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Observer, Volume XVI, Issue 911, 13 June 1896, Page 7

A Quill for Everyone.

It has been decreed by the Mines Department that for the future no miner not holding a first-class certificate shall act as manager of a claim on which sinking is being done. This reads well on paper, but what is the effect of it ? Old and capable miners, who are not equal to the book part of the examination, but who know every peculiarity of the grouDd in which they work from practical experience, and whose knowledge of Bhaft sinking and underground mining is not to be surpassed, will heharred from continuing in charge of mining operations. On the other hand, a young fellow fresh from the School of Mines, crammed with scientific book learning, and lacking practical mining experience, will

be entitled to take his place because he has passed his exams, in the theory of mining with credit. But what will he know of shaft sinking ? It is a hazardous and unequal system.

It goes without saying that the formation of a Natives' Association is calculated to promote the growth of national sentiment and patriotism, as well as to serve the further purpose of keeping old school friends still in touch with each other when they enter upon the busy walks of life. And in this respect the local Natives' Association, which is shortly to celebrate its anniversary by a social, is proving itself to be a complete success. At the same time, it is open to question whether it has not made its circle more exclusive than the purposes of such a society demand or require.

The Association is confined to those who ■were actually born in the colony, and excludes those who came to New Zealand as

little children or infants in arms. This is a mistake, for the reason that it creates distinctions in families, and excludes from the status of membership an immense number of men of influence and standing in the community, who are to all intents and purposes natives, .though they were not born here. They came to our snores as little children, they were educated here, and New Zealand is the only country they have any personal knowledge of. The broadening of the basis of the Natives' Association, so as to include all boys whose education was gained in the colony, would be a wise step. Moreover, it would probably bring about the amalgamation of the Natives' Association and the School Chums' Association, thus forming a powerful confederation, animated by common purposes and bound together by the bonds of strong sympathy.

We are paying a big price indirectly for the ' cabbagee ' and ' callot 'supplied to onr kitchens by the Chinese market gardeners. A Canterbury paper, writing of the Dunedin cases, atateß that as a result of the disclosures the police are making inquiries aB to the identity and ages of other girls who have been seen coming out of Chinese dens, with a view to further prosecutions. Only recently the daughter of a respected Dnnedin resident was taken from one of these dens "while under the influence of opium, ana the strictest watch has now to be kept to prevent her returning to partake of the horrible drug. And yet some of our lady reformers are proud of the Chow as a colonist.

' Telegrams from Napier convey the news that there is extreme distress in that town. But we were under the impression that Napier was the head-quarters of the Free Association of Labour, and that it was a sort of working man's paradise, where the capitalist looked after the wants of the nonunionist, and nobody ever wanted for a meal. It seems, however, that there is another side to the free labour picture.

Where there is plenty of work yoa can generally depend upon it there will soon be plenty of strikes. And so it has proved at Beef ton. The place has been under a cloud for some years, crowds of miners have had to leave in search of employment, but no sooner is work furnished by the Ziman flotation than the men strike. The miners have been earning £3 per week in an intermittent kind of way, and now they are kicking against a regular wage of £2 15s, with free life insurance for £500 thrown in. They ought to consider themselves very well off.

The big talking - shop at Wellington is jnst opening for the season, and for the next three months the well-oiled jaws of the politicians will be hard at work. It would be well for some of the longer-winded mem* bers to take Ta hint from the following little anecdote:— General S., in the American Congress, while delivering one of the long prosy speeches for which he was noted, said to Henry Clay, ' You speak, sir, for the present generation, but I speak for posterity.' 'Yes,' replied the great Kentukian; ' and it Beems you are resolved to speak until your audience arrives.'

' A Southern Sportsman ' writes to us making merry over the ludicrous manner in which the Paknranga Hunt Clnb meets are described in a certain local paper. For instance, he says : — * The hares are termed "pussies," and the spills, which from the description appear to be numerous, are called " complete somersaults." Of course it may be that I am in the wrong, and that some of the Auckland huntsmen were once circus riders and that they -do hunt cats. If so, I humbly apologise.' He also thinks it a bit peculiar that nearly half the account of a hunt should be occupied with details about the luncheon, and remarks that ' a true lover of sport is generally too excited or interested in the clever little pack (as I hope the Paknranga hounds are) to think of gorging until the day is over.'

The latest Yankee notion is a champion • bad debt ' collector. This notable person wears a white belltopper, on which is inscribed in bold black letters, 'Bad debt collector.' Business people are naturally anxious to get rid of him as soon as possible — even at the cost of paying up. Under these circumstances it may be asserted that the ' bad debt ' collector has come to stay, and people, therefore, need not be surprised if he turns up in Auckland one of these days. •

The quarrel at St. Andrew's Church on the question of the call or no call to the Bey. J. Milne still waxes sultry. One section are determined not to have Mr Milne, and the other section are resolved that they will have him even if they have to take the Choral Hall and estf blish a new church,. And all this is supposed to be for the glory of all. But we have seen this sort of thing before. It id something like the fight at the Irish fair. There are plenty of people eager to be in the fray when the ' sthicks ' are whirling and the blows are falling merrily, but mighty few of them are about when the damage is being paid for. They are away in search of some fresh excitement. Perhaps it will be the same at St. Andrew's.

Bishop Grimes declares that more beer is consumed in the Prohibition States of America than in the non- Prohibition States. Also that Prohibition in Clutha is only a cheap edition of Prohibition in America.

They are telling an odd story down the Thames way about the Cardigan Extended property and how it came into the hands of Mr Dean. It is said that Dean was the man who originally suggested the pegging out, and that he was to have got a share in consideration of his suggestion, but when he applied for his share his claim upon the promoters was ignored. However, Dean bided his time. The holding did not go through at once Indeed, the full six months expired, and yet it had not come on for hearing ; and then it was necessary, according to law, to make fresh application. Before this could be done, Dean had put his- own pegs in and had applied for the ground himself. And he got it, too. Now he has the whole claim instead of the share he expected.

It is not in Auckland alone that the question of juvenile depravity is engaging serious attention. The public mind in the South is worried by the same problem. At a sitting of the Balclutha Court the other day, the presiding Magistrate uttered a note of warning which thould receive the' widest circulation. The case before the Court was that of a youth who was committed for trial on a charge of breaking and entering. In his possession waß found a letter written by him to a companion in the Lawrence district. This letter, which was put in as evidence, contained, accord? ing to a local paper, the names of a number of young lads of Balclutha, who evidently were associates and of the same character as the writer, and also the names of- a number of young girls with whom these lads consorted in the evenings, the nature of their intercourse being only too plainly told. Moreover, there was in tLe letter mention made of a dance which was said to take place in Balclutha every Thursday night, and if the mothers of Balclutha knew the language in which their daughters were referred to by these lads and were aware of what took place between them, their countenance would mantle with shame. The Bench said that for the heads of families to afford their daughters and servants frequent opportunities for associating with such characters in the streets and lanes of the township after dark, was simply to send them to schools of training to live lives of vice and impurity.