FRETFUL PORCUPINE

Observer, Volume XXI, Issue 1178, 27 July 1901, Page 8

FRETFUL PORCUPINE

Another injustice to King Richard. Tbe Lords of the Admiralty will not give him the power to commandeer merohant steamers as troopships in oases of emer. genoy. This is surely unkind, seeing that Mr Seddon has saved the Empire onoe and may be oalled upen to do so again. But it is a bit of an anomaly lhat the Democratic head of a Democratic oolony should require to be admonished by the heads of a Conservative Government on tbe necessity for respecting the rights of property. After all, they are not nearly so despotic in Oreat Britain as we are in New Zealand. It is said that a looal steamship company whioh was reoently boasting loudly of prosperity has reduoed the salary of its secretary and wharf manager down to the munificent sum of £2 per week. Surely a safe way of earning dividends. But the aforesaid seoretary does not view the economy in a very pleasant light, and ohanges are considered to be imminent. The youth Alfred Woods, who put his hand through a railway oarriage window at Greenlane and tore a bonnet that an ' Army ' lass was wearing, will probably not do so again. It waß a revelation to Woods, aB it was to the Magistrate, and indeed to all except the ' lass,' to learn that that bop net cost 10s, and couldn't be replaoed uuder sis shillings more. How-

ever, the damage was admitted, and Woods paid up. But what a profit the • Army ' must begetting on those bonnets ! They never look muoh, and Boon fade, so the oost is not in the style or material. Sixteen shillings! Who'd have thought it ? ' Withont money and without prioe,' Bay the * Army ' in booming salvation, which nobody doubts; but it's evident they make op for all that on the bonnet sales. Sixteen shillings 1 Now that the Auokland members of the House have held a meeting, and impressed upon the Government the olaims of the widow and family of the late Constable Luke McDonnell to special consideration, there ia more than a prospeot that a reasonable compassionate allowance will be granted to her. Constable McDonnell absolutely lost his health and life in the servioe of tbe oolony. When the Wairarapa disaster happened, and be wae sent to the Barrier to recover and inter tbe bodies of tbe drowned, there was not a stronger or more robust man in tbe foroe. As jfte result of tbe exposure to whioh he waa subjected, and the terrible nature of the work devolving on him, and whioh he discharged cheerfully and uncomplainingly, the Beeds were bowu of the disease that eventually carried him off. Had it not been for the Wairarapa disaster, there is very little doubt that he would have been a Btrong and active man to-day. McDonnell was a singularly contented man, as well as an efficient policeman, and also one of irreproaohable record. And yet, in the matter of promotion, he was ignored shamefully. Twenty-five years ago, we knew him as a firßt-class oonstable. He died a constable, though in the meantime dozens of men of losb capability and inferior servioe and record were passed over his head to higher positions in the service. And yet he murmured not. The endeavour that iB now being made to seoure Bpecial consideration for his widow is simply a fair requital of a grave moral debt that the oolony owes bim in return for his life.

They say tbat Auctioneer Bodle has raised a nice little how-d'ye-do amongat his fellow knights of the hammer by that indisoreet confession of bis before the Chamber of Commerce. Mr Bodle, it seems, was deputed to go to a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, and assist it in protesting against a bill before the Honse, called the Auctioneers Bill, whiob ordains that auctioneers shall name the last bidder. And now it's a dead oertainty that he will not be sent to any more meetings, at least in regard to Bills whioh affect the auctioneers. He gave them away in grand style. People who did not know anything about the way in whioh bids are run up know all about it now, thankß to Mr Bodle. The ohief objection to the Bill, according to the deputy, was that the measure would wipe out 'trotting,' which Mr Bodle thought would render auction saleß unworkable. That was all that Mr Bodle said. He evidently thought they were aM pretty knowing, and did not want any interpretation of ' trotting.' But tbere was one who was child-like and bland. Tbat waß Mr Kent. Mr Kent looked troubled, and at length asked Bodle to trot the meaning out. So out it had to oome. And from the deputy the meeting learned that if only one bid is made, the auctioneer takes a hand and bids against the bidder to the article's real value. That's ' trotting.' From whioh it appears that all the ' spirited ' bidding that goes on sometimes is nothing but moonshine, and that tbe man who starts the bidding, and runs it up against, as he thinkß, bidders all over tbe shop, is in reality bidding against the aootioneer. Thanks, Mr Bodle. The news from Fiji, as disolosed in a recent letter, that Sir George O'Brien has made it a law that any person who sows discontent among tbe natives will be liable to imprisonment, is not reassuring to the advocates of annexation. It is probable that this aotion by the Governor was taken to prevent any further steps in regard to annexation by tbis oolony, aod it is not surprising that both the Premier and House have denounoed the hew and autooratio law. Sir George is doing all he can, apparently, to influence the natives and prejudice them against New Zealand. Au example of this is found in his rash utterances about tbe way the Maoris were treated in the early dayß. But has anything been heard by Mr Seddon about a book tbat has just been published by Arthur W. Jose, entitled ' The Hißtory of the Commonwealth ?' If he has not, it would be as well if he procures a oopy and looks it through. Tbe language used by Sir George O'Brien regarding the early dealings with the Maoris is scarcely stronger than the statements in that book. The writer speaks trenchantly of the doings of the New Zealand Land Settlement Company, and declares that all he says about their land transactions iB supported by documentary evidence. He aIBO has muoh to say about the then governing bodies and oertain laws that were passed by them aa affecting the natives. In faot, there are many eye-openers to the reader. Probably, the Premier will take aotion to vindicate the early native policy of New Zealand. Member John Bollard is not makin j any great headway in the House with that workmen's home sobeme, and more's the pity. For about four yeara this energetio member has been pegging away for these homes for the workmen, and has told the House of a nice piece of land out Avondale way that oould almost be had for the asking, and whioh he reokoned would grow things while you waited. Now he is at it again, and haß drawn from the Minister the old, old Btory that he has ' not lost sight ' of the scheme. Whioh prompts tbe suggestion that if Waiternata does not succeed thiß year, it would not be a bad idea for Witheford or Palmer, or some other member who wants to be glorified in one aot, to take the matter up and get it Bettled. Of course, there are no valid reasons why Bollard should not have the same ohanoes as Palmer or Witheford, but there is the invalid one that John iB a commission agent, and there are bo many selfißh people who think that with John it's a case of one for you and two for me. To those who know Mr Bollard, it goes without saying that he wonld not take a copper in commission, but there are others who say there is just a risk — they are the people who do not know him But we do want/-thoee homes, and if Mr Bollard fails this time, why, let the soheme be tackled by others.

What a difference between the glorious send-off given to tbe departing oontingents and the milk-and-watery weloome home after the hardships and perils of the campaign. The weloome last Thursday was a very tame affair. Most of the returning troopers Blipped away to join their friends at tbe Bt ation, or immediately afterwards, and the band of heroes paraded throngh Qneen-street consisted chiefly of khaki individuals who bave been weloomed half-a-dozen times, and who still oome up smiling in uniform again and again to Bhare the honour and glory. How tbe women do enjoy a military parade? They thronged the streets in thousands, stepping it out alongside the band with the stride of grenadiers, and some of them intermingling with the troopers and exchanging affeotionate greetings and embraces that the more modest female relatives of the soldiers preferred to keep for the privacy of their homes. The lunoh was the best part of the reception, the speeches being brief and to the point, and an enthusiastic patriotio spirit being dominant. The dignified row about social precedence, at present raging between Lady Stoat and Mrs Seddon, and whioh the King or Bomebody higher has been asked to settle, makes good reading, and prompts the question, for about the five hundredth time, of where we're all going to ? The men had a shot at tbis sort of thing at the opening of Parliament, but it didn't last long. All tbat was said was this, that as the Tory side were all cookedhatless and only plain Misters, and the Demootatic were mostly Sirs, with plenty of frill, and Court-suitß for their manly forms, it waß time the Tories gave up and bad a re-ohristening. That was all. But wben the ladieß get about it, don't tbey make the feathers fly, and keep it up and let creation know. It will be a matter of regret to oitizecß to learn that Mr Lindsay Cooke, who is regarded as the prinoe of looal hotelkeepers, has resolved to retire from the Albert Hotel, whioh has been oonduoted With such signal BUOoeBS for so many years.' Mr ahd Mrs Cooke are anxious for a spell of rest for a period, and the Btep deoided upon is tbe only available means to that end. Mr Arthur Bach, of Rotorua, takes over the Albert. Among the guests at a leading hotel some months ago in Wellington, tbere was a oharming young lady who was fairly conversant with a great many subjects. Some reoently - formed acquaintances and herself were discussing genealogy, and were deep in the intrioaoiea of Burke and Debrett. ' I lay olaim myself to an ancient lineage,' Bhe exclaimed. ' I am a daughter of the Revolution.' 'How interesting I' 'Yob, my father runß a merry-go-round,' she Baid. Mr David Craig, general manager of the New Zealand Fire and Marine Insuranoe Association, has taken up tbe cudgels for this oolony in the Australian States. He has been trying to prove that Mr Seddon is not responsible for New Zealand's action in keeping ont of the Federation. If otber prominent New Zealanders will be good enough to tell the Australians that New Zealand haß a people as well as a Premier, who have ideas of their own about Federation, they will do this isolated oountry a good turn. The people of New Zealand are more inolined to assimilate than to be assimilated. If New Zealand wanted to beoome a sort of marine suburb of Australia, and desired all her advanced legislation to be merged into the laws of the Commonwealth, the probabilities are that it would meekly merge, even though the Premier spoke for fortyeight hours against it.

One scarcely expected that Major George would part with Seahorse, and ao hie eale oomes ac a surprise. He appears well sold, too, at 2000 guineas. Mr Gollan is to be wißhed better luok with Seahorse than he has had with some of his other notable purchases. A grand ball is announced for Thursday, August Ist, in aid of the funds of tbe Booiety for ths Protection of Women and Children. The excellent being done by thia sooiety is well known, and its claims are paramount. The arrangements are la the hands of a strong and influential oommittee, and Meredith's nand will supply the music. Further particulars will be fonnd in the advertisements.