TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10956, 4 May 1901, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Mr Herbert, of Clarkville, mode A an undoubtedly strong jioint wtiea Divided be remarked, in his letter.to Duty. the Board of Education on morai training, that the purcliasa of sparrows' htads by road boards might'have a stronger influence on children than their teachers' instructions in regard to kindnea to animals. If birds could federate, proV ably tho subject" of most constant interest in their commonwealth deliberations would ba the inconsistencies of man. Are his feelings towards bird-life best represented by writers of odes to the skylark, or by the diningtafbles, where the skylark makes his appearanca in a pie and on toast? Is it.with most pride in our civilisation that we read how the Protection of Birds Society has a membership of over thirty thousand sworn to wage war against "murderous millinery," or how by industrious efforts and th« offering of generous rewards, a district has succeeded in minimising the number of feathered peeta? Even in individuals Ihero seems some lack of connection; for instance, between the scientific fanner, meditating new modes of judicial slaughter, and John Burroughs, exiling himself, for weeks, as was described recently, from, his own guinmerhouse, out of regard for the sensitive feelings of a roMn. It appears the bird had built its nest under the roof beneath which Burroughs usually spent his afternoons—and, finding his pres-., ence caused anxiety and distress, the kindly naturalist moved has belongings elsewhere, and left tho bird to the undisturbed possession of tho summerhousa until the young brood was duly reared and had flown away. Equally removed,.perhaps, from our colonial feeling would be tho gocd advice of that English bird-lover, R. Kearton, who recently published a charming paper on "Feeding Birds in Winter," showing how sunflower heads should be saved for the winter de]ig?*t of sparrows, greenfinches, and the Hke; and how dog-biscuits soaked in water are especially enjoyed by the blackbirds and the tknuah. One can imagine thrt country school child distressed at times between the rules of conduct inculcated by bands of mercy, dickey-bird leagues, and children* magazines, and that practical work to wrhici their own services an> called. Yet. after all, Mr Herbert probably docs injustice to the very intelligent, if unromantic, young New Zealandc-r. He is certainly not unresponsive to instruction, and even taking the fact of the road board purchases into account) there seems only the more reason for teachersto give such training as may help a child to distinguish b≥tween the bard facts of a necessary destruction and the infliction of soy wanton pain.

The Australian papers gfr« The very full and interesting Now Guinea obituary notes upon tie Tragedy. career and character of the massacred missionaries in Xew Guinea, and. •especially in regard to the Rev. James Chalmers. "I come from a land where there is no news," to said, when ho was last in Sydney, i» 1899, and the Fly River district in itseß may have small variety according to civilised notions, but since Mr Oho , fliers landed first in NewGuima, in 1878 the progress made in Christianising and civilising, as well as*he additions to geognvijhieal knowledge owed to him, have been it* imporfcaat feature amongst results of moafcrr missionary enterprise. Like most mm: w*-. unite the explorer and the missionary. Mr Chalmers* Lad the physique whicii fitted bis work. "A'man of colossal suture and Herculean poweva," he is we,..

aeribed, with a. forturwuto capacity for d*fvini? n,n unhealthy climate, and periwua.l qualities which compelled in a remarkable manner the respect and confided of tho native race*. Upon these qualities bis tafety depoided from the* first. "Only once in .New Guinea have I carried a weapon," he remarked once, "and then wo bad spears thrown at us." A curios instances of bis successful resources aeon occasion, however, is given in the ttflrv o? i° w k« escaped ik-aib when, in mountainous country, where white man , j jwvrr born before, lie was followed by i j o f ar J his pniiitfA followers intent tpon'- L " in X thi; !>!ran - : '" r - Just as evei 7 j«ea* tf»* : to o;, thrown at the unafWtl man. Ch.ilnwrs sprang upon a rock, and Ufting his m and pointing his finger e t tlicsa.' sfcowtvd in a voice of thunder; "DownYdOTrn! < JoWT1! " Kverv e l Kwr fol ' tie motion of his lowering arm, A in a few minutes more, the intended gorier had been changed to a .peaceful palaver. "Tanmtc," as he was known to jjUr Guinea tribes, has long been a sort of beloved white xu'.cr. even over tWe not yet impretsed by Christianity. '"He nettled their quarrels: uften ho was sent &r from very long dWancss to act as the arbitrator among tribes which were at As an Kuglish naval officer testified years ago, everywhere 'Tamate's influence is rtpn*»-" And the coast misgktm, chuxclw*. and soLool-houses, and colleges for tfie training of native teachers, eltow to-day how muuh may follow upon the successful inlluer.ee of one man. Skull bunting has been tie greatest trouble to contend . with—and tho massacre is to be attributed most probably to a raid of tkull-huiAing tribes, unknown to Mr Chaliae&>'or rebelling , -against white interference with tribal ways. The Aird River district is practically unexplored, but it bears a bad reputation as to hostility. However this may be, death on the scene of his labours has closed a long and greatly eucces&fiu record for this pioneer misnionarv. Living ton, who first, at a meeting in a Scottish town, btirred the spirit of missionary enterprise in Chalmers, has liad a worthy follower in the "Tamate" qt New Guinea.

The raid recently made by A Eaid on the Melbourne police on one Jlelbourno of tlio most notorious garnbl-"Two-Up" ing dens in the city will bo Gamblers, long memorable both for its etxategy and its success. Harket-Luvo has been recognised for some time as thu haunt of t!w very lowest characters, pickpockets, burglars, and criminals miscellaneous, who congregate for gambling purposes every night of the year, and day and night on Sunday. Some week or two ago Sergeant I). 0. ODounell brought down fealf si dozen country constables, raw and nncity-like, for the purpose of a raid. The janitor, of the gambling "school" in Marketkne had bi<en chosen for hia alertness in deteoting undvs'.rablo visitors, and the police had never passtd his portal, but the young member of the forcii who swaggered in, according to ofiieial directions, in larrikin disguise, rolling a quid of tobacco in his cheek, uod spitting freely, was admitted without suspicion. So well did he play his part during tht) evening, gambling and carousing irith thy "minted*" around him, that on the next night he was able to bring half a dczsn follow constables, similarly disguised, and fcis joko to tho doorkeeper that t'ho men were "bobbies" was greeted with an appreciative smilt , . Tho men came again and again, to prevent suspicion they were forbidden to recognise the .police in the street, acd were compelled to live in a house noted as tho haunt of bad characters. One of them, indeed, who in a fit of absence of mind Stopped and spoke to his sergeant in the street before a number of the "school" frequenters, hod to bo kicked by that officer to divert suspicion from him, discomfiture convinced the onlookers that this was indeed one of their own kind. Meanwhile careful preparations were made by the authorities, and about sixty constables and detectives were gathered for the rakl. At ono o'clock on a recent morning these loitered about the locality while tho six country members gambled steadily inside ths den, collecting evidence for future use. At a given signal tho place was rushed from every ontrance with astounding suddenness. Tho gamblers within flung aside ths evidences of their tweiipation, and hurriedly put on the eppearaneo of spectators at a boxing match, feut tho alleged boxers had no time to shed coats and collars, and, therefore, presented a Wort unworkmanlike appearance, while in toy case the presence of the six constables fe their midst, wlio had been there for several nights in succession, made all deception impossible. More than a hundred men were placed under arrest, bundled into thirteen cabs, and driven to tho city watch-house, wliera tho cell accommodation was sorely taxed for their enclosure!. Eight men, charged with assisting to conduct a common .gaming-house, and 102 others, charged with foeiag found there, and all waiting to appear at tho City Council on the morrow, were left without sufficient room in which to play "two-up," until the arrival of sundry friends to bail them out in some degree relieved the toogestion.