What Everybody Says.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1863, 22 December 1874, Page 2

What Everybody Says.

" In multitude of counsellors then is safety." —Old Proverb. [The following has been \inavoidably excluded since Saturday, owing to a-pressure of matter (good ad-, vertiseinents) which the Editor thought more Interesting :—'| „; i . f Ohiaemuri still remains closed. The* '• open sesamw " has noj; beeri Kit upon/ yet, and a vast amount of talk has be<sh indulged in, extending over another week. Some, people say money will do anything and everything, but even money can't open Ohinemuri—-the oyster with the pearl of great price which is to make everybody's fortune, revivify the declining prestige of Hauraki, and rejuvenate the the moribund Province of Auckland. It can scarcely surprise anybody, this diffi-1 culty. There are so many individual interests to be served that it is no wonder those wh6 are working for?the general food find their task an arduous one. t would simplify matters very much if ;a few of the genus pakeha-Maori-were deported to the Fijis, or. even "a warmer quarter. These people cannot make a bargain; their abilities don't reach that point; therefore they do thfir little best at marring the work of others.. If > the Government would only enlarge their proclamation, the calculations of the Marplots would: be upset. Instead of prohibiting the sale of the land only to any but the Government, a regulation should be enforced that no person ,cqiild acquire any right whatever over the Ohinemuri lands except through the Government. Then, perhaps, there would be less inducement to speculators to step in and try all they can to upset the arrangements of authorised Government agents. There is no doubt about one thing—that the opposition of the Natives to the opening of the country does not arise entirely from their very natural desire to retain what has the reputation of being—and what undoubtedly i3—a valuable country. Neither is it altogether, due to the ideas put into their heads by pettifogging agents that the Government are not dealing fair with them. It is currently reported, and with some show of truth (as everybody knows more or less) that, persons have tried to outbid the Gpvern-ment-r-persons who ought to know better— and, worse than this, that the Government have in a 'measure countenanced these attempts to acquire the moist valuable portions of what should undoubtedly become a public estate/ to be administered for the general weal. 'And whether the Government succeed or fail, it will re-' quire considerable assurance t« make the public believe that they are altogether blameless for ' the? state* v of ■ things which has arisen. If one person is to have a coalfield for services rendered —another a large slice of the best land— another a big water frontage, then will there, be a great cry going up, which it will take as many years to allay as it has done to bring negociations for opening the country to the present unsatisfactory condition. j The election of Mayor passed pff with very little to-do, but'the result] appears to have given satisfaction to everybody. The aspirants for office spoken of in confidential tones by the few r whp* professed to be acquainted, .witKyrhat was. on the Borough tapis didn't come,, up, to -the |./sbratch.^.//On;the-principie/.of3discro*ion beingthe better part.of valor they seem to have accepted as the best way to avoid a doubtful contest the re-election of the first civic chief,) who bears his honors' unblushingly. There will be no excitementoyer.the election of Mayor so long as it is confined to hon. councillors. A contest would be certain if f the, people elected the Mayor* but' under those circumstances an election would costinoney, which would have to Come out of the pockets of the ratepayers, be grudgingly paid, and be productive of results of questionable benefit. For another year mattcrs^re quietly " fixed,", to the satisfaction apparently of all parties, and it' would be useless to speculate upon probabilities regarding the candidates who so judiciously retired. Pcptilarity is a ■ticklish thing, and some of the new blood may be in the ascendant next year. When the notorious Mr Sullivan was quietly shipped to England, now about: twelve months since; it was sincerely hoped by, everybody'that the last had been heard of him. , But like a bad penny .he has iiurned up .again, and the best thing that could be done would be to treat him as honest shopkeepers do a spurious; coin when detected—nail him ;to the counter. In other words, provide comfortable quarters for the miscreant in in the place where he has been nailed. •It will be useless sending him to New Zealand again. The varlet will be flashing his free pardon in the Governor's lace and defying him. Sullivan has cheek enough for anything, as witness his behaviour when on trial. It was said that he was wanted for some unpunished crinie,in Victoria: send him there. Victorian Ministers don't appear to be troubled with any sickly sentimentality regarding the treatment of prisoners, and a course of Pehtridge drill and dicipline would no doubt be more successful in taking the bounce out of Sullivan than his seven years' incarceration in the gaols of this colonY did. He is not likely to come here voluntarily : he has a decided disinclination to mixing, with miners, from a conviction that if discovered he would very likely have meted out to him his deserts in a summary manner, namely, hanging by order of. Judge Lynch. The spirited individuals—bonifaces and others--who purchased the-various rights to dispense liquid refreshments at the; forthcoming races, must have great faith in the imbibing powers of the Thames patrons of sport. This is unquestionable. The enterprising individual who acquired the right to the Good Templar booth must know something more of their tastes than most people, or else he is the victim, of. over confidence. Ten pounds for a booth in which to sell non-intoxicants is a

big sum. It represents four hundred sixpenny drinks—one.for nearly every Good Templar in the district. And, as many of these abhor races as much as they do beer, it. follows that the general public will have to patronise ; the;. oood Templar booth, or else it; won't piy the speculator! It is a gveai concession to 4^odNTemplars^t6 provide.,a b<?bth for their especial tree, ancl i£will not be surprising if the bakers and confectioners take the hint and advertise the " Good Templar' Pudding, " free from brandy sauce/the "Good Templar Gake, recommended by the'XJ.iX.Y.Zi," &c. (