THE FRETFUL PORCUPINE

Observer, Volume XI, Issue 706, 9 July 1892, Page 1

THE FRETFUL PORCUPINE

A Quill for Everyone.

I must confess to a feeling of surprise at the simplicity of the creditors and victims of the late Mr J. M. Alexander* The consciousness that they had been swindled should have been quite sufficient to have prompted them to insist on the estate being administered at once for the equal benefit of all. Instead of that, they stand quietly by while the business affairs of the deceased lawyer are being investigated by another legal firm, to all intents and purposes in the interests of the deceased's friends. Then, after a lapse of two months, we arrive at the position from whence we started, and the estate is now to be investigated and administered by the Official Assignee. This is as it should have been in the beginning, and the estate would then have been saved the oharge of £265 for the costs of the preliminary investigation, and creditors would by this time have been maJe aware of their position. » » * This Alexander case is a very bad one. There has been no mercy even for the poorest and most helpless of the victims. The figures published show a probable deficiency of £14,268, but as a matter of fact the actual deficiency will be very far short of this. It certainly was not for want of books that the defalcations happened, for it required three carts to convey the books and documents from the office of the deceased to the Official Assignee's chambers, where a special room was required for their accommodation. They are ih such a pretty mess now that it will take probably eighteen months to complete the investigation. There is Bmall prospect of a large dividend under these circumstances. * * * I suppose the law allows it, but what an anomalous thing it was to charge the funeral expenses of the deceased lawyer to the people whom he had so soandalously robbed. It is a delicate matter to refer to, but it is desirable that the light of public opinion Bhould be directed upon such proceedings as these. Common decency should have prompted the relatives of the deceased to defray these expenses themselves, and not make them a charge upon the estate, and especially so in view of the fact that there was a large sum accruing to the widow from life insurance. The more I hear of the Alexander case the more thoroughly I am disgusted with it, and the more I am convinced that he had the most simple-minded clients to deal with that a reckless and unprincipled lawyer ever bad at his mercy.

# *

No reasonable-minded man in the community would deny the justice of giving women a vote in the elections for the House of Bepresentatives, but I am afraid that after the female franchise meeting of Monday night many will question the expediency of it. The promoters were unfortunate in their choice of lady speakers, for those who spoke forgot the point at issue and engaged in an ' antiman ' crusade. A woman is never discreet, and the moment the fair creatures opened their mouths, the cat was out of the bag — of course, only in a figurative sense. —They gave the men ' rats,' they metaphorically* stood them up only that they might metaphorically knock them down again, and they metaphorically kicked them and trampled on them. For once I was ashamed that I waa a man. But was all this degradation of the sterner sex necessary to the elucidation of the point at issue ? Surely not. # # * I would be sorry indeed to think that the majority of the women in that hall would be content or pleased to hear their husbands, fathers and brothers made butts and jests of. I would prefer to believe that their womanly pride revolted at the sneers of the two or three of the more masculine specimens of femininity against those whom they hold most dear. There are amongst men a very email proportion who have neither esteem nor respect for the softer sex. If any one of these were to Btand up in an assemblage of men and but attempt to east one single slur on the fair fame of the softer sex he would be tarred and feathered. I suppose there is also the extreme few amongst the softer sex, but a cause such as tbe one in question will not be advanced by such tirades of abuse as that of Mrs Ellis, which provoked such unrestrained mirth on Monday nigbt. * * * There was a strong reflection by implication that some of the women who spoke the other night were unfortunate in their own domestic arrangements. There was Buch an air of contempt in the manner in which they spoke of those ' lords of creation ' the men ; they could see no good in them —unless it was to advance this cause -and they were all selfish tyrants and immoral brutes— yes, truly. Well, I suppose they were speaking from experience, and if so they were decidedly rough on their immediate relatives. # # #

The babies made an emphatic protest againßt the proceedings. They apparently did not appreciate the political tendencies of their mothers, and several of them who should have been at home cosily in their little cots instead of being exposed to the keen wind of a wintry night gave expres-

sion to their disapproval in very emphatic howls. The baby has a right to be con sidered in the matter too, and if mothers persist in taking infants to political meetings in suoh weather as this, I tbink Mr Hutchinson and his Society for the Prevention of Cruelty should step in and interfere. # * #

A Lobby Spectre (seen at Parliament) - 1 1 fought and bled for me country, and if there's enny grants of land goin', I mean to 'aye one. 'Opeß, sir, as 'ow you'll do your best for me.'

I was disappointed with the meeting on Monday because it was too much of a 'women's rights' demonstration. I believe that if women wish for the franchise they should have it, but I think it should not be extended until a plebiscite is taken on the question and until two- thirds or three-fourths of the women in the, colony have in this way expressed a desire for the right of voting at general elections. At the same time, while I would give women a vote as a matter of justice, there is no question tbat with the middle-aged and elderly ladies, the man of unctuous countenance who carries round the plate in Church would be the most successful candidate, while the unmarried, women would plump for the most handsome fellow with the nicest moustache. It's a way the dear creatures have, and they can't help it. They'll vote by appearances, but not one in twenty would take the trouble to interest herself in the burning political questions of the day.

In the public service of a nation, it is the pampered .official who is a past master in the art of doing a tnininum of work for a maximum of salary who eventually retires on a fat pension, and spends his declining years in ease and comfort. The soldier who has braved dangers and endured hardships in the active service of his country; on ths other hand, loses an arm or a leg on the battlefield and subsequently exists in misery on the munificent pension of tenpence or a shilling a day, from afgrateful nation. And as it is

in the national service, so it is in the civic. Everyone remembers how, at a recent fire in Queen-street, Foreman Brannigan was very seriously injured while engaged in his hazardous duty. He was taken to the hospital, people mentally ejaculated ' brave fellow,' and there the matter ended. * • # * But not so for poor Brannigan, For two months he was a patient, and beyond the sufferings he had to endure from his injury, he was a loser to the extent of the earnings from his occupation. Then he became convalescent, and he was eventually discharged. But to the eternal disgrace of those who should have made provision for him, he was served with ah account for ten guineas for medical treatment in the Hospital, and an attempt was made to compel him to pay it. His objection that he did not feel justified in paying for treatment in a public institution when he was injured in trying to save public property was a sound one. This is a very discreditable business to some one of our local bodies. Brannigan's bravery has been passed over in silence, no notice has been taken of the fact that he nearly lost his life in the public service ; he is not recompensed for his loss of earnings, but on the contrary is mulcted in the costs of medical treatment in a public institution for injuries received while engaged in the service of the public. If the town clerk or any other official had been seized with an influenza attack or had cut his finger while carving the matutinal sausage, there would have been the ortho--dox vote of sympathy accorded him, but when a fireman all but loses his life in the service of the City Council or the public — well, let him pay for it.

Jinkson — ' Coldest weather we've had for twenty years. Forty degrees below mercury.' Blobbs — ' Nonsense, sorr ; that's 'orful.'

There is in the Marton distriot a Mr R. TS.. Simpson who is not ashamed to glory in a dirty action. Not long ago, he received a letter from the Minister of Public Works, which was really intended for another Mr Simpson, and finding in it something which he thought would injure the Liberal cause— for to the credit of Liberalism be it said tbat this Mr E. K. Simpson is a Conservative — he handed it over to the Conservative newspapers, who, in turn, passed it on to the Conservative leaders. The newspapers that published the letter thought it a great joke that it had fallen into wrong hands, and appeared quite unconscious of the dishonourable part they "were playing in publishing it, while George Hutchison— whose object in life is to become honourable, by Aot of Parliament — did not hesitate to use it in the House. But they have tabooed the word .' ashamed ' in Parliament now, and those

members whose sense of honour is blunt are at a loss to know when they are committing themselves. * # * The Governor should feel deeply gratified to Mr J. E. Blair, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Wellington College. Since his arrival in the Empire City, His Excellency has been inundated with invitations to attend ever so many Bocial functions, and has cheerfully complied witb the various requests. The other day, Mr Blair was urged to invite the Earl to visit Wellington College and deliver an address, but the chairman declined to ask His Excellency to do anything of tbe kind. Mr Blair pointed out that the Governor had already been pestered with too many invitations, and added that he for one would not bother His Excellency to visit the College,, at anyrate just at present.