CASUAL COMMENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15902, 13 April 1912, Page 2

CASUAL COMMENTS.

(By “SIMPLICITAS”)

I seem to have read somewhere that there are certain barbaric rnces who enter into battle with a tumultuous beating of gongs and tom-toms and other ear-splitting performances, with the intent to work their warriors up to the proper state of ferocity and bloodthirstiness. The Scotch, also, used to play tho bagpipes on similar occasions. Now it occurs to me on mature consideration that politicians and savages have many points in common. This habit of making a furious din as a|precedent to hostilities is one ' of them. Canterbury, the benighted hotbed of tho abominable political doctrines fermented by’ BaL'.auco and Seddon, and now grouped under the generic heading of “ Wardism,” has been the scone of a Reform Party “ rally.” It was in a very out-of-the-way corner of Canterbury, but when one holds a hostile demonstration in ths enemy’s territory, one cannot be too careful. Mr Massey and his disciples voiced their loud denunciation of tho wicked Liberals and the still more wicked “pledge-break-ers” to the accompaniment of great stamping of feet, and the thunderous crash of soda-water bottles upon frail trestle tables, and by the time the rally was in full swing Mr Massey was Prime Minister. Mr C. A. C. Hardy was in tho Legislative Council, and the country was saved several times. At least that was the impression one got.

One also got other impressions, amongst them that the Reform Party placed principle first and party nowhere, but that the 1 thirty-eight members of the party would stick to the party through thick aiid thin, and adopt any principles Mr Massey might think fit to evolve. Also that the only possible salvation for New Zealand lay in the adoption of Mr Massey as a leader and his policy as a guide, but that the policy could not possibly he divulged until the leadership was secure. Also that members who broke their election pledges ought to be kicked out of Parliament, but That the Reform Party honed to have its ranks considerably strengthened by the accession of several renegades from the Liberal Party. Also that the Liberals had been guilty of grossly reprehensiblo intriguing, bribery and corruption in connection with the no-confidence motion, buy that there was no evidence of this. Altogether tho rally was productive of much bewilderment, which'was probably what it was intended to produce.

I notice that the Federation of Labour has been having a tilt at tiic great Middle Class. It objects to Professor Mills’-s scheme for a union of all workers, and pins its faith upon manual labourers to effect the social regeneration of this country, Hie middle class, the Federation says, has never taken tho side of the workers, “workers,” in the vocabulary of the Federation, meaning apparently manual workers. Of course, if we. are going to admit with the Federation that the upper class, the middle class and the “workers” must engage in a class war,” in which the weakest inust go to tho wall, tho prospect doesn t seem very alluring for any of the parties conceriiocl. I am inclined to believe that Professor Mills shows more wisdom even than the Federation of Labour when ho advocates an alliance of Labour mt-i the middle class, to inarch under the common banner of “ the useful people. MTio knows but the despised middle class might produce some leaders with almost as much ability as the gentlemen who at present guide the destinies of the Federation.

This question ,of compulsory military training is onefupon which I have suspended judgment for many moons. The genuine conscientious objector to military service has all the sympathy I' am capable ’ of, hut it is gradually being “ proned in upon me.” as the old darkey said, that convenience and not conscience is at tho back of many objections. There is a type of hoy who strenuously objects to military training encroaching on his leisure, and he has been shown how to’assume a virtue that ,he has not by pleading a. conscience which I suspect in most cases to be nonexistent. Also ho has been allowed to voice liis views upon tho matter with unfettered impudence, and has been encouraged by adults who ought to know better to resist any attempt at discipline. This type of boy needs discipline, needs training, needs something to fill up his time, and, leaving the ethics of militarism' out of the matter altogether, I sincerely hope the new Minister of Defence will see that the Act is strictly enforced.

The ways of a bird in the air, of a serpent upon a rock, or of a man with a maid are as nothing compared with the way of a young girl . taking her music to the music-teacher’s. Time was when so id music was decently veiled from sight in a tubular case, but now it is flaunted, positively flaunted. The young girl —or. to be more precise and academic, tho flapper—carries her music in the crook of her arm, extended at an angle of forly-five degrees from the vertical. It is thus extended so that you may see the name of Leschetitzkv on the top piece of music. Ninety-nine per cent of the flappers one sees going to musio lessons have Leschetitzky’s. “Liebestraum ” on the top of the pile. Underneath is Hemy’s tutor. Ido not know which work they mostly study. Even if I did, I would not bo unkind enough to tell.

After a prolonged and painstaking inspection of the specimens of amateur photography published in recent issues of the “Canterbury Times.” I am reluctantly forced to the conclusion that in New Zealand, or in Christchurch, at all events, pictorial photography is in tho swaddling clothes of new-born infancy. In Auckland they have some very clever amateurs; and the work of Gerald E. Jones of that city has gained a reputation outside tho dominion. It i 3 to the amateurs that we must look for artistic photography. The professionals are too busy manipulating negatives so as to make their clients look pretty. But with two exceptions,'these “ Canterbury Times” pictures can only bo described as dreadful

“A Quiet Cup of Tea” is commendablo in its lighting and composition, but the pictures oil the wall aro superfluous and therefore blemishes. “The Last Load of the Day ’ ’ is also well conceived, but would have been improved bv ruthless trimming down. The photographer has wisely left the tangle of miscellaneous trees. in tho background slightly out of focus, but as the shadows in the picture show it was taken at about 3 p.m., I cannot “ almost soe tho grey shadows that commoncq to steal through the trees and to clothe the landscape in the mantle of evening,” as tho commentator poetically suggests is possible. “ Heavy Sea at New Plymouth ” and “ Scene on Victoria Lake ’’ are examples of the dramatic but* meretricious effects to be obtained by gross under-exposure. The picture of the dredge “Manchester” fails to thrill me. It is a common or garden snap-shot, devoid of any artistic interest. “A View in Christchurch Domain ” is pitiable in its banality, and " Sea Bathers at Shelly Beach ” and “A Glimpse of Picturesque New South Wales," arc the kind of thing one sees in every amateur’s scrapbook. They do not shriek for publication. The foregoing unkind and brutal remarks are intended as a sort of antidote for the very sugary descriptions appended to these pictures in the “Canterbury Times! 1 ’ Both series of comments are perhaps just a little too strong.

That mysterious Japanese expedition to the Antarctic has been causing some people furiously to think. They argue that Japan as a nation is strictly utilitarian in its aims, and is unlikely to devote much time or cash to the advancement of abstract science. They also recall that 3;q jo sjuounu uooq eAinj oaoqj coal deposits in the Antarctic continent, and putting two and two together they make sixteen and confidently assert that Lieutenant Sliirase and his men have been spying out the land for an Antarctic coaling station, with a view to a surreptitious and unheralded attack upon New Zealand in the near future. It is no use telling these people that all tho Antarctic explorers agree that coal-mining in the Antarctic is quite impracticable. . They have supreme faith in the omniscience of the Japanese, and ascribe to our brown brethren powers denied to mere ordinary . Britishers. Still cno would, like to know exactly why Shirase and Co. went prowling south. Nobody seems to have anything but condemnation for tho suffragettes who recently conducted a window-breaking tour in the West End of London. The affair is regarded as an inexplicable outburst of unreasoning fury. But moth inks there was some method in madness. In this matter of votes for women the electors of Britain are hard to move. They have votes, and the suffragettes have not, therefore why should the electors worry? a nd if tile electors are apathetic, why should politicians interest themselves? Mrs Pankhuret and Miss Ciiristabel Pankhurst might address meetings till they were black in the face, and write letters to the newspapers till they got writers’ cramp, and the British elector would not turn a hair. But the British are still “ a nation of shop-keepers,” and if you smash their shop-windows they aro hound to sit up and take some notice. If anybody, deprived the male electors of Britain or any other country of votes they reckoned they were entitled to things more serious than the breaking of shop-windows might be confidently expeeted to happen. And it must he an extremely jolly and satisfying thing to smash a really nice big plate-glass window. T don’t pity the suffragettes or condemn them. I envy them.