FRETFUL PORCUPINE.

Observer, Volume XV, Issue 861, 29 June 1895, Page 7

FRETFUL PORCUPINE.

A Quill for Everyone.

There appears to be a great deal of mystery about those recent sudden changes on the Union Company's steamship Mararoa, at Dtmedin. It has leaked oat, however, that without any warning an accusation was made that the purser and the chief steward were too friendly with two of the stewardesses, and while the male officers were suspended the young women were dismissed. This was either a very arbitrary proceeding or else it was justified by serious irregularities. But so far as the relations of the officers with each other were concerned, there dogs not appear to have been anything to complain about. This the management of the company seem to have realised immediately afterwards, because they subsequently offered to transfer the stewardesses into other vessels, but the transfer was refused as implying the construction that they had offended in some way.

And now it is as likely as not thax the girls will take action against the company to clear their character. The purser was transferred into another ship, and so also was the chief steward, Mr Bmstead. It is said that another charge was made against Mr Bmstead of having taken a case of whisky on board at Sydney, but this accu? sation is stated to have been made in an anonymous letter, and there was no proof of it, while no one on board had seen or heard of the whisky. And yet, after eighteen years' service, weight was given to a charge of this kind, notwithstanding a record against which there had never been an insinuation previously. The whole proceeding, so far as the four officers are concerned, appears to have been hasty and illadvised,.and tends to show that things are not as agreeable and comfortable in * the service ' as they might be.

The sudden lull in mining speculation appears to have taken some people by surprise. Bat it was to be expected. Spurts of this kind never last, and in this instance the cause of the reaction is that certain speculators have purchased more scrip than their means would allow. They cannot hold what they have got, and their doubts ful scrip being unsaleable, they are forcing their good stock on the market at prices much below its value- The inevitable consequence is a fall. Even Try Fluke scrip, guaranteed by English capital, were much below their value. At the same time, the mines are as good to-day as they were four weeks ago. We are bound to have the reactionary lull, and then we may look for a period of sound activity in mining, such as Auckland has not seen for fifteen years past.

The Women's Liberal League is determined not to be driven by the abusive and offensive articles in tbe Star from the conscientious position it has taken up in reference to a C.D. Act applied to both sexes. At a full meeting on Tuesday night, the 1 former resolution was reaffirmed, and we understand that the Women's Political League has practically taken up the same position. This is resolving itself into a war between virtuous women and open, respectable vice.

It was expected when the appointment of a Traffic Inspector was made that a stop would be put to the reckless racing between the 'busses and trams on the Ponsonby line. But the racing now is worse than ever it was. Setting aside the cruelty to the horses, the danger to life and limb, and the alarm which this sort of thing occasions to timid ladies in delicate health, the practice is an annoying and inconvenient one te the general public. The vehicles from the Opera House go home at a terrible' pace, and the attention of drivers and conductors being centred upon their race, they are oblivious to the fact that again and again people who have been waiting patiently at street corners for a conveyance, are passed in the darkness without being seen. Occasionally, a man attempts to overtake the 'bus or tram, but he might as well chase a steam-engine for all the chance of success he has. The practice altogether is a most reprehensible one, and has given rise to much indignation. Surely the Tramway Company cannot be aware of it.

There is quite a bobbery going on in the strawberry-and-cream suburb of Northcote, concerning certain vague allegations of immorality made against some of the school children. It is said that a public indignation meeting is to be held. One story that has reached us is that a demand was made upon the teacher to thrash certain children for alleged improper* conduct, and that he refused, declining in the first place to believe in their guilt, and refusing in the second place to be any part to ' fixing the guilt ' without any proof of the truth of the accusations. And now the whole affair is a burning question, and we are told that frequent councils of war are being held in a certain house in the district. . ! Advertisement from a recent Auckland Star .— WANTED, a respectable Girl, about 14 years, in a family of three ; good home, wages 3s week. Three shillings per week for the privilege of being domestic slavey to a family of three. And yet we wonder why girls prefer our factories and streets.

society ou the eastern side of the city has uccu much interested m a stranger ol custinguisheu manners and aristocratic preconsuma wnoui it recently tooK 10 its bosom. JNo one Knows whence lie came. In the rust instance, He was travelling in. a 'bus when a wealthy young .Aucklander made nis acquaintauue, and was so charmed witu nis couversation taut ne lnviteu nun to nis nonic lue auquamtaaice ao strangely begun ripened into friendship, and the wealthy .AUcklander eventually introduced the stranger to the local clubs.

Then the stranger, in tarn, introduced to the nouses ot hia • newly -made mends a lady, whom he represented to be nis wife. .Perhaps she was and perhaps she was not. soon, However, the distinguished stranger profited by his increasing circle ot influential frienas to float a little promissory paper currency on his own account, and tnia he did with so much success that to-day ne is the debtor ot certain leading citizens to the extent of a tidy sum. But the distinguished stranger — where is he? Ah, that is the

'On Friday evening as three ladies were walking down Shelly Beach Road, about halfpast eight, one of them was suddenly seized from behind by a man who appeared to come out from a hedge. The suddenness of tbe assault caused her to scream loudly, and he immediately crouched down and made off.' — Herald. We present our readers with a picture of the assailant, the assailed, and the assault. There is good reason to believe that the offender is a hungry horse, who has a taste for ladies' umbrellas, and who is accustomed at inopportune moments to startle timid feelings by reaching out for a mouthful of husband-beater.

Why the exceptional activity on the part of the Working Men's Political League? It is said that as a result of several recent conferences, the society has selected three working men from whom a Labour candidate is to be chosen to contest the next Auckland city election. But when will that election be ? Surely Sir George Grey's pet l 'orny 'anded ' are not choosing someone to fill the old veteran's shoes before those shoes are empty. Possibly, though, these preparations are in view ot the general election next year. One of the men chosen is a Mr Darlow, another a Mr Rosser, while a third is the Honorable William Jennings. Absolutely, yes. It is reported that the Honorable William is not content to be a mere nominee in the Legislative Council Chamber. He sighs for election to the popular chamber by the voice of the people, with a rise of £100 in honorarium, and talks of resigning from the ' Lords.' But the Honorable William would be wise to stay where he is. He has not been a conspicuous success in politics. At the present tune, he has as much chance of being elected to the House as he has of being summoned to Salisbury's Cabinet. Our advice to Mr Jennings is to hold fast to the Council seat while he has got it, and to thank hia lucky stars that he ever got an appointment there.

question of the hour in local society. His paper is here, his wife is here, but the distinguished stranger has gone. And he is much mourned. * * * One immediate consequence of the mining boom in Auckland was that people got so excited that they began to drop their false teeth in a most indiscriminate way. List to the Star: — T OST, Lower Set False Teeth.— Reward JLj on applying to A.8., etc. . And then the next advertisement bnt one announces : — T" OST, on June 11, North Shore boat or JLJ Ponsonby tram, Upper Set Teeth. — Finder please leave them etc., etc. The moral of this is that people shonld not open their mouths too wide when big profits are being made at mining speculation. * * * There are people in Wellington mean enough to expect concerts to be given to them free of expense. - These concerts have been held on Sunday evenings. Bat it isn't on any ground of principle that objec-

tion to them is offered— eimply: becanae those who go are asked -to pay "something for admission: * The- law forbiija making a direct charge. So the manager? sail as close to the wind as they can- by sticking up notices intimatingat the dress-circle door (for instance) that * all patrons of this part of the house are expected to contribute two shillings.' People who have been shamed by the flaring placard into ' parting,' have deluged the papers with letters protesting againpt the iniquity of the system as being a species of blackmail. They expect a concert, which on week days they would pay 4s for, to be served up on Sundays for nothing. Who, then, are the blackmailers ?

The local tobacconists are much exercised in mind because a certain insurance mana* eer has been going in a bit for cigar importing on his own account. At first, he was accustomed to get a couple of thousand cigars at one time from Calcutta, but now it transpires that the last order was for ten thousand. It is as plain as a pikestaff that he would not require ten thousand cigars for his own use, so the conclusion to which the tobacconists are forced is that he is importing for his friends as well as himself. Hence the indignation on the part of the local tobacconists. They talk ofa co-oper-ative insurance factory by way of reprisal.

One of the meanest men out is the fellow who gambles and loses, and then won't pay. And his conduct passes contempt if it happens that his opponent has infringed some rule, and to avoid paying up the loser ' gives him away ' to his superiors. There is a very salutary rule of the chief shipping companies which forbids gambling of any kind on board passenger steamers. But a Southern skipper was lately tempted into play with a passenger from whom he won a matter of two or three pounds. Since then the captain has quietly dropped out of the service, and it is well understood that the peaching of his disreputable antagonist was the cause. Faugh! "We don't defend gambling, but for goodness sake let there be an end to such dishonourable doings as this.

The seedsmen of Auckland are lying back for the time when the next tenders are called for the supply of grass seed to the village settlements. The last time, to their amazement, the contract was let to a young firm considered wholly out of the running, whose tender was £40 higher than the highest of all the others. Of course, it was necessary to give a reason for snch a glaring preference, and the reason assigned was that this firm's grass seed was the best in the market. And, ever since, the other tenderers have been declaring that some, of that grass seed was bought from them, and they are assiduously cultivating political influence with a keen eye to their own interests.

What are the political principles of Mr Malcolm Niccol, of the North Shore ? At the last general election he was a candidate for the Parliamentary representation of Eden, and -was defeated by Mr E. Mitchelson. - In his first election speech, Mr Niccol said he had always been a Conservative, but as the majority of people were now Liberals, he had become a Liberal. A unique reason, and one that tickled the audience immensely. At the last meeting of the Devonport Borough Council a proposal was brought forward to ask the Government to abolish the Domain Boards at Dovonport ('composed of life nominees), and vest the domains and health spaces in the representative body — the Borough Council. Mr Niccol stoutly opposed the proposal. As an abstract principle, he said, the domains should be managed by the elected representatives of the people, but he would not agree to the voluntary application of the principle to Devonport. If Mr Napier, however, could get an Act passed compelling all municipalities to take over all public reserves within their jurisdiction, he would be only too pleased. Surely such consistency as this is worthy of Machiavelli. Perhaps Mr Niccol is trying to shed his ill-fitting Liberal cloak and to adopt a Conservative attire in view of the next general election.

There is much grumbling in Wellington about the invitation li3t to the Governor's Birthday Ball — it was held to celebrate Lord Kelbnrn's birthday, as well as the postponement from Her Gracious's natal day. They say the list, as supplied to the papers, contained the names of people who nave been in their graves for months ; that many others whose names were given never heard from Government House till they saw the list of guests in the papers ; and that yet more who haven't been in the colony And of course, the number who consider themselves injured by not being bidden is legion. But that was always inevitable.