ON THINGS IN GENERAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9714, 9 January 1895, Page 3

ON THINGS IN GENERAL.

JUVENILE SMOKERS.

An agitation has been started against cigarette smoking. Well, ib is a bib of a nuisance in one way. A couple of whiffs go well, I confesl, between the 'acts of the theatre, but it is unquestionably annoying to find oneself surrounded by a dozen or so bare-legged lads waiting and importuning for the end." Ib inclines one :to disbelieve the philosophy of the man who viewed juvenile smoking with. equanimity because ib was " better to see boys imitate men than men imitate boys." Still cigarette smoking for boys will be a bigger nuisance than ever if ib is to geb into the papers. The habio is bad enough when ib leads politicians, like Sir Robert Stout, to tali aboub ib on a public platform. Bub when one has to get it served up every day in correspondence columns, ib enters the rang# of practical politics, and calls for stringent measures on the part of party leaders.

WHO WILL CROW. One curious problem has arisen over what Wilkie Collins, I think, has called the nineteenth century vice. One anti-juvenile cigarette smoker points the moral of bis tale, by saying that a number of cadets for the American navy were being medically examined when they were found to have what is called tobacco heart, as a result of cigarette smoking. " They thus," this correspondent says, " were refused admission in consequence, and their prospects in life were ruined in this direction." Nob very long ago the suggestion to give school boys popguns was deprecated because it would engender a martial spirit. If smoking the pipe of peace is such a quencher of militarism as the anti-tobacconists aver ib is in America, the opponents of popguns in playgrounds will, if they are logical, hail the use of tobacco in our public schools. Leb bub our boys smoke while they are at drill, and no harm will ensue. I shall expect to hear from some well-known public letter writers in this subject. It will be interesting to note how they will square their fads.

ANTICIPATIONS. The Wairarapa has gone, all except the main truck. The General is now awaiting with anticipation the pictures we are sure to get of the ill-fated vessel "as she now is." After the wreck this and the other colonies were deluged with prints of the poor old Wairarapa as she appeared directly after the disaster, from accounts furnished by spectators and eye-witnesses. Though the night was so dark that no one could see a hand before them, and though the fog was of the densest, nob a detail was wanting. The dead, in fact, must have contributed some, for of many of the pourtray ed incidents nothing was known by the survivors. Now the vessel is destroyed comes the chance of chances for up-to-date illustrations. PROHIBITION. A press representative has gone through the drink prohibited district of New Zealand, and has found that anyone with money can get just whatever they require in the shape of "tipple." It is the old story over again. Tell a man he shall not do that) which he does not consider morally wrong, and he'll do ib, though mayhap he would never have dreamed of it otherwise. And this stubborn self-assertion is nob confined to men. It is as marked with women. When the Welsh Sunday Closing Act was under review by a Royal Commission, evidence, simply appalling to thoughtful minds, was given on behalf of Sisters of Mercy as to the increase of drinking amongst women, in the homes. Yet the prohibitionists refused to believe this because forsooth they did nob see ib in the streets. _ The way in which the disease was driven inwards was apparent to those who watched the effects of prohibition in Wales. When licensed houses were opened for a limited time on Sundays drunkenness, it is true, was too frequently seen in the streets. Bub nob with men possessing selfrespect. _ With the closing of the pubs," clubs, with rooms set apart, in some instances, for customers to sleep off intoxication, sprang up on every hand. With the suppression of clubs Sunday drinking was driven back into shebeens and homes where nothing has yet been found to dislodge it.

"ALAS THOSE CHIMES." Only those who are in the habit of going about with their eyes and ears open know how much that is novel, interesting, and instructive can be picked up as one walks about the streets without any particular object in view. For instance, as- I passed along Albert-street the other night I got quite a new idea as to the effect of the everlasting chimes of the Library clock upon a certain class of mind. I overheardand my only apology for doing so u that I could not help —one man say to his mate as the chimes rang out at a quarter-past eight, "It's not four o'clock; why is it striking four The mate, evidently not a musical soul, explained, '.'Oh, it always strikes four at a quarter-past every hour, and eight at half-past." As I passed out of earshot I heard the other mutter something about there being "no sense in it." He evidently was wondering how he was to distinguish four o'clock from a quarter- that hour, or thought that he might be put out in his reckoning by mistaking the eight notes for half-past seven for eight o'clock. To such an individual it must certainly seem idiotic that the clock should strike sixteem in order to announce that ib is about to strike one. ,1 should advise him to confine his attentions to the poor old town clock in the Exchange, for the musical innovation is sure to knock him out of time. MOT A LAUGHING MATTER. The General went to the Opera House during the recent funny season and laughed heartily at times, when he saw the joke or noticed that someone else had seen one. However, frony information since received he intends to be more careful in future in this matter. At the Savoy Theatre the other day a man in the audience laughed so much that the actor became embarrassed, no doubt at the unmistakable manner in which the compliment was paid to "him, and forgot his lines although he had played the part over a hundred times. This was no laughing matter for him. In fact, the joke was no joke. As a writer referring to this incident says : "It is easy to picture this laughter as a man of the King Cole type, ' a merry old soul,' who, on the slightest provocation, would Igo off' into a long series of ha ! ha's ! Such a one may be found in every average assembly, the man who appreciates a good joke and sees it quickly, and likes to linger over it after others have recovered from their merriment. Perhaps an enterprising interviewer will some day ascertain from a leading actor or actress the effect produced on the occupants of the stage by the laughter of the audience. Meanwhile, the prevalent opinion is that a good laugha laugh with the ring of enjoyment in it, —if nob an elixir, is at least a stimulating tonic for the performer, who is sensitive to demonstrations of approval. It is possible, however to put a good deal of sarcasm into laughter; and when an artiste detects this spirit in an apparent compliment, he must find ib a severer test than genuine opposition." ■ NOT A GOOD THING. The Premier has let Auckland in for a ' good thing. When at Rotorua he promised the Arawa tribe a cheap excursion to Auckland, as a set off to having given the pakeha a trip to the Hob Springs to witness the opening of the railway extension. Two hundred of the Maoris are coming down upon us to-day. Who is going to feed them and sea that they have the wherewithal to •'eat, drink, and be merry ?" The civic authorities have been wired to. Rather rough that on Mr. Holland. Two , hundred Maoris would soon make a bole in the Mayor's salary. The General.