What Everybody Says.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2141, 13 November 1875, Page 2

What Everybody Says.

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

The Superintendents have returned from their grand tour, and some measure of disappointment is felt that as yet they have not enunciated their great policy. Everybody expected it—why, is not very clear, "except that nobody couild see any great good likely to come out of their southern trip, orany;special object to be gained, unless it was to arrange and inaugurate some definite i," policy ", for the coming struggle. Sir George Grey's reception in his own capital appears to hare been much more prononce in every respect than that accorded to him and his colleagues in the southern ?city. • • His trium{)hal entry into tke city of Auckland was ittle short of what woiifd hare been considered respectable for a royal progress. §ir George, doesn't care much for that sort of thing possibly, but he' is disposed to encourage it as likely, to.conduce to an increase of, popularity for those who join the cause he has espoused. . Men are like sheep.on ; some,respects ; where one leads the flock follows/ It h hot so much eon;* victibn as contagion rwhjch governs some men's actions. THe^cafdh the enthusiasm of the hour, and don't much care on which side.they '■ hooray .''.so that they have something or somebody to shoixt about. * The Government:hare,, it would seem,, acted rather shabbily in one or two matters lately. They declined to allow the expenditure--, of/a. little, gunpowder/ on th c arrival of Sir George Grey, and they pro-, hibited the military, escort. In Dunedin something of a like nature was done, and everybody says it was mean —little. It would not have hurt.those old pieces of artillery in Auckland to have fired them as an announcement of Sir George Grey's, return, and the Government would undoubtedly have appeared to better advantage by granting the desired permission to indulge in a semi-military display, than by stepping out of their way .to prevent it. As cannon aad cavalry were denied them, the Aucklanders fell back on their fire bells, and the return of their Super was celebrated by the clanging of those numerous tin-pot.alarums which have so often called forth peaceable citizens to much less agreeable duties than welcoming back a public man returning from what have no doubt been very arduous" duties.- \; ,-. -• V.- •■. -.■■. ■ ■•-:•■•. ■.:■. ; ; ',

The post office department is no doubt a well, managed institution, but occasionally incidents, occur -which are significant of^wasted labor. Some time ago a letter was posted for delivery at Tararu. It was insufficiently stamped, and the person to whom it was. addressed had a suspicion that the letter was merely an account (as it was) and he declined to redeenithe missive. .The letter lay the usual time, and was in the regular course of post-office routine, sent to the dead letter office, and finally reopened and returned to the writer. This took a matter of six months. How many hands the letter, went through, or- how much ivjitingf iti eventful passage through the dead letter office necessitated, is doubtless known only to the "department." Fortunately the settlement of the account did not depend upon passage of the insufficiently, stamped enyelope through; all the stages of post office jroutinei; or*the sender would have had pause t6 regret his first carelessness. No doubt the dead letter office is a necessary adjunct of the postal department, but if it is to be of any practical use, its operation must be 1 expedited. The more important the letter the greater the necessity for its speedy return to the sen? der when the person addressed cannot be found. r

A piece of last session's legislation is likely to afford a little excitement for everybody. Unasked, worthy legislator! bare given to the people the choice of

their mayor. No more will this business be conducted in a friendly way over the council^table, for the law gives the burgesses a wider range- of choice than the worthy nine who may happen to be in the position of* councillor's. Consequently everybody is anxious to know who is to be^Hayor. - The ipowor conferred by this mew-piecejofJawi making is of donbtful expfdiency. jyfen who do not think it I worth their While, fib go through the mill l" as'councillors md make themselves acquainted with the routine work are > scarcely the most fitting persons to oc- [ cupy the chair. The House I appears to think otherwise, however^and [ every man who is qualified (not fitted) for : councillor can also aspire to be mayor. f .Wonder- what the " House " would.tliink. of a proposition to elect a speaker from amongst the electors,-instead.of one of their own privileged class P And yet one would imagine that a man would make a better Mayor if he- had some-experiejioe as a"councillor, just as the speaker of the House would be better,qualified for that office if he had sat as a member for a few sessions. In the fitness of things a councillor ought to make a better mayor than ah outsider, but "perhaps everybody won't approve this sentiment.