THE CHANGING SCENE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 556, 10 July 1909, Page 6

THE CHANGING SCENE

• ' (By M.0.k.) •> "

A BIRD'S EYE VIEW.

The question, "What is a slipper?" was solemnly discussed by Mr. FoWlds and some Auckland boot-importers on Tuesday. It was , ' '"pointed of "slipper"; ' had "long been a stumbling block," and that the 'Jduties varied exceedingly " It was also "pointed out" that "the slipper problem was a serious one." The local manufacturers "simply said that they did not s want to make them."' And so on. Tho grievance appears to be that the,local ,manufacturers wori't-mako alippors, and tho shopkeepers won't import them. Tho spectacle of the 1 adult mind grappling with tho pro-Mem-has so painfully impressed a youthful citizen that he fools'that as tho President ' of the Secret Society of 'Nursery Inmates (ho must'give the export view: "ffhat is a sliper?" ho writes. "A sliper is a vial Relict of tho Dark Ages, Its dutys are numi eras, and very exesive My society has past a 'resolution that no shpers should be alowed to be made and be stoped in tho miterest of'the country. As to Kinds of supers. The best kind is tho nice, soft litel ones that Miss Perrin dances in in "Cinder ' jEller." I'wish Bho was mother. The worst as father's, for.ho says: Wy would I got supers that "are no gpod won gardening in I tho Rain? One wack of theso Alpme-climcr slipers is worth a ton of theery about longstanding trubbols. Resolved by our society ' that'" tho manufactures bo given tho Nursery's thanks for their mannly stand against a brutlo hard ship, and that the question is, uoti 'what is a shpor?' but, 'Why should these things bo?' Resolved, that this trubiel be abollished." -' f I /' 'At Mangaia, in the Cook Islands, the receipts of the Governor, according to a tolei gram which burst upon tho prevailing gloom uio the lights of home on one of tho recent wet and windy nights, amounted to "piles of mats, spears, bananas, kits of'oranges, yams, Itaros, 'Lumaras, rolls of tappa, sundry pigs , trussed up or tethered by tho back leg, two Mack and wMto kids, and one hen." The 4eu, no doubt, will Jw Bavcd up for Sundays by-his Excellency, although, if a word of advice may be permitted, he will probably find ,it wjll' pay best to _ live on tho interest, tho capital being reserved-for tho farfewell dinner. impossible not to be touched by practical way m which tbe .people of Mangaia have exhibited their sympathy Vith their Mother Country m its distressed condition.' In its way, this noble offering is hardly less praiseworthy than the Dreadnought offer. As some thoughtful Ministerialist newspaper ought to put it: "Wo gladty accept this practical expression of devotion and goodwill We are specially glad 1 that his Excellency received tho gift m the true spirit. It is tmo that we are ablo '- to maintain the vice-Regal, establishment, ' but every New Zealander, will nevertheless feel a thrill of pndo when, at the next viceRegal garden-party, he ( sees the kumaras on the buffet bearing 1 eloquent testimony to-the love* and the p'nde of race which animate. ."

"'.■■■ The _Postmaster-Qeneral (Mr; Sydney . Bus- l :a happy.'Bpeech j::cleared Australia. ■( • from Lord ;Crowe's reproach .about" cables f • ■.-■ on cricket. .A. oer of /messages - were t cricket,', but - that was due;- not' J ; only .to its prodigious popularity ,\bnt ,to the ' fact that an important mossago on, cricket .5 , wouldgo_ into,a very brief space. If the 1 Prime 'Minister made a" speech about a j :, : . Dreadnought it codld'not be.condensed in* tho 'j ■ same way, as information about Trumper: get- ( f i ting a ; hundred re the Press f Conference. , < .When the thought, of Empirt, glowins In his | hcad-piecc, 1 a-flowing I < , Tho Imponalistio statesman's dally speech', i . 'And with loyal bosoms bursting with impatience, • we are thirsting v i f Por tho .wisdom that we .look to him to tcach, ' Do we And his .speech's hernel 'ia tho'faithful ' ' morning journal? » " ' s-;'.'i , .-v. ,i '';.^Nol.'..W'e,'.'..-flni- , 'aa/:lnoli'- of sodnd,devoid -Of bf„For he sings tho Empire's. pralsea in- a rolling !■:.,* .' mass of phrases ' {- ; iV [■ . . That it's bootless to endeavour to condense. . , ;Bat-when bowler, slip, and Btumper plot to cook ■ / •• • . the gooaa of Trumper, i-*- • ' . ... Lo! the cable fills a column and a bit j And, the < message, long, and breezy, .renders com--11.11.I 1 .- . ,-.i prehension: -easy: A- . : ■ . ;■■ - [A > We can almost hear the crack of every hit. j ~. : : Is the cause of this disparity the greater popuir larity 1 * 1 v Of, Empire's andlence? ; v ' Br. .Buxton's „wise'decision puts it down to ~ Yle.'s precision „ , ' ■ When he's lifting. Ehodes' and Hayward o'er the ' fence. I . the orator, though, fervent,: of-convention l too * observant, ' , I : :/_Makas -a complicated 'flourish' with the ball:'-f. . Every Bentenco:.isj',a-anaiden,.and'inf every match-' ' , he's played in > / - r 'He .haa.never, a .wicket,down at all -< •: 1: Bee .how Trumpor solves .tho. .riddle: Having 1 i taken leg and middle, , , 1 , 1 "Hit 'cm lively" is his simple etiauette; I : e'vo the :■ clearest. apprehension, of -ibis purposo . and intention, , , j-: ,-,v | And; the cable-man rejoices when he's set. „ j •. i- -: : - "Wot a 'orriblo thing, if tho Germans wuz s ter wp this country!" said Sam the Soak. Etb s a. Gronnan ,professot-..wot flays beer l: i wants ; legislatm' on,i:- W'ich , it 1 doea. - An' • I that .'o wide 'ealtii in our beer. 'Wot c is quite true." < ■ ' '.'An', tor think-I ! m a 'onory member uv • j; the' Navy League!", said tho Old Tank uidigI .',; :,nantly. ~:,"I!U: withdraw, -me subscription ?to ; :,■ o. t keepinjtout a truly intelligent race," , r V : : ,Arf, a mo," /Sam interrupted; '"Arf- :: o:mo.. Tor .views do -yer-credit, but w'y did : tho, German bloke say .thorn; things? i Wot i kind, uv legislation,. dpe« >'oiwant? 'i'B com--h : plains" .becauso.ithe. bcor-.is • '6avy! l ' In :: Gor- ■: .many, effec'/uv: two long, sloev- 1 r CTS is .less ithan tho:, .ono. uv. our - /whiskies. .-Wot -e: wants is 'dulteration' uv beer' Lighter beer!" \ l. / .'.'The dorg,?'/ said. , the-.Tank, bitterly. "Bio bloonun' dorg. iWy, it - takes 'Sixteen pmfs- ; ' ter. malvo me feeLl'vo bin dnnkm'-at all/wot with this 'ere Lib'ralism. An' if tho Ger- . "mans oomo 'ere,:' wot would .'appon?. Yor couldn't, .never get - a grip 'uv beer if yor drunk sixteen pints a hower for fourteen f--howors wjthout cessation/, W'y, beer is al- .::: -, ready,,,tottennV: on tho-verge uv -water. Jiighter beer? It wouldn't be beer." ■. h . ."Tha German-, bloko said i a glass - went-to M is- 'ead ati.wunst,": said Sam, in a voice in' ? ' ■ -.whichi there was.a tinge of envy.' ' " i . ,". "Good ernuff," tiaid the Tank.- -. "The Ger- i v .mans can't oop us;. Blokos .with-weak 'eadtf ii . like that:oin't^no.good. '.Tho blooming old ;- .■■■:■■' Empire's safe, tharl:'Eving." . -.. , r , .-'.'Laugh WITH tho Times," wo aro im- • plored.. -It/ would' be politer, ' and;, an-agree-i able change. ( We shall. ' , j | ' * : . > -'ilt appeare to mo," says Mr.,'D. M'Laron, t : . .'"that.' those who have- the .control - of our t. : - financial affairs -are,' burdened -with ,'the rer- r. • sponsibihty .'of telling, tho community 'whetner- or not they, can find some method / , whereby the medium of exohange can bo r-: - . nvado 'more.' .plentiful.!' ■ - It'.'is understood i - . that Mr. -M'Laren, : having given- close attention to the weather of; tno past:- week, be- . ilioves: that- the :best thing the- Govornmont \ :,v,> can .do ,is :to consider- the advisableness of stopping tho rain. f: ■ There -is no likelihood, says the Rev. J. '•:T. Nott, of Now. Zealand being again snb- ! jected to a glacial epoch for 150,000 years. ;• And yet 'we have oroakors wfco. attack tho i v Government's administration,.. . . Ui'h ■;' fX. "In theso days iv hystorks," said Mr. • : - Oooley, "whin th' colonial Primeor offers I :. ■ ■ :Dhreadnoughts. ivry time ho sees a. dach- ; Bhund, th' coolness iv th' thrade unions is a ■ matther f'r rejoicm'." l ' ."What have they done?"'asked Mr. Hon- ' , ' j - ■ "That's like ye, Jawn. Thruo greatness, | fe shud know. .is measured bo what ye don't > ' 30. But f'r til', unions there's manny a man ?'■■■■■■ i - wud bo saenfiem' principle/'r a crust,-fill- '• • i n ' his stomach at til' cost iv his honour as a tlirades-unionist. .Whin a man's out iv • wurrk, an' finds all -th' aisy-chaks filled al-

ready, an' th' salaried- jobs in th' hands iv sthrong min armed th' teeth, an' nobody wantin' amythin' - done; what ■ does he do? Bein'- weak- be' nature, an''onablo ,t' .forgot th' vnfe ihd-childhqr, he says, 'Give mo a job,' be says, ' 'at barrgain rates. I want,' says ho, 'Dread,' he says. An' th' crool capltalis' tetls' him, 'I've a job that .doesn't want doin'jr but if ye will do it oheap ye can do it, says he, Tr if. it ;ia t' oost full rates I can't have .it done,' he says; Bat just as th' thraitor is starrtin' oft't' th' joD, afther kissin' th.' Jawn, as this poor soul is goin' asthray, em;harrkin' on th sea jv roon, : an' deterraiincd t' dhrive-a pick through 'th'' sacred, prin•ciplea iv thmde^unionisni;-he meets, th'-sec--rath'ry. 'Pause,' ' says tn' secreth'ry, „.'I don't ravmamber givm- ye a perrmit • t wurrk,' ho says. Anv.th' thraitor. has t' own 'Rash man,' 'toys ; th' -secreth'ry, 'will yo 1 ' hastily forget th'holy faith -an' steep ■yen pick in th' mire-iv dishonour ?' 'But;' says tli' wakeling,. 'ha'f a loaf's botiher thin no bread.' says he.'. ' 'Not,' says th' secreth'Ty, «'not ondber'th' Arbitration Ac' or th'-principles iv i-t&rades-umonism. -Be > a ■man, he saysj-vdon't/be led asthray be th' tempter. Put behind ;ye-'such -blackleg fanoies as regarrd ■ f'r tn' : wife :an' childhcr. Riso .siipaynor t'. those outworn bigotiiries fostered be a cormp' ivage-syatom,' saya ho. An' whin th' thraitor says he's actin', not -accordin' • t'-- a -theesT, ..'but' acoardin'. t' 'a emp'-y stomach, th' • secreth'ry says, 'I 'must wrassle wit& tbia poor weak deluded slave iv Capital,' an' he wrasßles •with, him. An' in ha'f ..an hour he convinces him that a woman, th' snaxe.-iv,Satan through-all th'; ages,<shud not bo alldwed t'. stan' m th' - way iv th' movemint. An' th' thraitor; throws down* his . pick with a haughtygestured an' stan's "up" proud an' happy—a man; .Jawn,, a sthrong man. • An! whin ho goes home, an' th' .wife hears, iv his salvation, well) Jdwn,,- ye can imagine th' joy w that holy_, happy home. Th' childhor cry, no doubt with joy, :Jawn. An'-;th'- gran'wurrk iv;th' unions doesn't eirid there.'' "What gran' fellers tho fsecreth'ries -must bo." said Mr. Hennessy, 'ft' bo able, not only t' raysist timptation, but savo others, ■" an' ..them starrvin': all th' while." -"•Well, it's not quite like that, Jawn. The 'secreth'ries mus' eat hearrty. -V keep up their strength t' carry on their-noble wurrk."