IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WORSE.

Observer, Volume XXI, Issue 1196, 30 November 1901, Page 4

IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WORSE.

Jackson Palmer, M. H.R. for Ohinemuri, ban gone up another little step in the favour of that electorate. On his journey through Paeroa last week he left with the county authorities full particulars regarding the votes that were made to it in the Estimate*. He also put them on the way of getting a>l that was due to them at once, so that works that are better done in the summer-time could be proceeded with, instead of standing over until all the red-tapeism is complied with, which means until the winter-time, and sometimes a good many winter-times.

Archibald John McNeil has got into trouble through his recnt little excursions among the orphans and other innocent and confiding folk. He has had meted out to him the sentence of three years' exile to the garden of Eden, where he will, without any doubt, have sufficient leisure to reflect upon the vanity of the V.C., and will doubtless hear in his dreams the cry.of the orphans — whom he so cruelly wronged. It is characters of McNeil s stamp that so often bring into disrepute — if they go undetected — deserving folk.

Annie Taylor, who acquired the opium habit in the Chinese dens in Auckland, and is now a lunatic in consequence, furnishes the most telling example we have yet had in New Zealand of the results of this accursed practice, and of the necessity that existed for a law against the importation of opium. From all that we can gather, there is no room for doubt that this young woman owes her present condition to the indulgence of opium, and the pity of it is that the creatures who induced that indulgence cannot be imprisoned for life. (Goodness knows, we have vices enough of our own without permitting the degrading and very worst vices. ot the Chinese to be practised in our midst and amongt our own people, and especially to the extent that we believe it was practiced on Annie Taylor.

A few days ago, this victim to the habit, who appeared in the Court in a dazed and stupefied state, pleaded to the magistrate that she was completely at the mercy of the Chinese, and an inquiry into her statement was promised ; but it is doubtful, seeing that the woman is since deranged, whether the inquiry will do any good. It is too late to take her testimony, and on that account it is probable there will not be any punishment for the harm that, has been done to her. The law to prevent the lauding on these shores of opium: should be rigorously enforced. >

A peculiar ease oame before a Court in the Waikato, recently, in which a certain Feck gave, as he thought, a £1 note to a certain Robert Charming to square a debt. Subsequently, Feck thought he had made a mistake and given a five-pound note instead of a one, The case was dismissed, but the possibilities of such things are enormous. Since it is the intention which constitutes the crime, if five pounds were given where one wa« intended, clearly there was no intention to cheat. But suppose one was given, and five intended? What then? Is that a crime, and could the other recover when no wrong was intended, especially when it is only word against word? The moral of it all is, "Look before you leap " into paying up.

Mr Caldwell, president of theChanil»er of Comiperce, complained to that body the other day that the Assets realisation Board were keeping the Board's estates in the Waikato closed up, and the Chamber passed a resolution urging the Government to immediately cut up the properties and place them on the market. But as all the urging, so far, has had about as much effect as daylight on a blind man, it weem* to follow that the resolution of the Chamber will be pigeon-holed or cremated as soon as it reaches Wellington, and that we shall hear no more about it. What is wanted is that the billets on the Board should be honorary instead of paid. If that were the case, the Board would not wait for any resolutions, and no urging would be necessary. They would simply sell, and beat the drapers for alarming sacrifices. But they are paid, and they don't want to be Horatios, without an occupation ; and that makes the difference.

A good story is told al>out a J.}\ who sits occasionally on the Bench away up Ohineinitri way. He was hear in;,' a charge of abusive language, and the words complained of were described by one of the witnesses as " phlegmatic." The J.P. scratched his head and looked puzzled. Then he asked the clerk, who was sitting alongside, for a dictionary. His Worship spoke in a wliinper, but he's from the Emerald Isle, arid the whole Court heard him, and laughed suppressedly. The book was brought in, and the J.P. looked up the Fs and fossicked diligently. Whereupon the • clerk also in a stage whisper, and amidst more- suppressed laughter, said, "Try the Ps." The P's were hunted up and the word hit upon, and the J. P., with an awfully learned look, told the witness to. proceed. .

Dr Portfer passed through Auekhind: F 'o!tt ! y his return from, the South id' / * his home and practice -at. Waihi He is looking fit and no wonder! His trip on behalf of the Equitable Insaranoe •Company has been as lucrative tfi'ifc was' important. His return to the capital of the auriferous districts wilLbe an occasion of joy. to all and as balm unto the sick' ana sickly.

H&rdham, V.€., fa, of course, the sabject of many yarns, all of which 'are more or leaa new to him. An old couple at Petone, whqr knew the hero, but little of the traditfons of the Army, were reading the paper together. " Hello I' 1 said the old man, " I see Bill Hardham has got the V.C "Dear, dear," said the old lady, who had heard of the "D.T. V " I do hope it won't be serious !"