LOAFER IN THE STREET.

Press, Volume XXX, Issue 4098, 14 September 1878, Page 5

LOAFER IN THE STREET.

The laws in connection with newspapers in Japan are very seTere. A draft of proposed amended regulations of a Ices stringent kind is, I learn from the " Japan Gazette," under the considerations < f the Qen-10-in, whoever he is. From this draft it appears that the intention of the authorities is to abolish imprisonment, and to substitute, therefore, purely pecuniary punishments for Press offences. This must be good news for the Jap. paper men, for assuming they are like you and mc, and never trot round with a credit balance of more than about umteen pence, they can sling the ink of libel and wield the pen of sarcasm with a sweet freedom to which they have been hitherto strangers. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but it don't ran as a rule to money. Aβ a profession, buying bottles or peddling pork pies is far ahead of it. In looking over the last number of the " Country Journal" the other day, at a friend's house, I came across a very interesting article on Ferns. It appears there is a genus called Boodia. I was reading about the sweet frond when I heard a he voice under the window saying, in tone of suppressed emotion, " Oh, Doodia, Doodia." On looking out I saw a gentle butcher's assistant kiesiDg the female domestic. They Do-deared a whole lot, and seemed to derive considerable satisfaction therefrom. Then I went back and learned from the paper on Ferns that " the genus Doodia, as represented in New Zealand, is under cultivation at the Royal Gardens at Kew." I should say people will like it. A good story has reached mc in connection with the recent banqueting in Dunedin. The bill of fare comprised a peculiar mixture of French and English, the French names .being set out in separate lines between the English ones. During the banquet, a string band played several selections. A northern visitor, whoso,knowledge of French was a bit limited, enquired of his next neighbor from what opera the selection " Agneau Koti" was taken. The boys heard the story, and the Northern man flies at you now if you ask him whether he don't like Boast Lamb by the Band. Apropos of selections, the band at the Christchurch banquet were rather rough on the Ministry when the toast of His Excellency's Advisers was proposed. The air they considered appropriate to the occasion was " The Vicar of Bray," who, judging from the opinions expreesed in the touching lyric that bears his name, would have done well in New Zealand as a politician. A recent telegram informs us thata Samoan native has been flogged for a drunken assault on a European. The Native judge stated that it wes his intention to suppress all outrages on foreign residents in a similar manner. They are a long way behind high clase civilisation in Samoa. In New Zealand, the authorities would, under like circumstances, send a Native some blankets and flour and sugar, and apologise to him for his name having: inadvertently crept into the local: papers. There are champions and champions of the fair sex. The horo of the following little story, which I learn from a Northern journal, is one Style. There was a meeting in his district of a Benevolent Society, and this hero wanted to introduce a Ladies' Branch. He said, " I have a great respect for ladies. My mother was .one.' So was my sister. We are all greatly indebted to thorn. I propose that we have a Ladies' Committee, and that they have yower to add to their number." It was ths speech of the evening, we are told. I oould quite believe it. Becent travellers through the famine districts of Shintuog, in ■ China, report that while in one- portion of the province the people are dying of starvation, in another portibnof the same province the inhabitants have abundance of everything, and news of a famineexistingelsewhere is j vet reaching them.'• The Shintung ; people must be very like us. Of course our starves are on a much smaller scale than in China, but I've of ten known very huh toned cases of hunger and misery even in this prosperous country. Hunger that the majority of our citizens don't know anything about, and-nion't want to. - • _■ The evening entertainments hare not been so numerous this winter as usual. This is perhaps as well, for in the present scarcity of good amateur performers, schoolroom shows are affairs which may become monotonous to the most.enduring Christian. When a lady, as I once before observed, unmelodiouely tells you at five successive entertainments, that ehe " Cannot Sing the Old Songs;" you begin, however ungallant it may seem, to believe her, and a familiar reading, however good, begins to pall after the eighth hearing. They have 1 struck a new line in Honolulu. They had a church entertainment there lately under the patronage of the King. Her Royal Highness, Mrs [Dominie, according to the local journal, elicited loud and animated plaudits for her rendition of " Beautiful Isle of the Sea," while the gem .of the evening " Tmi. an ia oe," was so finely given by their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Likinokalaui and Likelike, that the demand for an encore fairly shook the building. "Concerts of such superior elegance," adds the writer, " can never become wearisome or monotonous." I should say not with Princesses among the performers. I'm only sorry I did not come across this ; item before, because some of our local charitable committees might, during the stay here of His Excellency, have induced him toeing at one of their performances. I make a present of the suggestion with much pleasure to those nhom it 'may concern, as also the following advertisement, which reads and which I aeleot out of many from an American paper: — ~.>"' " This is mj last month in Sandwich! and no fooling. I will stay with you thirty days more and will give you a farewell benefit. I will give you a concert, with the best talent in the country, and will sell you good suite for $5, $7, $10, $15, such as are sold in every other store for just double. Sandwich is small. It is a good town for selling clothing at double prices, but I'm afraid I'll get too indolent. I'd rather sell twenty-five euits a day and make nothing than to squat around . and pick upone customer a day, and have to akin him alive. I'm a man of business, and must sell goods in order to bust again. Pieaee call, and if you have not the ready omH, I will take good men's notes without interest.— Hojtest Abb.** There might, perhaps, be a little difficulty here for intending customers with the lust paragraphic specification, but its a model advertisement of its kind.

From a North Island paper I learn that a jj, Frith has recently imported a number of w nd geese from Australia, to turn out in the Waikato district. We have plenty of tame once here, but I think our Acclimatisation might do worse than follow Mr friths example. The society might make quite a better bit with the geese than it did the sparrowa. ! : ■ „. , . - annual larrikin walpurgis came off on Wedneeday, when two ot the candidates for ««™> honours each made remarks of a most oharmu,g or.gmaT kind. Mr Ayer, told h" * ad \ eno ? — f °° w t . queationa that men could not answer »bout the Chrutehurch taste nererrumg aboTodoge and monkeys. To this mmuto I <*™* <l™* *"**, w^ h Mr Banks m **?*™ to w«re the dogs and wI "f h A e JS!S T^P 9 *?£/£?*'?£ f * a * f Wednesday .s not a jgood tae for hyperbole Mr Atktnson p idea of g>"ng_ a discount of 5 per cent, to those persons who finance committee. The question of the honorarium to memhere which recently came before the House reminds mc of a circumstance which happened on a similar occasion, let v* e»y in—Utopia, An hoo. member had during the early part of the seesion mortgeged hie honararium. When the question came on he recorded hie vote against eny'wjrt of payment to metnbers. ~A more etrikingicefc wee of really didntereeted patriotjam it Would be hard to and.