PASSING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2051, 15 June 1893, Page 27

PASSING NOTES.

The financial cyclone in Australia seems to have blown itself out at last, and .the derelict banks are being reconstructed as fast as the squeals and plungea of angry depositors will permit. The one feature common to every scheme — the cardinal principle — is that the reconstruction is made out of the depositor's money, and he doesn't like it — ucreasooable animal that he is. They offer him shares, stock?, debentures—anything, in fine, except his cash, and cash is the one thing he wants. To appease him it has been suggested that when the banks have been properly reconstructed (out of his money), they may grant him an overdraft against what they owe him — of course at current rates, and with collateral security to cover loss in the event of their being unable to pay him. This is somewhat intricate at first sight, and needs thinking out, but when you've properly grasped it you will appreciate how excessiveiy satisfactoiy it ought to be to all concerned. Nsw Zealand has happily escaped the troubles that have overtaken our neighbour?, but it is to be hoped the lesson will not be lost on us. Don't be afraid, I am not going to moralire; but as Parliament is about to meet, and State banks are in the air, one little moral may not be out of plsce. It U this : that even acts of Parliament may sometimes do more harm than good. The statutory five days' holiday in Victoria brought down at least one bank that otherwise might have survived. And the chief effect of making bank notes a legal tender in New South Wales is to draw off the gold into the neighbouring colonies. Wherefore, wbiJst recognising the omnipotence and omniscience of Parliament generally and our own in particular, I venture respectfully to remark that currency laws are exceedingly ticklish things to interfere with, and Mr Seddon might do worse than take a note of it.

The Hon. Mr Reeves told ns the other day that New Zealand was the curly-headed boy of the empire, hinting at the same time that the present Government had done the curling. Far be it from me to question anything that falls from the lips of a Cabinet Minister; but it's no treason, I hope, to remark that in the matter of Birthday honours the curly-headed boy has been slighted, if not snubbed. Our model Agentgeneral is still plain Mr Perceval. The legitimate claims of Labour have not been recognised, as well they might, in the person of Sir W. P. Reeves, K.C.M.G. In fine, not a libbon nor a star, not so much as a solitary C M.G.-ship, has come this way, and we are entitled to ask the reason why. Not that we care for them, but we don't like to be ignored. Caution in the bestowal of titles in Australia is eminently expedient at the present juncture, when, •as likely as not, the man who is knighted in May will be indicted in Jane, to the scandal of dignities and the embarrassment of her Most Gracious Majesty. But these considerations don't apply to New Zealand. We have neither boomed nor burst. On the contrary, we are the curly-headed boy with a nica little surplus in his nice little pocket — just the sort of boy, in fact, to get his full share of cake when cakes are going round. And yet he gets nothing 1 There is more in this than meets the eye, and I commend it to the attention of the Premier, who can never become Sir Richard if this sort of thing gees on unchecked. As nobody expects much legislation in the coming session, nobody wiil be disappointed. Parliament has more important business on its hands than the mere passing and blocking of bills. In November what is known as " the country " — meaning Hob and Diek — will be called upon to decide the great question whether Codlin's it 3 friend or Short, and hon. members must see to it that the country decides aright. To thid end the Opposition will convicb the Government of every crime in the political calendar, and the Government will do the same by the Opposition, only more so. After which Hob and Dick will of course have no difficulty in making an intelligent and judicicus choice. Thus much is common to all final sessions, but the one that i 3 now on the brink of beginning has special elements of interest. Tnere's our new Treasurer with twopennyworth of surplus to an intolerable quantity of railway roads and what not. How will ho do his spiriting? There's our new leader, whi'.ome Dick Seddon, but henceforth the Hon. Ricbard — compact ot dignity, and every inch a Premier. And confronting him, as our new Member, him of Inangahua I mean, who has shaken the dust off his feet against Dunedin and enters Pailiament as residuary legatee of the late Mr Ballance, to find Mr Seddon in po£sersion and seemingly resolved to stay. Sir Robert has made no sign, and his purpose is a mystery — a delicious blood- curdling mystery that makes us creepy and recalls Don Ramiro and Donna Clara or Alonzo the Brave and the Fair Im^gene. The worms they crept in ami the worms they crept out. Ugh 1 We must contain ourselves for a wprk rr len days to come ; but it is a hard matter.

Anent the scandalous burst-up of Mr Temple-of -Truth Wotthlngton aud his help-

meet, I permit myself to recall that so far back as a year ago I offered some gratuitous advice, which was not taken. At that time I had jast read one of the Worthington pamohlets. Subject, " Sexology "; the name and 'the thiDg Worthingtonian inventions, both : its contents nauseous, nasty, mystical, unqnotable, indescribable. But anyhow I bad read it- purely in the interests of science, of course, and in the practice of my calling, even as I read the speeches of Mr ISarnshaw (when they are reported) and the letters of Messrs Mantz and Arthur M'Donald. The matrons of the Free Methodist congregation in Christchurch, it seems, had read that pamphlet— they also ; and, having read it, these mothers of Israel arose as one woman, marched to the sexologist's abode, and besought bim with prayers and tears to depart from their city. The interests of morality and decency, they said, required it. Simple souls! Suavely Mr Worthington pointed out to them how impossible it was that on. such a question they and he should sea eye to eye. Was it to be expected that he should depart in quest of pastures new whilst the collections at the Temple of Truth kept at £15 a week 1 In this posture of affairs I intervened with my advice, which was good advice at the time, 1 hough disregarded. I recommended the | Methodist matrons to souse the sexologist in the Avon, and then ran him out of the town vi et arniis. Instead of that they adopted the futile course of holding prayer meetings under his windows. Just as well that they did, perhaps, as affairs have turned out. All that was really necessaiy was to give the Worthingtons time — and rope. A twelve months has sufficed. The precious pa*r of practical " sexologists " are now unmasked. Not that the game is up or the comedy ended. By no means I Mrs Worthington, as "Sister Magdala," announces that she " abhors allhnmbng," and now that ■ Worthington has cast her out wi.'l c >ntinue " the work "on her own account. Not to be j cutdone in constancy, Worthington in his sermon on Sunday night declared that he meant to stop in Christchurch " until the end of his present incarnation." We are to understand* therefore that he expects to be incarnated again— along with all his wives and concubines, I suppose. And yet the congregations keep up. Also the collections. ____. With raspecb to Riwei, the Native Evangelist, who supplies a two hours' entertainment at. the Garrison Hall with an ultimate view to the establishment of schools, churches, ancl civilisation amongst the North Island Maoris, I hope it will not be tioughb an impertinence if I suggest that the'public would be interested in seeing his credentials. No doubt he has them ; no doubt the Itev. Mr Davidson and others •who introduced bim to the Kaox Church congregation will have seen them. But so far as I know they have not been communicated to the public. Rawei's entertainment appears to be a good shilling's worth on its own merits. According to the newspaper reports he possesses "a great flow of language," " remarkably well chosen," with " some peculiarities of speech such as one finds not unfrequently in a Londoner." He " employs with good effect the arts of oratory practised bj Europeans," " tickling the ears of his audience with humorous anecdotes, in some of which he probably draws upon his imagination " ; he " intersperses his address with song?, rendered in capital style, with a melodious voice," and "he accompanies himself on the strings." Altogether a remarkable and unique performance for a " native evangelist " who has "never been out of the colony," and certainly a good shilling's worth. It is not for his entertainment that credentials need be sought, but for the collection box he passes round in aid of Maori churches, schools, and civilisation. Rather a large order this, by the way, to be undertaken by an individual. Anyhow, we ought to know more about Rawei than anybody seem 3to know. IE he is " all right " this paragraph will not barm him but htlp bim. . Of schemes for laying bare the golden sands of the Molyneux there have been many. The newest up to date seems to be the following :— If the people are determined to get the gold out of it, I propose a cheaper and more practical scheme for accomplishing that object by turning the Molyneux river by means of a gigantic tunnel driven from Martin's Bay to Cromwell. Of coqrse a bill will have to be introduced, to be called the " Ofcago Central Political Tunnel Bill," making it lawful to drive the said tunnel, which would require to be made large enough to admit the Union. Company's steamboats and fchen enable them to run direct from Melbourne to Cromwell, which would then become (if nob the capital) the Manchester of Obago. The tunnel could be driven at a nominal cost to the country. This seems rather heavy fooling, but as ib occurs in a bogtfs elecbion addres3 by an up-country candidate one may suspect a moral, even as in Mr Buckland's Washers and Manglers Bill. Oae thing is clear to me— namely, that for gettiog the gold out of the Molyneux I have seen set ernes less eenßible than this, — yea, and have also subscribed to them ! The author thinks that his project would materially relieve the difficulties of the Government anent the unemployed : It would be requisite to extend the operation of the Vagrant Act empowering the magistrates to send the unemployed for 12 months' hard labour in the tunnel for being unemployed, which would effectually solve the unemployed problem. A horribly cruel suggestion this ; nevertheless Mr Seddon may ere long be driven to CDnsider ib. His snappishness to the Auckland " Liberals "—who, after all, were only trying to dance as he has been pleased to pipe— shows how fast he is travelling, and how far. As to the ethics of snowballing, I understand that the prevailicg opinion favours assault and battery under this form as a legitimate, and even laudable, amusement, la colder countries, where a fall of B£in of snow is noc considered an exhilarating circumstance, the inhabitants have no difficulty in repressing their enthusiasm at such a visitation as that of last Saturday. They man^gi-. tj keep cool, and go about their effiird very much as usual. Bat with ue, snow on the ground is the signal for universal parnival, The streets are in a state of siege ;

digniby is no protection to a man, nor help- j lessness to a woman ; the very constables share with the rest— indeed a correspondent i writes to acquaint me with " the temerity of one of our colonial schoolboys in Enowballing the Sergeant-major of Police." We are expected to receive every missile as a tribute of affection. Besentment, besides baing worse than useless, ia " bad form." Let a snowball, with a Btone in it, smite you behind the ear and distil a refrigerating stream down the nape of your neck — you have no redress. It is carnival time, and the sanctions of civilised society are suspended. These are the principles ! that are understood to govern the amusement of snowballing. I accept them under protest. I shall be bound by them just -so far as necessity and the fear of a worse i thing happening to me may compel. In one or two cases oE neighbourly attentions which I was unable to reciprocate with effect at the moment, I console myself secretly with the hope that time and chance may yet bring me the opportunity of a horrible revenge. ______ IVI3< Mr Herberl-Jones, F.R G.S., who is writing a handbook on New Zealand, is now on a visit to the West Coast. He went over on Saturday, and undoubtedly saw the Olira Gorge and mountain sc3nery to the best advantage. All the peaks were capped with snow. On Arthur's pass there was two inches of snow, and icicles two feet long. It was bitterly cold, but the atmosphere was perfectly clear. He says this i 3 unquestionably the grandest coach ride in the world. A traveller who has crossed over 50 times says he never saw the scenery under such splendid condition?, the snow adding wonderfully to the impressive effect. Mr Jones visited Lake Kanieri on Sunday, Lake Mahioapua on Tuesday, and started for Okariio and the Franz Josef Glacier and Lake Mapoorika on the same day. The following cablegram was sect on Tuesday to Mr Thomas Sexton, member of the House of Commons for Kerry North, by the Hon. J. A. Tole, president of the Irish National Federation :— " Retain your seat at all hazard?. To do oth&rwhe id to jeopardise the cause at Home and abroad." At Sydenham, last week evidence was heard in the applications fcr licenses for three houses in Newton Ward, by two cf which, had been closed the late Prohibitionist Committee. Mr Cay^ill, for the prohibitionists, raised the same objection as he brought forward in the case 'of the Southern Cross Hotel namely, that a local option poll must first be taken and result in a majority for the increase of licenses. It was intimated that whichever way the decision of the committee went the cases would be taken to the Supreme Court. Mr Richard Blake, a pioneer settler, died ab Garterton on Thursday, aged 78. He arrived in the colony 50 years ago, and settled at Petone. Afterwards he went to the Australian diggings, tuence he returned to New Zealand and took up bia residence near Dunedin for some time. Hs was one of the original shareholders of the Kaitangata Coal Company. The steamer Taviuni was brought alongside the Napier breakwater wharf on Monday for the embarkation of Fillis's Circus. _ A heavy southerly swell was topping the Marine parade sea wall, but the vessel lay in perfectly smooth water. A half-holiday was held in celebration of the first big steamer alongside the breakwater. A painful and exciting incident occurred in one of the churches ab Queenstown (says the Southern Cross), during a Sunday service. A young man, whose mother and sister died^ about a year ago, entered a church while the minister was in the middle of his sermon. He walked j right into the pulpit, and elbowing the mystified preacher into a corner, called oub in a loud i voice— "l, the son of God, proclaim (mentioning the names of two of the congregation) to ba brother and sister, and I also proclaim them to bs man and wife." He then went quietly out, but afterwards became very excited, and had to be taken into custody. It appeared that he had been suffering > from religious mania for about two weeks previously. A small cotbage ab Anderson's Bay, "occupied by Thomas James Hastie, an expressman, was destroyed by fite on Monday evening. The house, which was the property of Mrs W. H. Cutten, was insured in the New Zealand Insurance office for £60, and the occupier held' a policy in the same office insuring the furniture for £85. Nothing at all was saved. Mr Hastie and his wife were both away from home when the five occurred. On Saturday morning two stacks of grain and a threshing mill, belonging to Clark Bros., were destroyed by fire at Kauroo. The stacks would contain about SO bags of wheat, or 320 bushels, and were insured in the South British office for £32, and the mill for £275 in the same office. Mr Alexander Clark says the mill cost £364 in Mabeno last 3'ear. One hundred new bags were also destroyed. These were insured fcr £2 10s in the South British office. We beg to draw the attention of our readers to a remarkable little invention described and illustrated in a loose circular sent with this issue. We allude to the new coal or fuel saver and heatproducer which is being brought out by Mr John Edmoad, hardware merchant, of this city, we notice testimonials by Professor James G. Black, Messrs 11. S. Sparrow, W. W. Shelmerdine, E. Hudson, and H. M. Davey, who apparently regard it each from their own point of view.