HERE AND THERE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVII, Issue VII, 17 August 1901, Page 322

HERE AND THERE.

It might seem i work of supererogation that th* Government hare set Mrs Braeher to do in appointing her to lecture in the cGuntry districts on “Sanitation an) Hygiene." But, as Dr. Oliver WenJel Holmes pointed out years ago. in the smiling country, to which we are went to go in search of pure air and g»-J health, the germs of disease may 'ark j - as much as in the discredited town. The surroundings of the farm, so idealised by the town dweller, are frequently the verv reverse of healthful. Sewage pools, stagnant in the s in. and a contaminated water supply, the characteristics of many set tiers' homes, are much more likely to harbour and engender disease than the dirtiest of city streets. The number of cases of gastrie fever said to be traced to the eating of oysters casts suspicion on that succulent bivalve. And there teems reason for it too. The New Zealand oyster, first of his tribe, is, I fear, degenerating in more than size. He is by no means so particular as to his bed and board as or yore, and suffers himself to be contaminated by city influences in the shape of sewage water. Therefore the Health Department means to put the inspector on his t rack. A Home writer, who speaks with authority on New Zealand native matters. having at one time been an interpreter here, has been bringing Mr Reeves to cook over that gentleman's knowledge of the Maori tongue. It appears that "Te Aotea rea,” the name of Mr Reeves' book. is wrongly rendered as "The Long White Island." The reason why the Maoris called New Zealand by that name was this, says the Agent-General's critic: Coming, as the early Maori immigrants did. from a tropical island where the twilight was very short or non-existent, they were stru k by the length of the twilight in their new home in the South Pacific. and they called the land of their adoption "Te Aotea roa" (the long twilight). The one-line railway, which the cable informed us the other day is being constructed between Manchester and LiverpooL promises to put in the shade ail previous railway records. According to Hiram Maxim, the great inventor. Brighton will be put within a few minutes of London by the monorail. Brighton is 5A miles from the metropolis, so even without putting too literal a translation on Mr. Hiram's phrase “a few minutes.” the travelling of the future will be “slick” indeed if it accomplishes what he predicts. We hear a great deal in these warlike days of the man behind the gun. but really as far as concerns the average citizens a much greater danger wa ts him unseen in the boy behind the pea-rifle. Complaints are rife of the risk of grievous injury which these lethal weapons constitute in the hands of irresponsible youngsters, and it is certain that some restraining legislation would not be out of place. The Government of New South Wales rind that the able unemployed are so wedded to the dissipations Of Sydney that they absolutely refuse to go on the relief works started for them in the country; so. to bring them to their senses, it has been decided that metropolitan relief works will only be started for the benefit of aged or infirm heads of families. While there are certain ailments for which the victim looks in vain for sympathy, there are others to suffer, which is to raise a smile among one's friends. For instance, when we hear that Sir Joseph Ward is laid up with the measles, the apparent incongruity of the Knight of Awarua being laid low by such a juvenile complaint has some’hing quite ludicrous in it. From this distance one can admire the ingenuity of the Kaiapoi youth bagpipes at a cost of " ' for reeds and one n. ghbour to the young tnau it might be hard to Jo - >. It must be a tnu»i- at pa«< s very persistent

turn bagpipe maker, and if this Mozart devotes as much labour and time to acquiring a mastery of his instrument as he has to its construction I should not wonder to hear of trouble in that neighbourhood.

The “amenities of journalism” stHl flourish in the smaller centres of rhe colony. This from a Gisborne journal:—“lt is a pity rhe intellectual superiority of my highly-esteemed journalistic brother is not made apparent in respectable English. Really I am inclined to think he might be more successful in his efforts if the creations of his unparalleled magnificent brain were expressed in Dutch. That, however, is only an idea. In this Instance he tells us; 'The opinion is also expressed that was the worth of these lands known, every available acre would soon find an owner.’ Now. although we are told that the subjunctive mood is fast disappearing, there are times when an imperfect indicative creates as much havoc as a bull in a ehina-shop!"

At the sittings of the Supreme Court at Auckland this week a curious mistake occurred. An elderly man named George Plowman was- called when the jury were being chosen, and. being challenged, was told to stand down. He did so. but. being somewhat hard of hearing, misunderstood the instrnetion. and on the jury retiring he joined their nnmber. making thirteen instead of the orthodox dozen. After an hour's deliberation “the twelve good men and true.” with the interloper, made their appearance in Court with a verdict of "guilty." It was only when they filed into the jury box that the extra man was discovered. and His Honor severely asked how there came to be thirteen jurors. No answer was forthcoming, the men having been, it would seem, unaware of the fact till it was pointed out to them. Nor could Bis Honor find out by questioning who was the intruder. Finally the name* had to be read out, and then the matter was made plain. But the Plowman incident cost the Court a good deal of valuable time, and put the jury to a lot of useless trouble.

It would seem that the Inferest in the South African war has died out not merely among us stay-at-home colonials, but also among those of our number who have the stimulus of actual fighting to rouse them. Or why is it that the Sixth Contingent, who have just been six months in Africa, are wanting to get back home again ? As one imagines the intrepid contingenter, he likes nothing better than fighting; only give him plenty of it. But it upsets ali our conception of him to find that after a brief halfyear in the field he is sighing for the ease of his native land. I scarcely wonder that the Imperial authorities don't quite see the force of granting the contingent's request to be sent home again so soon. We shall see what Mr. Seddon will do in the matter. The Sixth have appealed to him The scenery at the Okere Falls (13 miles from Rotorua) was some time ago well known for its beauty, and the river banks a favourite resort for picnicking parties: but. alas! the ruthless hand of man cut away all the beautiful, shady bush, trees and ferns which overhung the banks at the Vpper Fall, oo make way for an up-to-date electric light plant! Groans of horror ro=e from picnickers at such devastation (although they may now be heard extolling the electric light): but they will be glad to hear that a road is to be made front Okere Fallto the Lower Fails, about a mile further down. These are almost as beautiful as the falls proper, arid theve is a beautiful bit of bu-h near by, and an ideal spot for picnicking.