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Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 26, 1 October 1894, Page 13

Max O’Rell says, in his book on Australia, that John Bull got possession of these Colonies' bv no expenditure of blood but by a plentiful supply of whisky. This is a great mistake. The early missionaries and whalers won over the Natives by filling them up with rum, and fiery, poisonous rum, at that. Twenty years ago there was very little whisky drunk in the Colonies. It was all rum, brandy,' and “ square face”—all three of equally villainous quality.

Travellers are growling a good doal over the very noticeable falling off in the “ tucker” on the Union boats. But the fares have fallen, too, though not on the coastal trips. What nonsense it is that one pays the same to go to Napier at ordinary times as we can go to Sydney for —when the Huddart, Parker boat is jigging. Wanted!—more competition in the interprovincial as well as the intercolonial trade.

The Hawke’s Bay sheep-farmers are a mean lot. Simply because Russell was nearly defeated at the last election, and because Liberals sit for Napier and Waipawa, they intend to spite the working man by only employing Maoris to do their shearing. So at least the story goes.