To-Day.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5094, 13 September 1894, Page 2

To-Day.

"A Mother," writes to Bay that on lasb Saturday evening she Baw, at 7.30 o'clock, three youths, Averaging not more than nineteen years of age, come reeling drunk out of a certain hotel in thia city. The name of the hotel bag been furnished, and, if necf ssary", it can bo given to the Inspector of Police. Some of the yonng gentlemen who indulged in snowballing on a recent Sunday have been taught a verj sharp lessoD. ! They have had to pay" a silm of rcott^y t° ! peraon3 they assaulted ia Durham Street, and have narrowly escaped the publicity of law court proceedings. No one objects | to snowballing as thoee understand it who ' have had many a sbarp tirsle avoug the Snow, bub when a seb of larrikins lie ia ■wait for men and women, make up Blusb and. snow into balls the cop.fistency of ■ road metal, and destroyfche clothing of their victims, betides inflicting bodily harm, ib is time to punish the perpe- | tratora.

In the correspondence column " Sympathetic" calls atten'ion to a remark made in the Star as to men going into the country to eeek employment, now that Spiing is advancing. He says that all men are not able to ohoulder a swag. "With all due deference to this correspondent, it may be said that the man who really wants work will not mind, though he has to give up a chance of employment at the bench or anywhere elee, so that he can provide for those dependent upon him. It is the desire on the part of certain people to stick in a town and create an unemployed difficulty while there is work to be had at a distance, that brings much discredit on working men aa a whole.

MrHobbe, who holds a portfolio in 'the Young New Zealand Ministry, last night made a really capable speech. He possesses a very rich voice, and haß good style. Mr Craddock came out with some racy sayings, and Mr Wharton spoke incisively, but not with sufficient force. The Young New Zealanders altogether acquitted themeelvea well, and tbe House stuck to them all through. On Wednesday next the last sitting of the session will b 9 held, and it is hoped that the young speakers will give another taste of their quality. Oae of the features of the deliberations in committee laßt night was tbe backbone displayed by Mr Donuelly. Memberß tried to get round his rulings, but he would not have it, and it was hinted that he had confiscated the Premier's boots ! '.'■■'••

Councillor M'Callum, of Blenheim, has been endeavouring to have a by-law passed dealing with the question of children ranging the streets after nightfall. The by-law was not passed, and at that result there can be no surprise expressed. If this growing evil i 3 dealt with at all it must be by. statute. If the members of the present House would turn their attention to the subject, they would earn the warmest thanks of the well-wishers of this colony. The larrikin evil is promoted by thoughtless parent?, and the manufacture of criminals is carried on in the streets of the towns and cities. A law whioh shall- prevent the loitering of children in the streets, the assembling of grown-up hoodlums on the footpath.?, and the general ordering of tbe conduct of dwellers in towns would be not only & great boon, but would crush cut juvenile depravity and prevent the formation of gangs of grown-up blackguards. The police Bhould be given full power to arrest. That they should have to. proceed by way of summons is the weak spot.

The people who are for ever talking about the introduction of Scripture t9achiag iato the State schools will not face the question fairly. If they are as anxious as tbey pretend to be, why do they not organise Bible clas3ee themaelve?, and invite the pupils t > attend these ? There is no reason why Protestant and Catholic teachers elike should not have classes outside the school hours inside the school buildings. To expect that the State is to teach religion is vain indeed. The teachers in the public schools have quite enough to do already, and to add on the instruction in religious matters would result in failure of a very grosß kind. The State has nothing to do with the religion of the people. Work in that matter must be done by the churches. If the people who prebend to have such a keen desire 10 introduce the Bible or a text-book into the schools, are honest, they will take advantage of the opportunities presented under the Act. Ifc is quite certain that they will not succeed in making our national schools denominational in the worst pcsrible sanse. The children of Darents of any and every creed may go to the public schools now and grow up in peace and lore with each other, Once introduce your donominationaliem and you will have them " hating each other for the love of God."

The toadiea who collect the news which ia sent to thiß colony by cable are forwarding day after day a lot of trash about the late Cointe de Paris. The latest ia that the heart of the dead man is to be placed in an urn and sent to France. If the cable idiot would buoy hicosalf in sending matters o( real import, the readers in this part of the world would have cause for satisfaction. As it is, society scandals, patchy intelligence about important occurrences, and a nauseating amount of toadyism comprise the bulk of the messages sent to th's colony. In connection with the death and burial of the French Pretender, it may be said that the English Eoyal Family and the Government have acted in a very ill-advißed manner. Why should the French people be flouted by the English Court going into mourning for a man who was thrust out of bis own country because he spont the mesb of his time in stirring np his followers against tbe Republic? Such a step, coming so soon after the refusal to allow England to be represented by one of her princes at the funeral of the assassinated President of France, is a sad blunder— viewed from this distance at any rate. The attendance of the Duke of York at the funeral of a man who made his pretended patriotism pay, is another blunder.