"SERIOUS."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4545, 8 June 1876, Page 3

"SERIOUS."

To the Editor of the Herald. Sir, —Permit me to explain what we common people understand to be the meaning of the word " Serious" as it is shewn to us in daily life. The first time I took notice of its being a vague word was when Mr. Huskisson, a member of Parliament aod a Minister of State, was killed on a railroad. It was said to be a " serious" accident, and the Times and other papers were filled with letters calling on authorities of all sorts to take such, measures as would prevent such a "serious" accident in the future. We common people knew that hundreds of men had been killed on the railways, both in making and working, before he was killed, but no Times thundered over them, though they were men, body, soul, and spirit the same as his. His body, soul, and spirit succumbed to the event equally the same as one of the commonest men. What else can we understand by the word " serious" than that it is not the being killed that makes it "serious," but simply the station he may happen to occupy, and which makes the " Thunderer" to notice it as "serious." Sir, as taught by daily experience, we common people hold that there is nothing "serious" in the outbreak of tjphoid feveratKohimaramasolongasit only strikes natives and common Europeans. To make it " serious" some person many rungs up the ladder of station must be struck. You say in yours of to-day (June 6), "It is to be hoped that such precautions will be taken as will prevent the spread of the disease." Irony, bitter irony! Nothing of the sort will be done till a "Sir" or two is struck. Again yon say, " Thia we should think could easily be done." Never will it be done while it has to be done by tapeism. If inspectors and reports could have done it, you would not have written "serious," nor I animadverted on it.—l am, &c, : A Eeak-rank Man.