TOPICS of the DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 199, 20 August 1904, Page 11

TOPICS of the DAY.

(From Our Social Correspondent.) (Continued from page 9). LONDON, July 8. "BOM_ RULE." Protestant Ireland ha* been for some time past seething with indignation against the administration of Irish affairs at Dublin Castle, and one cannot be surprised thereat. The recent disclosures regarding what is popularly known as the "Anderson case are quite enough to account for tbe outbursts of popular feeling against the present adinin is t ration.

The facts of this ease received little attention out—de Ireland till attention was drawn to tbe matter in the House of Commons receutlv, but they are

worth recounting briefly, if only to show what power an intolerant priest can wield in certain parts of the "distressfill" land, and to whai base ends spiritual aseendc-m-v may be used.

l_s>t airtumn .lorro .\ndeison. a Protestant officer of the Uo_\a! Irish Constabulary, willi 17 years of good and faithful service at hi-> back and two special commendations for exemplary performance oi his duties, was stationed at Kiltinragh in County >ia.vo. He became engaged to a Ifotnan Catholic girl of the neighbourhood. Tne Roman Catholic parish priest. Father O'Hara, made many efforts to prevent the ma.vriage. but the engaged couple would brook no interference. Eventually, on Tfilie mm ion of O'Hara., charges were preferred against Anderson, demanding ins transfer from "Kiltimagh upon three counts —firstly, alleged improper relations with the givl I to whom the constable is row married) : secondly, alleged filthy language nnblie.ly used: thirdly, alleged breach of regulations re entering public-bouses. The first invesfigation of the vase was held in September, and Ander-.on was acquitted without reserve. I'pon the first •count the Court found that there wns "no evidence to prove any impropriety:" upon the second, that the charge was based upon the hearsay evidence of three-boys, and upon the direct fbut contradicted) statement of another boy. and that "no four; could convict upon this charge:" whilst upou the third the countervailing evidence was greatly iv the constable's favour. Having stood his trial, and having beeu honourably acquitted, Anderson no doubt imagined he bad heard the last of the charges. But he was soon undeceived. By some agency, not yet clearly disclosed, a second trial wns obtained before a differently-constituted Court. I'pon -this occasion the constable was found guilty of charges one and three, but tic-quitted upon charge two. An extreme penalty was imposed—viz.. dismissal from tbe service, which was finally confirmed in January of this year.

Such a travesty of justice could not be passed over, and great efforts were made by Andorson's friends to get the ease examined into by the Chief Secretary, Mr Wyndbnm. Tn February last he inquired into the matter aud showed his opinion of t.he second Court's finding by reinstating Anderson and ordering .ill his back pay to be paid tip.

Justice has been done to Anderson, but tho morale of tho R.I.C. has received a severe shock, for it is now established beyond doubt that Iho entire motive power rt£CLiliv.-t the -constable was the priest, who made no secret of his desire 1o get Anderson out of tho parish, and in pursuance of his determination. ami whilst Anderson's ease was still sub judiee. act—ifly approached Sir A. MacDunneil. the Under-Secretary for Ireland. upon the easi? —tho accuser ill communication wit Ii the official who was to decide on tb-o fate of the accused, aud did so! Xo wonder I»rcrU>stanls in Ireland have "got their -back:-, up." when the iuflueuce of a priest call .succeed iv breaktug a Protestant civil servant, as Art derson was actually broken until Mr Wyndhaiu's intervention.

RTUR__. _ITG_——T>*S DECI-—_.

Out by fie'd and hedgerow the air is heavy with the scent of new-mown bay. A casual inspection of tiie country-side, say from flic window* of a train, would lead the traveller to believe that the r_glish farmer grows nothing else but hay. Things have not come just yet to' such a" pass, but they seem to be tending in that direction. The reduction in lhe area of "iainl under the plough has gone on steadily, except for a few slight checks, since IS7o. Last year 172.000 acres were withdrawn from arable cultivation. Tiiis brings the total below IC-V million seres, or three millions less than it was :n\ years ago. A New ZealuTHiev who treated us to ;i column of criticism in tap "Standard" the oilier day mi English farming methods declared that there seemed to be a '•mania fc- buy" in the country. But it is unfair lo call it n mania if lhe unhappy farmer has no option in the mutter: if. that is. he finds it more profitable or less unprofitable to grow hay rallirr than wheat. And in many eases that i-» just the position. Xo doubt his methods of farming are capable of much improvement, but can a man who has only. say. 10(1 to 150 acres afford to go in for a variety of expensive machines, or can a number of small farmers co-operate with any profit in the purchase 'and use of such machinery when each will be wanting to harvest his crops about the same time? Then, again, the imports of foreign produce into Kv.u'.aed are growing every year. The agricultural returns for UK)— issue.l Tiki- week, contain seme strikiu:; am! significant figures. "Tiie chief item calling for notice in the iinnortation of cereal?,'' «ays lhe report, •'is- the reri'iTkabie increase in the impoits of wheat." The aggregate imports nf wheal ami Hour amounted, it appears, lo .",8:17.000 tmis —which Is ■i41.00H ions mor<- than \v„s received into the country in any previous year. Of this g:v:»t total 4._»0.00U tons came from foreign countries, and the balance from India and tiie colonies. The imports of beef unci mutton, live cattle and sheep, butter. e!;ee.se and apples till showed an increase from 11)03. British possessions provided IS per cent, oi tho import of cereals. -\ per cent, of the dead meat, und J4 per cent, of the butter. Tn Enstiand meanwhile there was a (bcreaiP <•! 1 •!."■.O'-M acre? in the land ituder wheal, retiming the area to 4.5 C '2.WO acres. 'lhe barley area fell by 51.1K.WJ acres in 1.555.000 n'cres. which is the lotvp.n area on record for barley. ]_niU in potato cultivation wore less by nearly 10,000 acres, and that under turnips and swedes le-s by 5000 acres. Oats now occupy by far the largest portion of the area under cereals in tlus country.

A LABOURERS WINDFALL.

A week ago Harry Dawson was "clown on his kick" and glad to earn a sore-

reign a week for fourteen hours' labour each day. To-day he is a saloon, passenger on the good >hip Aurania. bound for New York, and handling in his mind a cool £10.000.

When lie embarked on the Aurania la»t Wednesday, the contrast between hi~ position and that which he occupied a : year ago nui.-L have struck hint very forcibly. Then he was handling; the luggage of purse-proud travellers horn "the other >ide" as a landing stage porter, with a small wage, and his oniy "expectations" lay in the direction nf "tips." Vet even then he was in reality a £10.000 man. though he had not the- slightest inkling of the fact, and but for the loving loyalty of a sister he had. not seen since infancy he would still be slaving in a Liverpool"oil-cake mill for a pound a week. Dawson's story ran soon be told. When still quite a child he aud his only sister became orphans. His >ister was adoptei by friends, who after a time emigrated to America. Dawson, by this time in his teens, could have accompanied the party, but preferred to remain in England and shift for himself. He m—Je a poor job of it, and, being ignosant of any trade, was compelled to join the ranks of the. vast army of unskilled labour, and to seek a livelihood in various towns. At length lie drifted to Liverpool, and after a period "on the rocks" found precarious employment as a decker. .Subsequently he became a landing stage porter, but finding hU comings uncertain and meagre at all lime, "jumped at" tbe chance of a regular job at £1 a week. Meanwhile his sister in America had married a prosperous wine and spirit merchant, and about a year ago she received news from South America to the effect that an uncle had died there leaving an estate valued at over £20,000 for division between her brother and herself. She at ouce communicated with friends iv England, asking them to try to trace her brother Harry. Pie. however, had dropped all his old friends, and no trace of him could be found. But the sister was not to be beaten. She came to England with her husband some months ago, and the pair instituted a thorough search for the missing heir. For a long time their labours were in vain, but a fortnight ago tbey got upon Harry Dawson's trail, followed it up, and finally van their qnarry to earth at his lodgings in the Scotland road quarter of Liverpool. Harry was naturally greatly surprised" to see his sister, but the news she brought him was very welcome. Without waste of time the long-lost heir was provided with raiment suit—de to his new position, and passages for the trio booked by the Aurania. Dawson's claim to the half share in his late uncle's estate is entirely unopposed, and his proofs of identity are beyond cavil.

MARIE COR___l AND "THE HAPPY LIFE."

The pleasures and pains of the literary life are the subject of Miss Marie Corelli's article on "The Happy Life." in the July number of the ''Strand Maga-

zinc." A feature of especial interest in connection with the article is a fullpage portrait of Miss Corelli—the first authentic: portrait of that lady yet published. Shi, tabulates the ''outward or apparent" emoluments of the.literary life as follows: 1. Certain payments, small or large, made by publishers' who undertake to present one's brain-work to lhe world in print, and who do the best- they can for their authors, as well as forr themselves. ~2. Public appreciation and condemns- | tion. about equally divided. :>. Critical praise and «—sure, six of one and half a dozen of Übe other. 4. Endless requests for autographs. r>. Innumerable begging letters. <i. Imperative, sometinuss threatening, demands for '•interviews." 7. Hundreds of love-letters. 8. Continual offers of marriage (average number one per week). li. Shoals of MS— sal hy literary aspirants to be "pl_»d" or ' s n?eom_ended." 10. Free circulation of Ikjs. oarica'tures, and slanders eoweer—_g oneself, one's persona lily, friends, ways of work, and general surroundings. 11.The grudging and bitter aniimasily of rival confcempoi'a.rie.s; 12. Persistent public und private misrepresentation of one's ch_racter, aims and intentions. And here are a few of the "inward" pleasures with which, it seems, the literary person is blessed. I. The power and afiiueitce of areative thought. -. A perpetual seHse of inlinnyte participation in the wonders of Zsiature and Art. :i. A keen perception- of the beautiful. 4. Intense delight in the genijts of all great men and women. ."). A cheerful and contented s.pirit. (i. Constant variety of occupation. 7. -Joy in simple tilings. 5. The love of friends that are tried and true. '.). The never-wearying irtf*_est of working io try and give pleasutice-to one's reading public. 10. The gifts and glories of imagination. 11. Tranquility of mind. 12. Virrn faith in noble ideais. Were all the lives in the world offered to Miss Marie Corelli, "'from tbe estale of queen's to that of -.oiumoiiers." she would choose tiie Life Literary as-ensur-ing the greatest happiness.