Current Comment.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue XX, 19 May 1900, Page 923

Current Comment.

YOUTH VERSUS AGE. Writing' recently in the “National Review,” an Englishman maintains That we are relying too much upon old men, and points out that “the generals who made their names on the side of the North during the Civil War were all young men. Grant was forty when he commanded at Shiloh; Sheridan was thirty-three when he received command of the cavalry of the army of the Potomac; Sherman, one of the very best, if not the best man that the war produced on either side, was only forty-four when he started forth upon his immortal Atlanta campaign. On his side of the South, too, the generals were young by modern standards. “Joe” Johnston was only 52 at the outbreak of the war; Lee was fifty-four; “Jeb” Stuart was twenty-eight; “Stonewall” Jackson thirty-seven. If we turn to our own field army to-day, we shall find that not one of the officers in high command in South Africa, is under forty.” These are the ages: — Age. Age.

There is no one under fifty in this “inner circle.” The two youngest men in the number are, rightly or wrongly, especially identified with the want of foresight and preparation which has brought the Empire to its present pass. Mr Balfour's speeches show him to have been blind and indifferent to the danger; the plight of our army in South Africa, the half measures, the manifest hesitation, and the tardiness of the despatch of reinforcements, equally condemn Lord La nsdowne. “Daily News.” 4> 4> ♦ THE EFFECT OF THE WAR ON CRIME. For many years the best efforts of social reformers have been directed to the consideration of means of diminishing crime. Various theories have been advanced, and different schemes put into execution with this end in view. The routine of prison discipline has been materially altered and the experiment tried of a more humane and considerate line of treatment. All these attempts made so far have proved more or less unsatisfactory, and tho problem is regarded as one of those that baffle the shrewdest thinkers. Solutions, however, of such questions, or at least practical solutions, often turn up in the simplest and most unexpected ways. From London we learn that there has been a marked decrease in the number of prisoners at the winter assizes, ami in explanation the suggestion is put forward that in consequence of so many men having gone to the war in South Africa employment, has been more plentiful, with the result that one of the chief incentives to crime—want of work—has been removed. If this theory can be accepted to account for the satisfactory decrease in crime we must perforce eome to the conclusion that in many instances offenders are in a sense more sinned against than sinning—that they have taken up arms against society because society could not provide them with means of earning an honest livelihood. The war in South Africa has been responsible for many important discoveries in various directions; but this of the true relation between crime and work deserves to rank as one of the most striking. In spite of the pleasure which this ingenious theory affords, many will remain sceptical about its soundness and prefer to think that other and more obscure causes are at work to bring about the result which has been observed. Should later investigations, however, support it, then legislators

will have before them the means of effecting’ a great amelioration of society. All they have to do is to provide work and plenty of it.

+ ♦ + SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTE TO RELIEF FUNDS?

It is not surprising (hints the “Otago Daily Times”) that many thoughtful people have experienced some difficulty in arriving at a decision on the question whether it is right or desirable that public money should be. contributed to the Ottawa Relief Fund —followed now by the further proposal to make a public grant to the Indian Famine Relief Fund. On first thought, at all events, the idea appears to be of a very questionable soundness. The essential value of charity and generosity lies in their spontaneous, voluntary character—in the definite, conscious volition of the giver— and there is precious little conscious volition about a Parliamentary giant. Moreover, apart from this aspect of the question, is Government or Parliament morally justified in using public money' for these purposes of outside charity? We are bound to say that, so far as regards the general principle, we think that this question must be answered in the negative; and though we are not inclined seriously to criticise or deprecate the present, proposals regarding Ottawa and India, we only refrain from so doing in consideration of the exceptional circumstances of the moment and in the confident hope that the Government's action will not be recognised as a guiding precedent in the future. ♦ ♦ * THE DECAY OF GOOD MANNERS. The want of manner, or rather insistence of manner of the rough-and-ready type in our ordinary detailic every-day life is becoming a distinct bugbear. 1 do not mean to say (writes' a lady signing herself “Mater”) that society—men and women of means and culture—forgets itself, and what is expected of its position and dignity at home, but abroad it often degenerates into a rough bully, unwittingly, perhaps, but none the less certainly, simply in its craze for living at high pressure. There are men and. alas! women also, wno have reminded me often of express locomotives in full steam, and rushing through life, whether on business or pleasure bent, at the highest possible speed. One dreads to imagine what ordinary men and women will be like in twenty years’ time. The “independent” woman, the "new woman” (who invented this terrible title?), is certainly making life a trifle hard for her gentler sisters. Let there be independence, an you will, but without roughness; and gentleness will surely not deteriorate ability for making'a way in the world. For my part, I think the remedy of the evil of bad manners is in the hands of our young women. Let them not choke the woman!’' smile in the masculine tie ordained by Dame Fashion. The tie is chie, and afl the more ehic, combined with a feminine manner and expression, and safely may a charming woman wear what she will and do whatever work her means and position entail on her, and still remain charming. •fr + + KRUGER'S PEACE PROPOSALS. Possibly President Kruger is proceeding on the principle of the litigant who fixes his, or her, damages at a preposterous figure, in the hope of getting something. The bargaining instinct is inveterate in the Boer. The dealer who confidently asks £SO for his horse and is glad to take a ten pound note has always been the President's model in matters of diplomacy. He may reason with himself thus: "If 1 ask for the abrogation of the London Convention, and offer to negotiate on the basis of the status quo ante bellum, I may at leasl be permitted to retain some partial independence, and at the same time secure credit for showing a spirit of magnanimity ami compromise.” If that is Mr Kruger's idea, we fear (says the Cape "Argus”) that he has failed to grasp the altered conditions

Or to realise the sacrifices England and her Empire have made. He has now to face the inexorable logic of events. The sword cannot be sheathed again when its use becomes inconvenient. President Kruger, at the beginning of the war, boasted to a New York yellow journal that he would stagger humanity. lie has certainly dealt us some hard knocks. Many a gallant fellow has fallen, and the blood of the sons of the Old Country and of the “native born" stains the South African veldt. England did not enter into this war lightheartedly, or even willingly. It was forced on her, ami it is going - to be a “tight to a finish.’’ When the fight is over we hope in time to be friends again, but any monstrous artificial peace on the lines suggested by some enthusiasts or fanatics would mean unending trouble for Africa, and an ultimate renewal of the strife. Unconditional surrender is the only message England can accept from the Republics, and for this the Republics have only themselves to thank.

HOW TO ESTIMATE CASUALTIES. Colonel F. N. Maude, writing in the “Contemporary Review” for March on “Military Training and Modern Weapons,” sets himself to correct some of the fallacies current on the subject of the war. The belief that the breechloading rifle and smokeless powder are the factors which have revolutionised modern war is, he says, a gross error. The real basis of judgment as to the severity of losses, Coloned Maude points out, is the time in which they were suffered, and not the total amount, and he gives the following table of percentage losses per hour in battles between European combatants: —

•DRINKS.” In all classes of society, from the highest to the lowest, there is a pitfall open for young men to fall into, and it is dug by generosity and good nature, and is betrayed by Ihe words, “Come and have a drink.” A drink, at all times of the day and night, is an Englishman's idea of hospitality. whether it be an iced whisky and-soda at the club, or a glass of ale at the hotel. Occasionally young men feel bound to accept these invitations. It places them in a churlish, disagreeable light to have to refuse, and yet to accept too often means if nothing worse—a ruined constitution am! a diseased liver not a very pleasant outfit to start life with. The great thing Io be considered, thru, is to be able to refuse, and to refuse gracefully, without giving offence; ami the best, way to avoid offence is to give a very decided and downright answer. Eor instance, if a friend asks you into his club for a brandy-and-soda, ami you hum-and-ha. and mutter something’ about bring busy, and not having the time, your friend may not unjustly jump at tin* conclusion that you wish to avoid his company, and a feeling of offence am! consequent, estrangement will be the result; whereas if you say goodnatnredly: “Delighted to come with you and see you drink, but my head won’t stand spirits at midday”; or, “I never drink between meals; it makes me so awfully seedy,” or something of that kind — your friend grasps the situation immediately, and there is no feeling ot annoyance about it.

Everyone knows young ajid smart men, and always eu evidence, who arc either complete water-drinkers or very nearly so, and yet are considered among other young men of their age ‘•first-rate fellows,” and “real good sorts”; whereas many a man who drinks a great deal more than is good for him in the course of the dav. and accepts and gives endless invitations to have a drink, is but very little esteemed, even by those who the most frequently accept his hospitality. Fortunately for us times are changed, and to be a hard drinker is no longer considered to be one of the marks of being a well-bred man or a “good fellow"; whereas to have the courage of your opinions helps to ga.in a man a reputation for bring “a good, straight sort of fellow.” 4* 4* 4* DIVORCE LAWS. The plaintiff in a recent divorce case said he was told £• 150 was needed to secure a divorce, “Thai is one of the many lies told about lawyers,'* a barrister wailed. Admitting that £4l) is the price of a divorce, it may si ill be said to be the luxury of the classes. H is surely a barbarous system that allows all sorts of people to rush into marriage and then erects barriers to keep in (hose poor wretches who find that, they have committed a serious error of judgment. What good dors it do to keep two hopelessly illassorted people til'd like Kilkenny eats across a line all their lives, when either party might chance 1,0 make a happy partner for some one else of more congeniaI temperature? Instead <rf the State, which tied them up for half a crown, sensibly untying them for the same amount on proved incompatibility of temperament, it demands that tin' man shall maltreat Ihe woman. or become a drunkard, or neglect her for several years: or that the woman shall be unfaithful to the man, and besides these it demands some £ 1U in hard rash to break the half-a-crown contract, and most of this £4O it hands over to a meddling middleman parasite calk'd a lawyer! No wonder men shrink from marriage where Ihe penalty for making a mistake in their selection of partners is so relentless and irrational. Statistics go to prove that in countries where divorce laws are reasonably easy the marriage rate of that country rises. Before wasting money’ on immigration a sensible Government would first exhaust all the possibilities of breeding its own population. 4* 4* 4* Since it seems probable that fleas are the principal agents which convey the plague microbe from rats to human brings, I am surprised that some means have not been adopted for ridding us of these small nuisances. I am not up in the natural history of fleas, but have noticed that some places notably tin* sandy ground along our sea coast arc more infected with them than others, and I have also noticed that they appear to have a predilection for certain individuals. Of this I have no doubt, as I am unfortunately one of them, i was lately engaged superintending the erect ion of a building on the sandy soil above referred to. ami was driven nearly crazy with liens. Kiuiwing the aversion that bees and many insects have for the oil of w i n tergreen (the Oleum gault hcriae of ihe Pharmacopoeia). 1 determined to try the effect upon my small persecutors, and a few drops on my stockings had the desired result. As prevention in this niaiiiicr is far more likely Io meet with success than attempts to destroy rats and bacterial infected mailer, your readers are welcome 1o the hi 111. bid I would suggest mixing a lillle fatty inattrr with tin* oil to retard evaporation. Il would doubt les also be found useful in warding off mosquitos, which are now- known Io he the ajMiifs in spreading malarial fevers. I am. etc., C. B Mill Wl MORRIS, Member Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand. 4- 4* 4* CHAMBERLAIN AND AUSTRALIA. The present position of (he Commonwealth Bill clearly shows that Australians have their own little light for Home Ruh* ahead of them. Chamberlain, the Secretary of State for tho Colonies and an Imperial dingo of jingoes, is the Cheap .lack who plunged England into a South African war to please Rhodes, the capitalistic buccaneer, lie s«*eniß to delight in dictatorially intrrfcrring with a people's right to M*lf-g«»vern-inrnt. He bet raved Gladstone when

Ilud grain! old man wanted to grant Home Rule to Ireland. He refused to settle by arbitration the quarrel raised by a gang of capitalistic brigands in the Transvaal, with a view to destroying the independence of the two South African Republics. And now he insolently Houts Australians by demanding that they must frame a Federal Constitution to please him and not themselves, and makes no secret in his despatches of the fact that in so doing it is the interests of the financial institutions that he is safeguarding. The impudent attitude assumed by this Hruminagciu statesman in attempting to dictate to Australians how they should govern themselves reminds us of his overheating* attitude towards the Boer Governments and is such that no selfrespecting people calling themselves free can honourably tolerate by refusing io agree to Chamberlain's dictatorial amendments. Took the right course. However much we may differ amongst, ourselves on other matters, there is one point we should all agree on. and that is, that Australia as a nation should insist on the right to work out her own destiny free and unfettered by any outside interference.- “Brisbane Worker.” * * * NEW ZEALAND’S PROSPERITY. Those who express doubts regarding the genuineness of the Colonial Treasurer’s surplus might, find reason to adopt a humbler and more correct attitude if they paid a little attention to the statistics of trade. These adverse critics start with the assumption that surpluses at the Treasury are “manufactured." or are produced by some species of financial legerdemain—ignoring ihe patent fact, that a. plethoric state of the public purse is but an outward. visible ami concrete expression of the genera) prosperity of the country. The returns just issued by the Department of Trade and Customs, showing the imports and exports of New Zealand for the quarter ended 31st March last, speak eloquently of the prosperous condition of the people. They show that, as compared with the corresponding quarter of 1899 the export trade had increased by £994,000 and the. import trade by .£453,000—a gain, in round numbers, of a million and H-hall sterling, equal to an increase of over 20 pci- cent. This is a ifiagnificent record, and one that, reflects the greatest credit upon the energy, industry awl enterprise of our producers and merchants, and upon the enlightened measues adopted by the Administration to cneourage increased production and foster the export trade. Enhanced prices and an unusually brisk market tor oats account for some of the increase, but it is largely due to greater productivruess ami to the intelligence displayed, under State guidance. in entering for the world's consumers. Of the total increase in the value oi exports, wool js responsible for £400,090. butter for £122,090. oats for £115.000. frozen meat for £BO,OOO, and "old tor VIO.OuO the remaining £200.000 being distributed over a large variety of New Zealand products. 4* 4* 4* WHY WE ( \N\oT GET DOMESTICS. The girl in the mill, factory, or shop lives and works with her equals, comes and goes al certain hours like a man, which in her heart every working woman desires to be. and is then free, while the forewoman, or overseer, at whose bidding she works, is generally of the same class as herself, once occupied an analogous position, and even now is n .1 so far above her but that she ma\ hope some day to step into her shoes. In ordinary 'domestic service this position is’ reversed. The girl is 100 I.meh atom*, and nut enough alone. Too much alone, especially where onl\ one is kept, occupying a solitary inferior position, looked down upon with gentle contempt by her employers, and frequently spoken of as “the slavey” and “our Biddy"; and even where the elders are more outwardly considerate ihe children of the fuuuls with the brutal candour of their ag<‘- soon mak< tlte girl understand that they consider her of an inerior and altogether lower order of sh and blood than themselves. And, •member, where such things are not uvuly said they are often thought, and • r physic law of telepathy,or thonghtaiisfervnce applies as surely to a rvaiit as to a queen, and when you vc your maid credit for inferiority of ml, manner and principle, it will be ' nnge indeed if site does not, to a • •Hain extent, justify your opinion.— ns ( niton, at the Women’s Council.

Gen. Buller 61 Gen. Warren .. .. 60 Gen. Gatacre .... 57 Gen. White .... .. 65 Gen. Ld. Methuen 55 Gen. (’lory 62 Lord Roberts . ... 68 Gen. French 48 Lord Kitchener .. 50 Gen. Kelly-Kenny 60 And now let US turn to the men who control the fortunes of the Kmpire to-dav. Their names and their ages are as follows: — Age. Age. ♦Lord Salisbury.. 70 ♦Duke Devonshire 67 Mr Chamberlain 64 ♦Ld. Lansdowne.. 55 ♦Mr A Balfour .. 52 I.ord Wolseley .. 67 ♦Mr Goschen .... 6U Lord W. Kerr .. 60 •Sir M. HicksBeach 63 ♦Members of the Defence Committee.

Names of Duration Battles. in hours. Percentage of Loss per Hour. chotusitz Jcmappes Austerlitz ... 4 ... 4 Austrians ... Austrians ... Austrians .. ... 1 .. Prussians .... .. French 2 .. French 4.3 0.3 2.6 •Jena ... 6 Prussians. .. .... 3.3 .. French 2.2 Waterloo ... 8 Allies 2 .. French 4 Koniggratz ... ... 11 Austrians ... ... 1 .. Prussians .... 0.3 Worth ... 8 y.' n ... 2 .. Prussians •? Gravelotte .... ... 8 French .. 0.6 .. Prussians 1.1 Soda n ... 12 French ... 1.6 .. Prussians 0.5 Plevna— * 1st Battle .. ... 4 Turks ... 4.5 .. Russians 7 2nd Battle... ... 10 Turks ... 1.0 .. Russians 0 O 3rd Battle .. ... 60 Turks 2 .. Russians 3 Modder River . ... 10 British 7 .. Boers, unknown Magersfonteln .. 10 British .7 .. Boers, unknown Culenso ... G British ...... .. 1 .. Boers, uuknown