What Everybody Says.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2099, 25 September 1875, Page 2

What Everybody Says.

" In multitude of counsellors there is safety." —Old Provbuf.

The Thames milkmen, who have had the analyst bogey held over their heads for some, weeks past, ever since the members of their guild in Auckland were caught and fined, have met together to form a mutual protection society. la their deliberations they (the' milkmen) were, ft is said, materially assisted by a gentleman other than a milkman, whose varied attainments in every description of knowledge pre-eminently fit him for the profession which he adorns. In fact he is a constituted authority da all matters political, social, and scientific—a perfect walking encyclopaedia. Well, ai 'twas said, the , milkmen had the benefit of this animated epitome of entertaining and useful knowledge, and it was demonstrated t> them how they could detect" the", difference between filtered water and pure aromatic Schiedam schnapps. A poor milkman who suggested that he could tell by the taste was frowned down by the amateur scientist, who astonished nearly a score of milkmen who had assembled for a simple purpose by the depth of his learning, aud who clearly proved, to his own satisfaction at least, that the detection of adulteration was the simplest thing in'the world. After all the learning, the milkmen proceededio business, and'while resolving never more to sell anything but pure and unadulterated milk, they proceeded to try the strength of. other liquids—most of them arriving at the conclusion that half and half with the addition of a little sugar was not a bad mixture. Anyone found selling half and half in the street, however—that is half water and half milk—will incur the displeasure of the milkmen's guild, and the offence of selling for less than e.ightpehce per quart will be visited with summary expulsion from the ranks of honest milkmen. The Opposition have not carried out their threat of obstructing the passing of the Abolition Bill "word by word and clause by clause." Their endurance or their vocal powers have given way, the bill has passed, and how there is a probability of members being able to eat their Christmas dinners in the bosoms of their families. The bill for postponing sheep* shearing until after New Year will not require to be introduced; members can hie away home within a reasonable tim.3. But although the Opposition have in a measure succumbed, the Government triumph is so small that there is nothing in it to brag about. It looks more like a drawn battle than a deoisive victory, but everybody is glad that it is over. As the case stands it appears to be that the Opposition have modified their opposition", and the Government having passed the bill are content to leave the operation to a future time; while the other bill-the real palladium which the country was looking for, is to be relegated to another session and another parliament, want of time being the excuse of the. Government for putting it off. It is very likely that the members of. the Govern* nient are heartily sick of the badgering they have had to submit to during the last two months, and are willing to rest awhile before attempting further to provoke the enemy. Nearly everybody says that Sir George Grey deserves well of the miners for trying to get the gold duty abolished; and so he does. Why? Because it is an unjust tax on a great industry. Yes, ifc,-is all very well to say that the duty is pa!?s : by the banks and by public companies, but that even affects the working miners nearly as much as if they were selling their own gold. And then it must be remembered.that the Thames is not New Zealand; that in some portions of the Colony where goldmining is the chief industry it is nearly all done by small parties on their own hook; that the bulk of the gqld exported from the Cqlony is. so produced,, and therefore the tax comes out of tihe pockets of the miners. People who argue qtiieV wise take a very narrow view of the case; an example which, if followed by our legislators, would hare the effect of bringing the House of Parliament down to the level of a meeting of delegates, each anxious to get something for himself or his district. As for the specious argument tfcat making the gold duty a "rate" levied^ upon miners will render it less obnoxious, it is all moonshine, and the advocates of such a course are no friends of the miners. Why should goldraining be taxed any more than sa;p mills F The latter is a ajQre" certain source of wrealfcU to those engaged in it than mining. Tfye timber costs little; it is one of the natural products of the soil, upon which a royalty might as reasonably be levied as upon gold. The fact is that the gold duty is one of the worst features of the early legislation on goldmining, and it takes a long time to knock it into the heads of everybody that it is unfair and oppressive. The argument that the gold duty js required to keep up establishments and to make roads is fallacious. If 'this distrct supported a population of 12,009 persons on agriculture, timber trade, and manufactures ; if some 8000 inhabitants were concentrated in a flourishing borough in . the midst of that district. Government departments would be required. Ues'idient Magistrates, 'police' and other officials could not be' left out;" and where jWould the money come from to. provide these ? Why from that revenue to which

the community contributed—to "which a' goldfields■community contributes largely; not from any special tax would the means be raised to provide for government departments. Arguments in favor of continuing the tax are inimical to everybody s interest. „ „. , There has been a sad falling away irom the ranks of the brokers' association. First one and then another; then by twos, until the association remains but the ghost of its former self. Incompatibility of temper amongst the members is said to ho cause of this wholesale defection. There is an old saw about one black sheep corrupting a whole flock. It might hare been the case with the brokers, 'only that they found out the black sheep before he had time to complete his work, and left before it came to be suspected amongst Jlieir friends that they were .all tarred r with" the same brush. The secessionists have now set up an opposition shop which bids fair to monopolise the trade. _ That larrikin question has cropped up again, and it will always be cropping up until the crack of doom, unless some stringent measures be taken to deal with the nuisance effectually. Everybody knows one thing, however: that the parents of hoys are in a great measure to blame for the latitude they allow their sons. Any night you may see gamins of seven or eight years of age wandering the streets at hours when they should have been in bed. This indifference on the part of parents begets a don't care sort of feeling in the boys, and it follows that many well disposed lads from associations acquire habits which tend to make them offensive to everybody. There are some yery "bad boys on the Thames; boys who can smoke, drink, curse and do many other things, and it is they who want punishing, for their evil communications have a baneful effect on all the youngsters who come into contactjwith them. Well, punish the really bad boys, caution the doubtful ones and make their paren! s responsible for their good behaviour, and the nuisance will soon be abated.