What Everybody Says.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 1890, 23 January 1875, Page 2

What Everybody Says.

" Tn multitude of counsellors there is safety." —Old Proverb,

*' In the name of the Prophet, Ohinemuri ! " This very original saying should arrest the attention of everybody, and no doubt will do so. But; it they find after a perusal of what is here written, iiothing original—nothing startling—nothing directly encouraging, they must deal tenderly with it, as they did with the carefully guarded, exceedingly vague and duly qualified information contributed to the leading morning paper by "a miner of experience." The " JVI. of E."—that is short for " miner of experience " — before referred to is not unknown. The peculiarly interesting details furnished to the morning paper by ••' M. cf E." have been daly canvassed at the Corner, with several important revelations which were given to the reporter in strict confidence. If these important revelations had been withheld from all others, it would be a breach of confidence to reveal them ; but as " M. of E." is pretty well known, and as he considerably amplified his statements to greedy listeners at the Corner, the details as published were decidedly disappointing; It would be impossible to give even the faintest idea of "M. of E.s" unpublished revelations here, but there is one bit of news which he might have given to the reporter for the benefit of the public. If hie is not maligned "M. of ■E.s " stated—in confidence, mind you, to the reporter, but afterwards to the idlers at the Corner—that he had a bag of specimens from Ohinemuri. This little tit-bifc would have constituted the salt of the tedious lucubration published if it had been included, which it was not; and as it was carefully kept out, why everybody places as much reliance on this part of the (unpublished) narrative as they do upon that which was published. There was nothing new in "M. of E.s " contribution—it was a palpable " fake " from beginning to end. Nothing definite- —not a single line of reliable information ; and scarcely anything even to excite the imagination. Ohinemuri remains where it was—a terra incognita as far as "M. of E." is concerned: although this individual appears to have journeyed a long way to be back here for the opening of Ohinemuri. As far as his expectations are concerned, there is not in the upper country inducement for strangers to go the length of the street, but "M. of E." has travelled thousands of miles to dig in a country that, by his own account, is like himself—a duffer.

The', hospital elections slightly surprised some of the knowing ones. It had been said that the " sub-committee " and their supporters would be rejected as future committee-men to a man—that the subscribers would mark their sense of the late " infamous " proceedings by sacking all the sub-committee and retaining those who, at such an immense sacrifice of their inclinations, attended the late enquiry ia the interest of the subscribers' and the public. Nobody imagines for a moment that the subscribers were actuated in their choice of committee-men by anything that had been done during last year at the meetings of the hospital committee. If there is any significance attaching to the elections as a whole, it is, however, in a contrary direction to that which was indicated by the knowing ones, as evidenced by the rejection of those who, while claiming to be acting on the mens conscia recti principle, did and said many things which some of us could scarcely acknowledge to be consistent, while according every credit for the motives by which they professed to be guided. * Everybody will be about to-day to welcome the Bepresentative Volunteers — " the flower of the Southern chivalry." They come to do battle for their reputation amongst a lot who want" a deal of beating. If the visitors wrest the laurels from their friends they will be heartily welcome. They have in former years taught our fellows a lesson, which was conned with profit and crowned with success, and if the championship should go down south nobody will begrudge it, though everybodj'- would—yes, rather just see it kept north. However, everybody is glad to Gee the southerners, but would warn them that if they wish to shoot well and carry away the belt, they must eschew Auckland whiskey, scrip, and unripe peaches.

A correspondent of an Auckland paper the other day reported that " an open air meeting of Good Templars" had taken place in the schoolroom. Everybody has heard of raising the roof, but one was scarcely prepared to hear-that such an undertaking in the building line would be entered upon for a Good Templar meeting. Perhaps the correspondent was slightly obscure when he wrote the account of the open air meeting, and mixed up his own experience with the Good Templars proceedings. If he belongs to a lodge he ought certainly to be placed on the list of those who require the friendly surveillance of their brethren.

"W. G." arid some others have been •* going for" the old man " Cathoiicus"— they, have been decidely " rough" on him, and the verdict of everybody is " sarved him right." At home, the last resource of any one with a grievance—or the first, it doesn't matter which —is to write to ■'■' The Times ;" but here, on this remote antediluvian ■— no, antipodean spot, " Cathoiicus" set himself the task of disposing of The Times, Protestants and Freemasons. " Mongrels" all, says he. The Times will probably survive the issue —possibly the Protestants. As for the Freemasons, against whom " Cathoiicus" seems to entertain an unaccountable grudge, they appear to be inclined to let him severely alone. To come down upon him would be like crushing a beetle with a sledge hammer — a piece of wanton cruelty. -