ON THINGS IN GENERAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9488, 18 April 1894, Page 3

ON THINGS IN GENERAL.

— ♦ COMMITTEES IN CAMERA. The system of holding committees in camera has received a nasty jar rough the action of the Harbour Board in deciding that their proceedings shall take place in the presence of press representatives—or rather that such portions of such proceedings as the chairman of the committee may consider of public interest, Bhall. This proviso was insisted upon because of the fear some members have that sometimes matters of private importance are discussed which the public should nob know. We are ahead of everyone else in New Zealand. Now, in that old-fashioned, conservative country called England, the commitbees of municipal authorities, in some of the most important towns, are open bo reporters, even when legal action, in regard bo such important' as privabe Parliamentary Bills, are being discussed. But the public men there know perfectly well that in such an event, and when publicity mighb prejudice public inberesbs, no one is more secretive than the reporter. In New Zealand we have nothing to learn from Old Country methods ana ways. We are boo democratic to let the full light of day in upon everything. TOUTINP IN EDUCATION. The Board of Education have expunged the regulation that prohibits teachers from personally canvassing members of committees or members of the Board regarding appointment or promotion. Teachers will in future have an open Sold, and will require to devote a considerable time to studying the art of pleading in order to assure success of any object that they may have in hand. I would nob for a moment suggest that any member of the Board would keep his eye open for contingencies'. But the shooting season opens next month, and nothing is so pleasant as to have kind friends, inland, to send you a brace or two of pheasants every now and then. Ib is bo be hoped that none of the scholastic gentlemen will send any of the members a canvasser in the shape of a March hare or there will be a " high old time" at the next meeting of the Board. WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY. The widespread habit prevalent among French people of keeping large sums of money in bheir houses in bank-notes is a fruitful source of profit to the Bank of France, and ib helps bo explain also the large number of burglaries with violence that are reported in bhe French newspapers. A gentleman residing in St. Denis has pub in a claim against the Bank of France for the value of bank-notes destroyed under rather peculiar circumstances. Having 10,000 francs in 100-franc notes, which he did not care to trust to any banking establishment, he hid them up the chimney in one of his sitting-rooms, and then forgot all about them. Coming home late the other evening when the weather was rather chilly, he lighted a fire in the room. All of a sudden he remembered his bank-notes, but ib was then too late. They were burned. The ashes, however, remained, and these he collected with loving care. They will be submitted to the examination of an expert, on whose report the action of the bank will depend. We do things differently here. Most New Zealanders who get bold of notes generally invest them in a sinking fund. COINCIDENCES OF CRICKET. There does nob seem to be any very good reason why people should take such intense delight in the story of some peculiar coincidence. There is no great benefit bo be derived from these occurrences ; but neither is there any harm, in them, so I will give some particulars of the final match for the Auckland crickeb championship, which concluded on Saturday. During bh(* whole match the scores of only four playera reached double figures, and the name of each of these — Kallender, Kenderdine, King, and Kelly—commences wibh a" k," the lucky "krikketing" initial "k." In addition to this, all the Parnell wickets were taken by two " K's," Kelly and Kallender. Further, the total Parnell score was 33, and the last Gordon wicket produced exactly 33. These are coincidences enough for one match, bub there is yet another. When the first day's play closed Gordon had made 49 for seven wicketsthe total being equal to the square of the number of wickets fallen— the sum of the two highest scores for the whole innings, 25 and 24, also makes 49. It is not often one comes across a match into which so many coincidences are crammed. CHEAP LIVING. Casually glancing over an English paper the other day, the sweet-sounding heading, " How to Live on Nothing a-Year " naturally arrested ray attention. With grave doubts as to whether the thing could be done, I read the paragraph, fully determined, if I liked the scheme well enough, and if it was practicable, to proceed to act upon it. The little sum thus saved might provide a retaining fee to restrain German bands and Italian musicians from coming within earshot of where 1 live when I'm at norae. Mr. Clarke Russell, the novelist, has to subsidise these gentlemen nob to visit his neighbourhood, and this lack of appreciation of organ-grinders is referred co by an English journal as a " strange nervous antipathy." Surely it would bo much stranger if he revelled in these streeb noises. Bub, to return to tho scheme! The writer of the paragraph satisfied me that ib was quite feasible — facb ib appears that the thing is often done in London ; but there are one or two slight) drawbacks that will, I fear, prevent many, myself among the number, from adopting ib, HOW TO DO IT. The real question is, "How to do ib ?" Well, the whole scheme is almost too simple bo be believed. The following story contains the whole secret: — A gentleman walked into a London restauranb the other day and ordered his dinner, after a very careful consideration of tho bill of faro. On taking the order, the waiter asked for his money, but the cheap-living man said he was nob going to pay for his food until he had eaten it. On leaving the building,- he was once more approached with reference to a settlement, whereupon he mildly told the restauranb-keepor that the Queen had her meals without trouble or anxiety, and he was going to have his. He had nob bhe slighbesb intention of paying. Be was next interviewed by the constable, and then by the magistrate, when it burned out that he had already been provided with free board and lodging by the Sbabe for six months for living after the manner of royalty. The case had not concluded according to labesb informabion ; bub if he gets another six months he will, when that time is up, have lived at least for twslve months "on nothing a-year," and there is no reason why he should not begin over again. The great drawback to the occupation is that it entails too much confinement. A " ROWDY " CONGREGATION. If it is true, as has often been stated, that "the English take their pleasures sadly," it is perhaps only a natural consequence that they should have bo take their religion under the pains and penalties of the law in order to secure a gravity of demeanour befitting the occasion. On Sunday evening, at St. Mary's Church, Parnell, the Rev. G. Mac Murray exploded a mild bombshell by announcing that bhe vesbry had instructed tho churchwardens to take notice of any persons disturbing the public worship, with a view to legal proceedings being taken. If the vestry have recourse to law, ib will be interesting bo observe what penalty the magistrate will impose upon the peccant worshipper. At present there is no ease sub judice, and I true'* that in venturing to submit the following scale of penalties to the consideration of magistrates as a just and reasonable one, I am not in any danger of being summoned for contempt of court. Anyone charged with "smiling in church," I would for a first offence dismiss with a caution ; a man charged with dozirig I would fine la and costs, the amount to be increased to 5s if actual sleep is proved. If, on the other hand, any member of an Auckland congregation should ever be found so abandoned as to commit the heinous offence of snoring, 1 would nob for a moment hesitate to imprison him without the option of a tlno. For the ladies, boo, special penalties sho ild , be devised to meet special offences, such as, for instance, that of " looking ab a neighbour's bonnet and passing contemptible remarks thereon." if there is no Act extant at present under which proceedings can be taken against worshippers offending in these ways then Parliament ought bo give the matter ? its immediate V attention. The ; Mikado's method of making the punishment fib the crime might lead to some amusing results. ~ • ; The General