THE CHANGING SCENE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 473, 3 April 1909, Page 6

THE CHANGING SCENE

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW. (By M.C.K.) According to tho "Katipo," a telegraph messongor recently interrupted Sir Joseph Ward in tho middlo of a speech to inquire for tho whereabouts of a private secretary. "The audienco greatly appreciated tho incident, and after Sir Joseph had imparted tlio desired information, applauded loudly." Tho report of this passage of Sir Joseph's speech probably reads as fellows: "Now ono word as to. tho \vhcroaboutfi of Mr. Hislop. According to a return which I have had prepared, ho was in Wellington on November 2, 1905, and that disposes of tho rumour set on foot by those who are injuring the country's credit that tho whereabouts of Mr. Hi6lop are in doubt. Tho Government has taken overy precaution to soo that it would not occur that such a position should bo. brought about as would tend to lend colour to tho feeling that there was any Tcason to believe that tho croakers havo had any basis of fact in their constant attempt to forco tho Government into doing what, in respect of Mr. Hislop's whereabouts, would, in my opinion, bo in opposition to tho policy of tho Liberal party— (applause)—ana I will not agree —I do not approve of those who will say that if it is to bo said that Mr. Hislop is at present, as I have over and over again emphatically stated on the public platform ana in tho House—if, I repeat, you are to bring that condition about that we aro to say what wo know to be false, then I will bo no party to such a suggestion as that. (Loud applause.) It may be said that Mr. Hislop is at present composing my next speech, and that it ii doubtful whether ho can bo readily located, but that is contrary to fact, and I will place it on record to show that m this, as in all other matters, the Government nas acted thoroughly in accordance with an honest desire to promote tho prosperity of tho Dominion and the welfare of all. (Loud applause.)" The messenger, acting on these instructions, found Sir. Hislop m two minutes. ,The Rev. Dr. Gates, from California, has good news for us. "lihave been hero two. weeks," he told a reporter this week, "and talked with . most ■ everybody, not only the prominent people, but the man in the street. Everyone Beems ready and capable of talking about your public nffairs. In that rospoct you are working out a remarkably fine democracy." Let us bo very glad. Hark! Tho noises of the voices as Democracy rejoices In its loud big, proud big lungs; With our usual up-to-dateness wo have found tho key to greatness— We are building up our future with our tongues. Not with sinking hearts we're thinking, not with shrinking spirits drinking Down the prophecies of trouble, woo and doubt; We have set the welkin ringing with our talking, wo are bringing Quito a superfine democracy about. Slow reflection, circumspection, or regard for tho direction Of our motion-that's a notion out-of-date; Tongues unflagging, gaily wagging, conversation never dragging Make a Quick young slick young State. Not the toiler on tho soil or In the shoe or at the boiler, r V l6 , B P°, at «r of tho Boapbox or the bars is the bulwark 'gainst disaster, and we're risinn fast and fasterFor it's gas that Eends you soaring to the stars. In his evidence before tho Addington Workshops inquiry, Mr.. Ronayn© observed that "book-keeping in tho Government service differed somewhat from that in use in ordinary It is to be hoped that at tho next examinations in accountancy tho papers set will demonstrate that tho examiners havo not overlooked Mr. Ronayne & valuable statement. Many very good questions can be asked upon tho diffcrenca between Government book-keeping and the book-keeping of tho ordinary business man who only borrows from' London in his dreams. For example: oiinn usil !, e n s . 'and Muds iloUl). Winch Department's method of book-keeping would enable him to show— (1) that he made a profit of 3 per centp (2) That ho ended with a' surplus of £5000? Assuming that a grocer managing his business on the lines of tho Railway Department, keeps his books according to tho method adopted by the State Coal Mines Department. calculate (1) tho' possibility that ho i i?® ? ext Ileard , of in Sydney; (2) the length'of sentence likely to bo imposed upon \ . Putting up with this ill-mado world is a quite hard enough business without any reminders of the delightful thing tho world could be. Such a reminder occurs in an article in the Dunedin "Star," which is very angry with Mr. T. E. Taylor for Bonding a telegram to Mr. Asquith: We can picture Mr. Asquith, busy and anxious, giving a momenfspuzzled attention to this portentous message. E. Taylor !"-and "who the dickens is I. E.-Taylor? He seem*- to bo somewhat, or, ut least 'thinks himself to be something, but I never heard of him, and the offer was from Ward and the Cabinet, in tho name of Now Zealand. Some picce of cLeek, no doubt. That is how the "Star" pictures Mr. Asquith. It is impossible to road it without painfully longing for somebody to change the world, and the big men in it, into the "star 8 ' idea of what they are. If only Sir Joseph Ward would speak like this: "Old Bill Massey, oh? Old rotter I Puts on terriblo dog. Garni You make mo sick torkin' of him." If only King Edward wore really what the "Star" thinks he is I Ah, if! He would.say: "Who's this bloko Taylor? Like 'is neck I I must tell the old woman. Won't she larf!" And to think that President Roosevelt doesn't attack his foos like this: "Yah, you cow, Tillman. For two pins I'd hand you ono on tho ' listener." What kind of conversation His Holiness tho Pope uses in tho "Star's" dream-world is beyond conjecture. Why does tho "Star" intensify our greyness by saying that Sir. Asquith talks so splendidly, when wo know that ho is only a dull brown Prime Minister? If tho real world were only the "Star's" idea of it—.

A, forthcoming editorial in a Ministerial journal will bo the following I "Versatility continues to be the outstanding characteristic of the now Ministry. In his quiet way, the Hon. T. Mackenzie' a versatile man in the original and literal sonso of,the word, has been doing some notable work without any fuss. It appears that he lately told a Dunedin gentleman that ho had, wljen in tho Milford Sound district, given tho. conditions of lifo of tho weka some study, and as a result of his observations lie believed that the bird was, if not increasing, at least holding its own, despite the depredations of its relentless imported enemies—tho weasel and tho stoat. No doubt Mr. Massey, with his usual want of generosity in these matters, will sooner or later attack the Ministry's travelling habits, and scoff at tho righteous indignation of thoso who remind .him of how dreadfully Ministers are overworked. It is to bo hoped that Mr. Massey will havo the decency to pause in view of this accidental revelation of Mr. Mackenzie's zeal and do yotion to the interests of the country. There is something peculiarly affecting in the thought of the Minister braving the hardships of bush lifo in his solf-imposcd task of counting tho wekas in order to relieve the public's anxiety as> to tho progress of that valuable bird. The supremo importance of tho weka has, of course, occurred to many people, but it required a statesman to face tho difficult task of getting to tho bottom of tho facts. Tho average statistician can havo no conception of the labour involved it Mr. Mackenzie's researches. Everv sop.irat< statistic had to be chased into a follow log and smoked out. Liberals will naturally lx as gratified as Mr. Massey will lie chagrined at tli'o triumphant vindication of the beneficial. offoct of tho Government's administration on tho wekas. Lot us have no more talk about tho Government driving wekas out of the country. Mr. Massoy will, |x>rhaps, continue to assail the new Ministry, but Mr. Alackenzio will have the satisfaction of knowing that he lias amply justified hia appointment, and that the wekas havo boon inspired by his attention to them to pnt fflriJi further oit'orts."