PASSING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1956, 20 August 1891, Page 23

PASSING NOTES.

The feverish anxiety of the present Ministry to do the will of their gods (mud-gods, Carlyle would have called them) is very touching. But it is not always easy to make out what that will really is. Witness the Hon. Mr Cadman and his Counties Bill. This is a bill extending the blessings of one-man-one-vote to local government, the striking of county rates, and the like. An acceptable offering to the mud-gods this, surely 1 Why, as one speaker put it, provision was made in the bill that " a man possessing no stake in a district should have as much voting power as a large owner of property." The Hon. Mr Cadman may not have believed in his own. bill— probably didn't, but he was bound to please, if he could, the gods by whom he lives and moves and has his political being, and he thought, poor man, that this would please them. Strange to say it did not. One after another they arose and denounced it. "One-man-one-vote in politics, by all means, — otherwise we shouldn't be here 1 — but don't imperil the sacred principle by applying it where it can do no good to vs — won't assist a single political quack or loafer to get his nose into the public corn crib — but where, on the other hand, it will be pretty sure "to shock the common sense of the people, and rouse the country against us ; — don't do that I " Thus the Ministry's mud-gods, or in words to that effect. Consequently the Hon. Mr Cadman was snubbed, and, as the Arabs say, had to eat dirt.

- This is disappointing. I was looking forward hopefully to the application of one-man-one-vote all round, persuaded that, on the whole, I have a good deal to gain by it, and would have next to nothing to lose. Thus, I am a shareholder — a small shareholder — in the Conglomerated Puddle and Muddle Gold Mining Company, Limited, a company which with strict economy and ordinary luck — barring floods, and droughts, and frosts, and lawsuits — will probably earn enough to pay for axle grease — and I could name mining companies not a few who don't even do as well as that. My company — in which I hold 25 shares— shows a fair prospect of earning axle grease, and in addition may have a stroke of luck like that of the Dunedin Dredging Company, which just now seems to be scooping up gold at an average of 15Ooz a week. Consequently I want the company to go on. It suits me to risk £25 by way of speculation. But here is another man who, in a moment of mistaken enthusiasm, daring the " boom," took up 500 shares, and he wants the company wound up. Says he can't stand the calls. lam prepared to lose £25, but he isn't prepared to lose £500. Now, if we could only get the grand principle of one-man-one-vote introduced into joint stook companies, see how I should have him I My vote and voice would count for just as much as his. As the case now stands the petty selfishness of this capitalist is going to spoil altogether my little speculation^ and I have no remedy. Is this right, I ask 2 Is it fair? Does it square* with those great principles of democraoy by which Jack is as good as his master, and perhaps a little better ? I pretend to no great admiration for cne-man-one-vote in politics, not being able to get up any genuine faith in the mud-gods which are its creation, but as a small investor I should welcome it with enthusiasm in joint stock mining.

Like the soul of the late John Brown, the female franchisers keep marching on. Petitions 70 yards long mean much ; 48 pledged votes mean more; but most of all means that "exclamation of astonishment and indignation" whereof this extraot tells : —

When Mr Fish denied that he had formerly, after speaking against the female franchise, concluded by saying he would vote for it if a majority desired it, a lady in the gallery, who had been present when the former speech, was delivered, cool i not restrain herself, and uttered an escla nation of astonishment and indignation bo loud as to attract the attention of the whole Hou«e, whereupon she promptly subsided and suppressed her wrath.

The record is silent as to who was the lady, or what the exolamation — though in the fulness of time both will become historical — but the startling fact xemains that while hon. members are wrangling about her right to vote, she has actually taken part in debate — aye, and " attracted the attention of the whole House." Her happy audasity has led to a great discovery, for when you come to think of it, the ladies are masteig — I beg pardon — mistresses of the situation. What could the Speaker do? Order the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove them? They defy him with a curtsey and a smile. No, I see nothing to prevent this nameless lady's innovation becoming a custom. And what is more, I hope it may. Business would be less dreary, hon. gentlemen would be on their good behaviour, and — who knows I—it1 — it is possible that an arrow shot at a venture from the ladies' gallery might pierce even the scaly armour of Mr Fish.

Mrs Civis requests me to insert the following. To hear, of course, is to obey : —

women's franchise.

11 ' You don't want it ;— and if you did want it you shouldn't have it I ' This is the amiable.

response of Mr r Fish from his high place in Parliament to the women of New Zealand asking for the franchise. Very well,«MrFish, we shall see I Stand to your guns by all means and we'll stand to ours, and woe to the vanquished 1 You don't spare us, and rely upon it when our turn comes we won't spare you. Your opposition to the women's franchise does credit to your foresight. Through all ranks of the animated creation, from loathsome creatures that crawl and squirm and love the dark, up to man, and even up to woman, self-preservation is the first law of nature. Needy and unscrupulous politicians are no exceptions. Not the slightest need to ask, therefore, why Mr Fish declares war to the knife against the women's franchise. What else was he to do 1 It wasn't to be supposed that he would submit to political annihilation without a struggle, — slinking away to die like a poisoned rat in a hole. Not at all ! He is not that sort of man. Mr Fish's opposition is quite intelligible ; we understand it thoroughly ; we appreciate it ; nay, we even rejoice in it, as conclusive testimony to the righteousness of our cause I 11 Bat we don't really want the franchise, you say. Now, Mr Fish, how do you know that ? Since when did the Women of New Zealand make you their confidant? But even supposing it were so — that we don't really want the franchise, — has it never occurred to you — vain-glorious noodles that you are I— "that the most infallible way to~ make a woman want a thing is to tell her that she shan't have it 7 And do you really suppose for one weak moment that if the women of New Zealand make up their minds to have this thing, the men of New Zealand will be able to prevent them? But why waste words? We need our breath for nobler uses, — the hour has struck' ; the moment for action has come t " I recommend Mr Fish to do his best and his worst, and to make the most of his time, for assuredly his time is short.

To the faithEul in general and the Pope (and Mr Perrin) in particular, the discovery of another holy coat must be distinctly embarrassing 1 . The sanctity of a relic is in • proportion to its scarcity, and if these garments become common they must perforce bscome cheap. Not that two holy coats are in theaaselves too many ; far from it, but the danger is that the discovery of the second to-day may lead to the discovery of a third to-morrow, and wheie are you to stop ? Moreover, this particular discovery could not have been made at an unluckier time. Six hundred thousand devout pilgrims— nay, 2,000,000, according to a recent cablegram— are journeying to Treves because Trevesis supposed to possess the only holy coat extant. Now, if there is one thing more calculated than another to weaken their enthusiasm and unsettle* their faith, it is the sudden exhibition of a rival coat in a rival town. And this is precisely what has happened. The Pope first tried to suppress it by declaring the coat of Treve3 the only genuine article, but the good people of Argentieuil saw their opportunity, and stoutly refused to be suppressed, whereupon — the" very next day indeed — the providential discovery was made that both coats were genuine though slightly differing in date. In this way all scandal is avoided, and Argentieuil gets its coat with a prospect of a fair share of pilgrims.

In wading through the dismal wastes of Hansard, you drop at times on a gem of purest ray serene, and one such I present to you my readers. !4r B. Smith, the hon. gentleman who devotes himself to lamplighting in New Plymouth when not legislating in Wellington, was supposed to be addressing himself: to the Private Schools Bill, and in the course of bis somewhat discursive remarks told the House how he had once taken some hon. members " from this dreary and weary "Wellington up to the garden of New Zealand " (videlicet, New Plymouth), where amongst the other glories of the place he showed him the comhool.

mon scl

And when the master called up the various little boys and girls it was a delight to me. One' little boy of nine years old was called up ; and let ma tell you that although he was so young he knew a great deal more about New Zealand than many* hon. gentlemen here. I heard a whispering "That's Smith's boy"; and so.it was, a son of mine; and 'although only nino years old, he wrote to me for HansaroV stating he .was studying politics and hoped to become Premier or Postmastergeneral, but would prefer to be Premier, because the Postmaster-general got no pay. A clear case of transmitted genius that may yet save the colony. " That's Smith's boy " darkly whisper his school fellows as the infant phenomenon walks apart, scorning the delights of pegtop and livinglaborious days of deep political research. It such a prodigy at nine what will he be at 19, and what at 29 1 Crvis.

An old settler in that rcgioD, in advocacy of the pushing on with the Ofcago Central railway, says in the Timaru Herald of a late date : — ".I have seen an acre of onions near Dunstan which were mistaken by some observers for turnips, so large and regular were they. The cost of carriage to Duaedin, however, was £18 per ton, and the selling price in Dunedin only £12. As for apples, I have known a shepherd to sow pips in a bend of the Molyneux, and after a few years the trees grew up and bore enormously, the wants of the station and entire neighbourhood being supplied therefrom. When they wanted apples they used fco drive a waggon under the trees and just get a load without moving very far from the place. The trees were never grafted nor pruned, but left to themselves entirely. At the present time the best fraifc in the Dunedin market comes from the Teviot district, and if the railway were once through the production will be vastly increased. Apples do not, however, exhaust the list, for at Wanetka station I helped to plant some grapevines among the rocks at the back of the hut, and although I have not seen them myself I am told they are also bearing fine crops which ripen well in the open air. As for wheat aod potatoes, none better are grown anywhere in the world, the only difficulty being-jthat they cannot be gob to market."

Six years ago a man in New Jersey left by will 12,000d0l to Mr Henry George for the dissemination of "single-tax" literature. The will was contested, and, of course, got iuto the bands of the lawyers, who have bad a six years' wcanvle over its contents. As a result Mr George his finally received 318dol, and tbe heirs to the estate 206d01. Xhe remainder— i,e, t

ll,Bß6dol— has gone to the lawyers. A good illustration, says an American paper, of " Progress and Poverty "—except from the legal standpoint. The substance of the following information is taken irom the last number of "The Ofcago Boys' High School Magazine," and may be of interest :— "Mr Brent's new ' Euclid,' which is to be published by Percival and Co., Great King straet, Covent Garden, London, has reached the publishers by this date, and may be expected to be issued before the end of the year. The work comprises, among other things, the special method of setting up and arguing out Euclidean propositions which Mr Brent has adopted for many years past. It also contains chapters on Transversals, on Harmonic Section and Inversion, and on other developments of elementary geometry, of which recent years have been so fertile. The rector's • Latia Grammar' was sent away by the Tainui, which arrived in London on July 11. It has been written with the concurrence of M. Michel Br^al, Professeur au College de France, and is to be published in London and Paris by the firm of Hachette and Co. This work should also be issued before the end of the year. It contains chapters on tbe reflexive verb in Latin and on some other matters, to which the attention of scholars has been recently directed." Two remarkable religious movements are afoob in Germany. At the head of one ia Pastor Stacker, who, since his disgrace at Court, has devoted the whole of his energies to the organisation of a national church on a Protestant basis and with an ecclesiastical hierarchy. This accomplished, he proposes that it shall undertake the direction of the social movement, and shall win back the working classes to religion by promoting their material welfare. At present, the great bulk of the German socialists are practically atheists ; and it is a striking proof of the popular indifference to religion of the people of Berlin more particularly, that whereas there was one place of worship in that city to every 2300 inhabitants in 1700, there was only one to every 14,000 in 1890. The other movement is beaded by a certain Herr yon Egidy, lately an officer in the Saxon Hussars. Last summer he published a pamphlet entitled " Earnest Thought," which produced such a profound impression that he resigned hia commission a few months afterwards, and devoted himself wholly to the work of religious reformation. He follows in the steps of St. Paul, Luther, and Spencer; and makes " Purify your hearts by faith," the keynote of his teachings. He is thoroughly sincere, but his ideal tendencies will scarcely bring him into touch with the classes he most wishes to reach and influence.