WESTPORT NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 3, 14 May 1897, Page 6

WESTPORT NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By ■• Oi,d Identity.")

MERCHANDISE WHAIII'.

LICENSING ELECTION.

STATE SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTION.

A CADETSHIP.

Mr. Maurice O'Connor, the contractor for the extension of the merchandise *• hart', is making good progress with the work, as is his usual cuntom.

The election of licensing committee for the Buller district resulted in the return of the following gentlemen, in the order named : — Messrs. James Colvin, Robert Carr, John Marshall, John O'Neill and W. Irving. There were ten candidates nominated — five Westportians. four Reeftonites and one Lyellite — and something like 1300 electors exercised the franchise. The poll was a heavy one considering there were not the same facilities afforded for voting as existed at the general election. Polling booths were only provided at the principal centres of population. The Westport friends of Mr. John Flynn, of Grey Valley, were pleased to see him re-elected on the Grey licensing committee.

More than ordinary interest was evinced this year in the local State school committee election, which took place at the Town Hall on Monday night last. No less than five and twenty persons were

nominated, and went to the poll, amongst the number being half-a-dozen Catholics. The possibility of the "Cawtholics" getting 1 the balance of voting power on the committee into their hands waß, in ,he opinion of the narrow-minded bigots, a dreadful calamity which they were called upon to avert by fair or foul means, and I can assure you there was a very large sprinkling of the alarmists mentioned amongst the \'.V.) voters who put in an appearance, hut a large percentage of them wasted their voting power in informal votes (of which there were a large number), or on Orangemen, everyone of whom went under. It is only on occasions such as these — when carried away by the excitement of the hour, and the low cunning sinks to the bottom — that many individuals (men and women) act and speak as they inwardly feel : it is then the wonderful mask, bearing the brand or £. s. d., is cast aside. Although only one Catholic (Mr. Robert Carr) secured a seat the majority of our people are of opinion that the committee elected will be found possessed of fairplay and justice in the matter of appointing teachers. The election proceedings lasted until two o'clock on Tuesday morning, but the business was conducted in a most orderly manner. Several wharf labourers are petitioning the Nelson Education Board to upset the election on the ground of irregularities. The principal ground of complaint is that the polling booth was closed five minutes before the hour appointed (10.30 p.m.), thus disfranchising them.

Mr. Bernard McGee has been gazetted a cadet in the Post and Telegraph Department. Mr. McGee has served his term of probation in the local office, and his many friends will be pleased to hear of his advancement in the service.

Mr Gawne. of Dunedin (says the Southland Times of April 13 18'.)1), has just been on a visit to Invercargill to push business a little. Not that it wants much canvassing, for since he commenced the manufacture of his Worcestershire Sauce, the demand has kept pace with his capacity to supply it. He makes a really good thing, indistinguishable from the famous Lea and Perrin's, which he places upon one's table at a much lower price, and trusts to that to secure a steadily growing trade. Those who have not yet tried the colonial article should put their prejudice aside for a time and test the question with a bottle or two. — Advt.