THE CHANGING SCENE

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 253, 18 July 1908, Page 6

THE CHANGING SCENE

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW.

[BT A OASUAIi CnEONIOLEB.]

'.The latest addition, to the Dunedin Art Jallery is a picture; that twill commend itself , co all who speak the Anglo-Saxon 'tongue,!' says tho " Otago Daily Times.",' "It will appeal even,more directly to Scottish men and -wornon." Surely that is a little severe oil our' Scottish allies. " It's beans and burgoo J'r yore old frind Dooley," said tho sage. "Th' flag's flyin' , f'r heavy weather, an' gatherin' sovereigns, as the pote Bracken'says, an' gatherin' sovereigns twitther in tho skies. Autumn's v comin', Jawn, the financed, Autumn,. an' \ Lorcd sirid the spring,-an' in the manewhile it's, me f'r the chape provinder store." . " Dooley, ye're mad. There's a surrplus," said Mr. Honnessy.. • " There's more thin that. . There's a turr'ble surrplus. Whin me frind Joe Warrd announces that things is more brilliant thm in anny. time since the grreat days iv ninety throe — whin, bo th' way, Joe wud have ■ found'th' dictionary a pOor wurrk iv reference an' a dale too shorrt in th' siction de-voted't'-rose-coloured flowers iv speech,' pro- - • ' perly t'iexpriss his feelin's at th' stupenjous , glnrir'ir t.b' nntlook—whin Joe pulls out.th' Hosanna stop. an' ith'' orrgan peals out th' gran'i oul' 'anthom that is th' firrst move- ' imint m the grreat Calamity l Sonata,, thin I hurry off't' th' savin's bank an'th' cashier finds' me Waitih'.'at th' earrly dure. I wint there this mornin'. Niver yet, since me frind ■.•Dick .began'th' surrpluses, have I failed t' ■ .be firrst in th' queue. ' Has th' wave,' I '.'I. says, 'iv'prosperity sthruck ye yet?' says I. ' . ' What : wave?' ho says. ' Thin' it hasn't,' ' . I'says; Glory be. I'll'take the lot, an' !giv.e it gold.' Be harrd-wurrk an' thrustin'<no wain,'l'm able fc' stall' almost' as : ranch buoyancy as there's comin'j ; but there's a; limit. 'Tis liko thisj-Jawn. Me frind Joe . ' says, ' WuiTds fail -me f say how manny mdlions' we earrhedj' he says, ' an' as we got a' surrplus iv three an'' six afther iborrowin' only wan million,' he says, ■' I; will make 'remissions, f'r why,' he. says, ' shud not • th' people havo : their cash?' he says: ' I will remit.twopence : -.on- th' through.thrip it' Aucklan'j an' th' loan,' says he,, ' will' be wan .million an' a quarther. 'As f'r th' .thraitors who,, if I cud,i I wud show has con-. ( spired t' themsilves in ordher t'; revenge. Ahemsilves on mej as f'r. th'im,' he. says, : ' I will say'that I have a.telegram fr'in" me good-frind'.Jones statin' that threepence, was found th' other, day, in London, that had dhropped fr'm a New Zealander's , pocket.' ! Wan;' he says, 'f'r th! pessimists,' says he. ' ilat threepence will pay interist on six. an' a penny, and ;i we. will raise that at wance, an' th' printer wll issue leaflets about this gran' ; discovery,' he says. . I can stari' adyerrsity, Jawn, but whin Joe threatens • Vme with a rush iv wealth-an* gran' times, I . knock-off' sugar an' put up with margarine. But I'm hopiji' things is worrse thin thiby look.' Th'- surrplus frightens : me." $A': Christchurch journal, • referring to Wellington,' _says:—"lt will never be beautitful, • and it will never be a comfortable ' city to live in." • i Gone iare, the dreams we harboured, • ;Our. hopes are come to naught,. For Auckland booms to larboard . And Christchurch glooms to port. ? .WhenfAuckland, fat and spacious, Sees 1 liners .at our quays, .' . She; shudders: "Goodness gracious! ■ . 'What tinpot tubs are-these?" Our aquarelles of morning, , Onr bluo wind-winnowed skies , Are subjects fit for scorning ;■ .'i- • To all good . Southern eyes. Though false (wb said) the promise • Of .'old Poneke's trade, Though doom awaits her commerce, -, Her. beauty will not fade.— /It now appears we've false ideas, . '.And laughter greets, our, boast ' . ; - /Where life goes slow as Avon's flow " • v Through flat domains .of frost. .What hope is left in living ' Since vain is ;all our graft? The-dreams that cheered onr striving ■ - - Are shattered fore and aft. . "Take the oath," said the, official to the witness: in , kilt and tartan. "Your name? Speak .up,'-.will you," he. added. ; , "Ma name's Sholto' Alexander ; Macßalwhidder, whateffer," said the witness. "And I come frae bonny Thrums." " "Hold your tongue," said the official. "As a -Dutchman, you must bo sworn on the eight books of Job." "Hoots, mon—" began Sholto. , "Now, look here, my man," said the offi'oial. "No ignorant Dutchman is going to " . talk . to-me. I know, my position; and I ; have i qualified for-, it. And perhaps,V he added sarcastically, "an official,may be, pre-: sunied to'know, his position even though h'o has spent on Scriptural and classical studies a. little more time than a practical Dutchman' ; ■>: might approve."' . "0, mon;" said Sholto, "I apologise.".. .' "Very well,", said the official. "All's, well that ends .well—Hezekiah, sixth 'chapter, verse fourth. Next witness." The next, witness had slanted eyes,'- a flat nose, a yellow skin, a pigtail. He-gave his, name as \Quong-Hong- Ah, his address as Haining Street, his occupation as "cal- .' ' lots'." " - -_ "Take the oath," said the Official; . "Blbwem match, killum looster, no book, all li," said■' Quong. ' ' ' '• ; . Swear, on that, book,',' thundered the offi- ■ ■ oial. ■ • Someone whispered in the' official's ear. "Well," he growled, "how was I to know he . was?" "Money is not- coming in freely towards - the citizens' fund for tho entertainment. of ' the American-fleet. There is likely to bo a poor show so far as - decorations aro concerned;"— Sydney cable, item. • Sydney will not be. cast down, of course, and-we expect to read cable messages "like this " The city was magnificently, illuminated last night, no.fewer than 200 candles being . utilised. Police ; were in attendance, and ' were busily occupied- directing the 750,000 ; visitors to the various at which tho main iUuminations were placed. Their bull's-eye lanterns were found to be of great sorvice in enabling the eager multitude to closely examine the largest of, these. Today the city looked gay—a veritable Samarcand, recalling the poet Bums's line in his famous 'Ode to a Nightingale': 'In chintz and calico Samarcand, and cedared Lebanon.' . 'Aatimaca£sars waved from every window, and every owner of a fancy vest loyally assisted tho splendid display by wearing his brightest huckaback. -A landing stage was erected, built of the finest jarrah. A pavilion of the same costly material, roofed with the brightest corrugated iron, sparkling in the morning sun, was provided for the speecheaj Sjdney was indeed a city

beautiful; i . . After the- speeches,, tho official luncheon was hold, at which no fower than 4QOO saveloys, and 6000 bottles of ginger beer were conaumed. The sailors wore free to wander through' tho city. Each man was given a.freo ride upon-the trams, arid, tho assembled Jack Tars were addressed by Mr. Judkins. Interviewed this evening, the Admiral said he was much' impressed by the celebrations. He had never, he added, seen anything like it in all his life. " Later,—The ' fleet unaccountably disap-' peared to-night." '' : -■ A deputation 'of pawnbrokers waited on Dr. Findlay last Saturday to protest against the 25 per cent. limit, which it is proposed to set to their interest. They said the proposal'would reduce profits by 75 .per cent., and their businesses, already dependent on the side-lines, would have to be., given up. There were only five pawnbrokers in Wellington, where once there wero ten. In fact, there was so much weeping over the hard struggle of the Mount of Piety against tho cruel wave of prosperity that it is proper, to write'-'a ' -'■ ~ ', .' BALLADE OF-PAWNBROKING OF OLDITN TIME.' Of old the pilgrims came and went, Each visit meant more i s d, Eedemption was a rare, event: • ' ' Bich was the Mount of Piety. But'barren, hungry'men are we, And sign on sign is taken down: WEore, now, is dear Adversity? ■ Alas! the days of old ronown. The frequent logen'd "Money Lent," The, three-balls, very fair to see, Spoke of ; a: joyful cent, -per cent— The pram,, the watch, the "gun D.8.," ThV pile'd-up,-pleasant pot pourri Is sadly, sadly dwindled down. And, 10, a.-new' calamity! , . . Alas! the-days of.old renown.--Our decks awash, we're sorely-spent On wild Good Times's ravening sea, 'I And Uncles, fat-once, and content, • Are'now of great: tenuity.' . Where 'are tho busted banks, the gjee , Of ten-pound shares at half-a-crown, : And watches pledged for one and'three? , ' Alas!, the days of old renown. Sir! Though in Joe.a- hope we see. ' (The mation's pawned in London town), Where, in the pray, are -we? Alas! the days of old renown. :: : -: r /.v-;-M.C;K.