OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 8, 22 February 1911, Page 4

OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

. WELLINGTON, February 18. The Massey-" Times" Libel Case. THE rights and liberties of political cartoonists are clearly vindicated by the verdict of the jury in the libel action brought by Mr. W. F. Massey, M.P., against the “New Zealand Times.’’ The now-famous cartoon depicted the Opposition Leader, back-view, driving a donkey labelled “Ananias” drawing a wagon loaded! with all sorts of political scurrilities, and the labels on the wagon-load, the plaintiff averred, connected him and his party with the distribution of the slanderous pamphlet recently circulated against Sir Joseph Ward. The jury decided that it was Mr. Massey who was represented in the cartoon, but that the picture was simply a political cartoon, and was not libellous. So Mr. Justice Chapman entered up judgment in favour of the “Times,” with costs against Mr. Massey. The costs, by the way, will amount, it is said to £5OO or £6OO. The result of the case is the severest slap in the face the Opposition has had for a long time past—for it eannot be disassociated from politics—and even the “Dominion,” usually so indignantly voluble when its friends are hard hit, hadn’t a single word to say in its leader-columns about the case the morning after the verdict was given, though it found courage to speak a word or two this morning. The "Times,” on the other hand, had a little erow over its victory, as was only natural, but it generously refrained from jumping on Mr. Massey when he was down. On the contrary, it held out the glad hand of reconciliation, and assured him that it never did in any way intend to discount his personal integrity in the matter of the “Black” pamphlet. The victory of the “Times” was very largely due to the acumen and eloquence and adroitness in cross-examining witnesses of Mr. S. Solomon, K.C., who had been brought up from Dunedin to conduct the case for the defendants. Mr. Solomon pulled his clients out of a costly hole very skilfully. The Court was Crowded with spectators during the two days the trial lasted, and the political issues involved gave it great zest for those interested in Parliamentary squabbles. There were some humorous interludes, too. Even his Honor, the learned judge, must have his little joke. It was about Ananias. In the cartoon, he said in his summing up, Ananias was represented as a debased-looking donkey, “My own recollection of Ananias," said his Honor, “is that he was an unbusiness-like business man, who prepetuated a piece of business by means of a sordid be. We are accustomed to hear the term used to describe not merely a liar, but one who is a sordid liar. Ananias was net hitched to a horse; he was hitched to a wife.” Which elicited respectful laughter. Mr. Massey has not taken the verdict in silence. His counsel has given notice of motion for a new trial, on the ground that the judge misdirected the jury by directing them that they might disregard the evidence of the witnesses as to the interpreation by such witnesses of the eartoon or words which formed the alleged libel: and by otherwise wrongly diverting them; that the verdict was against the weight of evidence, and that the finding of the jury was not a verdict for the defendant company. This application is to Ire heard by the Supreme Court next Tuesday, the 21st inst. The Draught and the Bush Fires. A smoky haze has hung over the citv for the last week or so, due to the bush tires up country and across Um Strait, in the Sounds country. The whole country looked heat-pari-hed and dry. Early this morning, however, a very light drizzling min set in. and one hope* it will increase, Mr moisture is very badly needed in town gardens as well as in the dried-up farming districts. Reports come to hand from the West Coast and the Southern parts of the King Country of great damage having been done, and of unfortunate settlers sustaining heavy losses through the loss of grass, fencing, and buildings. Oily dwellers knew little of th- worries': • nd perils of those who have to fight tor their homesteads against the roar-

ing flames, wind borne from the bush. I hear of some particularly thrilling experiences on the part of the Taranaki settlers. Some of them were quite surrounded by roaring walls of fire, but managed almost miraculously to escape. One brave woman, wife of a settler of the west side of Mt. Egmont, had a fight for safety singne-handed. Her husband, Mr. F. Sole, has a farm on the Carrington-road. He fought the flames as long as he could, and then gave up the struggle through exhaustion. His house he abandoned, believing there was no chance of saving it. Mrs. Sole, who got away from the burning farm earlier in the day, left in a gig, taking with her her infant child. The flames bordered the road for a long distance, and the heat and smoke were intense. Placing the child at her feet in the bottom of the vehicle, the plucky farmer’s wife whipped the horse through to safety. She was quite exhausted when she got through to Warea township. One is glad to hear that, after all, the house was saved; the fire just failed to reach it. The Matter of the Wanganui River. From the Wanganui district I hear that the ri is exceptionally low. Navigation continues, but the only craftthat can go up beyond Pipiriki are those that would be able to go overland on a heavy dew, as the sailors say. The upriver steamers and launches continue running, but navigation of the rapidstrewn river is attended with many difficulties. And just here a matter of national importance presents itself. I am convinced, from what I know of the Wanganui River, that navigation on this grand stream will become increasingly difficult as the years go on, and may even become impossible in the summer months, unless something is done at once to stop the destruction of bush on and around its upper waters. Bush-felling is going on all over the Upper Wanganui country, and bush fires are aggravating the trouble. When will our legislators learn that this neglect to conserve the sources of water supply means ruin to the country? It is true that there are what are called “seenlc reserves” along the head-waters of the Wanganui, but these are altogether insufficient. They merely border the river banks for limited distances. What is wanted is a very careful survey of the country between, say. Pipiriki and the sources of the river, with a view to ascertaining what area of forest land should be absolutely reserved from sale or lease, for the protection of the river. It is already too late as far as much of the country is concerned, but good ean still be done—and it must be done. Neglect of this important business will be absolutely criminal. Here is the most used inland waterway in New Zealand, and the most beautiful, in danger of ruin because of the yearly thinning of the forests that hold its principal supplies of water. What will the Government do about it? The Last of the Jessie Niccol. One read with feelings of regret of the fatal wreck of the pretty little topsail schooner Jessie Niccol away down at the bleak and gale-battered Maequarries. on the road from New Zealand to the South Polar iee. To those who know ships and the sea. there is something of a pang in hearing of the loss of a familiar vessel. For a good many years past the Jessie Niccol has been engager! in Mr. Joseph Hatch’s penguin-oil hunting expeditionary work down at the dismal Maequarries. and many a hard tussle the little schooner had in those wild Southern Seas. But long before that. she traded out of Auckland to the South- Sea Islands, and along the coast she was known as one of the handsomest little vessels that sailed in and out of the Waitemata. When she was built, very nearly forty years ago—she was constructed by Mr. Nieeol at the North Shore, ami named after a member of his family—Auckland had a grand fleet of South Sea Island traders of her type. The schooner class reached its zenith in the early eighties, when there were dozens of the-e yaeht-like craft—fore and aft schooners, topsail .schooners, and brigantines—trading out of Am-kland to al parts of the Pacific, from the danges.is Solomons and New Hebrides, in the west, to Samoa and Tahiti, and the Paumotns in the East. What memories their names call up to one who knew and

admired them! To name just a few — there were such pretty schooners as the Olive, the Daisy, the fast-sailing Torea, the Agnes Donald, the Cygnet (whieh in 1884 won the £ 150 champion schooner prize at the Auckland regatta), the Three Cheers, the brigantines Ryno and Ika Vuka, the three-masted schooner Maile, the Wave of Life, and many another. Not one of these remains. I remember standing on the Queen-street wharf one afternoon many years ago watching the Jessie Niccol hauling out into the stream loaded as deep as she eould well be, with cargo of all sorts for Rarotonga. The white-painted, wellkept, 90-ton schooner was a picture of grace of lines and neatness of rig. Now she has left her bones on the rocks, like most of her companions of the olden schooner era. The New Zealand Coastal Survey. I hope to see some practical good come of the agitation which has just been set on foot here in the direction of -completing the hydrographic survey of New Zealand. Some parts of the New Zealand eoast have not been surveyed since the days when H.M.s. Pandora and H.M.S. Acheron took soundings and mapped the coast-line, more than fifty years ago. The Government is very greatly to blame for its blundering policy in regard to the coastal survey. It got rid of the services of H.M.s. Penguin, which a few years ago did excellent work accurately charting parts of the East Coasrt, explaining loftily that it would get “a boat o’ its ain,” and do the survey work itself. But the scheme didn’t pan out well at all; the Admiralty hadn’t an obsolete vessel to give away when the Government begged for one, and our rulers were forced to recognise that they would have done well to have kept the Penguin on when they had got her, and the skilled services of her officers and crew, at a very moderate annual cost. If the Government ean get the Penguin back again to the eoast, it will be very lucky. In the meantime, navigators, knowing that the coastal survey is so defective and unreliable, are considerably worried over their charts. And should accidents occur, captains will have in a good many eases a very natural defence, namely, that the rock they hit is not accurately marked on the ehart—if marked at all. Will the Minister for Marine kindly hurry up this survey! The “ Tonsorial Artist ” and. His Shop. The City Council’s new by-law in regard to hair-dressing saloons is worrying some of the local barbers considerably. Some of them say, and rightly, that they take all needful precautions, ami are far cleaner than many of their customer?. On the other hand, some of the cheaper shops are unsatisfactorily run, and require drastic by-laws for their improvement. The by-law enacts, amongst other things, that no carpets, mats or rugs will be permitted to be used; no spittoon shall be used, or placed for use in any saloon. (This is one of the principal grievances, for barbers say spittoons are absolutely necessary if they are to keep their places clean.) All tables, fittings, etc., shall be constructed of glass, marble, slate, or well-seasoned hard and polished wood, built without mouldings or crevices. The only soap used shall be liquid or powdered. Razors shall be wiped on paper only. Sponges are not permitted, except private ones owned by individual customers. No liquid or powder is to be applied except by means of a spray or elean towel. The use of machine or rotary brushes is prohibited. Every person engaged in a saloon shall wear white or other approved coats, which shall be washed at least once a week. Every attendant shall wash his hands after attending to any customer and before attending to the next. No person apparently suffering from any skin or scalp disease shall be attended to in any saloon, and no person shall expectorate on the floor of a saloon.