and Joan, and sometimes .loan's mamma, to eat the butter, I feel the pinch. Will nobody take this subject up ? It may be that I am all wrung, ami that Is 5d Is not an exorbitant price for a pound of butter, but if so will somebody kindly demonstrate ? I know the grocers are not making undue profits, but who is, if anybody ? I am 'irmly convinced that some steps should he taken to ensure the people getting imt necessaries of life as cheap as pi ssible. Much has been made lately of the lower values obtaining for the colony’s commodities wool, meal. 1 1 ■ • mp, cheese, etc. Well, as far as meat is concerned, it lias not made our butcher's bills any lower—that’s certain. Same of choose. 1 presume Air Hanan would not touch this subject with a twenty-foot pole, lest he offend somebody, but 1 have no votes to lose.

The Chief Postmaster of Invercargill is nothing if not thorough, and it is not a case merely of the new broom sweeping clean—that I can vouch for personally. Mr McHutchcson has taken up my remarks in this column of April -■' tip with results which I am only too pleased to publish. First, as to the afternoon letter delivery not reaching Yarrow street until 5 o’clock or’thereabouts : Air Mcriutcheson explains that, " the carrier should in the ordinary course reach the block referred to about 1. I'j p.m. . . He has about four miles to walk before he comes to that block." This is satisfactory, and the enquiry quite exonerates the letter carrier, as I thought it would, but I must still hold that the system is not perfect, or there would not be so much ground to cover before reaching the block in question. I suggest putting on more men, even at flu- expense of the surplus. Then, as regards my statement that a carrier had asserted that letters by the late express aero not always sorted, the Postmaster finds that none of the carriers cares to father the words. Naturally, nor am i anxious that he should do so. My object is attained all the same, and I can assure the officials that I could produce to their satisfaction evidence justifying a true bill being returned—but have no intention of giving anyone away this time. As to my third charge, that street letter boxes are not always cleared when they should be, Mr McHutchcson has made enquiries and finds that the check card system Is still used on an average once a week, and no complaints have been received lately. I am perfectly satisfied with the attention I drew to the matter will bear good fruit under Mr McHutcheson, hut would point out to h‘m that 1 was able ai satisfy (.lie authorities some months ago that the boxes were not reliable, and it was Hum only that the check cards began to be posted. Another grievance 1 aired was that the responsible duty of clearing the boxes in the early hours of the morning was relegated to small boys, who could not always be relied upon to get up in time, and this was immediately rectified. I can assure Mr Mcilutcheson and his staff that it gives me no pleasure whatever to drag Into

the light of day such shortcomings of the service as Impress themselves on 1 my notice. It is a thankless duty which ’ the public generally shirk. The same public will complain to all and sundry except the right persons, as Is their wont. While on the subject of the ■ street letter boxes, I should like to make a suggestion. At Home they have a very good system in connection with the clearing of tile mails. Each pillar box has on it two tablets. One records tile hours of tite day and night at which the mails are cleared, and ttie other records the hours of ttie last and the next j collection. Tims, anyone posting a letter knows at a glance if he is in time | for any particular collection, also exactly when his letter will lie called for. i The official who clears the box records 1 on the tablet when each visit is made. | There is no expense, worth mentioning, by this method, but the service is very much more efficient and satisfactory than the system which obtains in Invercargill.