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Evening Star, Issue 7473, 17 March 1888, Page 1

NOTES.

Mb Maxwell, at the conclusion of his very able report, refers in a somewhat A Pertinent veiled manner to one of the AlliiHion. main causes which has militated against our railways showing a better balance to the good. "It very often happens," he says, " that private accommodation or favor is not to the public advantage, either in working the railways or indirectly by improving the revenue." He more pointedly adds: " Great numbers of people are seekers after private favor at the public expense, in the shape of personal rates, lower rates, stations, private sidings, level crossings, fencing, drainage, and a hundred other things which it may be improper to grant on the grounds of public convenience and right." The nail is here hit on the head. It is notorious, indeed, that the Public Works policy from the very first has been handicapped by expenditure (amounting in the aggregate to very large amounts) for purposes more or less political. Pressure has successfully been brought to bear all over the colony to secure private advantages at the public cost, and members of the Legislature have vied with each other in securing the spoil. The General Manager of Railways, whose official life has been a burden to him from the neverceasing activity of every description of horse-leech, takes the opportunity, now that' a new system is to be inaugurated, of delivering his mind. In effect lie tells the people how they have been victimised, and indicates with sufficient clearness the little games which have been going on. More definite particulars would be interesting, and perhaps may be forthcoming when Parliament meets. "A wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse." " Tub Port Chalmers Licensing Committee, having been elected on the PreA Law unto hibition ticket, intend,' they ThemselTes. have distinctly intimated, to refuse the renewal of all bottle licenses, the extension of selling hours-in licensed houses, and generally to insist on the stringent carrying-out of the letter of the Act in regard to prohibited hours, etc. It is beyond doubt quite within the discretionary power of the committee to close the hotel and public-house bars at 10 p.m., and it is their bounden duty to enforce the Act in all essential particulars; when, however, they take on themselves to abolish within their district a form of license pro* vided for by the Statute, the matter stands on an altogether different basis. It was clearly not the intention of the Legislature to confer on committees the power of practically repealing any portion of the. Act, but this is really what the Port Chalmeis Committee purpose in effect to do, under cover of the general authority to refuse the granting or renewal of any license which they may not consider to be necessary for the public convenience. The bottle license may or may not be desirable, and there is much to be said on both sides; but this license is recognised by law, and until it ceases to be so the rights accrued under it must reasonably and equitably be respected. It is the duty of licensing committees to administer the Licensing Act, which is an Act not for the suppression but for the regulation of the liquor traffic. One of the jokes of the season, although intended in all sober seriousness, A Dream is the movement on the part of a Indeed, few cultured, persona, : including the Worshipful the Mayor, V to raise the tone of the drama in this city " ! Shakespearian representations are proposed to be the means of elevating the public taste, and a 'Midsummer Night's Dream' - j-a piece which has only very occasionally been attempted in London, so difficult and so costly must be che production to be at all effective—has been suggested by Mr Willis for the opening attempt. We apprehend that Shakespearian revivals by amateurs-are hardly likely to take with the crowd, who, when they go to the theatre, reasonably enough like to be amused, and will persist in patronising - comic opera and nigger entertainments, notwithstanding all efforts at cultivating thair minds. This sort of thing has been periodically attempted all over the British dominions, with an unvarying want oi success; and, except as a penitential exercise, no one of his own good will goes to see amateurs in Shakespeare. With regard to a ' Midsummer Nignt's Dream,' it would be utterly impossible, even with unlimited resources, to stage the play in Dunedin; whilst the difficulties as to the characters are, we should conceive, insuperable. If the desire is really to " raise the tone of the drama," why not put on * Uncle Tom's Cabin' ?—as chock-full of morality and high faluting cant as an egg is of meat, and combining in a marked degree " the histrionic and lyric drama," as well as what may be called the saltatory. What " the success of the Latin and Greek plays in the Old Country, and of similar productions in Melbourne and Sydney," can possibly have to do with raising the tone of the drama passes all conception. Greek plays are caviare to the multitude; Latin plays not only so, but fortunately so, since their morality is not even equivocal. There is a good deal of sense in the proposal of Dr Hislop that I)r Hinlnp to the appointments of assistant the Fore, teachers in schools should not be confirmed until the headmaster in each case has been consulted. The consultation, as we understand the doctor, would only amount to this : that it should be ascertained whether any valid objection exists in the mind of the person responsible for the efficiency and discipline of the school to any particular appointment. Teachers may possibly have qualifications up to the mark, and yet be known in the profession as difficult to work with, or as otherwise personally unsatisfactory. If in manifestly not fair to a head-master to thrust such assistants upon him, and he should reasonably have so far a voice in appointments as to have the opportunity of placing his views before the Eduoation Board, in default oi having been able in the first place to in* fluence the school committee in their recommendation. We are not, however, surprised that the motion of Dr Hislop met with little support. Innovation, even when an improvement, seldom commends itself at once, and possibly the Board do not care to commit themselves to any further consultations after the experience of Kaikorai. One thing, however, is pretty olear, namely, that this matter of appointments can hardly remain where it is with such possibilities as have recentlycaused no little scandal. Head-mastera should put their heads together and protest against incompetent assistants being forced upon them.