TOPICS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3828, 25 August 1899, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY

WONDERFUL SURGICAL FEATS. Tho Now York correspondent of the London “Daily 'Mail”--is- responsible for tho publication of the following remarkable surgical feats said to have been accomplished in the United States. Cabling'on-July 5 he says;—-“Mr John Foster, a Cleveland millionaire, underwent a remarkable operation in one of the Chicago Hospitals yesterday. He was suffering from a serious abdominal ailment. Tho doctors in diagnosing the case made him swallow an india-rubber bulb covered with photographic film, which was inflated until*Jit completely filled, tho stomach. An X-ray exposure was then made, the bulb deflated, and the film withdrawn. When' developed an excellent photograph of the interior of tho stomach was secured, revealing the presence of a largo tumour, which would soon have proved'fatal'. It will now. however, be removed.” If anything a still more wonderful exhibition of heroic surgery is given in tho following statement cabled on the same day: "A, Binghampton yesterday Louis Ginsberg, a Jewish Rabbi, was stabbed through tho heart by a. negro, and -fell dying. Tho Rabbi’s ribs were parted, and the heart exposed. Tho physicians injected saline solution to replace the blood between tho pulsations, and a doctor rapidly passed a needle and thread through the left ventricle .and took several stitches. The patient rallied, lives, and it is believed, will recover.” GOVERNORSHIP OF TASMANIA. There seems, to be some competition in official circles at Home for the Governorship of Tasmania, an' appointment which is shortly to be.vacated by Lord Gormanslon. “Great indignation exists,” observes an exchange, “among Conservatives over the . report I .that Mr Powell Williams is to go to Hobart. The Governorship of Tasmania is not a ‘fat’ appointment, as tho colonists cut down flio salary from £SOOO to £3-500 in 1893. Apart from money, however, it is about the most comfortable, if not the most exalted, of such posts in the Antipodes. Moreover. Lord Gormanston is a particularly easy man to follow. He is not rich, and frankly gave notice to the Tasmanians that his public subscriptions would have to sink proportionately with his salary. He is also a devoted angler, and much preferred lonely expeditious in pursuit, of his sport to tho normal round of functions in Hobart. For all these reasons, tho berth is much desired by a. score of peers who have served either their country or their party well. Mr Williams is one of the mildest and most amiable oi men. who is extraordinarily out of place in the War Department.''

HE REACHED THE-NORTH POLE. A storv which the Washington corr»snondent. ’ of the London “Chronicle" rightly—if mildly— characterises _as curious comes irum Binghaiiiptoii,New\ork State. Gustave Bertrand, of St. Made-

Icino, Quebec, says that while on a fishing .smack in Baffin Bay, and being in a small boat alone, a storm drove, him out of his course. After being without food for some lime he met some Esquimaux, and lived with the natives, always getting nearer the North Pole. In the course of a year lie reached rlie Foie. This country ho describes as being an island surrounded by ice. There arc two ranges of small mountains, and a small tribe of well-built people, not Esquimaux, iivo there. There are two seasons, mild and cold. In tho milder weather lichens grow. The people, he says, arc savage, but not unkind. Ho suffered many hardships and returned by working his way down to Ellesmere Land (Y). He was then helped to Northern Alaska, and went prospecting in Kloudyko. He got into some trouble with tho Canadian authorities and was sent to prison at Toronto. After_ his release ho worked his way to New York State, where ho is now penniless. Bertrand is a totally uneducated man, and has no knowledge of seamanship or geography.

THE LADY MAYOR IN A NEW ROLE. Captain Yates, whose wife was a few years ago Mayor of Ouchunga. was a few days ago fined £l, with £4 7s costs, for failing to comply with the borough of Oncluuiga’s by-law No. 10, by not employing the uightsoil contractor for the removal of Cecal matter from his premises. Mr Hutchison, S.M., in the course of a long written judgment, said he could only see iu this case “a single contumacious householder setting up his individual judgment, against ..ic judgment of tho Council, as expressed in the by-law on sanitary matters.” This was iu reply to the contention of the defence that the bylaw was unreasonable. When the case was finished, the defendant applied for leave to appeal to tho Supreme Court against the verdict, and was told that ho could do so without tho Magistrate’s permission. Air Yates next asked the Magistrate to deal with the “New Zealand Herald” for incorrectly reporting him (Air Hutchison) when the ease was tried. Mr Hutchison : “I have no power to deal with newspaper reports. -Why; what is there wrong with the report f” Mr Yates : “You arc credited, your Wo«ship, with saying to Air Reed, our solicitor, these words: "If your clients cannot conduct themselves properly, 1 .shall have to order them out of Court.’ Avow, your Worship, I never heard you say that, and I ask yon if it is correct, because I know it is not ?” His Worship: “Certainly, it is correct. Tho Town Clerk complained that Mrs Yates spoke disparagingly to him when he was leaving the witness-box, and although I do not remember the exact nature of his complaint, I remember telling Mr Reed that if you and Airs Yates did not behave yourselves, I should order you out of the Court.” Mr Yates: “ Well, I never.” Airs Yates : “Como on home, Michael ; we need never expect to got justice in this Court while Air Hutchison is on the Bench.” His Worship smiled, and said to the Clerk of the Court, “ Call the next case.”

A CORRECT] ON. In our issue of tlio 16th iust., -.vhen reporting the proceedings of the Magistrate's Court, wo" stated that the South Pacific Loan Company had obtained judgment against Mr James Cheatham for the sum of L:l\ 6s -Id. As a. matter of fact, this was an error. The South Pacific Loan Company obtained judgment agcuist Mr Chectham. but only for the sum of His for costs. Wc hasten to correct the error, and to express our regret that it should have occurred. UNEMPLOYED IN THE COUNTRY. A strong appeal on bcltaif of the unemployed in country districts was made yesterday by Mr Hogg, who urged that the public works for which provision has already been made should bo vigorously prosecuted, so as to provide employment. He particularly 'mentioned the case/.df tha ’single meri, iaiftL-com-' plained. that, although married men wore found work; there was a lack cf sympathy with single men not only in tho Cabinet, but also among members of tho House. ■ Asked by a member why tho single men did not marry, and so qualify for employment, the member for Masterton replied that they lacked tho means to enable them to take such a. step. The lion gentleman, said tho Premier, in replying, had done tho Government a great injustice. Mr Scddou went on to say that for any young man over 25 who remained single ho had the greatest sympathy. (Laughter.) ,--If jMr :#ogg would -put tlVo cases of these single young men before him. and they would undertake to get married within six months, ho 'would find them work at once. He wished.- to remove tho reproach at pro-, sent, resting on tho colony that tho birth-rato is falling off. (Loud (laughter.) ‘ Mr Hogg now said that the Government was in some respect responsible for that .state of things, because it had not found work for single men. It never struck him (tho Premier) in that light before. and the sooner the reproach was removed the better. The Government had on'co-operative works given a preference to married men with families, because their need was greater, but in tha case of single settlors who were getting a. homo ready they would bo given a chnnco for employment. LORD ROSEBERY. In one respect at least—people of all sorts of political thought agree—the mantle of Gladstone has fallen on Lord Rosebery. He is eminently interesting from a- multitude of standpoints. _ Some may disapprove of him as an Imperialist; others that he runs horses ; others that he is a. Home Ruler; yot others that ho is not sufficiently strenuous a Homo Euler or Liberal. Then •some object to him bocauss he is not serious enough, or because he is Scotch, or because he is a peer. And yet. despite all these objections, and a lot of'others, nobody denies that Lord Rosebery is a fascinating character. People used to hate Gladstone, and to loathe him as a statesman, or as a theologian, or as a student. But if they disliked him in one character they had to admire him in another. It is the same with Lord Rosebery. THE RACING CLUBS AND GAMBLING. In the course of :tn article on “ Tin: Gambling Evil,” the “Lyttelton Times” remarks , concerning Grand National week:—“The sum of £47,511 was passed through the totaiisators at Riccarron and ftadiugtou during the five days on wiucu races were held. The clubs which promote the races deduct 10 per cent, off all Investments, so that the public must be nearly £SOOO out of pocket, and this takes no account of tho largo amount invested with bookmakers. The Canterbury Jockey Club alone drew nearly .£3500 of this, and the remainder went to the Canterbury Trotting Club. Tho great clubs like to pose sometimes as guardians of 1.-ie nubile morals. But the whole experience of the past week shows that the club winch prolcsses to fro the greates, or them all is just as anxious as the mealiest proprietary club it has assisted to suppress to encourage investments upon (he tot.v ■■ satyr, its management of tho Grand National Meeting is a very good illustration of what it is <lom7; for the promotion of legit inode sporl. A. programme Unit brought together the finest specimens of cross-country horses and the keenest iui mirers o? u spirited contest, hus been carded for one Unit attracts a- seoic or 1 two of speedy sprinters, a few half-made

hunters, and an endless army of inveterate gamblers, if the clubs wish to convince the public that tneir aim is to improve the breed of horse-;, as their vjasiablo formula runs, tuey will have to consrilarably mend their ways. As it is. the country obtains as much benefit, ami far less harm, from a hack race ni a iju-Ii district than it does from ike six-furlo'w sprints and almost farcical slceulecnas.,-, promoted by some of tnc metropolitan clubs.” POLYGAMY IN THE STATES. Iu a recent address before too Ohm Episcopal Diocesan Convention,, Bishop Leonard made the following reference (o the attempt to expel a Air Roberts from Congress on account of his being a polygamist ;—“ Polvgarav is being practised all over this country,” said the Bishop. “The good people of the United .States are raising a groat hue and cry against the admission of a member of Congress who is a polygamist, when practical polygamy is being practised all over this country. Things have come to such a pass that the flimsiest pretexts are made the means of securing a divorce. A slight quarrel or miserable lust arc alike made a moans to this end. It should be borne in mind that Roberts cannot be expelled save upon tho one ground—an entirely novel ground to bo established.— that his moral character is not up to the requirements of Congress. Before the tost of mivato morals ss established, and the stone-throwing formally begun, it is conceivable that Roberts and his side of tho controversy may make some inquiries as to exposed glassware ou the stonethrowers’ premises.”