ECHOES OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1194, 18 January 1895, Page 21

ECHOES OF THE WEEK.

Satire's my weapon, but I’m too discreet To run amuck atul tilt at all I meet. . Popk,

BY SCRUTATOR.

PITY poor France! Here is a country which possesses a fertile soil, a beautiful climate, and an industrious and economical people, thrown into the danger of another revolution through the wretched folly of its politicians. M. Blovvitz, the Times correspondent, evidently knew what he was talking about the other day when he prophesied coming trouble. Socialism — Yoila Vennemi! But whose fault is it that the “ Bed'” element is again coming to the front? Whose but that of the wretched Opportunists, who, greedily grabbing after power and pay, have been responsible for the fall of one Ministry after another, plunging the country into perpetuallyrecurring political toil and trouble, harassing trade and preventing all wholesome legislation and reform. Meanwhile the working classes have been suffering more and more every year from lower wages, and scarcity of employment, and meanwhile also, the taxation has been steadily increasing, until France, once one of the cheapest countries to live in, is now one of the dearest. The working classes have cried “ A plague on all your parties !” and have sought refuge in Socialism, not Socialism of the innocuous and in some ways actually beneficial Fabian character, but the wild Socialism which is first cousin to Communism and Revolution. The evil has been aggravated by the corruption which seems to pervade the Chamber of Deputies, and by the wild shriekings of a section of the Parisian press which insults the Government and misleads .and perverts public opinion. Whether the gloomy prognostications of M. Blowitz as to a socialistic upheaval are correct or not, the fact remains that the Third Republic stands in grave peril. The Empire fell as much through corruption and ill government as it did through the unsuccess of the war, and should the Republic come to a temporary end and give place to chaos and anarchy it will be largely the fault of her leading politicians. Let us hope the storm may be averted. Bad as is the later political record of the Republic, it is a thousand times better than that of the Second Empire. But the position will have to be faced with firmness and ability, and these are qualities apparently not easily found in the French statesman of the day.

BRAVO for the Kangaroo ! The British Lion has ha 1 to go down before the lively antipodean, and all good colonials ought to be heartily pleaded at the result of the third test match. Mr Stoddart’s remarks, “ braten by good all round cricket,” show an excellent spirit, and yet it is this gentleman and his companions who some idiots would have had us believe were deliberately losing the match in order to draw bigger gate money at the two last contests to come. Imagine, if you can, a meeting of the English team with Mr Stoddartin the chair. He gravely moves that “ we lose this match so as to have a bigger gate draw at Sydney.” Seconded by Mr Peel and carried. What utter rot! And yet this was practically what was being said by dozens of fellows when the Australians had put up their big score. No. the match, as the English skipper said, was won by “ good all round cricket,’ by the fine batting of Jredale and others, ard the magnificent trundling of the Trotts. All lovers of thegrand old English game will, I hope, wish, as does “Scrutator,” that the next test- match may also result in a victory for the Kangaroos, and then—well, at the concluding contest let the best men win. But for the sake of common sense, courtesy, and common decency, do not let us hear any more, of this ridiculous theory that the Englishmen deliberately lost the last or any match. From what I know and have read read of the composition of the team they are “ not built that way.”

A CORRESPONDENT, signing himself “ Presbyterian,” writes as follows : '■ “I read your remarks upon Mr McNeill’s foolish talk about the Wellington churches with very great pleasure. The missioner struck me, and I have no doubt many others, as an extremely egotistical and conceited gentlemen. liis so-called humour seemed to be as forced and farfetched as that of the equally disappointing Talmage, and in just about the same doubtful taste. Mr McNeill has thought fit to sneer at the churches, but if he knew as I do, the excellent church work done here in Wellington by the Presbyterians, especially at St. John’s and at Mr Shirer’s church at Newtown, he would not have dealt out such unmeasured fault-finding. As to the results of these “ missions,” I would ask you to reprint the following extract from a recent article in the Christian. Out-

look , a religious paper published at

Dunedin. Thanking you in advance, I am, yours very truly, “ Presbyterian.” ‘•'We have taken the trouble to inquire from the leaders of the representative churches in Dunedin what gains they have won out of their mission. These replies have been seriously disquieting. One minister, who has largo experience in such' things, and whose sympathies are entirely in the direction of evangelism, writes, in favour to our query‘l know of no case of decision for Christ brought about through the M'Neill mission, and I am profoundly disappointed at the non-effectiveness of the same.’ As a rule, this represents the gist of the answers that we have received. It is possible that it is too soon to utter decided judgments about results. It is not unlikely that such a standard of judgment is uncertain ; we dislike it as much as anybody. ‘ Statistics are unknown in the gospels. As the church coarsens, she estimates salvation by quantity. Jesus was concerned with quality.’ Hut there are other elements that enter into the conclusion; and it is useless to disguise the fact that, taking it as a whole, the correspondent referred to

voices the general opinion of ministers here when he says the mission has been * profoundly disappointing.’ We sincerely trust the experience in other cities has been very different.”

THE popular old “Van” is again to he 3 the chairman of the Benevolent Institution. Well, it couldiTt have a better head. The reverend gentleman is a perfect Joey Bagstock as to “cuteness,” and the enterprising loafer who seeks to jockey Mr Van Staveren out of free rations, etc, when he doesn’t deserve them, will have to get up remarkably early in the morning, and will even then, I fancy, be just ten minutes too late for the sharp-eyed gentleman whom he would fain deceive. But to cuteness Mr Van S tavern adds a genuine sympathy with real distress and poverty, and a charity which is not the less true and beneficial in that it is wisely discriminating. He is essentially the right man in the right place as chairman, and long life and more power to him.

IT is to be hoped that the reverend gentleman’s remarks as to the Benevolent Trustees having more power to punish the loafers and beer-soakers will be acted upon by Parliament next session. It is a perfectly monstrous thing that the public should have to support the wives and families of men who squander their money on the contents of pint pots, and have only heavy heads and red noses to show for their week’s wages, and yet this is precisely what is being done every week. “ Send the fellows to gaol,” you may say, but that doesn’t mend the matter, for, as Mr Van Staveren points out, the Benevolent Society have still to keep the wives and families, and the cost of maintenance in gaol of the offenders means <£33 to £35 per head per annum. How Parliament is going to get over the problem it is hard to say, but it will have to be met. There is a lot of sentimental humbug talked about the lash, and I suppose there would be a fearful outcry were it proposed to have these loafing, drunken husbands well, flogged. It is a pity the old stocks couldn’t be revived. The brute who leaves his wife and family to well-nigh st.irve while he selfishly fills himself up with beer would be all the better for a day in the stocks —erect them in a public place, say, at the entrance to the Queen’s Wharf—with a big placard overhead, “This is a drunken loafer who swills beer and lets his children starve.” I’m afraid that sentimentalism would again be too much for such reform. Wanted, a drastic remedy for the loafer! The Government might do worse than t® offer a bonus.

THE Sydney Morning Herald has, I notice, veiy strongly and very properly resented the contemptuous references made to Mr Eddy's Australian railway experience, at the meeting of the South Eastern railway shareholders. lam nob aware \vhether Sir George Russell, the gentleman uho was responsible for the sneering remarks objected to, has ever been in the colonies, but i suppose not, for judging by my recollections o r the South Eastern line I should have .very great difficulty iu calling to mind any railway service in the colonies which can rival the S.E. for unpuuctuality of running, dingy,,, dirty carriages, and a total lack of .anything like decent regard for the-convenience and comfort of the public. With the exception of two or three special fast trains to the Channel parts the S.E. is probably the worst managed line in England, always excepting its neighbour and rival, the Londou, Chat- t ham, and Dover, popularly kuown, in my time, at least, as the London “ Smash-em and Run-over.” The lines running norLhwards out of London, the Great Northern, the Midland, and the London and North \Vestern, all provide excellent services, but the two southern lines I have mentioned are bywords for inefficiency of management. Sir George Russell should pick tha S.E. beam out of his own eye, ere he ventures to sneer at the New South Wales railways.

THIcS has been a week of accidents and fatalities most numerous and most serious. I do not remember seeing the papers so full of what the American editor calls “ scare head lines ” for a long time. The suicide list is filling up very quickly for the new year, and as sad a case as one could meet with is that of the poor young girl at Martinborough. Poor lass, she was evidently the victim of some dirty local slanders, totally unjustified, as the medical evidence fully proved sanity brought on by groundless slanders,” was the verdict. And in connection with this case I would signal an instance of journalistic indecency which is, happily, rarely to be met with in the New Zealand press. The poor girl left behind her a letter in which a brief but pathetic, reference was made to the vile rumour which she evidently knew had been in local circulation. The whole of the letter contained purely personal and private matters and yet—it is difficult to believe it but it is so—one of the Wairarapa papers actually published the full text of the letter,' pandering to the morbid and prurient curiosity which it assumed was dominating the minds of its readers. A dirtier dodge to obtain a few miserable pence in increased sale of copies was surely never devised by an unclean mind. I understand the local people are very much disgusted. No wonder !

"TVT OT a few of the fatalities which have _0! recently been chronicled undoubtedly owe their origin to our old friend—enemy perhaps would be the better word —the drink fiend. Despite all the efforts of the Blue Ribbonites, the G-ood Templars, the followers of Rechab, the Alliance-ites, and the Prohibitionists, the drink fiend continues to do his evil worn as gaily as ever. I cannot believe that prohibition would be a success, but the drink question remains the g-reatcr social problem of the day. “ Tho vilest fiend of all,” sung Tom Bracken. Faith, and the tuneful Tom was fight.

MENTIONING the liquor question reminds me of the fact that there has been considerable indignation in Christchurch over the disgraceful way in which a local merchant, a much-respected man, has been lampooned by that crapulous thing, the Prohibitionist. Mr Chrystal is a merchant who deals in many wares, amongst which are wines and spirits. This is quite enough for the rabid, ranting little rag for which the Isitts are editorially responsible. The paper holds up Mr Chrystal to scorn and contempt, gives views of the church he attends and of his private house, and underneath these pictures are others, representing the body of the victim of a late fire, of his house, and of certain hotel bars. There is also attached to Mr Chrystal’s name a list of his various agencies and a list of the church appointments he holds. Mr Chrystal, amongst other things, is a wine merchant, and for this, and perhaps also for the fact that he doesn’t choose to attend the particular local Salem or Bethel run by the editors of the Prohibitionist, he is apparently to have his private affairs dragged before the public and, inferentially, held up to public contempt. If this is the sorb of thing by which the Isitts hope to drive people into the Prohibitionist camp, I should imagine they are considerably off the track. The evils of over-indulgence in drink are bad, horribly bad, but they will never be either mended or ended in a British community by personal abuse, either in print or picture. Let it be noted that the men who descend to this sort of thing are those who are so constantly attacking the Government for “ unfairness”! Great Scott! Avhat do they consider to be fairplay and decency ?

THE editor of a Napier paper has been puzzling his brains over the war cablegrams from the East, and evidently finds them tougher even than the traditional “15 gem ” mystery which was so popular a few years back. He has sought knowledge from maps and gazetteers, but is still sorely perplexed, concluding his article as follows: —It is very surprising and mortifying to be unable to get any Information on tlie subject, and it is to be hoped some enterprising paper proprietor will have made a move ere this. Where is Jas. Gordon Bennett’s enterprise? We believe that had the illustrious Barnum been alive he would have started a Corean Courier in London, and organised a means

of communication from both parties; but the age produced but one Barnum, as it produced but one Newton.”

THE “illustrious Barnutn” was in his time notorious for his “ frauds in freaks,” his bogus "hairy man,” his sham “spotted horse,” and so on. The Corean Courier, of which the Napier editor laments the nonexistence, would, no doubt, have been a highly amusing production, but as a triumph of mendacity it could hardly, I suppose, have hoped to rival the conflicting official cablegrams of the Chinese and Japs; As personified exemplars of splendide mendax John Jap and John Chinaman outrival even Baron Munchausen himself. Some of the New Zealand Opposition journals come a good second to that renowned concoctor of Tarra-diddles;

Y ORD BRASSE Y is to be the next VicJLi torian Governor. I’m afraid he won’t find the erstwhile *■ Marvellous Melbourne” a very cheerful place in these times of political crises and a financial state of affairs, which is next door to wholesale bankruptcy. He is a very wealthy man, however, and will probably spend twice the amount of his screw. The only trouble I anticipate will be that he may set to work to “ egg on ” the various colonial Ministers to some big scheme of naval defence, on which subject he poses as an expert. He was Secretary to the Admiralty in 1884-5, and a Civil Lord thereof from 1880 to 1884, besides which he has written reams of stuff on naval questions. His father was the great railway contractor, and made a huge fortune. The present Lord —the “ dear Tom ” of that very pleasantly written book, “ The Voyage of the Sunbeam”—has a magnificent house near Battle Abbey, in Sussex, and is an enthusiastic yachtsman. The Lady Brassey who wrote the first “Sunbeam” book is dead, and the present Lady Brassey is, I believe, comparatively youthful. The Brasseys ought to, and no doubt will make themselves very popular in Victoria.

I WONDER whether all these .AusHalian bigwigs who are at present “ doing ” New Zealand are drawing travelling expenses and allowances on the plea of “inspecting the institutions and investigating the legislation ”of this Colony. If so, I am afraid the Australian taxpayers won’t get much real value for their money. Take the Hon Mr Garrard for instance. This worthy man, who is Minister of Public Instruction in New gouth Wales, arrived at Auckland in the'Mararoa. He came down to Napier in the same vessel, and left her there to proceed to Wellington overland. At Napier, I hear he exhibited a free pass to the stationmaster, and had the cheek tq ask for a special railway carriage all to himself, a cool request which was, I am glad to say, refused. Then he gets down to Wellington, where he spent one day rushing about the- Buildings and interviewing officials. The same afternoon he went on to Christchurch and was to reach the Bluff on Tuesday en route for Melbourne, “after a trip through New Zealand, covering only eight days.” Whaf on earth can be the practical good to be obtained from such a hurryscurry trip as this ? And yet I’ll wager that the honourable g’entleman will pour out an ocean of alleged “personal knowledge of the experimental legislation of our New Zealand cousins ” when the Sydney Talking Shop opens again. What a farce !

THE following paragraph has recently been going the rounds of tho papers: —“ The New York Weekly says : ‘ Many of

the people in New Zealand are seriously meditating- the pensioning of all the residents after they have attained their seventieth year.” A South Island journal, I notice, now reprints the paragraph, but says poisoning instead of pensioning. The demon compositor again! IT is an open secret that the verses signed “ which appeared in a contemporary the other day, and in which a hearty welcome was given to the BishopDesignate, were the work of a leading local official, who, like Mr Silas Wegg, is given to occasional “ droppings into verse.” The verses called forth the following witty protest from a local gentleman of the long robe:— Now heaven avert the omen dire That greets our Bishop to his See, When he Avho welcome sings with lyre Is the Official Assignee. From bankruptcy and assignees Lord keep our Bishop, Church and Fold, And I will pray upon my knees That they by Ashcroft ne’er be sold. W. R. H. To which the terror of the “ crooked ” schedule filers responded with the following : Official doctors for all el-e need not disable, A man is not a horse tho’ born in stable, Though the rash poet is the man you name He chances to be good churchman all the same. J. A. \,f RS MALAPROP,“ up to date ”! ThornivJL don lady in midst of select circle of afternoon tea bibbers and babblers : —“ Yes, my dear, I wouldn’t miss the new Bishop’s desecration service at St. Paul’s for anything.” And an awful silence fell over the room, and it was marvellous how everyone’s particular piece of cake would persist in sticking in the throat.