THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1892.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9566, 24 October 1892, Page 2

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1892.

lira- controversy that Mr Walter Bbxtmsis dramatic vontuve, on the occasion of hjs present visit, has provoked in our columns has been one of his own seeking. He considers that among other things the main duty and tunctionof the stage is moral, and he is not backward in enforcing his views or at least of pressing them upon the attention of the public. In this attitude we believe Mr Waiter Bfflrarar and Dr H^ UY IImNG stand almost alone among men of -mark in the dramatic world It. was not the opinion of Charles Laicb, nor is it the opinion of M. Saecby, tnat the stage as such has anything to do with morals. On the other hand, of course, it lias nothing to do with immorality. We take italic first function of the drama is to amuse and to instruct. Instruction throuah the drama should be administered cautiously, and, so far as possible without any semblance of the pedantic attitude. Geouge Daavson, a lecturer very much in vogue in the Midland Counties of England a few years a*o used to say that of all things the public hates there is nothing it hates so much as information. True and accurate dresses, good pictures of time and place; a street in Venice, a street in Bath; the Senate House in Borne: these matters well and carefully painted are instructive as well as entertaining yet they arc but accessories, and in the eyes of many, very minor accessories. Of dresses, whether the actor walk his hour in ruff and pointed beard in steonkirk and embroidery, in the hWisliouldored swallow-tailed coat of the Directory, or in the frock of the nioaern .English gentleman, we consider that little heed is taken provided the costumes are decently clean, sound, and not too absurdly out of keeping with the circumstances of the play._ l\ To modern audience would admit without laughing Macbeth in the costume once known as a "satin shape,"" nor Desdemosa to wear a fardingale and pinners; yet there 'ire many signs, so far as this detail' is concerned, that as much fidelity to historical costume is now observed as the public cares to exact, while a greater degree of accuracy would either escape unokscryeil or bo condemned as pedantic. After all, the play is the thing: then the men and women who play it. If the play holds I

up fclic glass to Llic fashion oL: the time, and shows us what ive arc—our foibles ami our strength,—it has done a good work; and if in helping hardworked mortals to while away an hour oil distraction from their own cares—so often sordid, and still more often selfish—it also points a moral and adorns a tale, so much the better. J3ut visitors to the theatre, although a little reflection and a little purification of the feelings may accompany the spectacle, repair thither for the purposes of amusement. To an occasional indulgence in this class of relaxation plain, sane-minded persons have as indefectible a right as a man lias to the harmless gratification of a gold chain to his watch and of a signet ring on his finger. That there are pitfalls and traps for the weak in much theatre-going will bo freely admitted. B ut what the world requires in a man is a virtue that is healthful and capable of throwing-off a little contagion, not a Aveakly virtue that Tiiusfc bo wrapped up against every wind that blows—a virtue that is too dainty for common food and too delicate for the common contact. One hour's stroll along the streets of a great city in the evening presents more sights and sounds for the astonishment of the valetudinarian in morals than any decent theatre presents, or desires to present, on its boards in a month. So many hard things have been said about the stage and actors that it is easy to make up a book of elegant extracts of opinions of eminent Puritan divines and others about the iniquities of the profession. We consider this kind of literary exercise a fruitless and foolish task. If it is true that a filthy dreamer like Rousseau disapproved of die French stage, it is equally true that he proved himself a fine object lesson in immorality, and that Yoltaihe said of him that he was more of a monkey than a philosopher. If hard things are said of that dismal and dreary land " behind the scenes"—so often mentioned by imperfectly informed moralists as the home of dazzling and lurid temptation,—words ten times as hard are daily used about capitalists, commercial men, lawyers, clergymen, and moderate drinkers. If a capitalist were to attend the Labour Church in Manchester any Sunday evening, or to stand under the Queen's statue in Sydney any Sunday afternoon, his ears might tingle with information about himself, both surprising and novel. A capitalist has become in- the eyes of millions of men nothing but a pirate, who robs under legal forms; a- commercial man is on c whose success depends upon his command of the resources of organised swindling; a lawyer belongs to a profession of which professional politicians speak with increasing and incessant disrespect. Of clergymen it may be safely said that thousands of men feel surprise how any two of them can meet without laughing—while the farther away a clergyman drifts from orthodoxy the more honest and liberal he is held to be. As to the moderate drinker, what language in all the'range of Imman vocabularies adequately describes tins benighted wretch ? It requires lon* and ardent practice in the heated atmosphere of teetotal meetings to cope with the theme. We purposely omit the politician from our review. This being unites in himself all the crimes, delinquencies, hypocrisies, and abominations of every class, to which he superadds some . special transgressions and obliquities of his own. -But by far the hardest and most'sayawc language in literature and in actual life has been used about women. From' JuvEN-AL to Lady Jeuxe (we may be. allowed to point out the " undesigned coincidence " of the names) there°is a continued chain of rancorous libel on the whole sex, to which indeed women have themselres been occasional contributors. What then does all this Babel mean ? It means absolutely nothing butthat the ignorance of the world °s limitless, fathomless, invincible. People who know each other well, and take the trouble to understand character, clo not use this class of language with regard to each other. Itis apainfuland instructive tact that the same word stands for stranger and enemy in one of the ancient languages of the world. So little advance has been made beyond this primitive idea, that it is still inherent in men to take a hostile view of the class about which they know little or nothing. This being so, they rapidly advance in judgment from the individual to the type, and include a whole class in the sweep of genera condemnation because they have inifor tunately had experience of an un

savoury sample of a species. It is rarely of tlie slightest use pointing out . fclie futility of this process of judgment But we may be allowed a case. It is stated m the latest returns of the United States statistician, who annually reports on « Crime," that the West number of homicides in the period under his immediate review hare been committed by teetotallers. This is a result which, if it does not astonish, should certainly give pause to the persons who state that drunkenness is the most fertile source of all crime. Are then the public immediately justified 111 assuming that total abstinence is connected in some obscure way with I homicidal mania; or that at anyrate in a society that approves the carrying ot arms by a citizen, there is a distinct argument for tectotalism in the fact that an abstainer should be able to shoot quicker and straightor than his neighbour who turns not away from the wine cup? Either conclusion is an absurd conclusion, but none the less absurd than the hasty generalisations which guide the conduct and do not restrain the language of many superior persons. And the conclusion is just as absurd in its lack of: foundation as the frequently quoted opinions about the abominations ot the stage. The fact is that in modern life the less one heeds the cries ot Thehsetbs the better for sanity and sound judgment, and it i s a fact that all right-thinking persons endeavour to exclude the din of gratuitous advice re-echoing in the highways. On these and other grounds we would humbly

suggest to Mr WAKCBn Bern-lei the advisability of going on in doing good work m his own lino, and to the best of his admitted ability, without heeding too much the voice of the dctrac-

tors, or inviting the co-operation of moral valetudinarians. lie is secure of the support of the latter when they find it safe to come in. Meanwhile, good -work, judiciously selected and ■well proportioned, is a moral spectacle of which we arc not surfeited, and in connection Avith the stage is as muclr

as we venture to expect.

We are pleased to learn from our cables that iSew Zealand hemp has advanced in price iv the London market. This will enable those mills that have closed down to resume work again. .When the mills ceased operations hemp was down as low as Ll9 10s per ton. Since then there has been a gradual increase in price until now, according to the latest intelligence, hemp of fair average quality has reached the highly satisfactory figure of L2G 10s per ton.

Mr Purvis, chief engineer of the lonic, has succeeded in landing in .splendid condition nine lobsters out of tkel2shippodatPlymouth, and he maybe congratulated on having apparently discovered the proper method of bringing them across the ocean and doing away with the cpatly method oi refrigerating. Mr G. p. Clifford went to Wellington to take charge of the lobsters and brought them down by the Rotorua on Saturday. Tac s.s. I'l tl cky met the Rotorua at the heads, and Mr Clifford and his crustaceans were transferred to her. She steamed to a suitable portion of the mole and there the lobsters were landed. Mr Clifford speaks in terms of high praise of the assistance rendered to him by all connected with the lonic and also by the captain and officers of the Rotorua

Messrs J. Kitchen and Sous' soap factory at Buraside caught iire oa Friday afternoon, the ilaiaes spreading from some gorse which was burning near the building, but L 5 will, it is thought;, cover the damage that was done. Had it not, however, been for Mr James M'Kechnie, the stafcionmaster at Burnside, and Mr Harry Baverstoek, a gardener, the damage might have been much more extensive They noticed the fire starting, and, giving the alarm to the employes who were working inside, with their assistance extinguished the flames in a very short time. At the Police Court on Saturday Alexander Maxwell was fined Ss or 24 hours for drunkenness. Mr A. Burt, J.P., occupied the bench. The hospital returns for the past week are :— Remaining from previous week, 9G ; admitted daring the week, 11; discharged 19; deaths (Isabel M'Kay, William Campbell, John Holmes, and James Marshall), I ;-total remaining in the institution, 84. Some weeks ago a memorial from settlers in the Mount Hyde district was forwarded to Mr Scobie Mackenzie, M.H.R., for presentation to the Railway Commissioners, asking that the waiting room at the Hindon station, which is usually kept locked, should be thrown open for the use of ladies. We understand that hitherto the room has been kept closed in accordance with the regulations with regard to all flag stations. In order, however, to meet Ike wishes of the people at Hindon, it has been suggested that some person should bo allowed to take charge of the waiting room there, so that it might be kept open, and in all probability the Railway department will see its way to fall in with the suggestion. In this case the room will be opened in the course of a few days.

Thomas Archibald Praser is gazetted as a ranger of Crown lauds for the Otago district. Philip Tennyson Cole, a well-known Victorian artist, was charged with intended wife desertion at the Auckland Police Court on Saturday. In her evidence, Mrs Cole stated that she was married to the defendant in London in 1882, and he left her in 1889. He gave her L 45 in three years, and had offered her LI per week and Ll5O, but gave no security for payment. He did produce the Ll5O, and she asked for security.

The Maoris of Waipawa are about to establish a brass band, and have sent a most elaborate order to a Wellington firm for a complete set of silver-plated instruments, which will cost so less than LSOO. At the Gore R.M. Court on Thursday, before Mr J. S. Clendou, R.M., the case Bolamore and Godby v. Simson, Elsworth,and Co., a claim of LlB 14s 9d for advertising, was heard. The question at issue (says the correspondent of Southland Times) was whether in the following circumstances Simson was liable:—His firm incurred the debt, Elsworth filed in bankruptcy as an individual and partner- of the firm; Simson granted a power of attorney to the deputy-official assignee, who proceeded to realise the partnership estate. The plaiutiffs claimed in the bankruptcy and got a dividend, and Mr Elsworth was discharged. Mr Simson holds that the estate is not yet fully realised. The dividend was credited in the claim now made. The defence was that the debt being joint then the bankruptcy and claim on the estate by the plaintiffs and the discharge of Elsworth was a discharge of the debt. After evidence and argument his Worship deferred his decision.and gave judgment for the plaintiffs for the sum claimed, less 15 per cent, rebate allowed to auctioneers. . His Worship said he had looked into all the authorities quoted. In Lindley en Partnership it was laid down that "Proof in bankruptcy against the estate of one ■partner in respect of a partnership debt does not preclude the proving creditor from afterwards suing the solvent partners, and recovering from them what he may have failed to obtain in the bankruptcy," and our own Bankruptcy Act (sec. 103, sub. 3) implied the same principle. Costs of court, L 2 Is. Leave to appeal was granted.

They manage the affairs of at least one loca body in Victoria in a very odd fashion. Mr Isaac Ramsden, late president of the Bain Bulu Shire Council, was a witness iv the libel suit brought by Mr Groom, ex-M.P., against the Melbourne Age. In cross-examination, Mr Purves drew from him the remarkable confession that he had a road at his back door and another at his front verandah, and that the main road ran through his property. When he wanted these roads constructed he called a meeting of the council. No one attended the meeting but himself. He constituted himself the whole council, manufactured himself into a quorum, and passed a resolution that the roads be constructed. He then deputationised Mr Gillies, and reported the result to himself as the council, none of the other councillors knowing anything about the matter until the monc-v had been voted.

During some building changes in Utrecht (writes the Vossische Zeitung) an interesting discovery was made under the so-called Buurrfirche. The well-defined ruin was found of the stone cell in which, in the year 1«7, the richest and mosb beautiful girl i v Utrecht had allowed herself to^bo immured. The historical tacts are as follows!—On the 7th May 1457 a mystery-play.Svas performed in the cathedral, and among the spectators was Bertke, the beautiful daughter of the Proctor. But instead of the expected reverential feelings, she experienced only vexation and disappointment, and was especially iudignaut at the sexton calling out, before i]ie play began, that the young men mthe church were "not to tickle the young girts, or pinch their calves, on pain of "being expelled the church." Still more disgusted at the conversation of some women standing near left the church and told all she had heard to her father confessor, who confessed that the slander cast upon the priests was often too true. This was enough for Bertke, who, convinced that not even the cloister could keep her secure from evil, determined to cause herselt to be called-up in a special cell with only a small aperture for the reception of food No one knows how she died, but it is certain that she hved in her cell for 57 years-that is till 10x4-.

Meteorological observations, carefully made and systematically recorded, in various parts of iiurope go to prove that there has been a steady increase in the number of tempests annually occurring during the last half-century In Belgium it has been as follows :-Prom 1835 to 18*7, 97 storms ; from 1848 to 1862 256 storms ; and from 1863 to 1877, 289 storms In Saxony the number of buildings struck by lightning every year was 107 per million beuween 1859 and 18G2, 318 in 1883-84 and 621 per million in the year 1889. It has been suggested that these atmospheric disturbances are partly attributable to a derangement of the earth's magnetism, by the millions upon millions of tons of iron and steel rails with which its surface is laced.

In order to replenish the ivory market of England 15,000 elephants have to be killed every year. The annual slaughter of elephants amounts to 75,000. As the elephant doYs n begin to breed until it is 30 years old, and the averages one youngster every 10 years until he is 90, the extinction of the elephant is within measurable distance. The total cask value of the 200,000 elephants in the Congo Basin is only L 500.000 sterling, each elephant' b~nsupposed to have 501b weight of ivory i n his jaws. Some tusks weigh as much as 2001b bub that is very rare. The tusks for billiard balls fetch the highest prices, as much as LllO - cwt being paid for them. Ivory dust rn'l ivory shavings are used by confectioners as stiffeners for jollies. Out of every cwfc of ivory 151b remains .as .scrapings, which are burned into ivory black, worth from LIG to L2O per ton. Hippopotamus ivory is harder than that of the elephaut. The outer coat is so hard that it resists steel and strikes fire.

Ihe officers of H.M.S. Goldfinch have given their patronage to Mr Arthur Salvini's farewell concert en Friday evening. A good programme is to be placed before the audience, which will doubtless be large.

A characteristic anecdote has just seen the light relating to General Yon Wahl, the newlyappointed head of the police in St. Petersburg. ! While he was Governor of Kiev, the widow of a police functionary, who had died in the execution of his duty, had been vainly soliciting from the. chief of the foroe in that city the pension to which she was legally entitled The Governor heard of her case, and dictated the words of a petition which she wrote and directed. H e took it into a private room, and presently returned with it, sealed up. He instructed her to deliver it herself, which she did. Next day the pension was granted, and the day after the chief of the police was dismissed and sent into exile for accepting a bribe I lie general knew his man, and had enclosed a bank note for 25 roubles with the petition

_ Judge Molesworth, of Victoria, in commenting upon an application to release from the Insolvency Court the estate of a debtor whose creditors bad agreed to accept a composition of - 4 rt in the pound, remarked that he was sorry to say in this community it was not considered a disgraceful thing for a man to enter into contracts though ho could not pay for what he had contracted to pay if called upon to do so, and it was not considered a thing to be ashamed of for a man to offer creditors -jd in the pound, even though those creditors included tradesmen from whom the insolvent obtained goods such as groceries, meat, clothing, and the like. He believed that the morality of the Insolvency Court was in some respects worse than that of the racecourse. If a gambler at the races who contracted to pay LIOOO if a certain horse won were on being called upon to pay to offer 1000 farthings his conduct would be described in language more forcible than elegant.

Under date September 24- the Fiji correspondent of the Argus writes :—" The heavy rainfall on the Upper Rewa has proved disastrous to the maiden crop of the Kji Tobacco Company (Limited), and lias been, at all events, one of the most prominent factors in bringing it to death's door. The shareholders will meet to-morrow to decide whether to wind up or not, and as three-fourths of the capital of the company has been already expended, it is not difficult to anticipate what will be their decision— probably to throw up the sponge at once rather than to expend the remaining fourth of their capital (if the local ordinance controlling limited liability companies will let them) in trying to test the value of the attenuated crop now nearing harvest time. Under ordinary circumstances the wreck cf the enterprise would have had the effect of destroying for years every hope of Fiji becoming a 'tobacco country,' but, fortunately for the colony, while that failure was occurring, a single energetic expert in the culture and manufacture of the weed proved some localities m the group to be perfectly fitted for the production of both cigar and other high-cla*s varieties of leaf. Moreover, there ia nowhere another skilled planter with Sumatra experience, and as he also has been-all over the main island, and is seeking to acquire certain land ior a plantation, that is further evidence that there is a future for Fiji, and not a distant one, m this product. So tho failure of the limited liability company will not do the colony any particular harm, although some of the shareholders can 111 afford to lose the money thrown away over it." Referring to the recent calls to the Legislative Council, theDunstan Times says:-" Well may the dweller in Central Otago ask who and what do tho 12 new Legislative Councillors represent ? We answer, the ' so-called Labour party and the towns '; most distinctly neither the agricultural nor the mining interest. At the present time there is no capable mining representative in ths Legislative Council, and that there is need of one at least is evidenced by the Mining Act Amendment Bill lately passed by both Houses of Parliament; but, as a matter of fact, the country has been ignored Tha unmistakably expressed desire of the whole of the goldfields of Otago has been treated with scorn. County councils, boroughs, mining associations, and individuals throughout this large area, with' a singular unanimity, have urged on the Government how acceptable to them woulcl be the appointment of Mr Vincent Pyke to a seat in the Legislative Couutil. Hl3 unquestionable qualification in regard to all matters affecting miuing; his intimate acquaintance w ifh the requirements of this part of the colony, and generally of New Zealand ; added to the fact of the many years devoted, in some form or another, to the service of the State, surely;; entitled him to the honour of a seat a great deal more than either of the gentlemen selected for Otago." Our contemporary proceeds t» state that it fears the appointments mean that the concession of 28 per cent, to the population in country districts is in jeopardy unless the country awakes to the danger, and concludes .—" Ere long'the cry will be heard as of old, ' To your tents, oh Israel.' The right man will surely arise to lead a true country party. Then the dwellers and toilers on the land, the duly real producers of wealth, will decline once and for all to be legislated for and. taxed by the dweller in the towns as is the case at present."

The Royal Italian Opera Concert Company open their season in the Princess Theatre this evening. The interest felt in the company was well shown by the large crowd which assembled m front of the Grand Hotel on Saturday evening, almost blocking up High street for some time. The members of the company were met at the railway station by a number of wellknown local amateurs. These gentlemen accompanied them in a drag to the Grand Hotel, where they were introduced by Messrs Kiedle and Densera, and sang several glees in honour of tho visitors. Signora Cuttica and the other members of company responded by singing the Neapolitan air " Funiculi funicula » which, judging from the applause that followed from the crowd outside, was evidently much appreciated. As the bookings have been heavy a_ bumper house is expected for the opening night. b

Mr St. Clair, the agent of the Holloway Dramatic Company, is at present in Dunedinto make arrangements for the opening here on Saturday evening. A Christehurck telegram informs us that the company produced " Th e Wages of Sin" on Saturday to a crowded house. The piece is regarded as one of the finest moral lessons presented on the stage At the request of patrons Mr Holloway will endeavour to play a second season at Christchurch and Wellington.

to«™M- SmWms wfll sell r«^ paint fawuSbfcW "'^ Y anl C°™iittco and those evening election as mayor meet this toTnormw 10 wiU leava for Melbourne ctouSS toS! Co- wii! soll drapory> i^l*' 1 <fo* the Mutual Agency Comtomorrow l a °f stock at Milton c|)^!S;f| l °f r S^^"-n Tennis ?nd\vm Bi«rii?S lroo? W! 1- 1, b0 °15C»«1 to-morrow, Sdofe&oS* ox^"«. models, a fcroery; North wS?T,n" mli era iill co»necti™ with the anottr column °y art llnion a W)eM in to J(lay! rS Uonald R°id aiul Co" hold a s;ll<= °f grain baths atT,* w" tW 18 at *& cifc >' corporation irauisat Logans Point aye published this mom-

inayoraltvS\JnSh^7ho '!, ' a candidate for the B^cV, P?o n mS t0 suit all T"»rchttßers.-Tbo JJimeain (J. AX. ltiedle, manager).—[Anvx 1 eliilKv/i YOUUS>SI * MMM sfc^ Duuorders lutru^f P-i2c"s JVot^makßr ™d Jeweller, 74 (%,*..- s !ee*- -l-no oldest eetablished hcis" in

cr-Tjd h°in mi? Ufaetura °f c!«are*tes has inWooolooo yoars from 238- oo °.ooo to rapid sa^of'"'^ " soo»s»^chca up." TLo

SAPOLTO SAPOLIO SAI'OLIO i»i§il