THE CHANGING SCENE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 11111, 8 May 1911, Page 6

THE CHANGING SCENE.

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW, : ■ [Bγ M.C.K.] '." It was recalled this week that most of ;ho;.things said nowadays about the. Liberal Administration by Mr. Massey were ;aid : ever so much better and ever so much nioro violently a £ow years ago by the: Hon. T. Mackenzie, and that all the. things that tho hon. gentleman says now were the constant taTgcts of his> ridicule in. tho same disgraceful past. I give in prose and verse an explanation of this "seoming, inconsistency" :—

.Peeling certain that tho public was i-thlrst for his opinion, and, if left to guess ths reason, would ho sure to gnees the worst, I called upon tho Minister, who glared and said "DOMINION?" but I'dcomo prepared for trouble, and I reached the poker first. Ho saw the point, and, sinking'.in the nearest arm-chair, muttered some remarks about "rheumatics" and "a dozen years ago." "Apropos," I neatly countered, "of the views that then you uttered, will you toll an anxious public what has. been and changed you. so? Is it, sir, your truo conviction or a. sort of passing frenzy that has made you tnrn the'tartan that was only surface-dyed? Thrift was ever cultivated by tho clan 'of Bed Mackenzie: was it thrift that first suggested you should use tho obverse side? Iβ it, due to hypnotism? Is it caused by eunspots? Is it —." But his tears commenced to trickle, and his mien became subdued, and I wept myself before the termination of my visit as I heard the touching-story of :■■ A MAN MISUNDERSTOOD. Ah! man, it wisna duo ava Tao motives mercenairy, For-salary there's nano and a , • Ma work is'honorairy. It isna. either that I love • ' The title "Hon.," for why, eirs, A Red Mackenzie's far above Kings; Popes, and oven Kaisers. Na! Na.! Tho change, I gie ma .oath Is honest, straight, an' a." that, Juigt change that comes 0' halesome growth, At' men are men for a' that. Because it once had saft green taps Wha. blames the full-grown inion? Sao manhood, Tipenin', gently drops ' Ita'worn-out young opinion. To dao not chairge a. butterfly Wi' greed o" place an' siller Because ye kent it, time gane by, As juist a caterpillar. 6ac too wi' me. 'When I attacked Sir Joe for being shifty. I'd hae yo recollec' tho fact I hadna then turned fifty. . Thao rhymes wi' which I lo'cd tae cairve • The Liberals, suro were naughty; But they were rhymes, ye maun obsairve O , buddin' eight an , forty. I say, when all ma auld attacks x On Job are resurrcctit, A stripling, barely fortyrsax, Ho couldna, be expectit! Bae tell your paper naething's queer About ma present attitude:— ■A lad o' flfty'e crudo idea Maun hao some littlo latitude. "Emancipation in the Marxian manner and by the Marxian method—it is for this we stand. Mightiest mission. Emancipation I—that ia the wprd. Tho hope, the call; the. thing. We are a"t its eve; it is almost upon us. New Zealand must let it to. This and thus is emancipation. It is a. rioh word. We aTe fond of it.- No other word means just what it means."—"Maoriland Worker." • ■ "But wot is this : 'ere emancipation?" asked the Toiler, as ho blew tho froth off his pint. "Freedom!" said tho canvasser. "Our vicwpojnt,; our : - aspiration,; pur certainty. Aw'ay with economic evils. Humanity pursuing its goal.- . Resistless because emancipatory. Tfiatt"' ■■ • '"Ow?" pursued the Toiler: '"Ow?" "Thus," said the canvasser. "Strive remembering wagedom giving parallelograrnjiatic uplift persistently from proletarian Borvitude." .... ■ - "Ah!" said the.Toiler, and drank again. "Ah!" ~ , . , . . . "It ,is coming," said the canvasser. "Emancipation! Tho emancipatory doctrine, the truth driving labour to power, dominating everything in a bounteous development." "I see that," said tho Toiler. "Yus, that's right,/but -.'ow?"

"Abolish capitalism," said the ' canvasser. "Seek the dawn. Ponder on dawn. A noble fancy. And no fancy, but fact—£ sweep, a stride from wagedom." "Ho?" said the Toiler. ,- "Yes," said the canvasser. "The salvation, of humanity. The clarion call. The development out of into. From mud to tho star. The day when, men aro MEN. The day when no wages shall be paid to —."

"Wot?" ejacnlated tho Toiler. "When, wages, are no more," said the canvasser. "Rot," said the Toiler, and finished his : pint. Then, reflectively, "No wa»«s? : Rot!" • ■ : Following upon the "Gazette" announcei ment that Sir J..G. Ward has been made ■ a Colonel of the Bluff Mounted Rifles or something comes the cabled news that he. is to be made a Doctor of Laws by the ; Birmingham University.

Ye trumpery tin-politicians, Ye papers that ■ gibber■ and yell, ■: Who deny that the country's condition's As sound as a bell— Write your leaders corrupt and cor- • . rosive: ■

You can't shake tho fact that Sir Joseph, Onr scholarly, cultured Prime Minister's now D.C.L.

; Ye greybeards, whose years of hard reading Brought only a modeet M.A.. look up to the man who-,.by heeding ■; The facts of the day, ■ In keeping his trumpet a-blow, in Resorting with vigour to Cohen, Iβ right at the top of the tree, and with ! nothing to pay. I Tc Roseberys, Morleys, and Curzons, : Who used to nroan, "Nobody cares For us learned but trumpery persons," May now put on airs. '■■ . . For,tho latest recruit to your muster : Confers on the order a-lustre The Bluff Highland HiOea-had deemed was I exclusively theire. ;. But it hasn't escaped you, Doc, ha 3 it, J That we can't live on honour alone? ', We regard as a national asset I The handle you own. I Don't forget,, while you bend to Apollo, : Admetus. I hope that you follow: ': ,ffhat's your D.C.L. good for, old Doc, in the way of a loan? .

If ever a man felt that religion has , its drawbacks, it must have been Dr. Gibb when Mr. IWlds, at the united church Bieoting in connection with the Biblo tercentenary, said the school was no place for tho Old Boole. As a sport, one- must admire ' the reverend Doctor's ' 6elf-re-Btraint: "I said at the outset that this meeting should be regarded as a religious eorvice, and such it is." Therefore, he i7ould.let, Mr..Fowlds alone.for the time. It is only honest to inform Dr. Gibb'that theincident can do no good to religion, for many people will conclude that anything that prevents the Doctor from knocking the stuffing out of the Minister —as he most assuredly could have done— is a thing to be Teprobated by all honest sports. .Anyway, it is no use tho Doctor fretting about his hasty and shortsighted announcement of the conditions of the meeting. Sceiug Mr. Fowlds present, he ought at once to have proclaimed Iha.eathcrinjj a pablio meetinj; »ut in

that case, no doubt, the Minister would have quietly slipped out and sent a telegram to say. he was suddenly .indisposed. It must be rather awful to bo r.;r. Fowld.s, : .with, .his stern conscience and lofty principles—a Freetrader in a Protectionist Ministry, a Prohibitionist in a pro-beer Cabinet, an anti-gambier backing up the Bookmakers'. Government. The point, however, is Dr. Gibb's position. It is too late for him to lio in wait for the next occasion. After, such a narrow escape, Mr. Fowlds will refuse to attend tho quatercentenary meeting at all.

CHURCH PARADE. ¥■ A SEEIION FOR SOLDIERS, A Church parade of tho sth Regiment (Wellington. Rifles), Lieutenant-Colonel Duthie commanding, was held yesterday morning. The regiment fell in 205 strong at the old drill shed, Maginnity Street, and marched through the city to bt. James's Presbyterian Church, Newtown, to the music of the Battalion Band and the Pipe Band. Officers present were:— Lieutenant-Colonel Duthie, Major Turner, Captains Esson, Roache, Hutchen, Davis, and Corriean, Lieutenants Mee, Simeon, Flynn, Bollard, Butler, Atkinson, Cowles, Wilkinson, and..Hughes.

Dress for the parade was full dress with side-arms only. Owing to tho changes thnt nre being made in connection with the reorganisation of the forces, this will probably be the last parade of the regiment in full dress, and it is almost a certainty that tho Highland kilt will not again be seen at a regimental parade. The service at St. James's was conducted by Chanlain-Major Rev. W, Shirer. He took" as text I ■-• Chronicles XII, 33: "Men who could keep rnak and were -not of a double heart. Ho said that the force referred to in this pas* ago was a tribal army, n territorial force. All wero ready,, to unite for the protection of the whole. There was also ordoi aDcl preparedness. Effective defenco w< quired physical culture, not for display or profit, but for service. Religion tausht men .to honour the body. Kingslcy had the' strong mind in the' healthy body. The territorial would train to .strengthen and learn to avoid all th'af would weaken. There must. bo mental alertness, ability to' call up reserve power, to think rapidly ami accurately. Prompt attention must be given to orders. All must avoid the error of one "too busy to do his duty." The value of character was emphasised. Tho soldier should be truo to God, to others, and to himself. Ruskin.in "The Crown of Wild Olive," censured'the excuses made for the thoughtlessness of youth, and gave tiro characteristics for the soldier: "Industry and honour." The territorial knew that some must command and some obey, eveTj'inan must bo and: do his best. Paitl called on .the young man. to; enduro hardness, and bo a good soldier of Christ. A clean heart, clean lips, and clean living ensured power to strve. The preacher also counselled his hearers to learn the strength that comes from mutual respect and confidence. The qualities that make a good soldier could be shown in peaceful times.

"Keep ye the law, be swift in all obedi-

ence; Clear the land of evil, drive the road ■ and bridge the ford By the peace among our peoples, Let men know we serve the Lord." The National. Anthem was sung at tho conclusion ,of the service, and tie regiment .then marched back through the streets.