THE WEEK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8375, 22 July 1905, Page 4

THE WEEK.

"Let us ... Expaiiato free o'er all this maze of man, A mighty maze, but not without a plan." —Pope.

Ex-English forward Swannell, who played against the New Zealand team at Sydney, says that they had better savo expenses and stay in New Zealand, at any rate ac regards the for-

wards.

" Nations possessing the largest number of daily papers always produce the greatest number of suicides." Thus Dr Wynn Westpott, who for twenty years has sat on the self-destroyed corpses of London, N.E., in number about three thousand. It's the, letters to the editors that do it. They make one melancholy enough to commit anything.

Cabled account of the execution of Wharton (supposed to be Butler) at Brisbane: — The scene that followed was a ghastly one. When the rope became taut a gash appeared in the neck of the suspended man," and great streams of blood poured down his clothes and formed a large pool on the floor at his feet. "When the rope was removed it was seen that the head was almost severed from the body.

Proud science still exalts her horns,

As mankind's true Palladium, At everything, from curing corns •To analysing radium. To even balk King Death's grim reign, Moat wondrous things she's done, And robbed his Terrors of their pain In every case — save one! Her healing hand still hallows The sufferings of Life's shallows; But on one rack Sho turns her back That torture called the gallo-wB!

We- still breed murderers in scores With energy unflagging; And heal these same old social sores '• By just the same old scragging. Is our Religion but a dream Of Penitence and Hope, That still our remedy's the Beam, Our only cure— the Rope? That Law has ever wrought her Grim will — nor Science taught her, Less ghastly ways ' To -glut her craze Tor grisly human slaughter?

Could no swift vapour choke the wretch, No merciful bacillus? Nor chloroform supplant. Jack Ketch? (That's how the doctors kill us). Nio! Stern revenge appears our plan, Our game is to prohibit, By torturiaig out felitow-man With coffin, line and gibbet! To execution led off, Some formal prayers are read off, i And then a jerk Completes tie work, And tears his bleeding head off!

It happened at a Papanui entertainment this week: Subject: "Lantern

Slides on Roman Subjects." A local Mrs Malaprop was explaining; to a friend how, when she was in Rome, she had to wear blinkers in inspecting the art collections. And immediately thereafter the Bishop announced from the platform that, although he had made snapshots, he was not permitted "to take any legs." Several people fainted, but he really only meant camera-legs.

Last week the " Star " published an extract from the "Pall Mall Gazette" to the effect that " the cry of slavery (regarding the Chows in the Transvaal) is the veriest nonsense." 'mis week a contributor calls attention to the evidence of a well-known Melbourne man as to the wholesale sjamboking dealt out to the Celestials at the will of the mine-managers. There isn't the slightest doubt that the One Flag is waving over, not only slavery, but brutal slavery.

But to properly gauge the accuracy and fainnindedness of such Imperialsouled and One-E'lag-inspired preps of Empire as the "Pall Mall Gazette," let us turn to a much smaller — but still significant-wnatter. After the first day's play in the first Test matoh, the " P.M.G." came out Avith a piteous howl of anguish begging the Australians not to let Cotter "terrorise" — that was tho word — the English batsmen ! Just fancy ! Because he bowled fast, and sometimes short, but admittedly fairly, this mouthpiece of English sportsmanship and pluck shrieked to him not to "terrorise" the pick of England ! Nor wa3 this all. "When Jossop was put on to bowl in exactly the same fashion, the "P.M.G.," in common with the mob around, the ground who had also howled at Cotter, applauded vigorously, whilst its string of arrogant cockadoodle's when England won was simply nauseating.