PASSING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2104, 21 June 1894, Page 28

PASSING NOTES.

After a course of reading on the subject of, bimetallism under Professor Gibbons 11 J. M. R." (initials which reveal a local financier of repute), and sundry newspaper correspondents, I find myself considerably more benighted than when I began. It is a discreditable confession, and I trust I am suitably ashamed of ir, but candour constraios me to make a clean breast and declare honestly that I can't in the least understand what the dispute is about. What U more, I don'c believe that anybody else can. Both parties to the contention seem agreed that an all-round fall in prices is an evil. How can that be 1 Granted that when there is an allround fall in price 3 the farmer has to give more wheat for a sovereign than be used to do ; but then that sovereign will buy more commodities than it used to do, and in exactly the name proportion. As far as I can see he ought to be just as rich with low prices as with high prices. I am conscious that this conclusion mu3t represent a terrible state of mental fog, yet this is the condition to which I am reduced by a course of reading on bimetallism. One thing, however, I perceive clearly : If all commodities fall in price whilst I continue to receive for Passing Notes the same honorarium (paid in gold) as heretofore, I am enabled to buy more commodities. And. if bimetallism means the ending of this pleasant and satisfactory state of things, most certainly I shall never become a bimetallism. Lnoking at the subject as a whole, I incline to think that the word oE wiedom is with the late Professor Stanley Jevons, who wind* up a political economy article in an old number of the Contemporary with tni3 sentence : "My contention is that to wade through the interminable discussions en bimetallism is about as useful as to wander through a forest in a mist, tbe happiest result of which is usually to find yourself back again at the poiat you started from."

Be it far from me to rashly mingle in the broil between Mr R.°L. Stanford and Mr B. N. Adams. As little do I desire to be connected with the Licensed Victuallers' Gazette as to submit myself to " Ten Nights in a Barroom " (albeit with a free pass). Yet peradventnre a word or two may be permitted me, if only in the hope of throwing oil on the angry waters. " I called the thing disgusting," says Mr Stanford, " and if disgusting it isn't, more shame to it, for disgusting it ought to be." His meaning, you see, is that on no other theory would Mr Adams be justified in exposing the ingenuous youth of the city to its influence. A quibble, of course, but with a grain of truth at bottom. But that by the way. The word I wanted to say was that in nice matters of taste such as this nobody should dogmatise. Use doth breed a habit in a man, and it may well be that what would revolt a moderate drinker like Mr Stanford might merely tickle the palate of a hardened teetotaller like Mr Adams. As for the school children, I trust that the latter gentleman will in time be brought to see that the Education Board did well in interfering. His moral magic lantern is admirably suited for temperance societies,. Good Templars, and so forth — people who, to quote a correspondent, "can thereby gratify tbeir distorted taste for drunkenness by gloating over its pictured details," whatever that may mean. But with schoolboys it is not so. NothiDg of that sort can shock them. And I venture to affirm that Mr Adams's most thrilling and blood-curdling slides, so far from disgusting tho young imps, would only influence them with a resolve to go and see the reality for themselveß at the very first opportunity. And of opportunity there is no lack, as Mr Adams himself will iuafully admir,

T«ie licen^ijg ommitfcee* have . accomplished tbeir work at last, and, considering all thing 5-',5 -', they have accomplished is a=3 well as could be expected. Toe reductions bad to be made, and theirs was the thankless ta*k of making them. The marvel is how the wtrld manages to get ita unpleasant work done so well. Scavenger, nightman, committeeman, the supply never fails nor ever will to the end of time. As for the victims to the lccil option vote, they are, of course, in evil plight ; but after all what would you have? You can't make pancakes without breaklrg eggs. For my own part I heartily approve the latest suggestion for a Souart memorial — as set forth by a correspondent to the Daily Times : Chip out Mr Chapman's name from tha 0 Jtagon monument and chip in the doctor'a — thus achieving a double gain at a nominal expense. Then apply the subscriptions to establishing a Home for Eeduced Publicans. My own contribution shall be consecrated to this or nothiog ; but I fear me the mind of the many is sot on a brazen image, and in that cate these social martyrs, for such they at*, must content themselves with the sympathy of the community that has sacrificed them. As a correspondent grimly puts it, we are uorry for them ; but it is a choice of evils — ! efc er that they should go into the gutter than live at ease by sending other people there.

Mr Fish'a activities are not coEfiaed to the City Council. He has got himself " mentioned" for Tuap-=ka — a small thing in itself, but an intimation to the political world that he is on hand, merely waiting for an opportunity to plague bis enemies and perplex his friends as of yore, And. now be ia raising

the cry for a new loan — clever man that he is. The loan i 3 in the air, and he sees it. Only let tha cry be taken up, and all the glory will be his. That the. Government want a loan is as certain as that they are afraid to admit ir.. Sinking funds won't last forever, and with falling prices and failing harvests public works can't be kept up out of revenues. Debentures are all very well, for Cheviot and Pomabaka purchases, but they won't supply cheap money to farmers or pay wages to co-operative labourers, or keep the army of the unemployed at bay. For these things cash on the nail is needed, and the only way to get it is by tapping tbe British capitalist. Mr Ward maintains a brave front, as befits him, and protests that he has more money than he knows what to do with. But, bless you, he is dying for a loan, and is only waiting for somebody else to ask for it. And when all's said and doce, why shouldnt't we have it ? Wby pinch and pine and struggle and starve for posterity ? As a colonial orator ones exclaimed :" Posterity ! What nas posterity ever done for us ? " These be the signs of the times, and Mr Fish is clever enough to read them.

Dear Civis, — I see that some vagrant children committed to the Industrial School the other day are, by direction of the bench, to be brought up "in the faith of the Salvation Army." What faith is this? Js it faith in General Booth ? I have always understood that the Army professed to hold the common faith of Protestants and were not a distinct religious body any more than the V.M C A. or the sixpenny clothing clubs. J Can you enlighten me ?— X YZ. 1 can give no information respecting the distinctive religious tenets of the Army. They like uniforms and military designations (to which they have no title), street processions, comedy wedding?, and barging on the big drum, but I hesitate to say that in these peculiarities their religion consists. As for the little Salvationist committed to the Industrial School, we must, of courso, respect the right of private judgment even in a waif from the streets. And this principle, once admitted, where are you to stop? There was a time, in the dark and dismal past, when the only religious distinctions known to the State were " Protestant " and " Catholic." You enlisted in the army, say, or were carded to a hospital, or served a term in gaol, or were committed in your early years to a reformatory. A simple alternative was submitted to you — Protestant or Catholic ? and between these two you made your choice. You might be a Jew, a Quaker, a Seventh Day Baptist — it made no matter. If you rejected the Pope you must be a Protestant, and all Protestants were lumped together, generally under the common heading of " Church ot England." But we have changed all that. In the present enlightened age there is no reason known to me why a child in the Indus! rial School should not proclaim himself a Theosophisr, and demand the spiritual ministrations of Mr Maurais — the local representative, I believe of that mysterious cult.

It is clear that the number of religions is increasing, but to say this is not quite the same as to say that we are becoming more religious. Wbat necessitated By-law No. 2 ? The youthful zaal of two new sects and their desire to confer upon each other the joys of martyrdom. It is to be noticed that the later forms of religion, a* seen amongst ourselves, all represent a tendency towards the amalgamation of Church and Stage. They have only got as far as the music hall at present, but are hardly likely to stop at that. The future will lie with whatever denomination fiist has the courage to introduce skirt dancing. And why not ? Did not David dance before the ark 1 Did not Miriam the sister of Moses lead out the daughters of Israel with timbrels and with dances? I have said that the promise of the future is with the innovator who first reintroduces religious dancing, and yet there may remain a place and use for the older and less progressive denominations, as witness the following story. An American Episcopalian minister relates that whilst travelling south be met with a Mississippi settler who claimed that be also was an Episcopalian : " To what parish do you belong ? " " Don't know nuthin' 'bout any parish," was his answer.

"Well, to what diocese do you belong ?" I inquired. " There ain't nuthin' of that sort in this part of the country that I ever heard of," he replied, " But who confirmed you ? " said I, "Nobody," he said. " But didn't you tell me you were au Episcopalian ? " I asked in astonishment. "Oh, yes," said the old man; "I'll tell ye how it is. Last spring I went down to New Orleans visitin', and while I was there I went ter church, and it happened ter be an Episcopalian one, and among other things I heard 'em say that they'd left undone them things they'd oughter done, and done them things they hadn't oughter done ; and I said to myself, ' That's jest my fix too ; ' and since then I've always considered myself an Episcopalian."

" vVell," said I, as I shook the old man's hand, "if your ideas of an Episcopalian are correct, we are the largest denomination in the world."

I copy the following from a northern paper :

In replying recently to a Socialist who had taunted him with the amount of his income, Bishop Moorhouse wrote: — "Perhaps it may astonish you to be made acqua'nted with the following' facts : I live as plainly as any working man, and believe that 1 work harder and more hours than nine out of ten working men, and yet am compelled, by the expense incident to my office, to spend £1000 a year more than my official income." The Socialist, one would say, ought to have found this answer what is vulgarly called "a Cvii'S-r." Yeh J don't suppose for a moment that it shut him up. The oppressive moral superiority of such a o shop ay thi3 is obviously an affront tv v c sacred rrincijls of equality. Bishop Mjorhouso, on his own confession, live* as pia,in!y us any working maa ; he works harder aod more hours than nine out of ten worHog men; and he receives as wages £1000 n yuar If ss than notbirg. Tois is to be a mor.il aristocrat of the most offei.sive type. What right has any man to be more virtuous than his neighbours ? Just as little right as be has to be richer. We shall have to come to one level in virtue as in all other things, and sicoe. we can't level

np we must level down. Bishop Moorhouse's philanthropy is, from the Socialist point of view, only an additional grievance. So also is the circumstance reported by the newspapers, that a Manchester merchant has just bequeathed him £50,000 for "church purposes " — which purposes are not exactly those of socialism. The socialist millennium is evidently still a good way off. CIVIS.

The Caversham Licensing Committee last night refused to grant licenses to the Edinburgh Castle and the Commercial Hotels in Caversham, and granted a license for the Caversham Hotel.

Some interesting experiments with tho new explosive "Rackarock" were made yesterday on the works at Taiaroa Heads being carried out by prison labour. The substances operated upon were huge logs embedded in the sand, which have to be removed in order to form a road. One-fifth of a pound of the compound placed in an auger hole in the logs split them into splinters. A trial was also made in rock with "highly satisfactory results. The experiments were conducted by Mr E. E. Allen, in the presence of a number of gentlemen, among whom were the chief gaoler, the visiting justices, the inspectors of public works and machinery, and Dr Burns, all of whom expressed themscl\es as highly pleased with the trials.

Professor Black, thelocal Government analyst, is at present engßged in searching for poison in some material which has been supplied to him. It appears that on Tuesday evening two of the sons of Mr A. R. Falconer, of York place, were suddenly seized with illness — so suddenly in the case of one of them that while returning home from the university classes he was compelled to lie down in the street owing to intense internal pains. Dr Teevan was sent for, and after an examination he came to the conclusion that the symptoms were those of poison. After making inquiries the doctor, finding that two of the children of Mrs Fraser, a neighbour, had been ill on the same day, was inclined to suspect some milk which the Falconers had partaken of with an apple pie at lunch. This milk had been borrowed from Mrs Fraser, and she handed over to the doctor a small quantity left, which, with some vomit, was sent to Professor Black for analysis. Although the milk has fallen under suspicion owing to Mrs Fraser and two of her children having also been seized with illness, it should be stated that it was partaken of in her house by no lesß than seven oth&r person?, mostly children, who were quite unaffected, and that in the case of the child who first became ill, shortly after noon, two cupsful of the milk with hot water were given after the little one had vomited. A saucerful of the milk was also taken by a six weeks old puppy without the slightest injurious effect. No doubt the analysis of the milk will show whether it contained any deleterious substance.

Our Lawrence correspondent telegraphed yesterday :—": — " Mr A. Fraser has withdrawn from the contest for the Tuapeka seat in favour of the Hon. W. J. M. Larnach." A man named Hiram Holly Harris was arrested by Constable O'Brien, on Tuesday, on a charge of larceny of jewellery from a dwelling at Hyde, and he was yesterday committed for trial. All the stolen property has been recovered.

The Oamaru Mail states that the Rotokino, which was to leave last evening for Sydney, would take with her a large consignment of sheep for the Sydney stud sheep sales from local breeders. Mr Menloye is sending just short of 300 sheep, comprising a miscellaneous selection. He sends 14 stud Lincoln rams, 146 flock Lincoln rams, 7 stud Border Leicester rams, 53 flock Border Leicester rams, 20 flock Shropshire Down rams, 2 stud English Leicester rams, 1 flock Euglish Leicester ram, 50 stud Lincoln two-tooth ewes. Mr John Reid (Elderalie) sends 150 sheep, comprising 50 Lincoln stud rams, 50 Lincoln two-tooth ewes, 35 Border Leicester ewes, and 25 Romney Marsh owes. The Hon. M. Holmes sends a consignment of 11 Lincoln two-tooth ewes only. Mr 6. Rutherford (Kakanui) is sending 21 flock and stud Lincoln rams and four ewes.

The| Waitaki Licensing Committee have refused to grant licenses to the Waitaki South Hotel and the hotel at Livingstone.

A very successful concert was given in the Mechanics' Institute, Hampden, on Friday evening, the proceeds being in aid of the Roman Catholic Church building fund. Most of the performers journeyed from Dunedin, and were the guests of Mrs Culling (Hillgrove), of whose kindness one and all speak in tbe highest terms. During their stay several trips about the district were made, including a visit to the gorge, Kartigi Beach, and the lighthouse. The following ladies and gentlemen took part in the concert : — Mrs Lynch, Miss Fagan (Oamaru), Miss M'Lean, Messrs J. Jago, E. W. Dunne, M'Cormick, B. Hanlon, J. Swan, and A. Yates (Ounedin). At the close of the entertainment Mr Murcott, on behalf of the committee, called for cheers for the performers, which was vigourously responded to.

Our Middlemarch correspondent writes :— "The youth and beauty of Strath- Taieri assembled on Friday last in Webb's Hall in re?popsß to the invitation of the bachelors of the district, who had determined to do honour to their benedict friends and their young lady friends by giving a ' hop on the light fantastic' Notwithstanding showery weather, and consequently sloppy roads, tbe hall was filled to overflowing. Mr Coutts (chairman), Mr A Clark (secretary), and the committee were each and all assiduous in their efforts to make the whole affair a brilliant success. Mr E. Clark, though but a comparative stranger in the district, proved himself a very efficient M.C. He was ably assisted by Mr G. M'Donald. The music was supplied by Messrs Himmel Bros., of Dunedin. Mra Webb catered in her usual excellent stylo as regards the edibles. In fact, the entertainment as a whole his nA. been surpassed by any of its predecessors, and the bachelors (who are rather alarmingly assuming larger proportions) are to be congratulated on the success attending their efforts in providing such a reasonable evening's enjoyment to their invitees."

The issue of the writ for the Tuapeka election will be the first official act of the new Speaker. The returning officer has received instructions to have the rolls printed, and to hold himself in readines3 for proceeding with the election.

The flags at the Harbour Office and of the vessels in the upper harbour were displayed yesterday in honour of the marriage of Miss M'JfaTlane, eldest daughter of Mr A. M'Farlane (Messrs A. and J. M'Farlace) to Mr Wales, eldest son of Colonel Wales.

The Administration of tjhe Bureau Veritas has just published the list of maritime disasters reported during the month of February 1894, concerning all flagp. We remark in this publication the following statistical returns :— Sailing vessels reported lost : 10 American, 1 Argentine, 25 British, 5 Danish, 2 Dutch, 4 French, 9 German, 4 Italian, 14 Norwegian, 3 Russian, 1 Spanish, 2 Swedish ; total, 80. In this number are included 10 vessels reported missirjg. Steamers reported lost : 1 American. 16 British, 1 French, 3 German, 1 Hawaiian, I Norwegian ; total, 23, In ttya

number is included 1 steamer reported missing. Causes of losses : Sailirjg vessels-Stranding 44, collision 3, foundered 4, abandoned 8, condemned 11, missing 10; total, 89. Steamers-Stranding 15. collision 3, fire 1, foundered 3, missing 1 ; bOb&il« £o.

Tho British barque Beechwood had some extra ordinary experiences on her recent voyage from Penco, Chili, to Falmouth for orders, says the Hull News. Mr Cummings, the chief officer, reports that on the lbth December they met with ?«? um r?u r of i ceb , cr S 8 in lat. 44.43 S., long. 42 48 5^ Through these navigation was extremely difficult. Great precautions were taken at night, bail was shortened during the night, and an incessant look-out kept to prevent collision with any of these frightful obstructions to clear sailing. On the 7th December, in lat. 47 7 S long. 41.44 W., other bergs were encountered! necessitating renewed vigilance. On the same day a monster berg hove in sight. It was a mighty mountain of ice moving slowly in solitary grandeur among the great Atlantic waste. Captain Manson, the master of the Beechwood, and Mr Cummings, the chief officer, estimated tho length of this appalling mass of ice to be 15 to 20 miles, and its height from 300 to 400 feet. In these latitudes the presence of such large masses of moving ice is phenomenal, and these facts are published with a view to the attention of Atlantic shipmasters being directed to the matter.