OBITER DICTA.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19220, 28 January 1928, Page 14

OBITER DICTA.

[By K.]

The arrival of the new issue of •'Whitaker's Almanack" is always a pleasant event for me, and I always turn first to the section about the Kings and Queens of England. The subsequent pages, about Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, and so on, down to the J.P.'s, do not move me now. Dukes lost their glamour when the newspapers found out how to print half-tone blocks. But about these Kings—l love to read the list, which begins with Ecgbert, and goes on to Ethelreds and Edwys and Edwards and Richards and things. It is a long list. Now the point is, just where does one cease to allow oneself the freedom of thinking critically about the bygone monarchs? Does Queen Victoria belong to history, or is she near enough to be something less abstract? We all ought, no doubt, to be loyal to Ecgbert, and Edmund Ironsides, and Richard 111. and George IV.—if only to give Sk'cawgo something to keep its mind off crime—but we are not. You may disparage Edward IV. without hurting anybody's feelings. Now where does freedom end and loyalty and manners begin? This, of course, apropos of Queen Victoria, whose gusty temper and autocratic spirit have been revealed in the new series of letters. May one speak sharply about her? It is impossible to imagine our present King storming at Mr Baldwin or Mr Asquith or anyone else, or doing anything but be helpful and considerate and fair. One cannot imagine him rushing about like the Red Queen in "Alice," saying "Off with his head," "The question is, Do I govern or don't I?" One cannot, in short, imagine him behaving as if he were Prime Minister of Samoa.

But it is unworthy of an antidemocrat to worry over bygone Kings when lie has urgent living issues all around him. Such as the Sanitary Acropolis which is to beautify the Square. As Mr Flesher said in 1918 or 1919, when opposing the proposal to use the Square for the purposes of a Avar memorial, livjng dogs are better than dead lions. v The Beautifying Association has discussed the Garden of Conveniences, and has found it good. The thought did occur to some of them that the Lavatorial Parthenon was " potty, but very nice," and describable as "a glorified verandah," but one member, who is also a member of the City Council, stopped the rot with an observation in Avhich the tact of the experienced local politician was admirably blended with the vision of the poet. "Think of it in white marble," ho said, and he would have gone on to speak of red plush and an aspidistra here and there if another member had not interrupted to say white marble would cost too much. Ido not like to seem jealous (I suggested corrugated iron), or uncharitable, but if I must think of anything in white marble, it is this Councillor. And one day perhaps our children -will see him in white marble, along with the other Councillors, each adorning one of the wards in the Acropolis.

F °r the trend fa away from * «* popped m to musicians this weT ,**2 choose between *ft 'T"°s wl wESS school em ri tulm T7* O certainly strongly objMt , „**»J cause since Mr arithmetic for mathematical scieaJ^U was too early bothntf matical symbols, etc.. in,, !® 1 " taught to appreciate music." It would to2S course, if children con® love eurhythmies, hfejjJH JtotarS fant Bunthornes. Ban ' the Professor, modem seem to him, is a victim *£ hoary of educational fall»l the idea that the average effi artistic sensibilities. An *2 lacy, this, that you Trj Clicquot from gooaebwrijjl a figure which New Zealilk more quickly train up any foal into t(j? The world is full of motion, tT musio, and a sild who tai|? them can appreciate then iZ teaching. Not that I music—although, like Dr. | know 110 more about it that all noises, it is perhaps the W agreeable." But the one ft thornc per 10,000 ohildr&t new system would prodncoijjj in the way of a result, While we are awaiting tbiti j people will "say it in *st'| or set it to music, Sciento j j along, and taking less and. in the common cold. It 101$] so a cable message report! 1 that it is after all journey of 240,000 milttbf Given material which vi| i strain and temperature, giwj means of driving the roeketi of 21,600 miles an hour, tin be done. There would bi fe about finding a man willing|| the journey. And as tt; points out, if this will be a perfectly simpkj travel to Mars and Venn&jl it is but a small step fc|| which will go as far uf| wc can extend the limit <$S dered velocities from tip mile per second tonsil milejfi a velocity of. 20 miles;)#! possible; and I seem tirfi examination paper in questions asked me to prop thing were dispatched otO at something like that Ydtajj go clean out of the soldrni to return. The usefus|jg journeys as these is notjjji in discouraging them I.pU of the scientists with m>ft will tell us, it is faf fflon« to attend first 1o jmtiedM and crying, needs, H H number of electroito'ffl MiitoH will help to solve tltt pIH