OBSERVATIONS BY THE MAN ON THE LOOK OUT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12649, 17 December 1910, Page 2

OBSERVATIONS BY THE MAN ON THE LOOK OUT.

Though you didn't or you wouldn't Or you hadn't or you couldn't: You jolly well must look out I —Killing

Shades of departed statesmen! Your «ieh\9Vements are as dust and ashes. And yi;ii, princes of industrial enterprise, let the monuments you have raised te draped in sackcloth. Poets, songsters, writers, philanthropists, who shall remember the things you have wrought? A fig for you pioneers of a primeval continent. Bah! You sire all back numbers. Make way for the Champion Swimmer, for a modern Australian politician, speaking for the deiroeracy, has declared that no man has done more for the Commonwealth (which means, of course, the common weal) than this man who has paddled successfully in foreign waters! Talk about the worship of spcrtl Surely •this is the limit. • » • •

•Tilings are looking brisk, and there is every indication that the shopkeepers are in for a good Xmas season. In this connection, however, I just want to express my disgust for a law which deliberately ignores die convenience of the public, the interests of the shopkeepers, and the desires of the great majority of shop assistants. Personally I am a firm believer in the reasonable regulation of closing hours. But for the life of me I fail to. see why in the case of what is popularly known as "Christmas week," the half-dozen business days preceding' Christmas Day, the law should be so "rigid ns to make it an offence for shops f o be kept" open for a couple of hours in the evening. Many assistants, I know, would ha, very glad _ of. the opportunity to make a little Docket money for the holidays, it would make the burden of Xmas shopping lighter for thousands of tired mothers, and past experiercs has proved that the opportunity for evening shopping would result in a larger volume of business. But the Law says No! And that settles it. more's the pity.

The Gilbert-Weingott slander action hud a quick passage through the Su-j.rem-a Court. In sporting parlance, !he plaintiff "won in a canter," while the defendant hobbled in weighted with full damages and costs according to scale. Although the public generally may not have been interested in the subjeofc matter of the dispute—the question as to the competency or otherwise of the plaintiff as a piano tuner —the caso is useful as an object lesson to those who are prone to talk too freely about other people. His Honor the Ohief Jusiice, Sir Robert Stout, made it perfectly.clear that the law regards it .as a very serious thing for one business man to speak disparagingly of another, and that the man who does it must be prepared to take the consequences.

A' native of New Brunswick, Canada, who returned to his province the other day to visit his old home, called at the office of a local journal for the laudable purport of heading off any too flattering notice that might be made of Irs risa to prominence and wealth in the land of his adoption. He did not wish to ba held up before the people of his native land as a man who Ind merely become rich, and he requested that af, as a matter of news, •it,-became neoessaiy <to-mention him at 7 "'all, the reference" should be as brief as possible. Now. modesty, along with success is a very admirable trait and the journal met the wishes of the visitor as.far as was possible. During his call this succe~sful man discoursed somewhat upon life/ and success, and thf end of man. And wh'le he reclothed in ' hiY own n'ords considerable knowledge and advice that may be traced back to the earlier prophets, some of the things that he said are not repeated frequently enough in our day, when we nrp all more or less mad over the pursuit of money, or pace, or some i ay&ing success of the' market place.

"Tile rich man," he said,' "is not necessarily a successful man. A man may make i great deal of money, and still 1)9 a great deal of a failure. I call that .man successful who has not allowed money to get control of him, who has kept faith with himself, who - has kept amir measure of the health which he bad when he smarted, who is leasonably content and who has reasonable cause fy being so, who can pny Ms debts and.,give his ' clrldren a fair education, and who,'generally sneaking can look himself and the world in thc^, face." He went on to say that in the United Svates he had observed many of Canadians who went there to make their way, and he dwelt tnueh upon the old truth that industry and horesty. temperance and tact, fire the things tha.t count. "There is nothing like'hard work," he said. "Too many of our young fellows in these days do not know what it is to bo thrown on their own resources and to have to earn for themselves everything that they need. Hard work does not injure the hoy, and it tends to give him character and steadiness, to keep him out: of miscfiiof, and to g've him the balance and direction tbat count later on -when lie comes to have responsibilities placed upon him. As he 'gets along his employer.? will be found willing to give him profitable and serious tasks if h? is found fk for them, but if he is unsteady or trifling they lose patience and the promotion goes ,to another."

He added that in the old clays in the country districts of New Brunswick one often used to hear it said that it was too bad the young people did not have more luxuries, and even more necessities, more shoes, more clothing, a greater choice of food. I have heard similar regrets expressed by old xNew Zpfllanders. But the mart who was speaking to the Canadian editor had experienced all thesa lacks, and, strange as it may seem to some of our young people of to-day, he seemed thoroughly convinced that these early encounters with the rough edge of life had done v very great deal towards making .1 man of him. On the whole, these reflections. are homely, but they are also very healthy. Particularly it is well to give thought to this man's reminder th:tt the pursuit of wealth for itself ls not profitable in the best senseof thp word. Prop?r]y speaking, independence is not to be bought for a price, least of all for a very high price ;n money. A certain measure of material surc-s* is highly desirable, but. to mean much it must bo accompanied by those other possessions of the wellrounded man to wtoioh our visitor referred ■ peaco of mind, tho sense of usefulness, a degree of eon^entmm^ based upon self-respect, and +he hnKif, of dealing fair and commanding fair qeaJinc, health, the absence of envy, and ..the, steady cultivation of a, of, proportion. The modest visitor to

whom reference has been made here nouid be called rich in New-Zealand, and that is something; but, though he might be disposed to deny it, he is an enlightened philosopher; and,' that is more important. ™______

A little diversion was caused in the Supreme Court on Thursday over a discussion on as to what constituted a game of chance. The Hayes case had been mentioned and set down for next day, and his Honor happened to remark, "If there is chance as W'sll as skill, it is a gam© of chance." Mr. Treadwell differed with Sir Robert. Ha thought it did not go as far as that, for then all games would be games of chance. His Honor instanced chess. Mr Treadwell mentioned bowls, and said there was a good deal of chance in that game. He added, "I know there is, for I play." His Honor could not agreo with him on that. He said he had had considerable experience of bowls, having played before the learned counsel was born. Amid some

amusement, Mr Treadwell proceeded to illustrate how a player,- having his eye on one object, oould succeed in hitting another bowl, and then lie up at the jack. His Honor had to admit that in thoso circumstances that would be chance.