PASSING EVENTS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4289, 23 February 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

PASSING EVENTS.

(I rum tin's "Mew Zealand .Mail.’’) ilis.'or/ is philosophy touch in e by »;.v----■—Thucydides. t/'.rd bciii-i.r i- evidently bc"i; - 1 " ,1 .1 imde’.’takii:;; than ; <‘>i iinnti.fl hj either General B idler t.’t did I’ll j dbe I’ , Hirer i:.. J 1; 1.1 1 s ago. dill; ’.'.i. k that, lias, been -et hr , proved so far to be much like the eh.ee „f a wili-o’ ti'e-wUp. ’t'hi! j, 1 1 an 1 oia Ue Wei. and h 1 <• i!u:tr,cn<lo arc report cd one slay to be ’ey t< > she lioj-'i li-1-a ( hard prc’ieed by jo .’vt v.e hear ot io , aavjn:' cros.ied the avi'oj River, '.vhe;e i. ,iort!.a !’ii Capo Colony tin; i»•• cxaidioiV-, dc.slruo-L"-u of proirriy, '..riiloii cruelty <‘l hi;. Sidlo’.ver, i , ree.dlmg ann.es of the oni-sh s,(•*■![,■-, ol Ihe early campaign in ■batal. 'l'ii i:, may a.a.s’e the effect ol a 1 ieu.'h, iug the .lynij-.t’iy ol tins Capo In! 10. i !'.”utii the lloer i; ,a- p, hilt that in ulenl.ly does mil disllli'.h De Wet, V. ho '(■ situ-i on Jii;-, devaslnl ,ing work mid :r i 11 ;wan are v.dlii unabated zeal. .’.SI the while there is a good deal of ha.’ter. ng eoin;.-, on in mimic ions of war. I.olooel riumtr rapture.-: a .Maxim gnu .’•ad a. quantity oi amsniniition from h)e > . hoi. it Loros out that the Maxim ;.nl l i lie aimiuiniiiou had hern taken item (he ilriti-h some time before; and 10 I he brisk (i'.'.liliie; at i’hdip-,(.0v, u we retd, ‘a.he enemy i.-.ed a, lifte'CiL-poundcr <■ intUi’ed Inim i.he ilrUisin tho shrapnel in; rating splendidly. 1 ’ lie 'Wet and his (■ooiiaaodani.s, v. iio-e niiiov.vr.s are again r ■ idei’iii"; idle ;.ii iiatiou ext remely cliklind: I'm- herd b.iU-iiener, who is meatw ’h'- oi rani din; anil replenishing his h/"ees. ;he war i, not over, and it ■"ill reqnir. a. force as lightly mouutod nod a.s mobile as tlie, marauding comii! odoe.s to put an end to the guerilla warfare. While the British general is recruiting his ranks with adequate and suitable, forces, the Boor commandoes ato gathering, together their .scattered xi. j.uianls, .securing better mounts, laying up stores of food and ammunition and acquiring heart and confidence by s’.nice ,ii id depredations. All this is, however, but a Hash in the pan—a prolongation of that agony which in the end v. iL be all the, moro bitter because of its present litfulness.

riio Anglican General Synod lias somewhat modified the opinion of tho DioSynod ot VVaiapu respecting tho question of leg i Using tho sale of liquor ‘J-,i the King Country. "Hie care of tho Gov eminent for (ho .Maori and the de-

t< rminatam ot tho pe.mhj not to put ti ■iijdatiou in id,-, way, has Leon the reason way licenses have been withhold Ironi tho bring Conclry. Lut from ropoits inrnbncd by !;lio.-.o omiu.scd -to tho iUiiifc _ traffic it appears ‘umfc the Maori is lumscfl the chief transgressor.

''-ho sly-gvog shops in the King Country ;u‘o nob kept by European:-, hub by Maoris and half-castes.” Mr Kensington, who made this statement at the E.ynmi, had exceptional opportunities ot studying the question last year. He laid vj :K---■[ the sly-grog .shops; and loading Maoris, doulu 1.-is concerned for their peoples welfare, now consider ■:h;t Iho only hope of stopping the illicit trnfiie is by having licensed houses. It is notorious that those opposed to the granting of licenses aro agreed that the statements of men like Mr Kensington aro not exaggerated, 'they hold, 'howover, that ‘‘license” is not the cure ; so tho llev. T. It. Sprott, of Wellington, proceeding along the lino of least resistance, proposed the iutrouuo'.aon of tho Gothenburg system to the King Country, whereby the private profit Irom the s:iio of intoxicants would |jo eliminated. Tho tiovernmenb would, under this system, have full control and bo responsible. Tho Bishop of Christchurch, though opposed to license, was “very strongly in favour” ot Mr Sprott’s proposal. Indeed, Bishop Julius went further. He desired the Synod to commit itself to a resolution in favour of State management. Tear. seems to be tho system that will best suit the requirements of the King Country, and it would bo only uii extension ot tho system adopted by the Government at tho Mount Cook Hermitage. At all events, tho Synod discouraged the “no license” campaign tor one in favour of a Koyal Commission of inquiry.

In sentencing a young man for damaging property a few days ago, Mr Justice Edwards made some observations upon criminality that ought not to bo overlooked. His Honour was sorry, the man was a native of Now Zealand, for her© “a person who v.a* honestly inclined «nd who displayed an ordinary amount of industry was not under the slightest temptation to become a criminal. In countries like England, and especially in a groat metropolis such as London, people were born into criminahty and bred in it.” There is here tno RiMinnansatiou of established truth, ail. too metaphysics concerning ‘‘original Mji notwithstanding. Vet criminality, luro other .diseases, may pass over one generation and break out in another. Mr Edwards is on safe ground when ho implies that as lar as heredity and environment are concerned, tho young ].’■*?, thus colony have been well -ortihed against inclinations to crime. Besides they aro being given a healthy up-bnngmg in a magnificent climate, and if large numbers of our young people become criminals, then the matter ought to engage the attention of philautliiopiscs. o are told, and figures go to support the assertion, that there t 1 "-'? .been during the last generation rimnuely less crime not only in the colonics, but in Great Britain in proportion to the population, and that many prisons in old countries are emptying rast. There can bo little doubt that the vulgar crimes or rioting and drunkenness arc on the decrease; but it may be that crime, like the age, is becoming more scientific and less demonstrative? However, there is a general law in na•uro_ that stipulates for tiie good becoming better and the bad worse. If tuat_ is so, men and women may be simply impelled by unseen forces and will live their lives. Still, making all duo allowances for heredity, environment and. education, the chances are greatly in favour of Now Zealand’s having a comparatively ‘‘derm sheet” as regards criminality. It can hardly be said that in suddenly dismissing General Sir Henry Colville Mr Brodriok has begun, his career at

the War Ollice auuiiciously. Here wa. an olhrer who-e offence, whatever i

was, was literally r.nndinied liy lbs retnni to his command at Gibraltar. Iho nest thing is that Sir floury is ca-Jiier-ii] and dimni.s.cd too service. Hut the linn; w ini wonid not fail to keep his appointment with Lord Holier! ■, to he at llidlbi’on i.v a irmti.lo hour, at- the rid; id allowing live hundred yeomanry to he c: pinxi I at Lindley (which actually ha j ; ; jo u<•< I > i: not a man to he trilled

wdh. > dicdicii'-c to his lommuiider was lu.-, fir-t consideration. On his way to London lie wrote his stoiy of the alfalr, and sin'-e he was refused an audience at iin.; War Uili'-o ha . published it iu the columns of the “Daily Chronicle.” It is a, clear statement and one

'■"iedatod Pi enlist- popular sympathy, while it reflect.’ in a genera! way upon I lie Urll !.di an thois • :(■-. Fault i-. being found ’vit-b General Colville for having ‘h’lishei! int.c> print’' o\or a mutter that ought to he heal’d, according to military di'-c.ipime, ’ With closed doors.” The public will iu this stand by Fir .Henry, and will demand that Hie fullest publicity be given to the trial, 'idle courtmartial, as am institution, lias been tried and found wanting. Tiio Dreyi'u ; case proved its inadequacy to discover the tnirh, and it is utterly contrary to British ideals that a trial oi a bravo soldier should bo conducted in secret. On the last; of it, it does not appear that General Hoivillc has been fairly Ireateii. it may be Hint Iho examinaI i iu into ibis ease 'Hil h-i' e far-reaching effects. Several olece", will be involved and Hie evidence may materially strengthen the hands of those Com-mis-iomers appointed to enquire into the doings of the. War Office with a view to it.;, reform.