DAY BY DAY.

Waikato Times, Issue 12188, 25 September 1911, Page 4

DAY BY DAY.

Cambridge will be glad to know that, at last there is a prosTbe sect of the abolition of Dismal its pet grievance—the Swamp. " Dismal Swamp." Th.j folk of our sister townsMp have had good cause to complain cl this nuisance, which they have been compelled to endure for a very loner time, despite the fact that their objections have been Joud, long, and frequent. The news from our Parliamentary reporter states that Mr Lewis, secretary to the IHautapu Drainage Boand, together with the member for Waikato, have interviewed the powers that be, with the satisfactory result that the swamp will b» put in order. Those who have a taste for antiquities will doubtless r L ad with sorrow that at last this historic landmark is to> be removed, but others, and possibly they are in the majority, will learn with pleasure that at last the ,grie v anoe is to be obliterated. For our part we congratulate the Cambridge people on the pertinacity which they have displayed 'in never ceasing to agitate that the eyesore be remedied and we are pleased to see the result of the representations in Wellington last week. The Cambridge people, we have found are not continually agitating for

everything in general. They hail | gocd reason to insist on the (remedy I of the " Dismal Swamp " as vt was, amongst other things, a menace to pii'bKc health. It now bids fair for hearing the last on this question. The las; word has. been said in strike causes. A cable slat '3 Tea-Drinkers thai the workers on , A ! a r;s rvoir in A:!:Watsrworks. iaide struck ! wause ] they were not allowed afternoon tea. Wfe are gratified to know that South Australi- m wor cmen drink tea. We have mostly experienced the fact that they pr<i, r something stronger. Possibly the teaparty people who work on the Adelaide reservoir have become so accustomed to " water, water everywhere, and every drop to drink," that -hey have taken kindly to the tea-drinking habit. But we are somewhat persuaded to believe that the tea in tlr.s case 'night be stiffened a little ty the insertion of a " stick " in it, in which case there is probably grave cause for a strike. The cables do not tell us whether the authorities have yet rewarded the workmen's abstinence by allowing them tea; but we should think that they will do so. We are also' without knowledge as to the particular brand of tea the waterworkers in Adelaide affect. These are facts that would be of great interest tC' the general public. We are -.not even told if the men like their tea strong or weak, and with or without milk and sugar ; or whether they pref< r water 'biscuits, plain cake, or thin bread and butter. These are certain to he main 'questions in the settlement of this serious strike, and yet there are nci particulars to hand. It is evident that someone ha'-- blundered. 'We shall expect to hear that workmen will shortly cease work because they are not treated to . free kinematcgraph shows during working hours. We are fast approaching the millenium.

From appearances it seems that Spain is anxious to folUneasy low in the footsteps of Lies its neighbor, Portugal. The Head'. Revolutionaries are running about the country and. there r.re murders, strikes and other nloasnm tries. There is something these at present to occupy the mind of Alfonso the Weak besides bull-fights, liallet girls, and nolo. If ho wants to continue in tli3 reigning- business he had better bestir himself or there will shortly be another Royal exile in England. We feel for Alfonso because he is so plainly unfitted to rule an excitabh race of people such "as the Spanish. The proud traditions of the nation—the names and records of the men who dared and did—have sunk into obscurity and in its place a poor sort of puppet ism has been instituted which, as is the wont of puppets, is worked on wires. It was a sa'd day for Spain when she tried conclusions with the army and navy of the United States. From that time on she Ims •gradually dropped to the horizon, and it seems now that her sun is on the verge of setting altogether. Even a Royal matrimonial alliance with an English princess, one Ena by name, did not improve the destinies of this fast fading nation, and it appears that it will be the next monarchy to change its coat. The Ministers of State do not appear to be anything out of the ordinary, and it may be assumed that a great many of them would not be averse to a change of constitution, which would probably pitchfork tbam into better liillets than the ones they now occupy. All the same if a revolution comes it. is to be hoped it will be a bloodless one. We would not like to see the slaughter of Alfonso and Ena.