SOME EXPERIMENTS MADE BY PROXY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7678, 11 April 1903, Page 2

SOME EXPERIMENTS MADE BY PROXY.

(Cassell's Saturday Journal.)

In a part of Africa much ravaged by that pernicious pest the dreaded tsetse fly, so deadly to horses and cattle, a certain farmer who had been a doctor concerned himself much in studying the insect. And soon he hit upon a compound which he believed would render animals proof against its poison. Now, though he had plenty of beasts of his own, he decided that it would be a risky experiment to inoculate them. So, instead, he secretly "rounded up" a number of a neighbour's stock, operated upon these animals,'' and soon discovered that they died. Thus the remedy was proved to be worse than useless.

Here we have an example of successful experimenting carried out by proxy, a process sometimes known by thc<more familiar term of "trying it -on the/dog."

How the policy is sometimes utilised in other circles is easily shown. For instance, a certain big railway company was thinking of adopting a new kind of brake. The gentleman who was pushing the contrivance happened to mention that another, much smaller,- line- was also considering tbe question of fitting it to their rolling-stock. This information afforded the manager of tho big line an idea. Asked he : " What will be their outlay in fitting the experimental brakes?" "Say £300." " Well," said that manager, "offer to bear a third of thati expense yourself, and I will hand you a cheque for £100." Tho proposition was made and accepted. The contrivance was tried and proved to be a failure, and so the big company, profiting by the other's experience, learned a lesson that was worth* thousands of pounds at tha cost of only one hundred.

Nob long- since a. new judge was appointed to a certain county court, and solicitors practising there- were- not a little curious as to what would prove to be the best methods for " getting on with " the fresh-comer. The judge looked a. masterful kind of man ; bub one gentleman who would appear before Mm had heard it whispered that if only you stood up to him he was far less terrible thaji he appeared. Eager to test the truth of this, but determined to run no risks, the artful one singled out a legal brother who promised to become a likely victim, and imparted to him the advice, "Don't be. afraid of him. Give him as good as he gives you." And a little later, as the plotter heard the judge cutting tihat young man up for his temerity, rending his asi-uments- to pieces, and turning his contentions and submissions inside out, lie hugged his knees beneath the bench at which he sab and chuckled because his experimenting had bee-n performed by proxy.