Comments on Passing Events.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2023, 28 January 1887, Page 2

Comments on Passing Events.

W»,unqio», Jas 24. Tee CaunlpL Case, Your readers will tekiember the case o( Poppins who cleared oaffto Australis and was brougut back again ; thri would also perhaps remember that this Ohtfmol was one of the chief instigators in havitt him brought back. However, such was the ise. It seems that Oheymol weut to a haul master in Wellington at the time Popptte was on bis wa; back and asked the sawbandmaster whether his band wonld turn > out and play the liogues Match ” when: Poppins arrived at the wharf. It is needles* to say the baud did not turn oat. It wiH be seen by the late proceedings that CbeytObl has earned for himself, though he is not jlikeiy to get it, a compliment which he wsl anxious for others to receive. 1 REIIUiNCUMENt AoAIR, I notice that the pady paid country postmasters are to havejpir commissious stopped oa business oatsuani their psrtiou*

lar department. It is a hard case no doubt, but there is no alteroativ.- hut to grin and bear it Those who could veiy well afford to have some taken off their acre*, and w.at is more, deserve to have it taken off on lie ground that they do not earn half what they receive, are too high and mighty for the Government to tackle, so it falls on those who do not possess the influence of rich uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces, as is the esse with the higb-salaned. notbing-to-do mismansgereverytbing. anobocraticcfficials in the Government service. Oatsids Government eervice it is a matter of the survival of the fittest, or those have ‘he most ability succeed the best. It is the opposite inside the Government *”><*• those who have the most influcnM succeed. ability being looked upon as a eeoonMiy consideration. ASNIVKBtIRV Dll. The regatta used to be the chief feature in the programme of amusements lor Anniversary Day, but it appears to be possessing loss interest year by year. From the ordinary onlookers’ point of view the whole »® iir '? ok * like a farce ; bat there is no doubt to those particularly interested, by means of owning boats or having friends connected with them, ■ hat a little excitement is caused by the various contests. Taking the whole affair as an attraction for the general pnblio it u certainly a failure. There are not enough pulling races, in which so many people take an interest—not nearly so many as there used to be—tod altogether only % few uoo* dred people can be found to look on the monotonous eight of aeeing a few yachts sailing round the harbor. W. B. WaTEita’ Cast. The case of W. B. Waters is, perhaps, the subject uppermost in the minds of the Wellington public just at the present time. It is not generally so serious a case has its comical aspects, but there is certainly some. hing, if not comical, most peculiar in the whole transaction. First of all, we boat of the Northern Land and Loan Company, for which Waters was secretory, being wound up to place its finanoes on a more satisfactory looting. This was before Waters’ bankruptcy was announced. Now we have it admitted that the loss of that company by Waters is nearly £2,000 It must be very consoling to the shareholders to know that after £2 000 has been spent in keeping one individual in luxuries, that the company will be wound up, and tue whole affair will be put straight and ihings go on as jrMv aa ever. This matter opens the question a- ti whether directors of such companies are ""i just as responsible as were the directors nf the Glasgow or any other bank, and whei ier they should not be punished according y, and if they are not responsible whether they should not be made so and to suffer for any negligence on their part. However, it appears that no action was intended to be taken by the directors against Waters for the deficiency. If a man helps himself to a pair of troosere banging on a nail in front of a shop be is hunted down by the police and “ run in, and duly punished ; but not so a man who borrows (?) £2OOO without saying a word to anybody. Then comes the peculiarities of the law. Waters is allowed to take a change lev the good of his health, bat not to leave the colony ; be, however, takes a ticket for Melbourne, and the Official Assignee suepects something, and asks for a warrant lor his arrest. Waters is therefore srrested ill Dunedin and brought back to Wellington, The judge who granted the warrant after it has been brought under his notice, si]s the warrant is illegal, and the action taken under it ia proved illegal bj himself, who first still it was legal. Waters is accordingly diecharged. The jndge is applied to again tnd gives another warrant tor the arrest of Waters, who after enjoying three hours’ of freedom, is a second time taken into custody. The judge has been applied to a second time to show cause why Waters should be kept in custody, but whether he will again declare hie own warrant illegal is not yet known. Thie case, like that of Waring Taylor, is, to say the least of it, a very sad one. It is not as though Waters alone was brought to account for his extravagance, but a whole circle of families are dragged into the whirlpool of disgrace caused by his foolish, thoughtless, or utterly regardless action. To divine a cause for such conduct is difficult. Home people are led on to ruin lot want of moral courage to resist the temptations around them. Others come to grief by little minded vanity, or in other words, the jackdaw and the peacock feathers are repeated by human being ; others desire to equal their neighbors in “ cutting a dash ” with only half the income. There is no doubt tbat the “ gilded age ” through which we passed soma years ago led many into extravagances which they were unable to maintain, and which they had not the moral courage to resist, and utter and irretrievable ruin is the result. Conoaui*