CURRENT TOPICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13831, 19 February 1907, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

Clothes havo from time immemorial been tho eiibjocfc of much (lisTHE TI'RAXNY eiiisioii ami speculation, OF clothes, ami havo even provided the basis ot a. philosophy. Mrs John Lane is a contributor to tho Fortnightly Review whose humorous skotohos are charmingly light and amusing, Her latest discourse is on "Tho Tyranny ot Clothes," and it is full of good points. Tho weak point of man, for instance, is hia head-gear, for wo aro told that " there are things, it is a comfort to know, which even a man cannot do, and a man is supposed to bo able to do almost anything. Now, a novelist may put hie heroine's hat on her head at any angle ho choacs —it is one of tho few privileges of womanhood—and leave her not a bit less charming or dignified, but I defy him to put his hero's hat at a rowdy angle over his ear at a crucial point in his career and lonvo him still heroic. The Achillea heel of man is his hat. lie must guard that as ho does his reputation, for it is at once \m strength and lib weakness. It would hurt an archbishop less in the eyes of the public to commit a crime than to wear his hat on tho back of his sacred head so that the brim forms a halo, and thus exhibit himself to hie distressed diocese." Tho writer !ind>s comfort in tho thought that man, though in a lesser degree than woman, suffers from Iho tyranny of clothes, and in tho fact ihat, even inoro ihan a wqman, he is tho victim of clothes that won't go together. "Show me," sho asks, "that great and' independent man who would ilave to go tlown l'ic&aililly in a frookcoafc and straw hat or disturb the severe propriety of Iho scene by wearing a tophat ami a Norfolk jacket!" But sho exhorts those feminine pioneers who clamour for their rights and suffrage to, above all else, demand equality with man in respect to pockets. " Instead of asking for tho right to vote, demand pockets. Just consider! The most ordinary kind of man has at least 16 pockets, while a woman of transcendent intellect generally his none, or i[ {bo has...one it ia where

she can't get at it. Now, try to imagine .1 man doing his errands wit'ii a purse, handkerchief, and shopping list ill ono ' hand, llio tail of his skirt in the other, his umbrella, under one arm, meanwhile making an effori lo keep his head cleitr for business problems and at the same time keeping a wary eye out for inotoro. Ho couldn't do it. 'J'liere is really no doubt that man owes his superiority to woman entirely lo his pockets/' Thu writer's conclusion is that clothes and their .. littlo accessories aro without doubt tut invention of the Devil.

As is generally known, Canterbury Collego proposes to be (ho first A mother's academic institution in llio COMPLAINT, colony to possess a professor of Homo Economics or Domestio Soicncc, and tho circumstances under which Miss Gilchrist, of Tennessee University, is to bo invited to como aver and hnlp us are too familiar to need recapitulation. It is hardly necessary, either, to remark that the scope of a course in homo economics i 3 very wide. However, (ho feminine intelligence has a surprising way of detecting intuitively a. weakness real or apparent in a situation. When the Board of Governors of Canterbury C'ollego decided to .import an unmarried la<ly professor, did they properly consider the fact that tho services of a Now Zealand*mother could bo secured at a much loss sum than £600 a year? Probably t'lie Board did. In any case a letter on (lio subject signod "Mother" and published recently in tha Lyttellon Times is quite amusing enough to merit reproduction, and its sentiments will no doubt, strike- many a responsive chord. It reads thus;—" Sir, a. gentleman seemingly wants to bring out lo New Zealand a singlo woman to touch us married women how to trout babies and children in general, and he lias the audacity to try lo get our Government to givo hor £400 per annum. Mo will give her £200 to make up her animal nay for throo years to £600. Well, when thero aro good fat billets going like this, why. do not tho Government engage somo of ns, who aro experienced mothers, for tho job? 1 myself brought up n largo family, and dozens of other mothers lia-vo dono the samo. I think it is very wrong io waste money—publio money at that—to teach a few how to act when they get married. Let them find out, the same as wo did, with no help from the Government. All people who aro married havo not got wages coming in, but are looking for a job. I sincerely hope that the Minister of Education will not comply with Mr Studholmo's request. I am a mother who lias done all my own work without any old maid's help, and I havo lost no babies." Unfortunately, it soems that oven a record such as "Mother" boasts is not necessarily a full qualification for a chair in homo economics.

Some interesting information as to tho valuo of night work from vaiue of the point of view of the NIGHT work, large faotory employer is to bo gleaned from tho "Iran Ago." Tho relative value of such work is not considered great. The modern cost system, it seems, coupled with tho lesson of experience, is responsible for tho fact that in many lince of manufacture in which skill is an important element employers avoid to the greatest possible extent tho running of their works overtimo or with night shifts, Formerly, during times of great demand most works ran with night gangs on the theory that production would be increased correspondingly with tho additional number of hours worked above- the regular day's schedule. While it was well recognised that practice did not work out according to theory, there was little realisation of (ho actual difference between shop production during a night hour as compared to a day hour. The cost system put the matter beyond a possibility of doubt, demonstrating that the difference in production was really very large. Of course, where production depends wholly upon the number of hours a machine operates, night work may bo as profitable as day work; but leaving automatio labour out of tho question, when il cornea to labour in which the ijkill of the operator is 'the chief factor of production, or at least a very important factor, then tho showing of night labour is much less satisfactory. In Ilio machine tool shop, or in other works building machinery, night work has been shown to be unprofitable, though it may bo necessary lo resort to it at times, in order to jnoofc some special demand, upon the manufacturer's productive resources. Tho explanation seems to be that men cannot do tho samo amount of work at night as in tho daytime. They havo not the same energy, they aro not living the natural existence, and by ,1 reversal of tho period of working hoare and of sleep when they are not accustomed to it tho normal poisn is upset, Men- working at night aro very apt, moreovor, to take insufficient sleep. Overtime workers wear out after a short time, and must bo permitted to recuperate, Presuming that a high-class workman takes the best care of himself while working at night and works tho best he is capable of during night hours, ho cannot, we aro told, accomplish so much and so good work on an average as in the daytime. The light h not so good as tho. daylight, and bo has normally less energy, as can be obsorved in the difference in tho appearaneo of a night forco and a day force entering the works. In the less skilled or loss conscientious workmen tho difference is emphasised as still moro marked. Ono company, it is staled, tried ihe exporiment of putting its bost workmen in a night force, filling their places during tho day with the best substitutes (hat could bo got. The experiment was abnndoncd, because it was demonstrated that the good men did not produce tho eamo quality of work as they had during Die day nor so much of it. It was proved that Ilio night gang did not pay oxcept as a bridge upon which to pass over tin unusual emergency of orders.

A letter w<l9 received from the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister of Education, at yesterday's meeting of the University Council, intimating that it was likely that he would be ablo to comply with tho council's invitation to open tho Dental School early in May. Tho Tuapeka Times states that on Wednesday Mr A. Clark, postmaster at Lawrence, received tho distressing intimation through tho Piiblio Trust Ofiico that his son, Mr Rupert F. B. Clark, was one of the victims of tho Calliope Dock accident which oeoiirred at Auokland in November last. But for the fact that thie department was making a claim for a few shillings for balance of funeral expenses, Mr Clark would have been left in total ignorance of the untimely death of his son. Much sympathy 13 felt for Mr and Mre Clark and family in their sad hcroavment. Mr Clark leaves for Auckland immediately for the purpose of personally inquiring into the cjnmma!i)nce3. Lord Plunket loft Wellington yesterday on a trip over the route of Iho North Island Main Trunk Railway, doing eonio trout-fishing on the trip. He is accompanied by tlio Acting Prime Minister. Auckland will be reached on the sili prox., and then his Excellency is to embark on tho Ilincmon. for a voyage nmiut Capo Maria Van Biemen, the most northerly point of Ihe colony, and soino of tho townships in that region will bo visited. Tho Governor is to return lo Wellington on March 19', and two clays later he, will leave- for the West CViast, to visit Rosi and tho glacier region of (hn Southern Alps. Masonio lodges aro to assemble at. Hokitika on March 27 lo receive his Excellency tho Go\oriior, Grand Master of Now Zealand Freemasons. Mr Malcolm Niqol, Grand Secretary of tho lodga, and other officcoi of tho Grand, liodeo, ; will accompany L,ord Plunked

.In view of tho large amount of iraffio from and lo the railway station and tho marts, it is .surprising the corporal ion lias not laid down an asphalt crossing at the. street intersection between the Leviathan Hotel ami Ilio Police Station. Yoslorday pools of water still remained us a, result of tlio rainfall on Saturday. This is iot creditable to tlio city authorities.

Mr .Tusiico Williams leaves for Oamaru to-morrow to preside at the re-trial of John Findlay, charged with breaking and entering the house of the Into Mr Ronnie nt, l'apak-aio, and stealing a bicyclo and other articles. If tliero should he any cases on tho criminal list in Dtincdin not heard ■when his Honour leaves.they will be '.aken when the judgo returns from Oamaru.

About 800 school ehildrcn's teeth have been examined in Duiiedin up lo dale l>y certain members of the Olago Odonlological Society out of 2000, and of Iho number investigated only IS perfect mouths have l>een discovered. Many of the scholars, who range from tho First to Ihe Sixth .Standards, are in a, deplorable statu in respect of Ihcir teeth.

Tho monthly meeting of Ihe AlheiiMim (Committee, was held last night, and was attended by Messrs Hulehison (in the chair), Angus, Jeans, Salmond, Marshall, liurlon, .Tames, Graham, and Whelter. An apology for absence waa received from Mr Jeffery. It was report eil that 250 volumes bad been added lo tho library since tho beginning of tlio yenr, and I hat there was in increase of over £16 in the income for Ihe sumo period, as compared with the. previous year. It was decided to improve the ventilation of the smoking and chess rooms. Tho question of giving prizes lo school children was -referred to iho Library Committee, as was that of holding winter lectures in connection with Hie institute. Tho following suh-commitlc-cs were appointed :—Library—Messrs Whitsou (convenor), Angus, .lefl'ory, Miirlon, and Marshall; House—Messrs Salmond (convener), James, and Jeans; Heading Kooin—Messrs Uurnolt (convener) and Jeh"eiy.

The lecfurcs <lolivorod by Mr M'Cluro in tho Gospel Hall on Sunday afternoon and evening were well attended. Tlio subject, in dm afternoon was "Tho Doctrine of tlie'Nicolaitans," nrnl in I]io evening "Thyatira." Last evening parables in Iho thirteenth chapter of Mallhow were mostly dwelt upon, as an introihictinii lo iho lecture on "The Church at Siirdis," which is to lio given this evening.

The method of taking tho 'evidence of Chincso witnesses in jho local lower courts is not as satisfactory as it niiglit- bo. There is no recognised Chinese, interpreter, and in cases where ii Chinese witness professes inability fo gvo evidence in English, tho services of one of his countrymen arc accepted. Tho duly lof the interpreter is to translate into Chinese tlio English questions, and to translate, into English tho Chinese replies, but whether this is always •dono is a mailer of conjecture, Mr A. H. Adams raised some doubt on (ho point yesterday in tho R.M. Court when a Chinese witness, who blew out a match in approved fashion, was under croas-examina-lion. Tho witness, through his interpreter, mado replies on two occasion..; that costs wore to bo borne by the Chinese in a compensation suit, and on a, third occasion, when tho matter of costs came up, Mr Adams nonplussed tlio interpreter and witness by suddenly asking "What is Ihe Chineso word for coats?" Tho question wns followed by a si!onec, and tlio interpreter and witness then entered upon a long conversation, at tho conclusion of which the interpreter informed counsel that "costs" in Cliineso moant "expenses," and the "court was Mt in blissful ignorance of what tlio Chineso equivalent of cither word was. Mr Adams commented upon tlio glib way in which tho witness answered questions regarding costs at first, and remarked that when ho was asked for tlio Chinese word for it ho could not givo it; while tho blank expression on tho faces of the interpreter and witness gave no indication that I hey understood tho import of counsel's comment.

The usual monthly meeting of the Mornington School Committee was held last •evening, when thcro were present Messrs Hopo (chairman), Diekson, Birr, Napier, tiarside, Holgate, Ford, Ilnslctt Henderson (secretary). In accordance with a letter received from Mr Moore, of the Navy League, the Chairman intimated that he was prepared to give two volumes of Mr Moore's book "With fho Ith Now Zealand Rough Riders" to tho school. The delegates to the Sohool's Conference were instructed to advocate term holidays as defined in the circular received, und a deputation from the comtnillee was appointed to wait on the board on Wednesday, 20th inst., ro tho entrance to the school. The chairman of the Works Committee (Mr ' Dickson)' reported that, good work had been dono in connection with Iho sanitary arrangomonls "f Ihe school. Itwas resolved to hold the annual (lower show on Saturday, March 2. The arrangeinenls for the faking of tho children to the Exhibition worn loft, in Iho hands of Iho chairman and the headmaster. The headmaster repotted the number on tlio voil fit 433-224 boys and 107 girls. The attendance banner was won by Sfandard VI., wiih a percentage of 97.4, while Standard 111 had tho samA percentage.

Shortly after miduignt the Fire Brigade received a eall from the Hanover street, indicator, and on proceeding to the spot located the • outbreak in Romison's confectionery factory. Souio material in a bailor had become alight, and this was subdued by chemicals before- Iho brigade arrived. No damage wa3 done to tho properly. The alarm was given by a member of the brigade, who .happened, to bo passing at tho timo.

The rain that, fell on the last three days, it may be safely said, removes all fuar of u shortage of water in the city's reservoirs during ihe present autumn. The whole of tho catchment areas have been contributing their welcome- quota, consequently Mr M'Curdio, Ihe assistant engineer, is able to report that at the present rale of consumption thero will bo a. gain in (l:e nmount stored for sonic weeks to conic. Tho inflow at tho Silver-stream race up to 8 o'clock yesterday morning was 1,425,000 isitlons, Ross Creek 832,234 gallons, Morrison's 1,186,272 gallons. Tho northern reservoir has gained 2,250,938 gallons, southern reservoir 675,534;— (0t0 1, 2,926,472 gallons. The Iwo reservoirs now contain 31,229,071 gallons. The Loitli flooded the weir and could not bo measured during Saturday and Sunday. Tho ruing caused n tolal gain of 4.295,520 gallons. Ono inch of rain fell during Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The sitting of the Arbitration Court yesterday occupied only about u quarter of on lioiir. Mr W. Scott, on bolmlf of the master bnkors, stated that a eonferenre o! employers was to he held at, Timaru on Tuesday (to-day), and as three of the witnesses for the employers in the dispute were representatives at that conference it would ho necessary for the easo to come mi at once. The Bakers' Union had been approached with n view to the case coming on first, am] ho had understood Unit everything was in readiness. Siiicn coming to tlie court,' however, he had loarncd I hat there was some difficulty in the way. Mi , if. \V. Munro, for the union, said he was r.nt prepared to go on that morning. He, personally, knew nothing of (ho arrangement mentioned by Mr Scott, and the only indication lie. had had that the original intention of the enginedrivers' dispute boiiipt lirst proceeded with was not to bo carried out. was through the. medium of a newspaper paragraph one day last week. In the cireuinstances, he could only ».sk ihe court to allow the case to stand over until the next sitting of Iho court iii Duiitxlin. Mr Scott oltcred nn objection, Mid tho adjournment, was accordingly granted. Tho principal points in dispute in this case are:—Number of hours to ho

worked per week, tho hour at which work

is to Mart, and wages. This caso having gono pff foi) the tiine-being, another

obstacle to the eleiring-off of the work loomed up. llr It. Brccn, who was present to represent- tho Engincdrivers' and Felt Halters' Unions, eaiil that in consequence, of tho arrangement that Ilio bakers' dispute was to fnkc precedence, he hud called his ivitnosaps for Tuesday morning, ami was therefore nod in a posit ion to proceed before then. The court decided lo adjoin , !) lill 10 o'clock (his (Tuesday) morning, 2nd lo take the cngiiierhivers' dispute first, and after that the fell, liallers' dispnle. 'J he only oilier business before (ho court for its present sidings is nn application lo join parlies lo (he tailoring and shop tailoresses, award. Tho court, will proceed to Wellington en Thnrsday morning.

The criminal sidings of the Supremo (.'onrt were opened yesterday licforo Mr Justice Williuns. Tlio tJrand Jury, of which Mr Peter Miller was foreman, concluded their labours in less than two hours. Jll the easo of Mary Kearney they agreed (hat the charge of murder would not stand, though there was evidence on the minor count, of concealment of birth. Later in (he day the accused was arraigned for this ofl'cnre, and the jury, after a retirement of 15 minutes, brought, in a. verdict of guilty. Sentence was deferred. Margaret M'Ciirlhy, 16 years of ago, charged with stealing a purse from a woman at Duncdiii, was convicted and discharged, his Honour warning Ihe accused that if she persisted in a career of I lief f she would bring herself under the law, which allowed habitual criminals lo bo detained for the whole of Iheir lives or until (he authorities wore satisfied that the offenders wore reformed. Frederick Thomas, charged with assaulting a. eonslablo at Kailnngata, was admitted to probation for 12 months, cei'laiu medical costs lo be paid by (he licensed. William (leorgo Bnxier, charged with assauliiug one George liohiiifon near the overbridge, Duncdin, last December, was sent to pol for three years; and William Luhy, for indecent language, received a sentence of two months. William Booth, charged with theft, was acquitted.