JOURNEYS THROUGH PARADISE.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXVI, Issue 3367, 15 March 1915, Page 3

JOURNEYS THROUGH PARADISE.

, [Rights Reserved—No 8 ] ,

'Written for the Qhinemuri Gazette (by Jas. H. Stevens.) ;

Brevity.—Would that we could write in language aptly named by George Dv Maurier " Telegraphese "and convey the thoughts which clamour for expression, breifly, as they cost a penny a word on that " live wire " stretching out between my sympathetic reader and me. It is quite safe, however, to say that in twenty-five years or sooner newspapers will be published in shorthand or kinemato, and eventually all will be taught to read by pictures alone as did our forefathers four thousand years ago. Flowers.—An artistic guide to the' the nare flora, now out ot print, is pro-. Gurable only at a cost ot about £6. It exceeds in beauty and literary attractiveness the fine but little known '■ volumes of Mr and Mrs, Featon on New Zealand flowers. It is introduced thus eloquently—

" Fair is the bird on lustrous wings, And stars thro' all nights silent hours; But first—of all created things— In wondrous beauty, stand the flowers." From it I find their lehura is our rata, ieie is kie kie, ohai is kohai ngulu kaka, and kalu is akeake. Seeds.—Many florists were visited with the object of obtaining Hawaiian seeds; but quite 'without sueGess. Why this is. so, seems, to me quite enigma, but it should not supprise me when we remember that in our own country, though there would be a good demand, it is scarcely possible to buy seeds of our own beautiful but common native shurbs, trees and. flowers. Will some enterprsing man make the suggestion bear fruit—or seed. Libraries.—This land abounds* in really splendid educational and other sueh |institutions. The public libraries are something of which they may justly speak with pride—one alone has a subsidy of 10,000 dollars a year from the local governing body. ' Two books at a time may be taken out free of all charge. Their decimal catalogue system on cards is a revelation. A reader after a few months' experience may actually know without relerence the number ot any book among thousands on the shelf, provided he already knows enough to. mentally classify it in its proper division and subdivision. To me this is entirely new and seems very simple. It is known as the Dewey decimal system. Some few of our public libraries - are ahead of them in the system of issue and return without entries; this is by means of the card, interchange. .It was disappointing not to be able to see that great American library invention, the Cotgreave indicator, which by means of small shutters operated by electric buttons, - tells one at a gtance whether the book he seeks is in or out. The children's story seCtion and their picture book 1061ns are charming feature?. This small community cannot possibly use * its unusal proportion of churches,, libraries, and -schools to the full capacity for another 50 years. All. such buildings here are on a magnificent scale. The churches at least are obviously not transgressing the law in regard to air space. Most of them use or brass bands to attract their people. The king's palace, now used lor State purposes, is a handsome structure built by King Kalakaua. The throne room is used by the House of Representatives of 30 members and the dining room by the Senate of 15 members: There are many handsome life sized portraits on the walls, amon? which, are Louis Napoleon's and Louis Phillipe's pre-' sented-by them to Kalakaua. Some of these show the bullet marks of the local revolution of 1895. , The theatres are a poor class of building, but roomy and ventilated, as they would need be—one may sit in the stalls with full view of a small banana plantation in the open on either side. The men smoke- beside ladies ; but the audience,puts us to shame in their gentle orderly demeanour. AH seats and tickets are numbered, and each isle may thus be filled in rotation, making no contusion, pushiug past for seats' or early morning.queues. Adornments. — The daintiness oi American stock jewellry being remarked by us, a jeweller pointed out that the Bntish law required every link of a chain and every part of the most

-delicate silver or gold article to be defaced by an indented hallmark stamp. In America the device oi the maker and the carat .number on one port suffices, especially as any false warranty is punished by " penitentiary.'' Some curious signs and notices are exhibited. One popular medico displays, a hanging board like that of an old English hostejey, " Dr Ketchum Seldum Inn." The King's tomb gives the feeling oi his peaceful sleep by the Maori words " KaMoi," over, its portal. The railway crossing notices are ahead of ours-tn comprehensive brevity, 'SStop, Look, Listen." The few places interdicted show the brief and expressive Hawaiian word " Kapu,' J keep out or sacred. The most striking " sign" which could be conceived consists of 2000 coloured electric lamps in the beautiful trees surrounding Pleasanton Hotel. A prosperous club has the significent title '^Wahnie Kapu," possibly as a v warning to the suffragette to keep out. Many "questions are met with. In most shops every counter has a brief imperative motive that each purchase, however small, must be " O K'd " by the inspector before being removed. Their love lor brevity is shown in the regular omission of the wor£ " street" alter the name of each. Thus their thoroughfares are described as King, Queen, High, etc. . They give the years thus "eighteen hundred fourteen," omitting the conjunction. -„ The bargain lover has her tastes whetted in a way that is new to most of our traders. At intervals there appears a bargain window available seven da\ s ahead, wherein is shown all .kinds of attractive articles marked with ordinary and bargain prices. The rush when the time comes is" equal to a theatrical excitement. Each house there has its buyer in the East, where iashiona, are made, so that they keep right abreast of that fickle dame. A great American said that the only distinction between the sexes in his country was that the one got into its garments bead first, and the other one didn't. Now we uuderstand, for on purchasing a new shirt we find to our delignt it can be put on like a coat. , Henceforth there should be no struggle for New Zealand's sufferingmen entering into their starched garments to the discomforture of hair and eyeglasses. We will use the scissors on all old stocks. It is the obvious that escapes us all our lives.

" Agent for Sale of Marriage Licenses " is the device on a card'betqre me. With a view to the prospects of the younger members ot our party it was ascertained that the charge is 4s 2d tor a license, and that there is no fixed charge for a magistrate or clergyman who performs the ceremony. According to pur informant, " the abuse bt the system has assumed the proportion of the .tipping scandal in Europe." The I Seriate, therefore, contemplates making a legal charge for such service. Up to , this year the license agent could" also : marry; but this resulted in having a Gretna Green at every corner, and it was withdrawn. The .legal,age is 15 for females and iS for. males ; but girls under 18 and men under 20 require to obtain legal cousent of parent or guardian. In our country anyone under 21 must obtain consent, and the charge is £1 2s 6d tor license- (or certificate as we call it), and. ,£ 1 2s 6d for marriage and copy of entry. An announcement in the news column of the morning paper reads: "ftny householder troubled with mosquitos please notify mosquito office phone 3595, and the matter will be attended to free ot charge." Horses.—Though the first horses came to the country in 1820, they now breed a- splendid class. One breeder, Miss Thelma Parker, a Hawaiian lady, has imported the best blood in the world, and has over 10,000 horses on her ranch in her own small island near here. Many of these are bought by the H.S. Army stationed here. Though it is a hot climate the horse develops splendidly and they don't need racing "to improve the breed." One man, who works both horses and mules, says the mule is at least fifty per cent better than any horse in the matter of docility, work, and keep. He does not. understand why the New Zealand ploughman has not recognised this. They run highly bred horses in their cabs in Honolulu, and it delights the horse lover to see in the streets heavier boned but even more aristocratic animals than those on a Colonial racecourse. Baseball is the national game, and it evokes more enthusiasms from men, women and children, than our football

—a game eminently calculated to foster the true play spirit and to develop manly qualities—none being out of play for long periods as in cricket, it is especially suited for our temperate climate. I hope to see wiihm a few years international baseball matches with New Zealand. Surely some of our dispirited cricket clubs will take it up. Surfers—Every day and all day may be seen " old, or young or only middling," bathing or shooting the surf on a board as it rolls shoreward in beautiful curves. If Walt Mason saw them he would say " Thus they flash thro' space in a whirling race, and a smother of salt sea spray, and the sea laughs | by, and the great blue sky, both call their roundelay." It is quite easy when you learn. The beginners succeed wonderfully ; but with him the board generally comes ashore on top.