THE CHANGING SCENE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1186, 22 July 1911, Page 6

THE CHANGING SCENE.

*. . A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW,

.(Bt H.C.K.v

"Hs is very strong Massoyist, this journal," said the intelligent foreigner as ho folded up the evening paper and gavo it;to:.the. guard for -dispatch to tho asylum/' '■"'*' '■■ ' ■■'■' "-' ; . "Why, it's an independent," said tho commercial traveller. "Look how it attacks Bill Massey. Have a look at this ■ —it's' yesterday's issuo." "I not compveheivV" said the intelligent foreigner, after reading it. "Wat do independence mean with you? Independence .. ~J w'at?" ''■'Independence is—haven't you any in France? It means, well, it means not being tied to any party, you see." "Ha, I see. But I yet not comprchen'. "W'at this journal desire? It say, .'The ] Massoy. is terrible; keep him out. Put him in, and behold, there- is crash.' Vcr' well. Keep him out by all mean. But jcertainly. Who to support then? The , , AVardist? Not of all! Not, decidedly! ,Wa't is tho AVavdist? Regard this what 'the-Tost' say: 'The AVardist party is hopeless; ■ It have ruled too long; it is cor■rnp',; it is traitor; it is robber; it lack conscience; it despise principle; it is to laugh at.' Were am I?" '"'But, don't you see, it's au indopend- ; entrpaper." "Permit that I ask one timo more: Of iir'at independent? .It want that. Wardist. (party be given tho axo:at the neck. Why ; 'then not say 'Put Massey in'?" { ' "The land question, you see. Now 1 Massey " . "But, friend, it say no issue so ' jgreat >\s reform. It say 'Out with the Wjytlist party.'" that doesn't mean that it wants f. Massey/ put in." / "Who else? Ha, of course. The At-' , kinson? or is it tho Taylor? Perhaps the Fletcher? A Fletcher party? No? W'at 'then?" "Oh, hang it, take a broad view." "My friend, I know w'at it i 3 independent of." "What?" ■■■■■• •'■' •■• . "Its dear old self. ':■ It..say.:''.'TV.'at.-t '.said yesterday—pouf! W'at I say tomor.Tow—tra la! pouf!.., .W'at.l say to-day— pouf encore, iloro the independent, more the merry!' Now I Tead again my Ollendorff, Have;you seen the weathercock?"

>. The age. of mircles is not passed away. Auckland has heaped coals of fire, on .■Wellington's head. When Wellington proposed that the Sydney-Wellington boat should leave Sydney on Mondays instead of on Saturdays, in order to bring the Suez mail here more quickly, we all thought. Auckland : would .protest. But Auckland ~is., not, ..narrow-minded. Its Chamber of Commerce .welcomed the idea. It' is true that the now arrangement will ■aleo lot Auckland havo its English mail sooner than at present; that the Sydney -Auckland service will not be interfered , with; that tho Vancouver service will, give Auckland a special advantage; that. ' the naval base will net be interfered with; that Wellington will still remain sqcond to'tho Queen City; that Auckland wilb reserve its rights to protest'on other points; that the.best weather will sfc. be allocated-to Auckland; and that, generally speaking, Auckland will bo mor< happily circumstanced than ever, ' But all this is a small sot off against the l'a,ct that the new arrangement would slightly benefit Wellington. In the ' ciicwustanccs; ,wo lc.qkcjd, for protest. And tlibro is" no!protest! 'Auckland acquiesces. Had it been parochial, had it been disposed to tako a narrow view, this could not havo happened. But if there-is one thing that Auckland is not afflicted with it is narrow-mindedness. As the president said: "I am sure that it will bo gratifying to the Wellington Chamber to find that the Auckland Chamber is not narrow-minded." The age of miracles is not past. We may shortly expect to find Sir Joseph Ward giving the public some information, about tho raising of the country's loans. When Sir J. OS. Pindlay returns Wellington may tender him a banqnot and an illuminated address. Hens may suddenly begin to lay most freely when eggs are dear. Mr. Barber may bo elected for Newtown. Gas meters may euddenly start to register only the amount of gas that is consumed. Anything is possible now that Auckland has approved *>f a Wellington suggestion.

1 The appearance of Mr. D. M'Laron as 8- humourist (in his newspaper controversy: with Mr. Fisher) has a tragic side that only a few people can see. The ciiuio of Labour has had no bettor asset than- the unrelieved gloom of "Dave's" appearance and manner. Looking at him, one could not help feeling that the lot <of tho worker is sad and terrible. Ho was tho embodiment oi all the suffering produced by "tho wage-system." Ho has -gi'ently injnred the cause by coming out as a merryman, as this affecting cry bears witness:— • Let bothers clap their 'anda an'.say '"Ow bracing 13 'is 'nmour!" I'm fecl:-n.' far from gay; Me thoughts is glum an' grave. 3 smiled a smile, an' curled mo lip Wen first I 'cird the rumour l-'As vat 'ad got a scissors grip On dear okl Dismal Davo. /'At times, w'cu feolin' disinclined Ter fesl that deep depression iWot'a duo in one v;ot waxes grincl , Into a bloomin' slave, . 'il cured mcself by callin' round An' nolin' the hexpression lOt grief tiuito gashly ( an' pcrfound . Upon the face of Dave. 'Alasl Alas! 'Oo can yer trust Wen leaders fail an' falter? Me faith, mo 'opes is simply bust, The way that they behave. 'At least, I thought, our ono last rock Of 'ope would never alter— ■'Ow can 1 hear this final shock: Theeo hiiwful jokes of Davo? Were H that dial woebczono, That fourco of hinspiration TVot wuckcr3 came to gazo npon, An' gazin' on. ter wave Tho flag of revolution red? It's (torn.; an' desolation •'A3 filled me spirit sinco I'read Them airy quips of Dave, Our cry as timo3 is out o' joint, A3 Life i 3 but a stoomcr: Is graveyard vfoaso gave it point— Yds, point is wot it gave. But 'oo is jroin' ter 'ecd us blokes Now Dave as took ter 'iimour? ■ ' Thore's doom and ruins in them jokes Viol marks tho fall of Daw. "Mr. Sidey, M.P." When we saw this \eading over an editorial in the Dunedin "Star," wo said to ourselves: "AVo havo heard of an essay on the vacuum. This ■ jiHst lw it. It never occurred to us that you' could say anything about Mr. Sidev -that, haviug said 'Mr. Sidey, M.IV you had said all thero was to be said. A n<l a man who enn write an article on Mr. Sidey, M.P., must bo a genius. Wo shall read this." Our hopes were not disappointed. Tho writer really is a genius. In four brilliant opening sentences he founded.a new school of char-acter-drawing, thus: With a shade nioro vim and vivacity Mr. T. K. Sidey would be a very effective speaker. A3 it is, his deliverances in tho ] louse nnd on tho platform are much abovo tho parliamentarian average. Their distinction consists in a nanny blend of philosophic- breiV , . , and practical directness of touch. A penchant towards theoretical idealism is not allowed to hamper clear recognition of the" li-mdta of iminedia<to (M)ssibiliticg* •-,

This is an admirable method. Applying it to the Hon. K. M'Kenzie, the "Star" would eay: "Were his urbanity and his Renins for tactful submission to opponents heightened by ever so little, the Hon. It. M'Kenzie would bo tho best-loved of our public men. Even aa it is, he is the object of an interest which few of his colleagues can inspire. Tho peculiar grace of his methods is the appealing blend of a gentle realism with si practical 'concern for tho achievement of his purpose. Ho has a bent, or perhaps one should say only a penchant, towards tho assertion of his personality—a je no sais quoi of tenacity; but ho never allows this to obscure his perception of tho mutability of passible eventualities." And of Sir John Fiiullay: "Sir John Findlay is one-of our most notable public men. AVero ho to give fuller rein to his modesty, were ho less keen to suppress tho natural-promptings of his shyness and I humility, ho would probably rise, lo the dizzy eminence of replacing Mr. Hogan, M.P. for AVan.gnn.ui. If anything, iic has a penchant for communicativeness. ■His intensely practical spirit, as evidenced in his working out of tho new menu for bigamists and burglars, has not contracted his vision or unfitted him for tho task of instructing England in the art.of politics." •