LOCAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18089, 13 May 1922, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP.

ST MKRCCTIO.

Auckland is sorry to have had to say farewell this week to that sturdy and manful old Christian, Archbishop Julius. Despite his years—the now Archbishop is well over the alloted 'span— ho retains all the vim and lire of vigorous manhood, and his utterances on several occasions during recent sittings of synod have been most refreshingly unconventional and forceful. Perhaps one of his remarks most typical of the man was that which ho made when confronted with the weight of the new dignity which synod literally thrust upon him. Protesting against the bestowal of the title of Archbishop, ho declared that he bad reached an ago when a man thought more of divesting himself of titles than of adding to them. However, bo submitted gracefully to the will of synod, and New Zealand may congratulate itself upon having so tino and lovable a man and so true a Christian for its- first Archbishop. The Church, and religion itself, could do with a good many more like him.

The plea mado by Archbishop Julius for freedom of title in addressing him serves as a reminder of tho way in which the bishops and higher Church dignitaries, under the British Constitution, rank as " bonis spiritual." It has been unkindly $aid that a bishop of the Episcopal Church of tho United States has a. foretaste of tho joys of heaven when, on visiting England, he first hears himself addressed as "My Lord." Archbishop Julius is more democratically minded, asking to bo addressed by the title which came uppermost in tho minds of his friends. The position taken up by tho Archbishop calls to mind,- also, that there are certain courtesies in address which may be used as overriding all those formally laid down. A Judge presiding at the Supremo Court in Auckland once mada this quite dear. A witness, answering a question from the Bench, addressed the Judge as " Sir," immediately correcting himself and making it " Your Honor." The Judge eaid " You need not have corrected yourself. If ' Sir ' is considered a sufficient address for tho King, it is sufficient for one of his Judges,"

The kingdom of women is not likely to hold a fete in celebration of the decision of the General Synod to admit women to all tho councils of the Church. The attitude is rather likely to be that of the digger who paraded with his company en a cobble-stone street in Belgium to bear the announcement by the officer that tht* Armistice had teen signed. This digger dirt not cheer. Verv definitely he took off his pack and pitching it down at his feet dravrled " And high time, too." However, this women in their hearts will bo greatly cheered to know that the doctrines of St. Paul are' being steadily beaten back from the West., where they are alien, and to know also that Archbishop Julius admits that male governments have made " a Kress .of things." "Women may now argiie' that to keep them out of the pulpit will be illogical. They may say, on the strength of recent pessimistic utterances about the Dominion's moral tone, thr,t a male clergy has also made a mess oi things.

The Labour Party, at its Sunday evening gathering, tested the properties of community singing. These gatherings propagate such doctrines as those of Socialism and Communism, hence the gentlemen responsible cannot regard the vocal medicine as.a cure for the "isms," as do the Wellington enthusiasts, but rather as a tonic and stimulant. The Wellingtonians laid it down, however, that the songs should be old favourites, and even the Labour propagandists cannot claim that "Sons of Labour" and "The People's Banner" are old or generally known. If they had tried "Sons of the Sea" and "The Red, White and Bine," the effect of community minstrelsy might have proyed highly beneficial. Of course the whole idea, behind this sort of singing is that "all hands and the cook" should lend a hand, or, perhaps one should say, a throat. The nature of tho Lihonr Sunday evening concert is not calculated to bring all hands on deck.

So far no one has responded to the suggestion frorr, Wellington that Auckland ' ebould emulate its example. Perhaps Auckland does nof need to be cheered up as do the folk oi Uie capital. Maybe the men who might lead the sirring remember Bairnsfathei ■'-■ conscientious subaltern who obeyed an cider to encourage whistling among his men, but was allowed by Bill and Alf and their tornrades to blow his teeth out in a solo pei fojrmance in the mud. Possibly they feel, too, that the fact of the Now Zealand Division in France being "the silent division," was due to a racial trait, and that there is no particular need to try to alter a tendency to reticence in this young ration, even though our cousins of America do not understand it.

Is New Zealand destined to become a countrv inhabited solely by lawyers? A glance at the results of the last University degree examinations shows that the wouldbe lawyers not only out.'nmDt'r the students in' any otlier branch of higher learning!,, but, almost equal the total of the others put together. " And it must nob bo forgotten that students can qualify to practise law without taking a degree course at all. So rapid is the multiplication of qualified lawyers, that newcomers -into the ranks will no doubt have to content themselves with the reflection that there is always room at the top. That is true of the law as of all other professions, biitj the rush for the top is liable to become a feverish affair if the present rapid accretions to the ranks continue.

An instance of waste of time and money ■was provided at the opening, of the criminal sessions of the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Seventy jurymen had to attend at 11 a.m., but they were not required to hear any cases until 2 p.m. Thus a morning which they would doubtiess havo prepared to spend in attending to business was lost to them, and the cost to the Government was 20 guineas, since each of the 70 jurymen was paid 6s more than if he had been notified that ho Would not be wanted until the afternoon.

One branch of the Railway Department lit least appears to have discovered ihe secret of success that has so far eluded the general management. In his speech at. Feilding, Mr. Massey said the department had' built 200 houses at a cost, of £170,000. which is at the rate 0f.£050 each. But tho specially constituted State Housing Department spent more than three times as much in building rather more than twice the number of houses, its average being £1235. There is no suggestion" that the head of the railway housing branch is to bo promoted" to t.Tic new board of control, and, since the State Housing Department has been extinguished as a hopeless failure, ho will probably have to be content with the occasional "testimonial of brief mention in the Prime Minister's policy speeches.

Wo often hear of the teaching of civics in the schools, but the school of New South Wales «e<>m to be getting a surfeit of it. The, late Labour Government issued prohibitions as to war trophies, flags and other national emblems, all of which the new Government has promptly withdrawn. So what the children were forbidden to do last month they are told to do this month. It all seems to be rather hard on the children and not very likely to clarify their ideas of Scvernment and politics.