Page 4 Advertisements Column 4

North Otago Times, 23 October 1905, Page 4

"COSTER LOVE." . In tho old story the girl asks her •optcr sweetheart whether he loves her. Receiving an affirmative reply she remind, "Tlicn wy tlowut ycr knock lis •Wit?'' . . . This is Hie recognised fitantliica of afijction in some coster circles—as witness a case at Bow street on August 19, when Albert Williams, a raw-boned young fellow of tho usual coster type, 'was charged with disorderly conduct. A policeman stated that lie found Williams and a young woman quarrelling in Croat Queen street on tho previous morning The young woman went away when tho (fitness requested hello, whereupon Williams rushed after her and gave her a kick that brought her to the ground, ,Tho girl, carrying a basket of flowers, now stepped forward and said she wanted to give evidence. '"What is the prisoner to you ?" asked tho Magistrate, Mr Fcnwick. I "Well," replied the young woman, "wo keeps cacli other company. 'E's fond of me, 'e is." ''But does lie usually display his affection by kicking you?" inquired the Magistrate. ' ''Tor see, sir, 'twas all my fault," said the young woman earnestly. "Bert ain't ter 'blimc—not a, little bit. 'E tliort I ought ter carry one basket of flowers, an' I wouldn't. Course, 'o vos right, an 1 I'm ter blimo.' 1 "Why do you go witJi him if he acts in this wayf" askod the' Stipendiary. ■The coster's sweetheart looked surprised at the question. "Becauso I loves 'im," she answored simply. "Don't do anythin' to 'im, sir; please don't," So Williams was bound over, the Magistrate tclluig him he was fortunate in his sweetheart, and ought to bo kind to her.

•The sweethearts left the Court together, eaoli apparently veil pleased with the- situation. But the girl carried the basket of flowers, FLOATING ISLAND BEAPPEABS. .The curious phenomenon known as the "floating island" has reappeared on Doiwentwator, after an absence of about seven years. It is about eighty yards long by fifteen yards wide, and as a rule remains visible for six or seven week It generally makes its appearance during October, and twice, Diiriouslv enough, was first seen on tho 18th of that month. An explanation for the periodical rise of the mass from the bed of the lake is .offered by scientists. They state that it is caused by the permeation of the sunken island by marsh gas during thf hot weather* the upward motion being assisted by tlio; growth of buoyant water plants on its surface. The island is of an emerald green colour. Dr Hugh Mill, ths meteorological expert, who saw the floating island in 1895, states that the surface was not solid enough to laud on. A boat-hook could easily be driven in, and its withdrawal was marked by a rush of gas, smelling slightly of sulphuretted hydrogen. GENERAL BOOTH'S IMMIGRATION AN AUSTRALIAN VIEW. It is probable that Australia's foremost objection to General Booth's colonisation scheme is iieneral Booth limsclf. That the autocrat of organised icvivalism is a great man is witnessed to by the Salvation Army, but that body is not sufficient warrant for his capacity as a sociologist. It is quite possible in believe that bis theories in regard to the fitness of people for Heaven may be absolutely correct, whilci his theories as to their fitness for the I'illiga Scrub or other awkward parts of Australia may be absolutely wrong. No one doubts the good intentions and beaiovolent disposition, but those are tho very reasons why the General needs careful watching. When it conies to sjudgiug of a man's fitness for bush life in Australia, we would prefer that the verdict should not be in the bands of a benevolent enthusiast, but of some one intimately acquainted with Australian conditions. If General Booth had been born at the back of Bourko, or if ho knew as much of Hay and Booligal as ho professes to know about tho third place usually bracketed with (hem, his proposal to dump 5,000 penniless English farmers down into the wilds of Australia would bo worthy of moro attention. But if the General bad had that experience, we would not have heard of the proposal at all. To bring 0,000 settlers out and settle them on such land us the Pilliga Scrub, as suggested by Mr Ca nut hers, would be to court disaster. If General Booth really wishes to carry out such a scheme, he should be made responsible for tho results, In other words, he should be compelled to give a financial guarantee thai, Iho settlers in question shall become self-supporting. He and the Salvation Army should not be allowed to get the credit of benevolent colonisers by merely exporting so many thousand settlers from England to wrestle with the tough problems of the back blocks. Ill' addition to the good intentions and brilliant schemes on paper, flamboyant benevolence, and blare, brass, s'ml red Hags of. tho Army, Australia would like to see tho satisfying sight of the Army's good red gold pledged to its colonising schemes. Australia needs settlers, but the plain, hard fact of the matter is that jt does not want paupers, for the simplo season that they would necessarily becomo a charge upon the State. Wo have the greatest sympathy for the poor of Great Britain, but if it is no part of the duty of the Imperial Government to settle its own poor people on the lands of Great Britain and Ireland, how can it be the duty of Australia to deal with tho difficulty? Wo have heard something about the fitness of the General's 6,000 proposed settlers. It is caid that they are all of the farming class, stranded in the towns. We have already expressed our doubts as to the ability of General Booth and his ngents to act as judges of the quality of such men, but wo will go furthor, and suppose that they would be all farmers, all of suitable ages, no derelicts, no wastrels, no worthless flotsam and jetsam of tho great cities raked together by the Army's methods and labelled ■'"farmers," bocause they originally camo from some of the English shircfi. Even then, would it not be sheer cruelty to lake sucli men, used to English conditions, and dump them down Into some specially tough corner of Aus- • Iraliap But if, on the other hand, tho ■State is to be asked to back this ex- , pcriment, why should not the State give preference to it,s own settlers, tho iturdy sons of the soil, men bom and bred to bush HfeP There are thousands Df men ready and willing to make homes on our land, if only the chance be |{ivon to them, If the State cares to put its hands into its pocket, in order io further settlement, its first duty is Hot to the Salvatjon Army in England, but to the army of its own landless country people in Australia. And, therefore, while Australia is prepared to welcome any properly qualified asd equipped immigrants from Great Britaiin and Ireland, the answer to the Salvation Army's dubious and imperfectly guaranteed scheme should be, "No, thank you, General Booth."— Sydney "Town and Country Journal," The hist sovereign to abdicate was King Milan of Servia. He relinquished the crown in 1889. The Inst important waterway conatruotcil in England .was the Bridgewator Can. al, which crosses tho Manchester Ship Chiikl by.a swing-aqueduct,