Comments on Passing Events.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1903, 17 November 1886, Page 2

Comments on Passing Events.

(Br Colonial.) Wellington, Nov 12, 1886. Wellington Cricket. Id the early days of cricket in Wellington 50 and 60 runs used to be about the average for an innings and the scores were in propor-tion-double figures from 10 to 20 were something to be prond of. lam referring to nearly a quarter of a century ago, when Buck was the Spofforth of those days, he being the only round arm bowler. About the highest score that was made at that time, if I recollect right, was 45 in a second class match and was contributed by a well known resident in your district. Cricket has wonderfully improved since then, but more particularly within the last few years. I was on the ground on Saturday witnessing the play in the various cup matches, when some of the highest individual scores which have ever been made in Wellington by local men were run up—namely, 96, 83, 68, and 32 besidee other good scores; and the one innings of the Wellington C.C. and Star C.C. closed for 219 and about 170 respectively. I believe it is the intention of the Wellington Association to play the Australian team with eighteen ; but notwithstanding the high scores made on Saturday, and ttiat cricket has improved at least 50 per cent, since the first visit of the Australians some uine years age, 1 am inclined to think that twenty two would only make a good natch with a chance of Welling ion winning. I noticed two of Greytown's old cricketer < ligunug on thegiound on Saturday—namely, J. Hawke and Bonaldson. Smi'i'iNG ami Boating Casualties, The frequency of wrecks and accidents has been a mailer of general remark lately, and some seveie stnctures have been made on master mariners in consequence. One paper thinks that if there was a lunging match with some of them, the general public might travel with some degree of safety. The master of the ss. Tin, Mr Pope, who managed to tun his vessel on a reef not far fiom a lighthouse, has been made to sutler for the sins of many others, who, perhaps, were equally to blame, by having his certificate cancelled. This, no doubt, will act as S preventative if it is followed up by an other masters who exhibit lire slightest careless* ness having their certificates cancelled likewise. Coming to boat accidents, there is a difficulty as to tinding a preventative. There certainly has been an unusual number of boat accidents lately, and perhaps one of the saddest which has occurred in New Zealand for some time past is the one which happened at Christchurch, when four young gills met with a watery grave. H there is no other remedy or means of preventing this frequency, the Press, at least, should say a word or two on the subject. What with the accidents which do occur and the dozens that are only avoided by the slightest chance, shows that there is a want of experience, a great deal of carelessness, and by far too much foolish bravado. To some extent owners of boats are to blame by allowing their boats to bo over crowded. On the Prince of Wales' birthday, I and four others went to hire a boat, and was first offered one which oer« tainly wasonly tit fur one or two. considering the roughness of the sea, and we refused to take it ; had we not done so another boating accident might have been recorded. The Gold Fever,

On near); every occasion, when times arc hard, gold fields spring up in all direction!, and the only questionable blessing which wu left in Pandora’s box, “ Hope ” beats high in the breasts of many individuals when a report of a " find ” is announced, only to be " crushed again ” when it turns out mythical. However, it did seem as thonghKimberley was going to turn out something good, and, as far as I am concerned, shall not despair of good results coming from that field until 1 hear definitely from the party wno left your town, knowing as I do that they were well provided and had any amount of “ pluck ■’ As far as 1 can see thousands went there, or pait of the way, who were possessed of neither one or the other; and it is from these that all the bad reports have arisen. Dozens went from Wellington and after a trip on shore were so scared at the prospects, have returned, poorer and wiser men than when they left An attempt was made by the Government to raise a goldfield in the Big Bay district, which has turned out a big failure. Many other attempts have been made to find a goldfield in New Zealand to prevent people from leaving these shores, but without success. In fact, the gold business is retting like the mines, “ played out.” 1 heard the other day of a well kuown Wellington resident selling a thousand shares in a West Coast mine fora colonial Robert. for the imple reason that no dividends ever fell to his share, but the “ calls ” were frequent. In other words goldmiuing has arrived at that stage when it requires, figuratively speaking, more money to be suns in the mine than is ever taken out. I understand, however, that in the instance of these shares, which were sold’so cheap, that they have risen to £llos per share, an exceptional circumstance in goldmining at the present time. Railway Fabbs. On the Prince of Wales’ Birthday a gentleman in Wellington and two members of his family, desired to go only as far as Kaitoke, and although the fares were advertised as 5s to Greytown single fare, he was asked 7s 4d for the single ticket or 22s for the three to go to Kiitoke—half the distanee—thus paying 7s more than be would have had to pay to go to Greytown. It did no strike him in (be hurry or be would have taken ticket* for Greytown and got out at Kaitoke and thus saved 7s. If an engine driver had made (ha same gross blunder in the management of his train as was made in this Instance in the management of the railway he would have been dismissed, and so ought those responsible for this ridiculous anomaly. (To be Continued).