OPEN COLUMN.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4131, 20 August 1900, Page 7

OPEN COLUMN.

THE VICTORIA COLLEGE SITE/ . With regard to the proposal of the Wellington Chanfber of Commerce that the Government should utilise the asylum reserve for defence purposes anti grant the Mount Cook site for the Victoria College, a correspondent, “ Progress,” writes to remind the inhabitants of the Middle University District that tiio Wellington Asylum occupies no loss than sixty-one acres within the city area, and that the Government owns this great estate to use as it seems host. ” On a recent occasion, when a c-roat city improvement was contemplated, demanding a few feet off tuts great reserve, the asylum cow, whose gambols Were likely “to bo interfered with, stood in the way. This animal will, no doubt, be opposed to education, defence, or any other colonial or city wants; if it could be removed to Pori-, nut or some other rural resort, tho prrD cress of the colony might he facilitated. AN HISTORIC FLAG. Mr Alfred Boardmau writes :—Current (-vents are awakening the patriotism of the country, and among tinsigns I hereof is the interest taken in Die national flag, its glorious past, and its symbol of what every citizen of the Empire holds highest- and dearest. Ithas pained many to see that flag degraded from its ideal to be used for advertising purposes, a brand of pickles, or flying, over an auctioneer’s sale. Tito’ “Meteor Flag of England,” which our school children are being taught to ■salute and reverence, should not he subjected to the familiarity which breeds timlempt. I respect Fully suggest to the Government that in the Now Zealand Ensign BUI now before Parliament a. clause be inserted forbidding the use of Ihc Royal Stands l d Union Jack or other national ensign for other than patriotic purposes, and also that a correct representation cl tho flag, drawn, to scale, .with lull description, appear as a schedule lo tho Act. I really believe that not one man in a hundred can draw or describe the Union Jack correctly. Everything about the flag is history—- “ Union,” from the Union of Scotland and England in 1(11*3: “Jack.’ from, the jacquu or quilted coat worn over the armour, on which Richard 11. in Litio ordered that the red St. George’s Cress should appear, both on front and Lack. This was the first 'uniform of the English soldier, except that the cross on the shoulder was our emblem during the Crusades.

“And on ids brcastc u bloodic cross he bore, The cl euro remembrance of his dying Lord"." - —Spenser’s Faery Queen. From jacque comes our ‘jacket. ; The • history of the crosses would take ' too_ Jong' to tell hero, bat T twist you will 'allow mo space for a description of the ’lag. Its length, is twice its width. The vortical St. George’?-. Cross (rod) is onc-lifth of the, width. kt.cl its white border is wic-tiiml o! its own •wiuth. The diagonal eroi-s of rod (St. Patrick’s) and; _ white (St. Andrew’s) dots not moot' St._ George s ia an exactly diagonal direction,' owing to the flag being longer Giuu it is; wide, and in the half next, the staff tho upper border of white, is tliice times as wide as tho lower border. Thin is reversed in the other half. Consequently. St. Patrick’s red cross, whose breadth is that. .of the white border of St. Georgo-’s, doss not take the centre of the white cross of St. Andrew. The St. Andrew’s Cross is in its wider' pifrt' half : 1 tho width of St. George’s and, in ’its narrower part half the width of St/. Patrick’s. One of the common Venders is to .mako the red diagonal cross too big, and to 'carry it right across the flag. It should stop at the outer white odgo of St. George’s Cross. Another and commoner error is to expand tho diagonal red and run it down (lie middle of St. Andrew’s white. This is •■exemplified in that ■ otherwise, flue engraving “Sons of the Empire.’’ Lord Wolscloy seemingly does not recollect tho make of the flag he hoisted so bravely at tho storming of, Lucknow, tor iho engraving in question nears his signature of approval. By the .bye, the British penny has tho same mistake on tho shield on which .Britannia s 1 Is. How many know that Britannia was modelled from Miss „ Stewart* afterwards Duchess of Richmond, a favourite of Charles 11., who. sat ,by the King’s special. choice? (see Pepys’ Diary.) During tlio ..Napoleonic -.vara many French vessels were captured, having hpistocl imperfect Jacks to tiy to pass the British, which did not deceive opr ■ officers.-

THE PUBLIC HEALTH, . “A Medical Observer” writes : —There is a clause in the proposed iuew Public Health. Bill which provides that a medical practitioner who fails .lo give notice of an infectious disease is liable to a penalty of not exceeding £lO, and to be suspended frsm practice for six months. I should like, to point out that the tendency would bo to throw a lot of practice into the hands of the chemists, who are not to bo interdicted from preserving secrecy if desired: also that it has got its absurd side, inasmuch that his Excellency’s Adviser (whoever ho may bo) could be jumped /upon, fined and suspended, in case a vice-regal catarrh, ordinarily known as a cold in jfcho head, was treated and not reported. There is a very harmless infection that may,' in its ti option, simulate measles or scarlatina fsore throat and all) so exactly that nothing but the difference between »three days’ course and one that runs from a week to ten days enables a medical at t and* daut to be certain in his diagnosis. Old practitioners know this well. What should tho doctor do? Risk an alarmist statement upon presumptive grounds, or wait’and'bo-fined? There are possibly members of tho House, if not of the Ministry, possessing sufficient general knowledge to be aware that it might be peculiarly obnoxious to some patients to have their infectious complaints .published, and if there was any risk of it, of course the medical man would ho the last person to be, consulted. Ido not wish to place obstacles or cast jeers at any attempt to legislate for the public good, but as law-makers aro seldom capable of viewing a, subject from its different professional aspects, I strongly recommend that, if "such.-an Act comes into force. Magistrates may be allowed much larger discretion than has been exhibited by tlie framers of that clause. A