WHAT SHALL THE CYCLISTE WEAR ?

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 57

WHAT SHALL THE CYCLISTE WEAR ?

Chicago has passed a by-law prohibiting the lady cyclisb fiom striding her wheel in knickers, and bhe local papers have an amusing sketch of a burly policeman marching off a shrinking little peison in the tabooed costume to tlaelcckup. Next they will prohibit the striding of a wheel at all by the gentler sex. Mrs Ross, the hardy mountaineer of New Zealand, don 3 tho knickers to "do" Earnslaw aod Cook, and Dunedin would scarcely be UDgallant enough to pass a by-law prohibiting her climbing to Ro3lyn in them if she so desired. Yet the Victorian Cyclists' Touring Club has jusb adopted (with only one dissentient voice — a benighted male who scarcely had pluck to record his own dissension) a resolution that no lady member shall be allowed bo wear rabional dress. Still bhe club temporised with bhe question. They do nob pronounce rabional dreßS indecent. OaJy some of their lady membsrs object to goiug on tour with knickerbocker members (female) ; and there being bub two knicker members to an unspscified number of non-knickers, the club has be wed down to the majority. But women are such curious creatureo that probably enough the resolution is a sidewind method of blackballing. Ib may nob be bhe unclothed limbs bub bhe clothed owners whom the other ladies refuse to associate with. Dr Springthorpe is the president of the club. His wife is a cycliste, and strips her skirt whenever she gets beyond bhe bounds of civilisation ; yet the doctor had to approve of the resolution, for " the fact that ladies who did not wear knickerbockers would not ride with those who did was a fact which could not be albered by any amount of argument." The knickerbocker ladies will have to form a club of their own. Lady Brassey does not wear the rabional dress. If she did, there is not a woman in Melbourne bub would follow her lead. THE DEAN CASE. Crick, Meagher, and Green have been committed for trial for conspiracy. Crick and Meagher, who were in Parliament, contend that they are being prosecuted for political reasons. When the magistrate pronounced for a committal, Crick blurted out "You gob your orders last night." The magistrate's attention was called to the remark, bub he said he had not heard ib. Meagher, when he was committed, said : — "In connection with this case there are many things which I regret, but none that I am ashamed of." After this one cannot envy Mr Meagher his sense of self-respect. There will be great difficulty in bringing home conspiracy to Crick. His guilt turns so far upon the probability of Meagher's having confided fully in his partner. Mr Goddard, who was a leading member of Dean's Defence Committee, gave interesting evidence which corroborated Sir Julian Salomon's statement about the chemist. Ab bhe inquiry by bhe Royal Commission ho suggested to Meagher questions to be pub to the witnesses, and wrote on a piece of paper a suggestion bhab he should ask Smibh, bhe chemißb, whebher he had sold Dean poison. Meagher, however, tore up the paper, and afterwards said that it did not do to ask these direct questions. " Solicitors," he remarked, "never ask these leadiDg questions. Smith might have taid, • Yes, I did sell the poison.'" Witness replied, "If he did our case is over. ( We are nob a committee bo get Dean off by hook or by crook, but to geb at the trubh whebher he is innocent or guilby." He did nob suggesb that a question should ba asked the chemist 3 Guise and Macdonald whebher bhey had sold poison bo Dean, because he thought that they aeked aboub bhab mabber. Ou referring to the report of the commission, to his surprise he saw thab no such question had been put to them by Sir Julian Salomons, the commission, or anyone else. DROUGHT IN VICTORIA. Honefeed has nearly doubled in price and bread has gone up bo 6d for wanb oE rain, The record yew of minimum rainfall in Melbourne

yenße bobal was PmJH^^^^HpHK average of 27. This yearsofaral^wWoa^^nad is a little over 14£ inches. There are nearly bwo months to go yet, but the Government astronomer has despaired of any more this year apparently. The weather is delightful, a little over 70 in tho shade — nob too warm by day to be disagreeable, and at night enchanting. But vegetation is dying of thirst. At the Brighton rose show the judges could not award a first prize. No amount of Van Yean can compensate for lack of the sky's moisture. In the country the farmers despair. Good crops aro impossible. The position is that if there is no rain within a fortnight bhere will be no crops at all ; if there is, the average may reach four bushels. Truly a dismal look-out. Ib will be the worst harvest) on record. New Soubh Wales, happily, had a magivficent rainfall, bhe news reaching bhe gquabters in Melbourne on Cup morning. The Protectionists are iv delight. Ab last the farmer is to find what Probection will do for him. There will have to be a large importation for once of wheat, and the protective duty will keep up the price for the local producer — for his three or four bushels he will get an extra Is a bushel. But he would rather have the benefit of an average rainfall.