NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10131, 14 May 1896, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

'■.'.. i .i t . i■ i . . -y : - Colonial Minister are for the most Dart ■'; all self-made men.bufc we doubt whether .* any of them have ?isen so quickly from a ; : humble position as the Hon. Joseph Cook,-, the Postmaster • Oftieral of New South , Wales-one of the ;ble»t and most modest' among the public mi of the colonies.. ■ In an interesting sketchbf him in Cobuios, we ;• learn that he was torn soro? thirty-five,-; years ago in the viiage of Silverdale,:-? Staffordshire He wis the eldest son, and'.' at the age of nine he tad to begin to work : in the coal pit to help to till the mouths of ; himself and younger Mothers and sisters.':' "At half-pa-it. four in the morning," ha says, " my poor old tnttthor had >o wake me up to send me to my dismal task,and for a greater pan of the year I never saw daylight, excepting on Saturday afternoons and Sunday, whioi became a blessed day to ne." Happily,

the New Education Act, p.wecl in 1872, prohibited the labour of childieu in mines, until the aero of 13, and when it passed, Mr. Cook was only II years of .<#e, and had

to be taken from work until he fad attained

the statutory limit. When lie was 12, his father was killed in the mine, and until Mr.

Cook left for Australia, on bis marriage*, nearly 12years ago, he was the main support

of the family. On arriving in Australia: he procured employment m a stilted rainei

at Uthgow, and never left tho place until

he was returned member for the c- istitu- ' ency about five year* ago. It was on tin 14th of August, 1891, that Mr. Cook took

his seat in tho Legislative Assembly, only

about six years after his arrival in the colony. When Mr. Keid formed his Go-

vernment, nearly two years ago, he made a new departure by inviting a "labour" member to enter his cabinet (Mr. Seddmi

has not yet ventured to do that', and his

choice of Mr. Cook for tho position of Post-. master-General haR been amply justified by ■.■'■ results. The unpleasant libel case of Kitson v. Playfair, some particulars of which -hart ." appeared in the Herald supplement, has ended in a verdict for the plaintiff with .

£12,000 damages, a record which h3s probably not been reached in any similar action within living memory. The chisf point oi importance involved in this cauit cdtbrt was, of course, the conduct of the defen-

dant as a medical man in divulging i"'

formation concerning the condition of tin'■■; plaintiff, whom he' was attending professionally. This is a matter which concerns the public very closely, for were , doctors at liberty to discuss with anyone the secrets of the sick mber or the con-

suiting room there would be an end to all privacy, and the relations which no* happily exist between patient and medical attendant would be impossible. 1" commenting on this aspect of the case the Medical Press jays :-" 1* hw always been regarded as a 't^'' l and inviolable right appertaining to th« profession of medicine that the trust reposed in its members by those who consult them for their physical ill* should never be betrayed. And it is one of its proudest traditions that this principle of honour should require no written law for its enforcement, and no judicial declaration to protect those who are guided by it. I" the privacy of a consulting room questions have to be asked and answered »nd ar * taeib pledge of mutual confidence thai >*

would be dishonourable and cruel in the highest decree to disregard or break. It is most dangerous to try to make exceptions to this univorsally-recognised rule. On its strict observance depends in great measure the peculiar relation that (he physician holds under all circumstances to his patient, and on ib also depends, to a large extent, the respecb in which the profession generally is held by the public. Each medical breast is the repository of family secrets unknown to any other. To the ' doctor' alone is that dreaded' skeleton in the cupboard' revealed, and rare indeed must be the occasions, and most exceptional the circumstances, that can justify a betrayal of that knowledge, even to a wife, much less to any interested or inquisitive outsider."

There is probably no more interesting personality in English politics today than Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, the Secretary of State for the colonies, and the coming prime Minister of England at no distant future. [n Cassell's Magazine for April there is a very readable article on Mr. Chamberlain at homo, his beautiful residence at Highbury, Moor Green, near Birmingham. English politicians do not allow the somewhat squalid pursuit of party politics to destroy their love of the beautiful in their domestjc surroundings. "From tho drawingroom, where Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain receive several hundred guests in the course of an evening, you walk into » charming conservatory, f.llod with 'jho scent of the sweetest flowers, and shaded by the foliage of the finest tropical pit nts, A fountain ot alabaster plays in the centre, and amidst the gentle rhythm of 'he water sparkling in tho electric light, se/end seductive chairs tempt you to delightful ease. The conservatory opens int) a series of glasshouses, filled with Mr. Chamberlain's famous collection of orchids, which can all be risited without onco venturing into the open air. Outside tho glass-houses are several acres of well-kept flower beds. The winding walks lead to one or two grottoes and ferneries, and a lake larpe enough for boating and fishing. In another part of the grounds is a little dairy in which the ladies are accustomed in summer time to serve afternoon tea to their friends." Much has been printed about Mr. Chamberlain and his orchids. One fact mentioned in the article from which we quote may not be generally known, and that is that about '20 gardeners are usually employed at Highbury, the care of the orchids making the demand of the whole of the time of three of the number. For the welfare of these plants an experienced orchidia is held responsible, but Mr. Chamberlain himself Still contrives to take a keen personal interest in their cultivation. On his Saturday to Monday visits, and when residing at Highbury during the Parliamentary recess, the best part of his little leisure is spent in the plant houses, Every plant is numbered according to a private catalogue the right hon. gentleman himself keeps, and the gardeners declare that every one of the five or six thousand specimens at Highbury is individually known to him. Throughout the building a liberal use of the electric light is made.

It is announced that Sir J. De Wet, the British Resident in the Transvaal, has re-li-ned. We are very pleased to hear it. In the course of an interview, President Mruger poih-poobed the stories of intrigues tvith Germany, and declared that there would be no rest for Africa (what he meant, do doubt, was the Transvaal) until those who had engineered the raid were punished. The Boers, taking time by the forelock, are steadily arming. Thoy are making large purchases of guns, etc., in Europe. According to Dr. Leyds the Cape Government and the High Commissioner regard the Chartered Company as a danger to South Africa. The Spanish Government have agreed to try the American filibusters by civil law. This decision has dispelled the war cloud which the American press had raised.