PASSING EVENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1514, 7 March 1901, Page 35

PASSING EVENTS.

History is philosophy teaching by examples. —Thucydides. In one of the eomie papers a ear to on appeared setting John Bull and Brother Jonathan in opposition. “You are a long time in crushing De Wet,”' the latter was made to say. “I think you are finding that Aguinaldo' is a. tough rascal,” replied John Bull. But the crushing of both desperadoes certain, and neither the Yankess nor the British will spare expense in its accomplishment. x While the British Commons vote fifty-eight millions ior the South) African war, the American Senate so amends its war estimates as to give President McKinley control of the Philippine Islands. From recent accounts it would appear that the Americans have practically failed to bring Agumaldo to his knees. They have been pursuing horn for over two years and a half. There are stories of internal dissensions among the rebel forces in the Philippines, and we hear of followers declining to be further led by their guerilla leaders. But the ringleader himself is still in the field and shows no signs of surrender; and so long: as he is holding out “the giving of President McKinley control of the Philippines,” is merely a phrase pleasing to the ear of the American nation. There is a remarkable similarity between the conditions of warfare in the Philippines and South Africa. The British are pursuing de Wet in much the same way that the Americans are chasing Aguinaldo. The repeated escapes of de Wet must cause torturing chagrin to Lord Kitchener and the British generals who are following SO 1 closely in his wake. The press, censor permits the “Times” correspondent to explain the method of the Boer leader’s last escape in the most plausible terras. It was “during the silent watches of the- night,” so says the correspondent, that de Wet’s rearguard “slipped by the Kimberley column and recrossed the railway.” Whether it is in the dark or in the daylight de Wet has succeedett, as if by miralce, in escaping every time. The Boers are manifesting signs of demoralisation and . disentegration, and in the ordinary course of events cannot long hold the field. Meantime thirty thousand more troops are being shipped to South Africa, and surely that number ought to be sufficient at this hour of the conflict to terminate a dreary and protracted war.

A good deal of obvious nonsense has been talked by Dr Nikola Tesla, the scientist who avers that he has received a communication from _Mars. Yet- a great many people believe that the Martians, if that plant is inhabited with intelligent beings like ourselves, have actually communicated with this earth and that Mr Tesla has been the first to make tlie discovery. Men like Sir Hubert Bull have questioned the feasibleness cf Mars having signalled to Mother Earth. Sir Robert reminds ns that when Mars is nearest the earth, it is thirty-four millions of miles distant; and that at the present time that interesting planet is eighty millions of miles away. The imagination reels at the contemplation of the distance, but common-sense says that no sane man would think of communicating to a friend in Lambton quay from, the top of Mount Victoria, if he could do- it from the other side of the street. Of course,' if there were a telephonic connection there would be no difficulty about the matter, v, We do not, however, know how it would bepossible for the people of Mars to conjure up an interest in us, if they exist, and existing, know anything of the earth and its people. Sir Robert Ball says that if a flag of the size of Ireland were flapping on a pole five hundred miles high, it is possible a keen observer in Mars, looking through a telescope as powerful as that in the Lick Observatory, might see a little thing like a pin head twinkling backwards and forwards. That is to say, if the South Island of New Zealand were hung out on a flagstaff two hundred thousand times the height of Mount Cook, the observer with the most powerful telescope in the world might notice tlie flickering object, but a communication with us without a prescribed code of signals, would be as interesting probably. as a conversation between a Hottentot and a Chinaman. Professor Marconi .hopes soon to be able from Land’s End to- communicate a telegraphic message without wires, but not without apparatus, some hundreds or miles, and we may flatter ourselves that some day we may build a bridge to the moon, and from that objective, being some distance nearer to Mars, communicate to our own satisfaction with the Martians.

Wealth is a matter of comparison. It is related that two American millionaires were .discussing the death of a mutual friend who had died worth a million dollars. They were both astonished that Mr B. had been so hard up. Still it. is not necessary in order to "come under the designation, of being wealthy to possess millions. Mr Alfred! Vanderbilt was married the other day to Miss Elsie French, a young lady who came of “a wealthy family,” and the marriage is said to have united nine millions sterling. If the bridegroom

possessed eight millions, then the young lady was comparatively poor, although of a wealthy family. Yet to the man or woman with £iUO,OOO the possessor of a single million is fabulously wealthy. And the possessor of a. fortune of £lO,000 is the object of commiseration to the owner of a quarter of a million. When it is considered that Miss French’s “wealthy” family was only able to contribute £200,000 of the million which as a bride she possessed, it may with fairness be asserted that Mr Vanderbilt married a> poor woman. From this- gossips will conclude that the marriage was a love one ; and it was only when the bridegroom, slipped into the hand of Ms bride a silver box containing £BOO,OOO in gild-edged! securities that she became the possessor of a clear million in her own right. The possession of great wealth may become a blessing or a curse not only to the community, but to the possessor. In striking contrast to the harpy conduct Gf the notorious Isaac Gordon, we have the beneficent acts of Mr Samuel Lewis, the London money-dealer, who has just died worth four millions, all of which lie has left to his widow, with instructions to disburse a million of it in prom ding dwellings for the poor and. in other charitable ways. During his life-time Mr Lewis’s benevolence was well-known, and he was; described as a, man who acted on the principle of giving to the poor' by lending to the Lord. He drew his profits from the follies of the rich, •and ministered to the necessities of the poor. By his marriage Mr Vanderbilt has divided his wealth, and it is to be hoped' he. is happy. Mr Lewis by his death has brought happiness to many, so judging from this it may be asserted that the world appreciates more than his living the death of a millionaire.

The domestic servant problem is one that disturbs the felicity of many households. Good servants are scarce and indifferent servants are the plague and worry of their mistresses. It may he that some mistresses have spoiled good servants by disregarding their comfort and treating them as menials. The status of the servant girl has been raised within the past few years. This is to some extent due to education, bat is more attributable to the fact that the avenues of employment for women have enormously multiplied. With a wider field for work, young women do not prefer domestic drudgery before factory freedom. And with half the wages the conditions of shop and factory life are preferred to domestic life with the tedious round of household duties. To some extent mistresses have tlie improvement of the condition of their helps in their own hands. If servants are to be continuously looked clown upon and their relations in the household embittered by indignities, however trivial, at the hands of their employers, it canhot be expected that there will be careful and enonomioal servants. Some mistresses treat their servants well and have no difficulty with them; but all mistresses have doubtless experienced the trials and worries of indifferent and bad servants. They have sighed for a better class cf servant and the “lady help” has come; but it is to be feared that even s he has failed to raise domestic service into an honourable and attractive occupation. If domestic service is not raised further than it has been, and in the same way probably as nursing has been dignified, by young women of good education engaging in it, then mistresses may resort to the methods of a San Francisco lady. After many troubles with housemaids and oooks, she advertised for “a. clean, reliable young man of good habits to do housework and plain cooking.” There were eighteen applicants and she selected one who had been formerly a. music teacher, but -jeing without pupils his pride was not wounded by the character of his work. The solution of the problem may be here. There are young women clerks; why should young lads jib at domestic service ?