NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16479, 19 February 1914, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Half the Reform newspapers appear to be engaged in attempts to prove that there has been no rise of Liberal sentiment in the dominion lately. Just why they are so concerned about what they profess to regard as the dying quivers of Liberalism they do not explain. The simple truth is that they find much cause for anxiety in the refusal of the average Liberal to accept political extinction as his lot. A little more than two years ago, they remember only too well, the to'tal number of Liberal, Independent-Liberal and Labour voters was nearly 288.000, while the Reform, Independent-Reform and Independent voters numbered less than 173,000. The figures are stubborn things oven for a Reformer mathematician.

" One of the curiosities of New Zealand life," remarks tin Auckland paper, "is that a huge proportion of New Zenlanders know nothing about New Zealand." This indictment is not at all too sweeping. The ignorance of the city dwellers of the true life and atmosphere of their own country is appalling and is increasing with the growth of the towns. Many people spend their lives in an extremelv

narrow circle, so bound up in local activities and sports that they do not realise the need of travel or of a change of lifo now and again. If they do travel they take a trip, to Sydney or perhaps even to London and back. This certainly is mind-broaden-ing, but before travelling to the ends of the earth, it would be well for them to loarn something about the land they live in.

The "back-country" of New Zealand is a closed book to thousands of people in the dominion, through lack of interest rather than through inability to learn. Many a traveller from overseas who comes hero for a few months' fishing and shooting and touring learns more of the dominion than many a man who has lived in Christchurch or one of the other cities most of his days. Tourists indeed have remarked on the ignorance of colonials in regard to the wonderful natural features of the country, of its achievements and of its stirring history. This may be a trifle supercilious, but without a doubt the townkeeping young New Zcalander is often too dovoted to his own street, his own amusements and other people s sports, to trouble about anything else. There is perhaps some hope for him in the increased facilities for getting about tlie dominion, but even with all these conveniences of travel, the city is still the great magnet for the youth of the country.

The Conservative newspapers are displaying great avidity in picking up, out of odd corners, any stray words "they think 'commendatory of Mr Massey, his followers and his political faith. The Government organ in Wellington tho other day published a snippet concerning the Prime Minister culled from the "Daily Mail" Sixpenny Year Book. The snippet in question, if complimentary to Mr Massey at all, goes very near to belonging to the lefthand order of flattery. With its terms there is no need to quarrel, but to state that Mr Massey is distinguished "neither for tactics nor for tact" seems to be a rather unkind style of biography. Mr Massey alone among New Zealand statesmen is mentioned in the interesting little brochure which has happened iio catch the eye of the Wellington journal. Even Mr Allen, in spite of his London visit and his unparalleled achievements upon the Stock Exchange there, is passed over in silence.

Outside New Zealand a good deal of doubt seems to exist even in the minds of people who ought to be well informed as to the position of parties and politicians in New Zealand. Sir Joseph Ward's name is "a household word" in Great Britain and in the oversea colonies, as much on account of his social qualities as on account of his political achievements, but in many of the newspaper offices the impression prevails that Sir Joseph continues to fill the office of Prime Minister. He is frequently alluded to as the Prime Minister of Now Zealand. Whether it is thought that the "ex" is simply unnecessary or that its use would be incorrect is not clear. The "Cape Times," on the other hand, in its list of New Year honours, describes Mr Massey as " ex-Prime Minister of New Zealand." This is very unkind, of course, and by far "too previous." If the progressive electors, do not set about healing their divisions pretty soon Mr Massey may not be "ex-Prime Minister" for another decade. If they do, those editors and sub-editors who have imagined that Sir Joseph Ward has been Prime Minister all along will be more bewildered than ever when he takes office again at the end of the year.

Since Lord Bryce completed his journey through the Empire he has been a champion of spelling reform. He says that he found in every country he visited, within the Empire and outside of it, that the English language was handicapped by the vagaries of its spelling. "A few months ago iii Japan, where, as all over the Further' East, English is becoming the language of commerce," he stated in London, Vsome Japanese friends deplored to me tho difficulties our spelling threw in the way of their efforts to diffuse a knowledge of, and spread the use of, our language, and asked whether we were never going to reform it. Merely as a ' business proposition' such a reform would be worth a vast deal to British trade." Sir William Ramsay said the other .week that if the spelling of English were reasonable the language would become the world-tongue. "Many people seem to think there is something elemental and fundamental about our strange methods of spelling," he told an audience. "As a matter of fact many of our troubles are due to the Johnson's dictionary. Johneon had a poor knowledge of derivatives and he spelled words to suit his own fancy." A saving of one year in the eduoation of every child would surely be adequate compensation for the trouble of adopting phonetic spelling.

The roport that the "bustle" is going to bo a part of the new season's fashions recalls a story told by Miss Clara Kellogg, an American opera singer who recently published her reminiscences. Miss Kellogg was singing in Ohio when one of the newspaper critics mentioned that she had a larger repertoire than any other living prima donna. Another writer rushed to her defence at once. "Wo do .not, of course, know how Miss Kellogg was dressed in other, cities," ho said, "but upon the occasion of her last performance here we arc positively certain that her repertoire did not seem to extend out so far as either Niltson's or Patti's. It may have been that her overskirt was cut too narrow to permit of its being gathered into such a lump behind, or it may have been that it had been crushed down accidentally, but the fact remains that both Miss Kellogg's rivals wore repertoires of a much more extravagant size." The singer tried to thank her protector in fitting words, but she confesses they did not come easily.

A few weeks ago the grave of Admiral Whittaker, who led the attack which won Gibraltar for Britain, was discovered in Carshalton churchyard. An aged grave-digger remembered hearing in his boyhood days that the gallant sailor had been buried under the shadow of the church, but the position of .the grave was not known and several searches failed to discover it. But when some alterations to the church were in progress another search

was made and the original vault, covered with earth, was found. Now a stone is to be placed over the hero's grave. It was on July 24, 1704, that Gibraltar was captured by a British fleet aftor a struggle lasting three days. Admiral Whittakcr was at the head of the successful assault and later in the year ho helped to hold the fortress against the armies of France and Spain. The allies lost 10,000 men before they abandoned the siege.