GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14323, 13 October 1910, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

" A FIRM STAND." Jcpulv-Mayoi'. iii conversation u.llj a. ii-|x,ri.i -r v■' -,torda.y, .said it was' ;i" v<-rv v, <-|. jor propli: in criticise mill i"l.l.cr:i |i, i.lj,. ]j,'ipcr f-oli':fjrni 1154 III': I'ocolJ/il f .011 tie jI, l/llt those >s>i itm would find if tin-v 11; Ifl anything I" do ••'.nil ti,„ Conn-::! Uial it was ea.-.ier I/, iiiul hmh, l.lian to do bett'-r. I ji' l "'' on-- two CouiicjlS£'<t rather out of Land on ona t ' l '" '' '-'.l'd.., but in: ol a,itnc-d that the |,n < (:. tl.i,:: , w , COrid'.ltt'.id <jUit« •I..c!i under !j:h eha.rmanship as they J, '> "eoupiiyl tliu seat at UlO head the table. it was not easy a,way, to see bejorehand a Councilor was goin;/ to kirk over the traces, thou;;h it. by ea-.v ,. h „is"\i lorother people u , »■.„ ait.<r.vi,r'd-. ju;>t what should have bee,, to avert the trouble. Ho had deCired "?'= <-ouii'o.or.-, :.ii r'-a.vof.able lat,ude. a„d not. H.eck '"""••.-.an,/ ,l,»t 111 Uilnrn he «;.» dct.*■ rn 1:1 j<-rI io adlioio ,-ijf:d!y to th<- ru.e, I'Jj a "' J 10 « ; v<: no latitude at MEAT FOR FRANCE. J,l 'v V" l '-''-' <-<>rr;r-.ponder, t of i.li" . Wellington at tor re \'l \'" ! '-xl'ibiiion to b«. . :a , f If; v y %ari H'. 1 . 1 , 1 ;. l "'- HiL.ii O,mm:v,iorier (Sir 11 it arn hall-Jones; that a sum of money should Ik- vot'-d '•'.tii the object of making a. practical demonstration in tin; midst 01 the ]• roii'-n people of the virtues ■ iti'l v. holesomene.ss of S nd ii'h'/j-n meat. Io do tins properlv it would be ry not merely to iiavo aii »-fff!f;tive and attractive of ' rozeu produce in a refrigerating chamber at Rouba.w but ai.-o to give periodiciil demonstration-: by inviting r-pi-esentatives from all over. France to _ vi--.it- the exhibit and partake of a well-cooked sample of our meat. There can be little doubt that such a demonstration. as a means of getting access to France, would he well worth the money expended on it. It would be necessary, of course, to obtain a prior assurance that the meat would be allowed into Franco for this purpo-e. The law is very stringent against importation for such it purpose as is suggested. OIL FOR STEAMERS. According to the Minister for Ma. rine (the Hon. J. A. Millar) oil is lik'-ly to be extensively used as a motive power for steamers on the Xew Zealand coast before ions, and its use will affect the employment of firemen. Mr Millar informed a deputation of seamen that companies were standing ofr till the permanence of the Tarannki oilfields was proved, and once that -was established they would equip their shins to use it. The number of firemen who would be employed would thus be reduced.

DOMINION LABOUR PARTY. About one hundred names hare thus far been entered on the register of tile New Zealand Labour Party (says ''The Domin.on), and it is anticipated that there will be a considerable increase in the immediate future, as the " ecrt.ficates of membership" were only obtained a day or two ago. These certificates are neatly printed documents with a counterfoil attached, on which is a. '•declaration of loyalty." to be sighed by the candidate, running as follows: ''l herein- pledge myself a. member, and pledge myself to accept and loyally adhere to the principles, rules, (Constitution, objective, and platform of the Xew Zealand Labour Party, and to record my vote for the selected Labour candidate of the party at every election." _\\ hen 250 members have been enrolled, a meeting will be held at which a president, two secretaries and an

executive council of five members will be elected. It is hoped to hold a meeting for this purposo on the 19th inst.

THE LETTER " H." Some weeks ago (writes Sir Honry Lucy hi the "Sydney Morning Herald") I mentioned on high, nu" thority the, to mo, surprising statement that use of the aspirate in ordinary speech is a custom which in tins country does not date back a full century. He testified that with the cultured classes it was not universal oven in the Viictorian times. The post brings over distant seas an interosting letter from a septuagenarian, which goes to support the statement. My correspondent writes: "I remember as a boy, now alas nigh seventy years ago. thai, it was more honoured in the breach than in the observance to give the 'H ' its place. It was the case with tho educated and so-called uneducated alike. It is fifty years 6incej T was pulled up upon this point by the only faithful! apostlo as a purist whom 1 have ever met—Henry Butter, tho oompiler of that best of spelling books, ' Hatter's Spelling ' which for the best ■ part of his long life brought him a handsome income. At nigh eighty years of age I have heard him hold' forth by example on the use of the aspirate, and he was not content till he had made a convert."

NOVELISTS' RICHTS. Perpetual copyright, of which Jtr Hall C'aine ha.s declared himself an advocate, at present exists only in Mexico, Guatemala, and Venezuela, three not very literary states (rcgharks Mr. Clarence Tiook, the noted London journalist). In the opinion of many high legal authorities, British authors at one time enjoyed perpetual copyright in their works, and this was destroyed by an Act drafted by Dean Swift expressly in their interests—the Copyright -Act of 1709. Mr. Birrell has expressed bimself eloquently against perpetual copyright. "Half a century writes Finis to most authors, while in the case of the few who prove lo bo of all time, the feeling of mankind would be one of resentment were then' now living in Paternoster-row, or Madrid, or Florence, a capitalist who could say, 'Hamlet is mine,' ' Sancho Panza is mino,'' ' The Inferno belongs to_ me.' Who would not feel that; this disreputable bourgeois was tho enemy, not the friend, of the worldwide genius of Sbakcsjeare, of CervanLcs, of Dante?"