ON THE WING

Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 8, 23 December 1893, Page 22

ON THE WING

Sir Walter Buller,. who' was the representative for New Zealand at the Forestry Exhibition at Earls Court, has been presented with a silver medal by the Council, in recognition of his services. The Wellington Working Men’s Club will observe Sunday hours on Christmas Day—lo a.m. to 1 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The railway between Hokitika and Greymouth was opened for traffic on Wednesday. The dynamite explosion in the foundry yard of Messrs Luke and Sons, on Monday afternoon, only goes to show how absolutely necessary it is that preventive measures should be taken to debar inexperienced persons from making use of the explosive.

It is stated that the Hon. Mr. Cadman has no intention of returning to Wellington until after the commencement of the new year.

Mr. John F. McLean, who was well known in Wellington a short time back as a veterinary surgeon, is now studying medicine at St. Thomas’s Hospital in London.

Sergeant Madeley, who has served 18 years in the City Eifles, during the last nine of which he has acted as Sergeant of the corps, on Monday last, in recognition of his long and efficient service, was decorated with a silver medal.

Stead, present editor of the Review of Revietos , is about starting a new paper, which is to be the acme of idealistic journalism. In the preliminary notice, which contained about 2600 words, the pronoun “I ” occurs 124 times. Modest man Stead.

At the meeting of the City Council on Tuesday evening, Mr. Bell, M.H.E., occupied the Mayoral chair for the last time. On the conclusion of the reading of his report a hearty vote of thanks was tendered to him, after which, on the motion of Councillor Anderson, three hearty cheers were given. The Municipality of Broken Hill seems to have been struck with a sudden spasm of virtue. It has fined the Mayor <£so and debarred him from office in or under the Council for seven years for being concerned in a contract for supplies to the Councih

The Garrison Band will hold a picnic at Belmont on Boxing Day. Arrangements have been made for special trains

to leave town at" 10 and 10*30. Visitors should certainly find it an enjoyable programme for the day, as there will be lots of good music, and the spot chosen is a most happy one.

A New South Wales exchange says : “ The Sydney punters are pretty well all cleaned out. There are several ‘good things’ about Sydney, fit as hands can make them, lying idle for want of a punter. Several smart young men round town are in danger of being posted at Tattersall’s.”

The people in the Waipawa district don’t seem to have taken much interest in colonial politics. At the last general election 874 declined or forgot to vote, with the result that their names have been struck off the electoral roll. We are not informed whether the electors were men or women; it is just possible, however, that the Waipawa men, with a masculine delicacy seldom noticeable, declined to vote, so as to give the women full swing.

France seems at the present moment to be indulging in the wholesale employment of spies. Not satisfied with her diplomatic arrangements, she has taken a contract to look after the espionage of Europe, and her employees are continually bobbing up serenely in all sorts of places, more particularly in Germany, and getting sentenced, when, as a rule, they split on their employers.

The row in Brazil seems to be drawing to a close. The cable informs us that the President is weakening, and the insurgents appear to be on the eve of victory. Well, even suppose that they do win and establish a - provisional government, it wont last any longer than when it commences to enforce its power and administer the law, then a new breed of insurgents will bob up serenely and the trouble will commence all over again.

The following good story is told of an Oamaru man, whose attempt to “ have” the Government was most ingenious. He owned a small pony, and recently wanted to send the animal by rail to a place at some distance. He was told he would have to hire a horse-box, price 20s. He remonstrated, and pointed out that a pony of such dimensions with a whole horse-box to himself would be like a beetle alone in a tank, but the department was obdurate. So at last he put the animal in a crate, and marked him “ poultry,” and he was safely delivered at his destination for 6s. The department has since spent about £5 in legal advice to decide whether a horse can be a fowl in the eye of the law, but the point is still unsettled.

Thus the Sydney Bulletin :—“A certain riotous politician makes his appearance in Maoriland Parliament as the result of the recent election. In the town where he resides people generally know when he is at home, by hearing the window smash at dinner-time and seeiug the leg of mutton and the vegetables shoot wildly through the aperture. This is his little way of intimating that he is’nt altogether satisfied with the provisions.” We

Wonder who it can be ? Can it be possible that our contemporary has read a chapter of the domestic life of* ? but no, perish the thought, the .paragraph is pro, bably merely a chunk of alleged humour-* or an exhibition of airy persiflage. It' is stated that Miss Morrison, Secretary of the Tailoresses Union in Dunedin, is to be appointed a female inspector of lunatic asylums. We welcome the creation of female inspectors. With a keener and much more delicate insight than a man, they will more readily detect abuses of power or lack of care on the part of warders and nurses, should such be in existence. Miss Morrison is a sister of Mr. J. D. Morrison, of Lambton Quay, Wel : lington. The Queensland Government has evidently decided that if the unemployed wont go into the country for work and relieve the congestion of the big cities, the only thing to do is to, transport them there, and with this object in view has decided to establish a labour colony at Yandina, 70 miles from Brisbane.

The Shah of Persia has introduced horse racing in his dominions, and enters his own horses. When a rival j ockey attempts to crowd his Serene Highness’ entry on the rails, or .plays any familiar racing tricks so well known on the turf in Western countries, the stewards simply disqualify him for life by having his head sliced off as soon as the race is over. The “American Salesman” who received such an ovation in Wellington a short time back (from ova , an egg and ation, a throwing) has been sentenced to 30 days imprisonment in Gisborne in default of the payment of JSIO fine and costs, for posting placards intending to lead the public to believe that he was an auctioneer.

The final parade of the City Eifles for the year was held on Monday, there being an attendance of 59 of all ranks. Captain Collins was in command. On the return to the drillshed the captain expressed his gratification at the way in which the men had attended to their work during the year, with the result that 71 out of the 72 on the roll were expected to capitate. Government parades had been well attended, and the annual inspection by the Commandant had been most satisfactory. A lively interest had been taken in shooting matters by the members, and the company held a good position. Taken altogether, the year. 1893 was a most succesful one for the corps. The Scots are an enterprising people and Scottish medical jurists never hesitate to bring their science “up to date.” At the time of the Bourke and Hare murders medical jurisprudence was a little behind the times, and did not supply sufficient data for evidence required at the great trial. In particular, the effect produced by a blow immediately before death as contrasted with one administered immediately after death had not been noted, and Sir Bobert Christison and others set to work at the Eoyal Infirmary. The result was that by experiments on patients, dead and alive, valuable contributions to science

were made. Eet hot pokers and various weapons were used and the knowledge gained has helped many, a criminal to the gaol or the gallows since. The trial of Madeline Smith did much to increase our knowledge of irritant poisons, and now in preparation for the present trial of Monson for the Ardlamont murder, we have Sir Douglas Maclagan, Joe Bell (the original of Sherlock Holmes), and others experimenting on hospital patients, to find out how close a fowling piece must be fired to blow away a certain portion of skull and brain.