FRETFUL PORCUPINE

Observer, Volume XVIII, Issue 1024, 13 August 1898, Page 5

FRETFUL PORCUPINE

What is this we hear about Councillo* Julian having forfeited hia seat on the City Council by the sale of the city property from which he derived his qualification ? Surely not. And yet it ia the story current in the city. Also, the ward i B being canvassed by intending candidates for the vacancy. In this connection , it is Btated that MrErneßt Davis, eldest son of Mr Moss Davis, is likely to contest the seat. The setting apart of Freeman's Bay as a recreation reserve, a matter which is of vital importance to the South Ward, would be the chief plank in hiß platform. However, let us hope that the reported forfeiture by Mr Julian of bia seat is not true, because he has been a most useful councillor.

It is about time the manager of a certain company removed from his wall the card with 'Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow ' printed on it. It savours too ranch of white-washing.

There were many at the railway meeting at the City Council who winked the other eye when the faithful Shera tacbed on a loan to his proposal. In effect they said : 'We know that yon are clever, we don't care what you do; but you cannot get the loan of us. Twigee voo !'

It is significant that M. de Bonand, who is understood to be Mr Epstein's partner and engineer in the electric tramways and lighting venture, left Auckland for San Francisco by the mail steamer on Saturday. Has he given it np?

Extract from the Mines Statement. Thus the Minister : — ' The mines in the Ohinemuri district have again given continuous returns of a most satisfactory character. The "Waihi-Silverton mine also continues to yield payable returns.' This makes us smile. If £1200 from 1100 tons is payable at the Silverton, working expenses must have been cheapened considerably of late.

It was at a creditors' meeting, ana they were harrying the bankrupt. He had confessed to owning a bit of land, but with tears in his eyes asked to be allowed to retain it because of the loving memories that surrounded it. • Yon. mnst make this land over to your creditors,' said the assignee. ' Yes, yes,' chornssed the creditors. ' Ican't,' wailed the bankrupt. ' But you must,' shouted the official assignee. ' Now, for the last time will yon make the land over ?' ' Yes,' growled the bankrupt ; ' I'll make it over to you, and I hope you'll need it. It's an allotment in the Furewa cemetery. I hope you'll sleep on your claim between this and Sunday, and I'll lead goats to feed on the grass in the spring.' Tableau I

Not Asleep in Everything. j2E2£vD£3.3l Premieb Seddon : How are you, Mr Cotter, and how's Auckland looking ? I hear they are all asleep up there. Mr Cotter : Asleep ? Not much. Didn't we beat the Wellington footballers by 19 to nothing ? Didn't we put Canterbury down by 24 to 3 ? Oh, no, Auckland is only asleep when she sends to Parliament politicians such as she's got now.

Dick Seddon claims in his Budget a surplus of £521,000 And yet he asks for a loan of £500,000. Now, in the name of all that is sensible, why does he want a loan if he has really got a surplus ? Also, it is odd that the alleged surplus and the proposed loan are almost of equal amount.

They were Waikare passengers, and they were seeing all that could be seen at the Islands. The ladies insisted on having a native dance arranged, and the passenger who had been dabbed 'The Geisha' arranged the exhibition. Fifty Bcantily-clad damsels were The spectators consisted principally of ladies. Whether intentionally or not, the dance was about the ' bluest ' of its kind, and it was an interesting sight to watch the petticoated portion of the visitors disperse. But the men, naughty fellows, saw it out to the finish. At dinner that night, however, the subject of Island dances and dancers was tabooed. And even 'The Geisha' web silent for days after.

What is the reason of the opposition of the Thames Drainage Board to the arrangements in connection with the drainage of the Thames deep levels ? Is it that the members are afraid of bei ng deprived of their substantial fees, or is there a little jealousy between certain members and the Thames Hauraki Company ? Perhaps, though, there ia yet another side to the question.

What is J. M. Shera's little game with the ' workers ' connected with the Trades and Labour Council ? He has failed to move the National Ass, and now he falls back npon his henchmen Rood and trne. And meantime Ministers wait for an indication as to how Auckland will ' catch on ' to another big loan. If a .£20,000,000 loan were raised to-day and £5,000,000 earmarked for Auckland, we would aot see a cent unless oar representatives were aroused from their slumbers. ' Fear not, he sleeps,' might well be Premier Dick's refrain.

The Charitable Aid Board is , evidently going strong for the record in' rowdy meetings. .Tb. c contributions of the Friendly Societies' patients (who pay half rates) is now .the bone of contention. Members are, after all the fusa, still to pay half rates, and, what is better, children are to be charged quarter rates. So that instead, of increasing, the Board has decreased the amount of contributions. We admit we' are pnzzled. We usually understand the -eccentricities of public bodies, but this is beyond us. And ' Coionns ' Eeed and our old friend Jamieson —well, let us call on either or both for an explanation of this consistent inconsistency.

What ie this \re hear of certain private correspondence that is said to have lately passed between a certain Harbour Board official and my Lords of the Admiralty on the subject of Calliope Dock ? If it be true that carte blanche is to be given by the Board to tbe gentleman in question to condnct negotiations, the chances are that the Napier-cum-Witheford-Niccol-Napier-Bell squabble will result in the whole thing being shelved.

They badly want some means for the prevention of cruelty to animals in one district we hear of, in which sheep that had given birth to lambs in a sale-yard were driven away on the day of the Bale, many of them weak and dragging, and their progeny taken away in a handcart.

And so our economical Government decline to re-furnish Government House. Well, it is certain that while the present furniture remains, Auckland will see very little of the Governor unless he ignores Government House altogether. The furniture, which by-the-way is strewn over the ball-room, is faded, dirty, and decidedly rickety. To ask the representative of Her Majesty to sleep on a musty bed, sit on weak-kneed chairs, and recline on foulsmelling lounges, is an inßult to the Governor and to Auckland. Truly our members are asleep. But a day is coming. Then we shall see what we shall see !

What are the real facts in connection with the alleged daring robbery of amalgam and picked stone from the wooden bos at the office of the Royal Oak Company, Coromandel ? First we were told that the value of the stolen stuff was £1200. Then, by way of variety, the amount was given as £375. Sorely it is possible to get within a few hundreds of the correct amount.

They were directors at a Board meeting. "Unfortunately, there was not a quorum present, but the remuneration was too substantial to kme. ' Gentlemen,' said the chairman, ' the business is important, and demands oar immediate attention. Let us Sroceed.' And they did, and proceeded to ft their half-sovereigns at the termination of an improperly-constituted meeting.

One of the chief objections to the proposed Garrison ball in Auckland was urged by Colonel Banks. It would be infra dig. and highly improper, he thought, for the officers to be called upon to dance with the wives and other relatives of the foil privates and non-commissioned officers. This is delicious. Seeing that the officers of the local volunteers are largely tinkers and tailors and bootmakers, or their descendants, the anxiety of the Colonel to draw the social distinction between them and the female relations of the rank-and-file is a trifle too far-fetched. There is no blu3 blood to boast of in the community,. and so far as our observation goes, the common variety of volunteer very often occupies a higher social position than his officers.

The compositor's lot in New Zealand ia not a happy one just now. Consequent on the introduction of linotypes into the Otago Daily Times and Witness offices, twenty compositors have received notice that their services will not be required after this week. The female compositors in the Auckland Star have also been notified that on the arrival of three additional machines that are coming, they will no longer be re* quired.

The Observer has on frequent occasions referred to the absurdity of the libel law of New Zealand, and it reprints the following from the Bulletin as further evidence in support of its contention that the law of libel should be at once altered : — ' In Maoriland tne Otago Daily Times and Ghristchurch Press published the same alleged libel in the same words. One jury decided it was a libel, and gave damages and costs against the Times. Another decided that it wasn't, and discharged the Press without an ink-blot on its character. The Times appealed for a new trial on .the ground that the Press verdict showed the paragraph was not libellous. Plaintiff appealed against the Press verdict on the ground that the Times verdict proved the paragraph was libellous. Both appeals were dismissed with costs by the Full Court, so the Full Court decides that the same paragraph is libellous in the Times and not libellous in the Press. And the paper from which both these organs borrowed the paragraph wasn't prosecuted at all V