AT THE TEA TABLE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12085, 24 June 1920, Page 5

AT THE TEA TABLE.

SOME TOPICAL TALKS. "When will men realise the tolly of striving to destroy each other and the direful effects of war?" queried the Critic, "The whole world seems mad with the Inst to slay, destroy, or plunder. In various parts of Europe and Asia rueu are still slaughtering each other and causing enormous wastage at a time when scarcity prevails and there neve,r was greater necessity for peace ansT unhindered The green sward of Erin is benig reddened with tho blood of its own people and what is really civil war prevails. In America, Australia and our own country, Capital and Labour are in ferioua strife and causing all the people to suffer. If one tenth of the energy devoted to injuring each other was applied to co-operating to produce more the whole world would be nrtieh happier." "The nations will cease wsrring when dogs no longer growl at each other over a bone," said the Sage, "and that means when the milllenniuin arrives. It is, in the meantime, no use preaching peace, nor counselling the adoption of other means to secure ends that may be desired. Even the of facts, for instance, is disregarded by labour unionists. Great industries are being paralysed, employers are closing the factories thai; have provided the wages fund, some public facilities are becoming no longer available, and it is becoming much more difficult to exist, yet the leaders of labour unionism persist in practices fchafc have brought tbeß© things to pass. I see no hope for humanity till general disaster has been experienced and that is a sad prospect to contemplate." "The Great War created many demons to plague our sooial life " said the Cynic. "Perhaps, liowevor, ail may work out for good in the end. The school of experience generally supplies forcible and lasting lessons, and it is only by suffering that men can be tried and taught to devise remedies."

"That was a curious position in America the other day, where they couldn't get enough jurymen to try some Communist conspirators, " said, the Landlady. ''Would any similar difficulty he lifeely to arise in this country?" "No, " replied the Politician. "Ih America the jury system lias become an absolute farce, for it is a bar to employment as a juror it a man has talked about th. 9 case to be tried or read anything referring to i*. Therefore the jurymen empanelled must necessarily be either ignorant or idiotic, and thus a skilful lawyer may frequently secure the acquittal of the guilty. The jury system is one of our institutions that was borrowed by the Yankees and spoiled.), We created it to give all men aa equal chance and ensure that overy man shall be tried by his peers, but the Yankees have so tampered with it as to enable the man with the dollars to win every time, unless, indeed, public feeLng has been very strongly arousei? by tha perpetration of manifest injustice."

• "The race war in America i<3 as- | sumingrnany aspects, ;! r3,jjar!<Hd the Critic. "In my opinion is vfill not be long before there are very serious outbreaks there. The people will pay for the iniquity of their forefathers in euslavisig a race and the subsequent folly of giving them sudden freedom without deporting them to the laud of their fathers. The Siberian experiment was on too small a scale. If the Americans, when they abolished slavery after the civil war, had seDt overy black, tinted, or shaded specimen, of the Negro race back to Africa, e'qaippod to defend themselves against the hostile ■ races from which "they s rung, there would have been a much better state of affairs at the present day both Africa and America. The negro who has gained knowledge but not greater mentality and who finds it iiard to curb his passions and desires, is going tor cause serious trouble in the land when they are moved to hoarse indignation when someone will not stand up during the singing ot the 'Star Spangled Banner.' The State of Texas has but a single star on ifca banner, and the Yankees, since their recent fiaancial exploits, should be content with a dollar sign on 'Old Glory,' " "The Victorian Licensing Board seem to be doing good work fn the cause of prohibition," remarked the Critic. "I noticed that they- are rapidly reducing the number of licensed houses, " "Seems to me," said the Cynic, "that the owners of thosa left mußfe be rejoicing, because thsir trade must greatly increase. There will be many who will remove from the dry areas to enjoy an alcoholiday." "I was glad to see that the Victoria Cross is to be extended to women who deserve it," remarked the Spinster. "Why should women not have any honour that men can gain if they deserve it?" "Only,"'said the Cynic, "because indiscriminate gift of the badge for valour on the field of battle may cause the really brave to despise it. There are some Orders even now that do not confer honour for the reason that they have been too easily gained. Even the Peerage has not been kept free from the taint of beer, nor will the soap recently added help to purify the Beeragfi,"

"Still chere are brave deeds done on other than battlefields,-" said the Spinster. "True," said the Oynic, "but there are special decorations to meet those cases. If it comes to that, don't vou think that a Grand Cross of the Order of Matrimony should be established for the oenen't of those brave men who took on the burden of keeping someone elt'e's daughter, and endured ail the trials incident to a certain number of years of married life? Ibavealwayß thought that the married man getn too little sympathy, and that is perhaps why he goes to his club or even strays elsewhere," "He gets all he deserves and sometimes more," snapped the lady. A J AYE PENIS E.