LOCAL GOSSIP

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9193, 6 May 1893, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP

*<let roe hate audience for a word or two." —Shaketptre. jPHBOSOPUY is one of the phases of latterly fooling, to which ib is nob worth while to attach any great importance, seeing that It is in all probability merely temporary, jo a very short time we will never bear tho word,, I remember when {Spiritualism was in vogue, and when every second or third person you met professed himself or herself to bo a believer in it. It was said then by tho thorough converts that ib explained all the jnysteries that have enveloped mankind, th.it by Spiritualism we were enabled to prove the immortality of the soul, and to understand all the relations between man &ml his Makor. Table-turning and table-rap-ping also had their day. Tho lessons which thoy purported to convey from the unseen world have all been forgotten. The voluminous literature on these subjects has all gone to kindle tho fires which mankind require to cook their daily food. Whoever now thinks of reading a book upon Spiritualism? And so vill it bo with Theosophy, which is really a development of Spiritualism, and is founded on certain manifestations to Madame Blavatsky.

I do not intend, however, to inflict any irgument upon my readers, but 1 canuot let pass somo of Mrs. Cooper Oakley's statements when she goes outside the charmed Circle of Theosophy. She finds that Theosophy is most studied "in Scotland, the Jiorth of England, Cornwall, and Wales." She says " Where the people are purely Anglo-Saxon, there attention to it is less keen." Mrs. Cooper Oakley is apparently of tho opinion vulgarly entertained in England, that tho people of Scotland aro Celts. Tho people of Scotland and of tho North of England are the purest Anglo-Saxons to bo found in tho empire. The Highlands of Scotland are mainly composed of a Celtic people. The Anglo-Saxon people of the Lowlands of Scotland and of the North of England are the shrewdest, least excitable, and least hysterical people of the Empire, and Mrs. Cooper Oakley could say nothing more condemnatory of Theosophy than that they aire nothing about it. These sensible, educated people treat ib with contempt, while " the Celtic colliers of Merthyr asked Mrs. Besant questions such as she had not heard out of London." Mrs. Cooper Oakley was asked whether she could give any explanation of this remarkable fact. I could givo one at oncc—namely, that tho Celtic people who still remain in "the United Kingdom are excitable, flighty, and superstitious, having many brilliant qualities— abounding musical faculty, for instancebut apt to be led away by their imagination. But Mrs. Cooper Oakley's explanation is unique. "It is," she says, " because of the mixture of blood; it renders a race so much more psychic." What mixture of blood ? The Welsh, the Cornish, even " tho Celtic colliers of Merthyr " have had less mixture of blood than any other section of the inhabitants of the British Isles. Then how does a mixture of blood render a race "so much more psychic?" And what is "psychic?" 1 ive seen tho word used as an adjective, as nonymous with psychical, but how can a '•ii.ee be psychic ? Then, again, we are told that the colliers are "markedly psychic." Probably what .Mrs. Cooper Oakley intends to convey is that they aro excitable and superstitious. Perhaps Theosophy gets at tho Celtic collier because he is more ignorant than the Anglo-Saxon, of whom Airs. Cooper Oakley thinks so little. She finds Theosophy most successful amongst those peoples who have much folk-lore. {She means by that, no doubt, superstitious stories, and delusions about second sight. Sho pronounces: "There is no folk-lore indigenous, no/ to say, in the Anglo-Saxon." Mrs. Cooper Oakley had better make some further search. One extraordinary utterance is : " Two or three clergymen are joining us on purpose to fight Materialism ; they know that with Theosophy only can they cope with the rising tide of materialistic thought." This used to be the sort of talk used about Spiritualism. The Theosophists will have all they cau do to make good their own case. They are not in a position to take the offensive. However, no great harm is done if only "two or three" clergyTien are led away.

Mr. G. Nield writes again on "Inspectors' English," but I can find room for only a portion of his letter :—

When four school inspectors cannot compose a page of English without committing blunders that would disgrace a fourth standard pupil, I do not see how you can wonder at any degree of badness in the English of the teachers. For years past English has been ignored in our schools ; and for this the fault is due to the inspectors' sad ignorance of it. In the late Mr. O'Sullivan's time it was not so. lam glad that the Board has awakened to a sense of its duty in this grave matter ; and I hope there will be no paltrying with the question, for now that the attention of the committee is aroused to the need of a thorough reform, thvj will do their duty to the children and teachers under their control, and will require that inspectors be at least gentlemen who do understand our mother tongue. I hope you have enjoyed your laugh at my supposed ignorance about " impugnment." I have injoyed one at your being misled by a printer's error. If I were an inspector I would not tolerate such a word its " paltrying," used by Mr. Isield, and about which there can bo no question of a printer's error.

The late Mr. Ballance served his time as An apprentice to Sherrard Brothers, large hardware merchants in Belfast, the samo establishment at which the late John Dickey and his brother James, of Auckland, served their time as ironmongers. The two Sherrardg were married ; one of the wives was rather haughty, seldom addressed any of the apprentices, while tho other Mrs. Sherrard spoke to the boys, and as a result of her kindly manner was beloved by all. At the time of Mr. Ballance's apprenticechip there were no less than six boys called John, including John Ballance and John Dickey, and tho six boys were known as Mr*. Sherrard'* "Johnnies." Mrs. Sherrard and her husband came to Auckland about thirty years ago, when Mr. Sherrard speculated largely, and lost heavily. He died in Auckland from tumour in the stomach, his brother also having died from the same disease. Mrs. Sherrard was tall, good looking, and one of the handsomest women in Auckland. She is now an old lady, and living in Toronto, Canada. When Mr. Ballance was mado Premier, a lady in Auckland wrote to Mrs. Sherrard that one of her "Johnnies"—Johnny Ballance—was Premier of New Zealand. The old lady wrote back to say thab she had forgotten the name, but if she knew the place thab Johnny Ballanco used to occupy in the shop no doubt she would remember him wall. Mrs. Sherrard wilt be sorry to learn of the untimely death of her jnosfc distinguished Johnny.

Ib appears that the proceedings ab the Resident Magistrate Court lately have been enlivened by an unusually brilliant and continuous exhibition of legal wit and wordy warfare. The solicitors in more than one case have devoted their energies to providing a free entertainment of a most interesting and attractive character for these of the public who can find leisure to attend. I have two cases in my mind in which the excitement never flagged from start to finish. The manner in which the attention of the audience was sustained reflected the greatest credit upon the performers, and considering the excellence of the entertainment provided it shows a lamentable lack of appreciation on the part of tho Auckland public, thab the attendance was not larger; but I have no hesitation in assuring the promoters thab if the present sparkling programme is adhered to the accommodation for spectators will soon be taxed to its utmost capacity. The Resident Magistrate, Mr. Clendon, must be excused for his inability to recognise the merits of the leading actors, . for be has just come from the country bub it is to be hoped thad his tastes will toon be educated up to-

tho proper standard. In intellectual and social movements the country is always behind the towns.

Truly thero la .no accounting for somo people d tastes. Still, of course, - everyone has a right to his opinion ; bub ib was altogether too bad for Mr. Glendon, jusb when everyone expected him to give tho signtJ for applause, to stigmatise the efforts of the legal artiste as " a great waste of time." Did Shakospero waste timo in writing " Hamlet," or would Milton have boan better etr\pioyod in the intrigues of party politics than in preparing "Paradise Lost "for the delighb of mankind? From the Magistrate's mundane and materialistic poinb of view he could only see in such terms as "absurd contention," "absolute nonsense," " unprofessional outbursts," "deliberately misleading the. court," and "deliberate falsehood," ungentlemanly and inexcusable epithets. He could not see how elevating and intensely interesting the combined effect was, and what life and attractiveness these little delicate compliments threw into the discussion of dry and uninteresting legal doctrines. The lively spirit which had seized upon the solicitors soon communicated itself to the witnesses. It may bo imagined what a treat the spectators had— one day with a legal witness who made great efforts to fight tho case from the witness box with the opposing counsel, and another day with a foraalo witness who answered questions before thoy wore asked, and whose answers came in a flood which no human being could stem. Even after she left the box she had as much to say in the proceedings as her solicitor bad.

In spite of my protests I am afraid that Mr. Clendon's view wilt bo supported by the general public, and that those exoiting legal sham fights will not contribute to the elevation of tho profession in the public estimation ; but it is rather too much when the lawyers are looked down upon by ono of tho money-lending fraternity. Ho was in the box, and while there accused a certain exponent of the law of unprofessional conduct. The opposing lawyer thoughb to score a point off tho money-man by asking him if ho did not think it unprofessional on his part to charge such-and-such rates of interest. Tho witness at once indignantly repudiated the degrading suggestion, and replied that money-lending was not a profession but a business. Ho had evidently come to tho conclusion from the recent exhibitions of professional courtesy thab to be a member of a profession was a distinction by no means to bo hankered after. He preferred tp bo a phi business man.

The by-laws of our local governing bodies are not generally looked upon as light or attractive reading, and the majority of men would be inclined to regard anyone who utilised this class of literature for recreative purposes, if not as absolutely insano, at any rate as peculiar and eccentric, or the subject of some mental aberration. However, with a full knowledge of this risk, truth compels me to state that I havo read a literary production entitled " By-law No. 2 of tho Council of the Borough of Newton," and have found tho same both interesting and amusingespecially the latter. As a regulator of private morals, tho Newton Council seems to hold a unique position. Auckland used to be able to boasb of an Anti-smoking League, though I have not heard much of ib lately; but if it is dead it ought to be resurrected in consideration of tho support it would receive from these by-laws, which practically prohibit smoking on the street.

Many a law - abiding citizen will be shocked to hear that to smoke upon tho streets.of Newton is an offence, and lest I should notbe credited, I will quote tho clause referred to. It runs: "ISo person shall bum any shavings, straw, or other materials or matters upon any street, without the conser>t in writing 9? the Council." I presume that tdbacco is material or matter, and that to have a smoke one must of necessity burn the tobacco; bub as soon as a man lights his pipe in the street ho commits a breach of the by-laws—that is unless he first obtains the consent of the Council in writing. But someone will say that this is too small a matter to be intended to be dealt with in this clause, but tho definitions in other parts include far more microscopic distinctions. For instance, here is the defihition of " vehicle," and it is unique even in by-law literature; "The word vehicle shall include a wheelbarrow, bicycle, tricycle, and every vehicle upon or with wheels, whatever its form of construction (infant perambulators containing infants excepted)." A "pram" with a chubby darling in ib is nob a vehicle; bub the moment the mother lifts her babe oat to sootho one of those paroxysms of grief or anger to which extreme youthfulness is so prone, the " pram" becomes a "vehicle," and liable to all tho pains and penalties attaching to that unfortunate piece of mechanism.

' I used to labour under the delusion that the dog that filled up its spare moments in killing rats was a public benefactor, but the book of wonderul rules at present under review has rudely shattered that fond dream. Such a dog may get his owner fined £5, according to the following section; "No person shall within the borough set on, urge, or permit any dog in his charge, or following him, to rush at, attack, or worry any person, horse, or any other animal, or being the owner thereof! or having charge of, shall suffer any dog to be at large, which shall rush at or attack any person, horse, or any other aninal, so as to endanger the lives or limbs of any person or animal." It seems to me that a dog in rushing at, attacking, or worrying any rat would endanger the latter'B " lives or limbs," though I don't know of any person or animal that has more than one life, except the cat, which is popularly supposed to have nine. Recent discoveries of modern science, however, tend to show that this is but a delusion of the ignorant. The Newton Council is evidently determined to go one more than the Cruelty to Animals Society in hastening on those happy days when the wolf shall lie down with the lamb. The book as a whole came upon me as a veritable revelation, and I can at any time quote numerous other instances quite as surprising as the above, but for the present I will content myself with the following "No person shall furiously or negligently ride any animal or drive any vehicle through the street." It is wonderful how daringly and openly the latter part i of this clause in daily violated, and yet no I notice is taken of such violations by the authorities.

Tho fact of the matter is, that in aiming to cover every possible or impossible case the literary geniuses who drew up these bylaws have over-reached themselves, and have included too many offences. The involved and parenthetical sentences, and the vain repetitions, insbead of throwing light upon the subject, simply "darken counsel by words without wisdom." By the time a man gets to the end of a sentence he has entirely forgotten what the beginning was about. For instance, it takes nearly half a page to state that no person shall leave 'lis cart unattended in the public street without chaining the wheel. The section runs : No person shall leave any vehicle in any street without some person in charge thereof, unless he shall lock one of the wheels of such vehicle by passing through tho near wheel or wheels a suitable chain, so as to effectually prevent the rotation of such wheel or wheels. Oh, for a reformer who will insisb upon by-laws being written in plain understandable English, and leave ib to the magistrates to place a commonsense interpretation upon them. At present all seem to sin alike, And I only refer to the Newton by-laws as a specimen.

At the meeting of the school committee, the other evening, Mr. Farrell scored a point against Dr. Walker, when ho prevailed upon the committee to pass a resolution calling the headmaster of Napierstreet school to account for permitting a certain outsider to address the pupils. The outsider was none other than the worthy doctor himself, who was nob then on the committee. Mr. Farrell pointed out thab, for all they knew, the doctor mighb have bMQ.givtogitho.- children religious inabraa-

tion. Of course colonial children ard* infinitely above that kind of knowledge, and for anyone to presume that they required anything of tho kind, was a mosb unwarrantable insult. Another committeeman naively remarked that he thought at tho timo that it was an electioneering dodge of the doctor's; as though Dr. Walker had any knowledge of electioneering dodges. Surely in giving away a few certificates, he would not, improve tho occasion by giving an address to the children, urging them to bring their potent influence to bear upon thoir parents to see that) ho was on the next committee. Of course, there could bo no harm in the little ones, whom the doctor says he likes so much, going home and saying, "Oh, dad, what a nice man Dr. Walker is 1" The oager earnestness with which the doctor deuiod that he had any electioneering ideas in his mind was greoted with a peal of laughter. Ho seemed almost to protest too much.

Another teacher got callod over the coals at that same committee meeting, for daring to add a number of books to his school library without submitting tho list to the committee for its approval. They might have been religious books—but, I believe, books setting forth tho beauty of Christian morality are allowed, though it seems extraordinary that 'such should be tho case in a Christian community. At least, there aro people who appear to think in this manner. As Dr. Walker thoughb it was right for a teacher to admit him without referring to tho committee, it was only to bo expected that he should think that fclio books should bo admitted m the same way; but then, as another gentleman suggested, they might have been works on Theosophy. For instance, he said, it would never do to allow Mr. Dratfin to use his own judgment in choosing books for a school library. For myself, Ido not fear that much harm would be done, for he would have to givo an ordinary colonial schoolboy a big bonus to induce him to tackle "Tho Key to Theosophy," or "Tho Perfect Way." Ho abominates tho perfect way, and prefers tho wayward way, as set forth in a manner which makes his heart leap in "Jack Harkaway's Schooldays." I should not like to have the task of converting tho Auckland schoolboys into Thoosophists, especially if I was to bo paid by results. Mekodxio.