THE CHANGING SCENE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 609, 11 September 1909, Page 6

THE CHANGING SCENE

; . , A BIRD'S EYE VIEW. I (By MCK.) j;.?'.''-It's all question of . what, you aro used iw ' to. And • therefore I have, no doubt what-ever-that: tho peopla.of, Morocco are giving 1; io Mulai Hafid for his undertaking to abolish |s'«/-.:»lu8 "torture ■ practices" .the; credit that tho - easy-goihg Now Zoalandor. is inclined to give 'ito'.Sir' Joseph-Ward, for : his attempt: to ' abolish'■ a :part ,of his wastefulness' in admin|l : ; V ' istration.' L Circumstances must modify judgI monts. A black -patch that would go unr remarked if it adhered to tho noso of a K : :. lady- in.Uganda would be horrid on the nose 1 of Miss Nellie Stewart. And so tortuie fu.':* practices, which, if practised, by Sir Joseph 1 Ward, would lead tho Ministerialist ■ organs i• < : goto a mild protest,"' aro really only t' bleinishes on the administration of .the Sultan v sr of Morocco. When the Moroccan; newspapers U- v come to hand, wo shall . doubtless, find' that !■ the' Opposition in that country . has been declaring that the abolition of the naiMined wooden ' shirt ; is a- confession by the; Sultan that .'it:'was. a. most pernicious thing. The Hafidian ijournals will explain that abuses J. ' inust necessarily i creep in, but . that it :'is - an" infamous -lie :to assort, as tho penny-a- ---\ hner hirelings of tho Tory press ■ assert, of tho wooden 'shirt means t- that'tho Government has been guilty <Sf-any 'ft impropriety. Tbo . Sultari, 1 -- will - explain", that he mustnot be accused.of maladministration, t ' v : siiico the abandonment of his tortnro praci; : .. tioes. merely' means that tho" timo' is ripo j' .' I for dispensing with them. Moreover, so he ;■ will say,"in a speech which his newspapers IwiU'- ■a ' statesmanlike utterance, k-Jir i-tho: wooden shirt was a legacy from "his £>;■>■:predecessor, 'and '■■■ his.■ predecessor .must bear iv- : -.'tho' blame.- Before very long'"the Hafidian it press will be: oulogising the Sultan;for havmg • courageously undertaken i an .unpopular "(Juty. ' And, 'in the meantime, tho wooden v. ': . rghirt will :begra to be quietly pnt m:opera- • tion again. For I have no doubt that.Mulai ■ -is:an:excellent Liberal. ■ '■

t , ;• Our old friend "A Voice" seems to have ~been, in good form'at 1 a meeting addressed I?.-m ;, by one of the Government candidates for tho f'' : 'Rai!gitifei seat .'-.-Was it not, ho askeel, bo;:theOpposition's /pressure '/.that .the .error: of. its \ways U: ;'i':in'»Tespect of land . tenure. Mr., Mcldrum-s f. r : ' teply was rather splendid, and Reserves to A j,-become l historic: "It might havo been under 5 pressure of tho Opposition; it "was certainly of. sound reasoning." t-■ :■■■■ 'The' Minister speaks, for ■ weeks .and weeks,- by / the firm-belief inspired. j That is: sure ;sor.-hi .pare .whereyer : is;-wirecl. •■> ' ■.■ - . f"' 1 -He clears his mind of .the mists that blind the , i :. -''average dull. M.P.— - - A - rogular elouth on the .of-.Truth-to the J „ final QJED. His : foes may shriek that hiiHogic's weak,.and i [v:!V ;:the 'papers scoff and. shout. ■■. *'.- f:; In' yam endeavour to put the cloVtfr and faithful Minister out; K. he/scorna the.foo, for >0 they know r--.that-he .simply--must/be ..right- u"tV:!"/;.in,: thoroughly . the ;tUng' : -by/Eeason's light... ' - ;

Vaner, it's true, and a thumping screw, ..aye 1 well i enough, in their way, 1 £ ; a And sweetness -larks in the ; travelling "perks" ■: of one pound ten per days'. , -■> But-bettor far than these: bounties are tho ]oya JJ: '' :'-.that:thcy've' l alwaya' fotind' v.- - - . : • R:'.'>'.:ln , .ithotexorciso -of . theirs faculties in: reasoning strong and-sound,-.. .' ;' p.' Jin.'ravelling out the knots of doubt from the !: tangled thread of fact :(■ ~ -...'..!•'• i; [- Trutli 'may ■ shine', as ; a light : divine in a

f!.-;;;:"! :Socialistic; Act'■ ! ; , '-!;•' i : "! They take delight; and a noble Bight that never '« ••. can bo surpassed : ■ >'=• :.' : ls the lordly.manner they nail the banner (with fejv'V«f-;'-'plns)'-!'to';.the 'policy : maßt." . ■■!•' i!... ' few••!'-■• j!".' : Oh, sweet the thrill, when ho proves hia skfll, 'in the scientist's, heart that glowsli v. •>. ? It's puro romanco ' when your' outside - chance i: gels '.home ..by. a, short- half-nose. Kiiil'/But/ grcatly !^^ higher!'^ the - joys '.'thatflxe ■ the-llin-: soulvi ; .!!.ri' v/i';!;, t When the'.chain of . thought - has--at last been ■'■iHibrought!!to; the Truth.that 'IsvEcason'Bgoil.- : I Steady and strong, thoy think along: that hum in the silent night -!' b ic. Is the ' thoughtful tram of -the patriot brain in, of Eight. ~ ' : ;!;; :-Thoy. test and: test,:till thing that's -best: Is 5. v;. ;. :-. : is' clear beyond dispute; - • j They: weigh and weigh till it's clear as day .that .their policy's sore to suit. • t-':- M Bttch'..circumstances as .abstract fanoiea-that oommoner. statesmen-use— - .' ■ '' • 33i«y brnsh aside, tL;d they take-a pride In the fact-that-they .foundt their viewß ■ ■ < Jind/frame their: Acts on the actual facts of !tho -logic/ euro ,and aoond -. '-: .• f-K; That, is : firm and. clear' to the listening car I--. that's, glued-to -tho:tremulous ground,' I.: ;.: - 'A. choerful heart—God bless it!—is a pleasant . thing in these dismal':times; -- And :! :; cotild'.therp ,1m .anything more "cheerful than fS^:-!';!, this/(Sentence from>. an.', article liii ; :' which.. !the V' ♦/" P a P°r- discusses the '. position ;! in - -Morocco ?—?''ln; fact,: if;-tho '-unrcst and the and tho - 'carnage ■ arid tho "-cruelty -,■.. could be ignored, the whole business*would ; ':be, : as fit .for.comiciopera ; as■ anything■ that ti- .has happened in our time." "That's right," ' .'jbo I can .- imagine tho - Government. supporter crying eagerly. "That's exactly right ; , What a thing .it is to be able to put things 1 r.r-..'.'^oir l ><l'Te,-;beQa ■so . mad '- sometimes, trying to reply,,to tho .Oppositionists. You know: i-,i..; you,.feel, the facts, but you can't .just get 'em. into, words. You. see, I've admitted the ( Government is.- wrong -in this thing and- that '.;thing—you .simply can-1 deny itr-but all'tlis (,■;■: ituse - I've never. wavered in my Liberalism, ( ---'And now I, see why.'' --For if tho-fiso in-'the |j : and in the /taxation' per .head: and |;|:l;the!: stuffing: of the Civil Seryice and the losses !;' .on the railways and the .'coming taxation arid . tho! appointment : of Mr.- I'owlds ,and the f!.;:r-':prorogation of Pariiament,' : and the Premier's |?i- iPojicßescort;arid 7 the.:'-other could theCadimriistratioh of - tho' (--- V- Goveinment would bo as fine as .any ■in ■ the -world. Yon:just.have to forgot these things, and; -right. .Now, ;if - tho Rangitikei fy<- electors: will -only think carefully along theso in for a certainty/ ; ! : '.*Get down to bed-rock.That's what I say: r-:> get down .to.- bed-rock! Never mind what i , : Libefalism's dons; !.ju'st think of ,what -Liherausm would bo if it dono 'em. Now, 1f,r.l :Was Moldrum ■" And hero my - -imagination gave out. In any caso, he is Aleldrum, for all practical purposes. ■ •

:!,-- -'- '.Ilany .thanks" .was the 1 text of 'a message re-t:■.--...tewed to-day from Sir Wilfrid Laurior, Prime - Junister of,Canada,-.in'reply to,a message from 6S vtte Acting,.' Premier of -. New- Zealand '(Hon. J, Carroll), v expressing . regret' at : tho lossoccaSi 006 "'! by - the,. flro. In 'the. Canadian Dominion's I - - -llousea of Parliament. • - ' •

t--'! ■; - ; splendidly■ exemplifies the ' great '/ ■ '.superiority'that makes Now -Zealand! famous jj ~; from: tho tropics to -;tho -polo." Think of ~, Jimmy's lengthy message, and its ponderous : note Sir:- Wilfrid's answer: :. w "?'V a oontrast,. 'pon my soul I. Such: an *v '.openint; for a message that, would be 1 to! us r, ,; ft ;tonic! _ Such :• a-failure to ' embrace in f opportunity immense! Was ho drunk, qr tefinad,! or dreaWing;'.that : ho sent.us a laconic r, "Many thanks"—a paltry answor oosting f.-. only eightcen-penco? They have much to f learn, -my i Childron, :from. this oloquent ! .Dominion, .for in platitudinosity we're far ? beyond eclipse. Let us sympathise, howover, '> for they'ro dull, in my opinion, through ? . their _-sordidj: drab devotion to the work of y-;. building: ships-. In the future'amy may j: - wondor whero our oloquonco has gono to, for J: ,we'll,surely fifcd occasion-to address -these f - -sordid cranks (when our safety's in the kccp- |, ■: ing of ; a scruiser named ' 'Toronto") in their }x own'-laconio fashion, gasping gladly "Maay r-. th-anksl". ' - i

f, ": ;,MTh'.\ humanities- an' th' bookie," mat- ! torn! Mr. Dooloy. "Th' bookie an' hnman- ? . ism. • Humanism an' two t' wan. Lower cdds j an'. th' higher lifo. • Odds an' " •. p;- ."\y; la t-is it you do bo saying?".asked Mr. -• Hemiossy.' • 1 t Vl'm'thryin' : t' find- a headin' f'r an '. arrticlo on what me. frinds. Jim Carroll and Yi'/'/Jack Hiiillar told. th'. bookies at-. th' club. ?. Tho-wurrld, ever ready t'. malign th' great, j, ' says -thdt th' Miiusth«rs-Vuz; outrageous in

backin' th' bookies. Th' public is indignant, an' oven Mr. North snys lie wild sooner see mo frind Jimmy'back a liorrso than back ,th' books. But what can y' expect in this ago'iv superficial thinkin'? ' 'lis parrt iv th 1 Guv-mint's plan t' carry out th idee iv Dootkor Fin'lay that tlirue national greatness hos in clevatin' nil things, an' that ththruly happy lan' 'is not that which. pays its;debts but th''wan that puts wreaths iv roses roun' th' man-holes Iv the so.wers. .'Jim,' says . th' Docthor, 'there's a/gran' body iv min goin' -.t' waste in th' bookmakin' thrade,. an', a gran' thrado doin' liothin' .f'r th': improveraint • iv. th', race,' • says he. 'Don't yo -think;' ■ lie ■ says,proddin' . Jim awake, 'don't ye think we cud improve these boys?' ;Yo might think, Jawri, that th'-idee iv ■ th' ; Guv'mintis' t' turrn th' - bookie into a dosirablo citizen. . But 'that be- a turr'ble waste, iv bookio,' an'' th' extinction iv wan of. our infant indilsthries.' No, Jawn, th' idee is t'., turrn th' desirable citizen into a bookmaker. 'Hore,' says Jimmy, 'is a lan' that' calls itself progressive,; an'., 'tis full. iv misfits. : Luk aroun','. lie says, 'an' what'do ye see?. Yo soe;' he says,' 'inefficient wliarrflumpers, an' inexperrt soft goods salesmen, an defective paporhangors; Now here,' says ho, : 'is th' ;remedy'f'r that impelling sum iv inefficiency. Take th' inefficient wharrf,lumper t' this most, interestin' kindergarten that 'I have: th' honour t' declare open, an' in a shorrt time.ye will have him becomo so efficient'a bookie,' says he,_ 'that'he'll go pale at th' thought iv. hafrd work,' ho says. 'I.needhar'ly wurrk out .th' div'den' ■that society will dhraw. Y' invest wan useless navvy and get a King iv'th'; Turf,' he says. Loud applause an' 'For he's a jolly good. fellow,' during which; th'. Prime Ministiler 'has a snooze." . ."I, can't see it," said Mr. Henriesy - ■ ." 'Tis not:clare, Jawn, I- admit, whin;ye have nawthin't' aid yere imagination exeep' daylight and cold tea. 'But this here kindergarten . wuz opened at night, an' . othor things was opened at it too.":