PASSING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2330, 27 October 1898, Page 3

PASSING NOTES.

(From Saturday's Daily Times.)

The political oracle to wMch, or rather to whom, I am accustomed, over the breakfast cups, to submit the problems of European diplomacy, informs me that the French don't mean to fight— not they! The army people in Paris are getting up a war-scare to distract attention from the Dreyfus case and prevent the further exposure of their own abominable wickedness. " And also to bluff England," I suggest. She, the oracle, doesn't know about " bluffing " England ; she hopes that England has too much good sense to be "bluffed" — by the French, at any rate! Why, the French themselves admit that their fleet couldn't stand up to the British fleet for a quarter of an hour. " That was a remark by M. Cassagnac, a, mere newspaper man," I interpose. " A mere newspaper man ! " she echoes, severely ; "Then, pray sir, what are you? lam astonished to hear you disparaging your own profession. I suppose, then, I might be described as 'the wife of a mere newspaper man.' " Ab this point I attempt a digression by asking for another cup of coffee. Resuming, Mrs C. expresses her conviction that M. Cassagnac, if that's his name, probably knows what he is talking about quite as well as the writer of Passing Notes does when he discusses women's dress and the management of babies. "No doubt ! " I answer evasively. " Dreyfus is a respectable married man," she continues, " and his wife is devoted to him ; but look at his accusers, look at that wretch Esterhazy, look at — at — (she sometimes finds these French names a little difficult) — look at the man who shot himself." No ! — you can't deceive a woman's instincts ; she has recognised the innocence of Dreyfus from the very first, and hasn't the smallest doubt that the present war excitement has been produced ■artificially by the enemies of Dreyfus to enable them to keep that unfortunate man in his iron cage on the T s ] me] o f the Devil. Perhaps she is right.

Diverging to anothei topic in the telegrams., ilrs 0. announces with emphasis that

she has "done with the Emperor of Ger- ; 3 many." From this time she gives him up. j j The 'idea of his taking the Empress to visit ; . the Sultan I—a1 — a murderer illegally at large, '. and a polygamist with as many wives as . King Solomon or Brigham Young ! — it is positively shocking ; not to mention tne risk j from anarchists. The Emperor is at liberty to jeopardise his own life, if he likes, bufc ■ not his poor wife's ; and if he is bound to , know the Sultan politically/ he is certainly . not bound to know him socially. " Quite ■ so ;" I chime in — " he is free, as you say, > to risk only his own carcase — " " Pardon me, j I said nothing of the kind." " Well, it's the i same thing ; and, on the social point, a man ' himself may go to a lot of places where he wouldn't like to take his wife. That is "—" — I hastened to add in answer to a stony look of interrogation — " speaking generally ;of j course I have no personal experience." "No; of .course not;" she articulated, sloAvly ; "so you can the better understand what an awful scandal ifc is that the Emperor should drag his unfortunate wife to Constantinople. Why didn't he leave her at home with the children, where she would have been happy? Let me see ;" — continued Mrs Civis, musingly — " How many has she? Why, she must have seven ; or is it eight? " " With power to add to their number," I interjected, sotto voce. " Their third, you remember, is just a month younger than J our first, and our Etty was born in the j same week as their fourth. 1 ' — Luckily at this j point in the comparative genealogy of our two families, the Emperor's and mine, came j the postman's knock — he generally arrives ] during breakfast — bringing a diversion and release. Great is the power of faith. Without it how could your Moses lead his horde of grumblers through leagues and leagues of wilderness to fertile Canaan? Without it — but my readers have heard sermons without number preached upon this theme ; let them recall them, and permit me to proceed. Someone has sent me a copy of " The Commercial Exchange Gazette, the Official Organ of the New Zealand Exchange Co., Limited," and I am very much indebted to my anonymoiis friend, who may be. the great Flurscheim himself, for aught I know to the contrary, and beg him to accept my acknowledgements. I have read' the Gazette from cover to cover, and if I am not very much the better for the exercise reasons will appear as plentiful as blackberries, and everyone may take the one that suits him best. As far as I can gather, the Exchange Company is about to do the miracle we have heard so much about of late and do away with j money — what ordinary, stupid people like myself call money, — and introduce a reign of credit of the purest, noblest, most millennial kind. " Ideal money," as our currency theorists would say, is to entirely supersede " commodity money " ; banks — wnn the exception of the Exchange Bank, naturally are to be swept into the limbo of oblivion ; there are to be no more shrinkages of currency, no more restrictions, no more appreciations — so that the unhappy bimetallist infant will never get the cake he cries for ; Exchange Bank 'notes are to be .redeemable, not in gold alone, not in gold or silver at the holder's choice, but in any commodity whatever — in " goods or services ",! It is a charming outlook, a sweetly smiling Canaan, for the wilderness-weary Israelite ; but surely the ground of his faith is the ancient Credo quia impossible ! Occasionally I slaughter a correspondent, just to encourage the others, as the French say. Apparently the end is attained. So much are my correspondents encouraged , by the spectacle of one of their number , hanged, drawn, and quartered that a '. pigeon-hole in which I deposit their ', esteemed communications is at present | overflowing, and for some weeks past I [ have been meditating a general jail de- i livery. I will work off one or two this week ; e.g. : i Dear Civis,— My daughter said to me "Have you your watch ' on ' you ?" Query : Should ', she not have said " with " you ? In Ogilvie's [ "Dictionary" the primary meaning of "on" ' is "on the surface." Yet if my watch were ' stolen it might be found "on " the thief, though ■ probably not "on the surface."— Yours rer spectfully, > A Bit of a Pueist. I Only a syndicate of headmasters or a 1 special session of the Education Board 1 could settle this. And even then it ■ wouldn't be settled. " On " is a preposition of loose habits. Thus, I am a writer on the Times; if asked whether I have - the price of a drink on me, I should on I the instant reply, "On ray honour I have

not." And so on, and so o» ; — you can't fix " on " down to any particular use. If a watch is an article of attire, and I think it is, you may as properly have a watch on as have a coat on. But enough on this matter of " ons " ; come on the next ! Dear Civis, — What is your opinion re ringing church bells? Nothing worries my nerves so much as the beastly clang, clang, clang. And as this is only a relic of ancient custom, when no ona had watches or clocks the bell of a village was rung to call worshippers to church. But now everyone can raise at least a Waterbury, consequently this abominable nuisance should be put down. I can appreciate a peal of bells, but just listen to the hoiricl row of, say, Knox or St. Matthew's on a still Sabbath morn. Ugh! One would think seme xu-chin was striking an old pot with a poker. i This writer has neither syntax nor sentiment ; I question whether he has e\ en a | grievance. " He has " nerves," he says ; but that is nothing peculiar. Most people | have nerves ; yet it never occurs to them to wish silenced " the sound of the churchgoing bell." It isn't fewer bells we want, but more, and more musical. Our leading j Presbyterian congregations have each set up an organ ; which of them, will first bet xip a chime?

Some weeks ago a correspondent, tempted doubtless by him who finds some mischief still for idle hands to do, attacked me on a pomt — a very fine pomt — of grammar, and was duly disposed of. I see that at the antipodes there are correspondents of like nature, who yield to like temptations. Their little vanity is the tremendously fruitful topic (from a controversial point of view) of the debasement of the language by the introduction of neologisms ; and the particular neologism that has excited their attention, and led them to pose, like my young friend, as staunch defenders of the mother tongue, is — would you have believed it? — "aloofness." Invented long ago by Rogers, stamped with, of all men, Coleridge's approval, this lovely word, without which one idea at least would go a-begging vainly round our brains, is stigmatised as a " philological atrocity," which should be tabooed by every writer of decent education and standing! Higkty, tighty ! What would my gentleman have said to •that " tabooed " he uses so unconsciously unless the daring spirits of an earlier day had braved the pedantry of his forerunners, and enlarged for his and everybody's benefit the vocabulary they reverenced — more than he, indeed? For is not truest reverence shown by the attempt to perfect rather than the attempt to stereot3 r pe, be it a question of language, morals, or religion? At the late fetes in Paris in honour of Chateaubriand, one of Ihe speakers, M. Vogue, struck the nail — -this nail I am hammering at To-day — squarely upon the head in saying : " The French spirit has been formed by rapid, unremitting appropriation of all the ideas "which spring up outside of it." Just thus the hive of English "undefiled" drips with the honey gathered in a thousand heaths and gardens. Let the wasps buzz !

We ha.ye not, in New Zealand here, been surfeited with Gladstone anecdotes, for, genuine as was and is the admiration of many a colonial for that great statesman, he was less a personality to us than a disembodied mind, and anecdotes, of course, are parasitic grovi ths on personalities not upon essences. So very little of the nature of gossip has reached us that I feel justified in passing on two capital little stories for which Lionel A. Tollemaclie, a personal friend of Gladstone, is reseponsible. The statesman's theological leanings are well known. When Seeley's " epoch-making " book came out, Gladstone, ojr Roundell Palmer, and the Duke of Argyll were seen at a London party, absorbed in earnest discussion. Dclane, then editor of The Times, aiked Hayward : " What on earth are those three men talking about all this time?" "They are discussing a new theological book called ' Ecce Homo.' " said his friend. "If you don't wish to tell me," cried Delane, in a huff, " say so frankly ; but don't put me off with such damned nonsense as that." The other story illustrates the hero-wor-ship Gladstone evoked on every hand. A pious Gladstonian lady, on hearing the sad news of her hero's death, sought comfort in the reflection : " The Almighty will be certain to avail himself of his valuable advice " ; which is as delicious a bit of self-revealment as one could wish for. It recalls the queer old New England story of the ladies who were chatting over an election, On* said her candidate. Jacob*

•was a praying man, and so was sure to win. Her friend replied tbat hor man also was a praying man. "Ab !" said the first, with all the naivete of Gladstone's worshipper, "the Lord will think that Abraham is joking." Fortunately this kind of argument is never heard in Maorilaml. Civis. The present appointments of members of the Arbitration Court expire next month, and tho industrial associations of workmen throughout tho cclony, as welJ as the assoeitutions of employers, h;v\e received notice from the Registrar of Friendly Societies to nominate candidates fov appointment. The trades councils of the colony have already recommended tho le-appointment of Mr E. Sfkter to represent the industrial associations of woikers, but the federated bootmakers and the j federated tailoresses, who are entitled to make j recommendations on behalf of the workers, | have not yet done so. The associations of employeis have also made no recommendation as yet. Their present representative is Mr H. Thomson, but there is a probability of his not being again nominated for the position, owing to his failing health. The employers' associations entitled to make recommendations with regard to the appointment of a representative are the New Zealand Boot Manufacturers' Association, the "Wellington Cab Proprietors, the Westport Coal Company, the Wellington Builders and Contractors, the Westport Cardiff Coal Company, the Wellington Master Bakers, the Wellington Furnituie Manufacturers, the Builders and Contractors' Association of Canterbury, the New Zealand Clothing Manufacturers, and the Wellington, Auckland, and Chriotchurcb Master Tailora' Associations. The many friends in Otago and throughout the colony of the Rev. James Chisholm, author of " JFifty Years Syne," will learn with regret that he has tendered to the presbytery his resignation of the charge of the Tokomaiiiro Presbyterian Church, which he has held for over a quarter of a century, Mr Chisholm's health has been far from satisfactory of late, and no doubt accounts for the decision arrived at. Before taking charge of the Tokomairiro Church the rev. gentle""man occupied from April, 1863, to January, 1269, the position of congregational missionary of Knox Church. The Dental Board of Examiners have just concluded an examination in dentistry. Eight candidates presented themselves, and the following four were successful: — Harold W. Blundell, Wellington; Ruskin B. Cranwell, Auckland: Robert Hope, Auckland; and William Edmond Reynolds, Wellington. The names are given alphabetically, and not necessarily in order of merit. On Monday, the 17th, the members of the Deutcher Verein Germania held their " Stiftunsfest" in the club's rooms, where a large number assembled to celebrate the closing of another year's festivities. During the evening a presentation of a handsome pipe, tobacco ca«e, and matchbox was made to the secretary (Mr T. J. Mills), in recognition of the many valuable services lendered by that gentleman to the club. Mr Schlaadt, in making the presentation, expressed a wish that the recipient would continue to fulfil the arduous duties of secretary. The President (Mr Osten) reviewed the club's proceedings throughout the year, and congratulated the members on the very succebsful work completed, and on the fact that the membership list showed a substantial increase for the year. As an outcome of the discussion which took place at Wednesday's meeting of the Educa- | tion Board with regard to a teacher investing j his money in a newspaper, Mr P. B. Frasar has given notice to move at the December meeting of the board for the rescission of the resolution passed in December, 1896, enjoining teachers to refrain from taking part actively and publicly in political affairs, in the election of school committees, or in oth. j r local matters, participation in which is likely to bi'ing texchers into conflict with any sejtion of the community. According to the present regulations of the board wilful lisregard of this resolution is deemed a serious oifence. The railway revenue for the four-weekly period which ended on the 17th September from the 2055 miles open was £95,903 7s 4d, whilo the expenditure for the same period was £71,260 10s 6d. The revenue from the 806 miles in the North Island was £36,956 5s Bd, and the expenditure £29,381 8s 2d. The revenue from the 1249 miles in the South Island amounted to £58,94-7 Is Bd, and the expenditure to £41,879 2<! 4d. The HurunuiBluff line contributed £51,063 Is 3d to the revenue for an expenditure of £36, ,862. Rather frequent complaints have been received of late in Wellington of broaching cargo on the large steamers trading to New ; Zealand. Several claims, in two instances for nearly £100, were sent in to the agents of a 1 hjg cargo steamer the other day for soods abstracted from cases. It is believed that the : t\ ieves managed to get down the ventilatrvro , into the bold.

The Colonial Secretary has written to the City Council to say that it is proposed to appoint the Ist of December for the election of all mayors in the provincial district of Otago. For the past ,nine months negotiations have been going on between the Dunedin Tailoressea' Union and the master tailors regarding some matters affecting the tailoring trade which were thought to require readjustment. The negotiations have at length resulted in 52 out of 48 master tailors (including representatives of the trade in Dunedin, Mosgiel, and Port Chalmers) agreeing to a log which bay been drawn trp for shop tailoresses. With tha view of bringing the remaining 16 master tailors in line with the others, the Tailoresses' Union have decided to bring the matters in dispute before the Conciliation Board. The City Council's contribution to the Hospital Board -for the year ending March 31, 1899, is £878 3s, their contribution for the tame period to the Charitable Aid Board being £1724 13s. Last year the council paid £301 17s 6d to the Hospital Board, and £1920 to the Charitable Aid Board. Our Palnierston correspondent writes : — A poll of the burgesses of the borough to decide whether the proposed loan of £2000 for a water supply for the borough should be proceeded with or not was taken on Monday, with the result that the proposal was lost. Little interest was taken in the matter, only 83 votes out of a total of 178 on the roll being recorded. Tho voting was: For the proposal, 69 voteis, repiesenting 73 votes; against, 13 ; informal, 1. 1 believe the Borough Council contemplate taking another poll. The dispute between Mr Kerr, the master of the Waipori School, and certain parents of children attending the school seems to be interminable. The matter again cropped up at a meeting of the Education Board en Wed* nesciay,»\vhen Mr Cotton and another of tho parents were present, and interviewed the board with regard to their grievances. Quite a number of letters in reference to the matter in dispute were afterwards considered by the board in committee, the reporters, who were excluded from the room, being informed, on the board resuming in open meeting, that the letters had been simply received. At the meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society Sir James Hector made feeling refeience to the death of Mr John Buchanan, a botanist of considerable note, who has made most valuable contributions to the botany of New Zealand. Sir James hoped that great care would be taken to preserve every scrap of work left by Mr Buchanan. The Waimate Times says : — Fish are now plentiful in the Waitaki. They have been coming up the river from the sea during* the past three or four days in shoals, and angler 3 have in consequence been enabled to return home with some good baskets. Among those who obtained the largest catches were Mr W. Gordon (22 fish) and Mr W. Nicholas, of the Hook (15 fish). The fish are in fairly good condition, and several anglers declare that they have landed some " true salmon." The Southland Times records the death on Monday of Mr John Shand, of Centre Bush, where he has resided for 32 years. He came to Otago in the ship Phoebe Dunbar in 1850 with his parents, the family comprising three sons — James, William, and John — and two daughters, who afterwards became Mi - s Swale, of Centre Bush, and Mrs Watt (wife of the Rev. Dr Watt). The father died not long atter taking up land at Green Island, and the three sons assisted in carrying on the farm until they had grown up. John then went to the North Inland, and did a considerable trade in cattle during the Waikato war. He returned and joined his brother (the late Mr James Shand) in land speculations, including the Centre Bush property, which eventually became his own. His skill as a farmer was of the highest order, and bis success with both crops and stock was remarkable. He leaves a widow and four sons and one d.tughter. The electrical tram-cars of the city of Utrecht now make their journeys straight across tho middle of the venerable cathedral. This curious development of " tip-to-date " traffic needs some explanation. Utrecht Cathedral was built in the thirteenth century, and stands upon the site where the ancient mother-church of the Trajectum ad Rhenum was built by our apostolic fellow-countryman tho English St. Willebrord about the year 720. During the great storm of 1674 the roof of the gigantic nave fell in, and it was never rebuilt. For two centuries the choir at the east end, and the magnificent tower at the west end, over 300 ft high, have continued de tached by a wide interval betwixt the two The practical Hollander turned the gap intt a street, along which the lines of the electric tramway are now laid. The hospital returns for the week are as follow: — Patients remaining from the week pi-evious, 95 ; admitted during the past week, 22 ; and discharged, 18. A youth named Bernard Stewart, who was well known about tht streets for some years past, died during tin week of inflammation of the lungs. Th« number of patients remaininz in the insti« tution is 9fjt