WISE AND OTHERWISE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXV, Issue 17, 28 October 1905, Page 22

WISE AND OTHERWISE.

(By “Old Salt.”) Another attack upon the liberty of the press. .After protracted litigation in the Christ chut cli Courts between Warner’s, Ltd., and the “Lyttelton Times” Proprietary, a majority of the Kull Court decides that the thunder hatching processes of th** “Times” do disturb certain bedrooms and their contents, .and directs that, in the future, the Archimidean lever must slip its fulcrum at an hour m>t later than nine p.m. Take he<*d. ye pressmen, scribes, and comps. <)! mores! <•>! When Inspirit idii’e Are divine. Must be put out each night at nine. | The warning Curfew. Warner! Ftuni the other point of view, visitors

to Warner’s hostelry may consider t licni-v!\es upon a good wicket. An undisturbed night *s "deep is 'desirable at any time: but a man who returns to Waruey’s after the “ball,” or one who has been out on a bit of a “hat.” may well congratulate himself that '•Warner won the toss again.” 4* 4* 4» Captain Scotland, of the s.s. Kumara, which recently armed in Wellington, explained, in reply to the complaint of steerage passengers as to the quality of the food supplied on the passage, that when it was discovered that some of the provisions were bad, others were substituted. What more could the most exacting require? It is my belief that ships’ cooks spoil so much good food they do not recognise bad when they smell it. When serving, my apprenticeship in the Mercantile Marine I learned the disabilities of a haughty stomach. On “pork” days, which were, anti still are. Mondays. Wednesdays, and Fridays. when Ihe pea soup was merrily bubbling in the galley copper, with the festive pork “bobbing up ami down” in the middle of it. no matter if one were working in the cross-trees, or on a royal yard, one could detect the moment that copper lid was lifted. As we used to say. the smell was strong enough to beat up to wind’ard; but nobody “discovered the provisions were bad.” 4- 4* 5 A reminiscence occurs to me which may be some comfort to the Kumara’s passengers—it .is solacing to know that things might have been worse. When on a voyage to the East Indies the cook spoilt us youngsters by indulging us two or three times a week with that deep sea luxury, “cracker hash” —this, be it understood, is a hash in which broken biscuits take the place of potatoes; the supply of vegetables was generally exhausted about the second week out. On the return passage (from Calcutta. I remember, bound to Dine dec) no cracker hash graced our board, so a deputation, of which I was spokesman. waited upon t-he. cook, who, by the way. was a Jamaica negro of more than middle age. “Look here,. doctor, you gave us cracker hash coining out: now, we’re nearly three weeks out of the river, ami have not ..seen a plate of it. What’s the matter?” “Cawn’t make-a cracker-hash,” hr mumbled: “caw n’t break-a biscuit up. Beef all gone to .” 4* 4* 4* ’ In matters of diplomacy I do not think the Chinese have much to learn, even from their astute neighbours, the Japs. The boycott of American goods and attitude, which may fairly be classed as one of passive resistance, have wo nfor the Celestials, if not a victory ever the U.S. Immigration Restriction Mill, such a modification of the original proposals as to alter the entire situation. President Roosevelt. in his latest public utterance, says: “We come short of our duty towards China, ami ought to operate the exclusion law with ns little harshness as possible, showing every courtesy. consideration, and encouragement to the Chinese, and guaranteeing all. except coolies. the same right of entry and the same treatment as we guaranteed the citizens of any other nation.” Surely this spells peace, with honour to both parties. All that is wanted now is an authoritative ruling as to the proper and legal definition of the word “coolie.” As far as I know, from meeting Hitii as be in his. habit lives, it simply means labourer, and if. seems incredible that a democratic country will welcome to its shores the »ln<s that toil not. neither spin, and exclude 1 ho-e who arc prepared Io earn tneir bread in the sweat of their brows. While waiting enlightenment upon this point, it is interesting to note that quality, shared by the nation and the individual, the most desirable quality of - adaptability which I might illustrate by means of an anecdote. Towards the close of the civil war a Northern skipper successfully ran the blockade of a SQuthejn port with a cargo of shoe pegs, only to discover that infantry' operations, had been almost abandoned, that cavalry were bearing the brunt of Iha fighting, and consequently, shoe pegs were in a falli-ng market. Was the skipper debated? No, with true Yankee Unwdness (and adaptability) he’ set all hands to work, sharpened the blunt ends, and sold them for oatbl