THE CHANGING SCENE

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 51, 23 November 1907, Page 5

THE CHANGING SCENE

A BIRD'S EYE VIEW. T • - ■ _ ■■ -j "'*"• [By a Casual CnnbNiCLER.] -The evening paper alone was able to cx< . plain the curious fact, recorded by cable, that an intelligent and virtuous tribe if Asiatio origin had been found in an .Alaskan wilderness. With characteristic acumen, id pointed out in a footnote that "tho ar?a of Alaska is 577,390 square miles," and that : tho country was "acquired by the United, States from Russia by pmchaso in 1807.""The Hon. J. R. Sinclair objected that tho passing- of a law making lunacy a ground for ' divorce would add a now terror to insanity."' There certainly is far too much discouragement of insanity already. ■ At a meeting of creditors' the other the Official Assignee cheered up tho gloom of the threepenny dividend by quoting spmo verses which he had composed on a point of,, \ procedure, '"he example is one worth fol-'j ' lowing in the Courts and Parliament, and wo., hopo that Sir Robert Stout will shortly' adopt tho new method. Ho might charge the jury in a stanza: Eschewing, dear jury, all partisan fury, Remember tho root of the law ■ Of Blackstono and Coke is your judgment, to focus ,' On all that the witnesses'swore, i Tho frabbles and fribbles) of technical; i quibbles, , . ' -'-i .That doubtless will find you at sea, j You must put on one side, for on law'! decide: '. The sergeant will bring-you in. tea. ■ The gloom of the Police Court can also bo', dispelled, and the two-up player can b" .dealt'with as follows: • ■.'''" 'Explicitly it's stated, ..."■; . . : ' < That this game so much in vogue, \.J leaves the player designated An incorrigible rogue.-.: ; j>'--It is past all contradiction "'.' t| That my duty as a Beak, "":'*"■ Is to enter a conviction:

. .... Porty, shillings or a'week. ■'''■'■'i And what clarity it will give: to the rulinga■'■;'. of "Mr: Speaker: ■■-')• Tlie honourable moraber is completely out, \ • of order. •."'.. : ' ' It is ruled by many speakers and tho.Stand-' i:iff Orders state .. ''..'.'.,",'.:' That to liso and plug tho., Chairman goes ; beyond the proper border , 'Of the Parliamentary method of conducta debate. ' : It is pleasant to find that a serious at ; Itenipt is at last being riiado to keep Eng- ■'' land acquainted with New Zealand ' affaire. ! The London "Standard" of October 9 prints a cable message from its Christchurch correspondent, who stated that Mr. Eoir' Hardio's conduct in India was strongly, resented in the Dominion. ."His forthcoming visit hero," adds, tho correspondent, His ,• .therefore looked upon with • anything but favour, and Mr. Pannoll-' -the Mayor ai > Ohristchiirch, has even suggested that M/;j ;Koir Hnrdio bo prevented '.from landinj.J (The. Dominion Council has also passed a re- ( solution deprecating any official.favours be-',' ing bhown to tho member for Merthyr Tydvil on tho occasion of his tour'through New Zealand.". This is satisfactory, but it is unfortunato that no, allusion was made to tlio recent remarkably fine 'speechof the Governor of Island Bay, nor the firm stand takoa by Mr. Massey,. the' custodian of t'hc Sit.-?. Cook Hormitngo, against the Rev. Joseph admission, to the Ministry, ,'i'lw "Daily Mail," however, has noted the.fact that '.'several bootmakers were imprisoned for lying on a tout named Odds when tho'•'• San Francisco team won the Cup." ,f

"Tho Minister'for' Justico, in reply to Mr., T.,'Maql;unzie, stated in Parliament this afternoon that during the recess he will loos into the subject of the production of plays, that have a pernicious and degrading in-" Alienee on the rising generation." ' V ! >■ ■ ' ' " ■ : ■ '7'-' ,•' : O l ''^) Whore do thoy go in the dark recess, ; When, the Houso is still, and the public > sighs • , In a thoroiighly wcU-oarncd. restfulness, ' And siniles on the staff whore no flag flics! Spme to practise on' pigs nnd cows .The < speeches which, in the days to" c6me~,"i Will.stir and stagger tlie startled House;- "■' Somo to f.'umber in peace at Homo. ;■:.':. Somo to canvass, and some to court The shy suspicions'constituent; Some to dream of a neat retortTo tho Huemy's evil argument; Somo. to worry and wonder how •,-.y*--, To wrigglo away from the. broken pledge f'.': Tho leasehold voice and the freehold vow---' Hard is the burden of them that hedge.-.... But J. JrT.Gowan is not of these: '..'.' ■ Sorenly .puffing a green cigar, . <-.•:■. Stretched; m a hammock in genial easo, ,'. . Erom sordid matters remote, afar, Mines arid Justico will vex him not '.-.-. v-v In. tho sweltering, shimmering;;sultry dayfri Calm ami .happy he'll swot and swot V" / ; And learn to censor tho naughty plays. -'■ > - To them, drear thoughts of December polls, To him, no fear of the polling booth'; - ■ * They'll graft for their own political souhv'- ; \' But ho for tho innocent soul of j-outli; . ';"' To.'thom tho ninsards heavy and cold, • To him the comedy warm and bluer- .''''" James, when I'm Premier, bald and old, •■ *"' , Will you kindly let mo exchange with youf.

A cable mossago states that Lord Milnor. speaking at Edinburgh, said : that "the Empire's expansion and complete consolidation ought to proceed on a equality "or" partnership of all kith and Mriu. Ho added that a wiso policy of fiscal reform would help commorco into assisting the British worker, and also help colonial development." As this bold abandonment of the vagueness that. Mr.. Balfour made so fashionable has caused; | intenso c-ycitcmonfc locally, private enquiries, wcro made for further dotails, and tho following additional precis of Lord Milncr's remarks ban been sent out: "He went,on to : urge that unless the Empire wcro strengthened, it would assuredly grow weaker, or atnny.,.rato, remain no stronger than it is. Nothing but complete, justico to our kith and kin would bo satisfactory, and such justice could only bo achieved by a careful consideration of tho whole position, and bold action'along tho right linos (cheers). Wis- . dom lay in doing that which would produce tho best results for the Empire. And ho was convinced that tho only sound policy would bo tho one which would maintain tno rules of justico, encourago tho growth of this great heritago of ours, and consolidate the inexliniistiblo resources of the Homeland and thocolonies. A prudent policy, framedaccording to tho dictates of sound Imperialism, was tho end for which all should strive (cheers).''

A cable messago states that Sir H. C. Bannorman hopes that next year a Bill will bo introduced into Parliament to prohibit the solo of tobacco to, juveniles Rnd bo stop i^Y^' 1 ?? coking. It is understood that tho announcement has caused a.cnango of timo in tho Unionist' papers which havo heon dpriding tho Government for" the feebleness of tho programme through which it means to attack tho House of Lords. , "I'm gla-ad Parlymint's near done," said Mr. Dooloy. "It has desthracted public attention .long enough fr'm th' Dhrucc case." "J a -.s)>»*■'ft' ca se where tk' Duka buried.\ Diokens in a -false coffin f r pickin?.th' pookofc''" 1

iv Miss Robinson in'-th,* cel 7 . * lar that wuz built he th' man in false ' .whiskers?" asked Mr. Hennossy. "It is, Jawri... Niver, sincb, tht-'Goold' jnudhor . caso ended; has annythin' - mor'ro important thin'.'.; th' Dhruco caso ipotne nndhor our notice..: But' while I've boon thryin'i t'. keep thrack iv th' dpiii's, Parly-' mint's been-claiho'urin'-'f'r notice. I've just. figured .it.'out that 'twas Caldwell an' not Dickens that cured th' bulbous nose iv th' man ihth' grey suit whin th' Nativo Lan' Bill, comes on,: an'' I lose th'. thread. Th' oablo man knows what th' cryin' need in : this counthry is. A small an'/insignif'cant. eiction wants t' know th' latest about tariff • reform; th' students iv diplomacy wants t' '. hear what th' Impror iv Austhria thinks iv ,-th' chinst iv war; th' young man with.th' ■ knobby knees an', th' small forehead clam'ours f'.r.news iv'th' All Blacks. An' ■ th'.- ' 'gr-reat bulk iv th' ; nation has t' bo contint J-with only wim column a day.' about th' ijbrown.'.hag that Dhru'ce found in th' eeriic : , itery,;:'As a pathrite I liko t' know what igocs.on' in Parlymint au'| how me friend ! Job:Waird is gottiti' on, but I can't kapo j thrack ; iv'th' -talk'• an' th' Dhruco case. present I hardly know whether 'twas in 11821 lor 1822 tliafc th' Duko,ivPorrtlan' saw jVMiss .Rbbihson in th' cab with th' white f'horrso, an' its' becuz I was' disthractcd bb' ith' Gamin' Bill. I'm gla-ad Parlymint* has [■'decided t' go homo in spite iv th-' howls Jiv th' pa-apers..' ' Even if. there wero no >other,-rayson f'r. r .endin', wud yo havo th' f'r Lone: Dog Gully. ;Worryin' away fat an amindmint whin he knew his crops ™nz,spqiiin'? WucKye'kapo him anny longer lawayfr'm th' joy iv his old clothes an'-his ['morrnin' sthrpll",through th' homo paddock?, (jaajvit, Parlymint sbud: have adjourned on ' "'.■'■'•: r.