Comments on Passing Events.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1901, 12 November 1886, Page 2

Comments on Passing Events.

(Bv Colonial ) Wellington, Nov 6, 1886. The Mayoral Election.

ht From the time of Dransfield to the fillup of the position by Mr A. W. Brown, the civic chair has not been a bed of rosea to the two . gentlemen who, during those years, were ia i occupation. Unfortunately for them the a people’s choice was io direct opposition to the 3 Press, sod the "people’s William” aud tha * " people's George ” got some rather rough i y handling at the baud', of the local Press—in r * fact, they were, figuratively speaking, jumped iy upon. 1 have heard a very good reason why 8 ' one of the local paper* so unmercifully treat! th« member for South Wellington, but why 1 Mr Hutchison came in for so mnoh advene 2 criticism I never could discover. Perhaps it 3 was because be, like nine-tenths of those who id act the role of the" Working Man’s Friend,” it was a thorough going hnmbug. 1 know that ie tke above estimate is about correct, at 1 have id had a slight experierr: of the “ Working a Man’s Friend” poli .oians, and from the ig knowledge gained would prefer supporting a st man who declared himself an enemy of tha n working man for reasons which are obvious. However, there should be a line drawn be* ir tween fair criticism and personal abuse, «upd peeing a public man should prove himself a a humbug. But lam sorry to say that abuse n ia very often need through lack of ability to critioise. It seems rather strange that for something like seven yean the Press should have been in direct opposition to tbs people, 1 but so it was in the case cf Messrs Hutchinson 2 and Fisher. I am rather inclined to the 3 belief that the Press had a good deal of right a on its side when it objected to these gentle* e men filling the position they did, though it ia a only a matter of opinion. Speaking of tha '. difference existing between the choice of the s people and the choice of the Press, I might i refer back to the time when tha Hall-Atkinaon v party were in the field against the Grey or , Liberal party. As tar as my memory servee ) me the leading paper of Canterbury was 1 strongly opposed to the Hall party, yet Can* terbury sent about two.thirdi of its members , ia favor of that party, and the opposite to I this took place in Otago. Coming back to the subject of the Wellington civic chair it f seems that the Press and the people more , nearly joined issue in tbs choice of Mr A. W. ' Brown. How the next election is going to satisfy the conflicting opinions of the Press and people is a matter of speculation, but now that Mr Fisher has retired from the eoni test, for reasons boat known to himself, there is very little donbt but what Mr S. Brown will be elected. When speaking on the subject of the Mayoral election the name Brown is very often need without initials and then the ques* tion ia asked, " Which Brown ?” Now, it so happens that one keeps a grocer's shop and the other a coal and wood yard, so the question is answered by the perhaps not over polite appendage of "Tea and Sugar ” Brown, or “Wood and Coal" Brown, as the case may be. A Tea or Wab. A rather unusual sight was witnessed the other day in Willis-street on the occasion of a large boiler- the size of a smalt bouse—being hauled from the foundry to near the railway wharf. About two hundred men were palling and tagging sway at this small moan* tain of lion, which gave one the idea of a picture representing the slaves of the Bgyp* tisn Kings hauling tbe huge stone* for the pyramids. It is hj matter of fact, that with all our inventions, we have not advanced in thie instance a single step for several thousand yean, or tbe above would lead one to suppose so. The First o standees Probation Act. This is perhaps one of the heat Acts which baa ever been placed on the statute-book, although it ia not at present properly under* stood. It is on* of those advanced liberal measures which shows that tyranny, despot* ism, and all nnoharitabUnaes are gradually fading away in the shades of the poet. There are times when one and all art liable to devU ate from the straight path, little or mneh, owing to adveisity, and this Act give* a safe retreat to those have given way to temptation in a moment of weakness. On* offender against the law who cam* before tbe Mart the other day desired to take advantage of thie Act,bathe unfortunately possessed, u the Judge put it, ”No Character,” and Motived the sentence of the Court. Be it would atem that it would be just a* well to be in pogMS* ■ion of a character of some sort if it is only • M OM.