The Week in Review.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 17, 26 April 1911, Page 1

The Week in Review.

NOTICE. The Editor will be pleaaed to receive for consideration Short Stories and Descriptive Articles, illustrated with photos, or suggestions from contributors. Bright, terse contributions are wanted dealing with Dominion life and questions. Unless stamps are sent, the Editor cannot guarantee the return of unsuitable MSS. The Libraries’ Association. LIBRARIES are no longer the exclusive possession and resort of a small lettered class. The spread of education has brought about the free public library. In all our large towns, and in most of our smaller ones, the ’best literature is available to everyone free of cost. This means that a great responsibility is cast on those who are entrusted with the management of our large libraries. They have to select the books best fitted to instruct, to interest, and to amuse that vague, undefined mass known as the general public. The responsibility of the librarian’s office was ably dealt with by Mr. T. W. Leys, in the course of his presidential address. At the conclusion of his speech he said: “But librarians who are worthy of their office are here as something better than ■the representatives of the dry mechanism and technique that are inseparable from the successful working of any craft or Organisation. They stand on higher ground and command a loftier view. They may look for inspiration across the ages to an order of men who, century after century, have acted as faithful guardians of the accumulative wisdom of mankind. They may add nothing of their own to this priceless treasure; and lay no claim to eminence in the spheres of Science, of Literature, or of Statecraft; yet it is true that they stand between the world’s master minds, and the people who have inherited and profited by the fruits of their genius. In disbursing the large sums of money which are now rightly being spent upon public libraries, they may create great stores of learning, invaluable to the people of to day, and a splendid legacy to posterity, or they may accumulate mere literary rubbish heaps, the greater part fit only for the city destructor. Every librarian who rightly appreciates his office must feel that he is weighted with a grave responsibility. No amount of fretting over details of administration should Obscure this view of the essential nobility of his calling. Removed from the whirr of city life, in the quiet of his room, uncheered by the public plaudits, yet conscious of the magnitude of his task, he stands among municipal administrators as the one. whose labours will affect future generations for good or ill in larger measure, perhaps, than the work done by any other civic officer.”

Rare Books. A librarian is supposed to be omniscient on all subjects relating to books. People consult him as to the best fiction, the best works on technical subjects, the value of books they have at home. They often ask for a book, of which they have forgotten the name, and the only clue they offer is some vague incident they remember as being related in the book. They ask where particular poems, or even particular lines, may be found. Nothing is more difficult than correctly judging the value of a book. Many people are under the delusion that any book is valuable if it is old. As a matter of fact only 'books printed before 1500 have any exceptional value on account of their age. • Among rare books may be reckoned the Cutenburg Bible, published about 1455. In 1825 a copy sold for £lO9 10/. To-day it is valued at £ 10,000. The Mainz Psalter, dated 1457, is said to ibe worth a similar sum. Caxton’s Troy, the first edition of Chaucer the first edition of Malory’s “Morte d’ Arthur,” and the first folio Shakespeare are all worth between three and five thousand pounds. An autograph will often raise the value of a book. Bunyan’s copy of Fox’s “Book of Martyrs,” is valued at £BOOO, though an unautographed copy may be obtained for about £l5. How rapidly a book may rise in value is shown by the fact that a Kilmarnock edition of Burns was sold for £572 in 1898, and for £lOOO in 1903. Very rare books so seldom come into the market that it is impossible for the most expert judge to correctly appraise their value. J* Biding on Footpaths. We have received a lengthy communication from Councillor Muir, in reference to persons riding on the footpaths, Councillor Muir is a member of the Miramar Borough Council, and recently had a difference of opinion with the Mayor as to his right to speak on the subject of riding on the paths during the passing of the borough acounts. Mr Muir contends that he was quite in order in bringing up the subject when he did, and says that the Mayor, “who evidently does not know how to conduct the affairs of the council,” refused to listen to him. He encloses a clipping from a local paper to show that his action was approved of by “One of the Mothers.” It looks like a case of the City Mothers and the City Fathers being at variance on the matter. We quote verbatim a pasage from Councillor Muir's letter on the action of the Mayor. “You say the Mayor commanded me to sit down, he has no right to command me or any other councillor to sit down. 1 have just as much right to speak ns he has, when I am in order, and so long as I am a Councillor, will maintain that right, because a man is in the chair and says a certain thing (when that is wrong), you surely don’t expect me to sit silently on the subject.” He goes on to say that the Mayor had no right to say that the ranger should sleep on the footpath to protect it, as he had not asked for that. It would seem that differences have existed before between Councillor Muir and the Mayor, which the Councillor attributes to the Mayor's want of knowledge on the correct way of conducting borough affairs. We trust the councillor will instruct the Mayor on the proper performance of his duties; but it

seems as if the Mayor cannot stand the councillor standing, and the councillor cannot stand the Mayor sitting. It is probably a mutual misunderstanding. JC The Value of Humour.

A sense of humour is one of the most precious possessions a man can have. Yet how few possess it. In his admirable introduction to Robertson’s sermons, lan Maclaren points out how deficient this great preacher was in a sense of the ludicrous. Robertson was bitterly attacked by those whom the writer describes as being “too unspiritual to be Evangelical, too stupid to be Broad Church, and too bad mannered to be High Church —men with a poisonous sting and a special antipathy to original and elevated thought.” He deplores the fact that Robertson allowed himself to be worried by nonentities instead of treating their attacks as a merry jest. To us, of course, there is something intensely funny in the idea of a man of Robertson’s abilities being annoyed by the attacks of such people. Mr Dawson, in his “Makers of Modern Prose,” says that “Roberston was the victim of that intensely spiteful fopn of hatred which is peculiar to the clerical mind,” and he goes on to show how really humorous the situation was. Yet just because he had no sense of humour, this greatest of thinkers and preachers died at the age of thirty-seven, worn out by matters only worthy of laughter. To use the words of Dean Liddell, “he brought out the garden roller to crush a snail.” The Salt of Life. How often the sting would be taken out of controversies, if we possessed Ibo kindly' humour of some famous clerics. Take the case of the vicar, who, when he had been snubbed by Mrs Tait, passed it off by saying “it is only a case of tete monte.” And how that soubriquet stuck. When Dr. Whewell was urged to make attendance at chapel compulsory, on the ground that the choice lay' between “compulsory religion and no religion,” he replied that the distinction was so subtle that his mind was unable to grasp it. Another cleric completely disarmed an opponent by saying that he made his points like a Jew or a Bishop, by hook or by crook. Huxley’s historic reply to Wilberforce is too well known to quote, but Canon Ainger was very neat in his reply to critics who complained that bis sermons were 100 intellectual “It reminds me,” said the Canon, “of a boy' who had been flicked with a whip by the driver of a ’bus, and who ran

after the 'bus and pinched the conductor’s leg.” A subtle humour has done more to mitigate the acerbity of controversy than anything else, and it is a pity we do not cultivate it more. It is the saving salt of life. 0* J* A Satirical Judge. Satire has often done more to bring about reforms than many pages of argument. The establishment of the Divorce Court was due to an exceptionally brilliant piece of satire on the part of Mr Justice Maude. He was trying a case of bigamy, and addressed the prisoner thus: “Prisoner at the Bar,” said the satirical judge, “.you have been convicted before me of what the law regards as a very grave offence, that of going through the marriage ceremony a second time when your wife was still alive. You plead in mitigation of your conduct that she was given to dissipation and drunkenness, that she proved herself a curse to your household while she remained mistress of it, and that she had latterly deserted you ; but I am not permitted to recognise any such plea. You say' you took another person to be your wife, because you were left with several young children, who required the care and protection of someone who might act as a substitute for the parent who had deserted them; but the law makes no allowance for bigamists with large families. Had you taken the other female to live with you as your concubine, the law would never have interfered with you. Your crime consists in having—to use your own languagepreferred to make an honest woman of tier. Another of y'our irrational excuses is that your wife had committed adultery', so that you thought you were relieved from treating her with any’ further consideration; but you were mis taken. The law, in its wisdom, points out a means by which you. might rid yourself from further association with a woman who has dishonoured you; but you did not think proper to adopt if. 1 will tell you what that process Is. You ought first to have brought an nc tion against your wife’s seducer, if you can discover him; Hint might have cost you money', and you say you are a poor working-mail, but that is not. the fault of the law. You would then be obliged to prove by' evidence your wife's criminality in a court of justice, and thus obtain a verdict with damages against the defendant, who was not unlikely to turn out a pauper. But so jealous is the lew (which you ought to bo aware is the perfection of reason) of the sancity of the marriage tie that, in accomplishing all this, you would only have fulfilled the lighter portion of your duty. You

must then have gone, with youi Verdict in your hand, and petitioned the House of lairds for .1 divorce, it would have cost you, perhaps, five or six hundred pounds, but you du not seem to •* worth so many pence. But it is the boast of the |pw that it. is impartial, and makes no difference lietween the rich and the poor. The wealthiest man in the kingdom would have to pay no less a sum for the same luxury. You would, of course, have to prove your ease over again, and at the end of a year, or possibly two, you might attain a decree which would enable you legally to do what you have thought proper to do without it. You have thus wilfully rejected the boon the Legislature offered you. anil it is my duty to pass upon you such sentence as I think your offence deserves, and that sentence is that you be imprisoned for one day, and, inasmuch as that day was yesterday, the result is that you will be immediately discharged.”

This brilliant piece of satire attracted so much public attention that Parliament was quickly forced to place divorce laws on a more equal basis

The East Coast Railway. VVe look for great benefits from the tour of the Parliamentary party through the East Coast district. This district, if provided with a good railway, might easily become one of the most valuable areas in the North Island ami carry a large population. As it is. the valuation of the three ridings lying between Taiiranga and Waihi is well over a quarter of a million, and the population exceeds IQ,OOO. The country behind the coast, along the Bay of Plenty, includes some of the richest lands in New Zealand. The potentialities of the district are enormous. The bulk of this land would make good grazing, and even on small holdings good livings could be made. The country is well watered by beautiful streams and situated ideally for dairying purposes. In addition to this, there, are no engineering difficulties whatever presented between Waihi and Tauranga. In the opinion of most of the members of the Parliamentary party, the railway from Waihi to Tauranga should be made without delay, as the line, would promote settlement and soon be a profit-earning concern. We sincerely hope that effect will be given to their views. J* John Bull and Co. A writer from Wellington objects to our statement that England paid £7,614,029 for five men-of-war. He contends that this sort of statement “makes John Bull the senior partner in the firm, stick out his chest with pride,” and says that the junior members contribute their fair share of the cost of every British ship. He suggests that we should use the word “Britain” instead of “England.” We are obliged to inform our correspondent that the use of the word "England” in such ease is not made 'in its insular, but its Imperial sense. When Dean Fitchett wrote his four volume history "How England Saved Europe,” he did not imply that Englishmen, to the exclusion of all Britain and Ireland, aloffe were responsible for that alleged achievement. Nelson’s famous signal at Trafalgar did not mean that only Englishmen and not the Scotch or Irish, were expected to do their duty. Apart from a misconception as to the use of. words on the part of our 'correspondent, he has apparently an exaggerated idea of the amount the Colonies really contributed towards these five battleships under discussion. On the basis of the contributions made by the Colonies towards the Navy at the time these ships were being built we find that their share of this £7,614,029 works out exactly at £ 152,280 3/7 and one fifth of a penny. We sincerely hope that John Bull may not stick his chest out quite so much when he grasps this astounding fact. There is not much prospect of such pride asserting itself based as it is on the lust of dollars and conquest, animating the reasonable thinking classes of England, Britain or the British Empire. Rather would we think in these days of enlightenment there is cause for blushes at so much money wasted on the implements of war whilst there is widespread suffering, poverty and unemployment in the Motherland. Parliamentary Speeches. Sir Henry Lucy in discussing the length Of speeches made in the House of CuntBrons, says Uiat it should be gratefully

admitted that the present Leader of the House, nobly seconded by the Leader of the Opposition, has done_mueh Jto stem the flood of loquacity which, more than any other .man, Gladstone was responsible for establishing as a Parliamentary fashion. Disraeli was at his best in a twenty- minutes’ spin. Allured by the example of his great rival, he upon occasion, embarked upon effort further prolonged, his speech suffering in proportion to its attenuation. Mr. Asquith, one of the most lucid, forceful debaters known to the House of Commons in modern times, rarely exceeds the limit of twenty minutes’ speech. Mr. Balfour, the other bright particular star of Parliamentary eloquence in the lustreless firmament of the day, usually finds that period sufficient for his brilliant contributions to debate. Of course this is the fruit of genius, the crown of supreme art. It is much easier to dawdle among platitudes and commonplaces for an hour than to sparkle through twenty imputes. In addition to furthering the interests of public business and enlarging the opportunity for the multitude of unofficial members to get a look in, .it would be a personal advantage for the average Paterfam. invested with legislative dignity to have his discourse peremptorily cut short. £ d». Prevention and Cure. In spite of medical teaching and education .we do not.seem to be fully alive to the value of sanitation and cleanliness In warding off disease. Our illustrations .recently showed that many unsanitary tenements stilt exist, and lyibbish is allowed to accumulate in a manner calculated to encourage rats and. to breed germs of every kind. Nothing breeds disease like dirt. Thanks to the strides made by medical science we are able to deal with infectious diseases in such a way as to prevent their spreading. The wonder is that in the old 'lays patients did not die of the cure more than of the disease. Perhaps they did. Who can say? “If a-piece of fine gold,”, says Mizauld, “or leaves of pure gold be put into the juice of lemons, and taken out of it after it has lain there a whole day, and the same juice then given to one that is seek of the plague with a little wine, and the powder of the root of angelica, or of the decoction of the same root, ’tis a marvel'to behold what' help it brings them; yea, though they be past all hope, or the thought of recovery.” In most of these cures alcohol formed a part and when the Westminster sick were isolated in “Tuttle Fields,” and fed on bread and butter, cheese and beer, the chirurgeon was fortified with two pots of ale per day, duly paid for by the parish. - ", ; J* An Insanitary VillageEven the English village /does not, seem to be the most sanitary of places. Take the ease of tlupvillage of; Thorpe, Surrey. As the result largely of PUtside; agitation, a Local Government Board in-; quiry Was-held to. inquire into the, state of the village. Evidence was given by,Mr Tom Taylor, Inspector for the National Housing and Planning Council, and .other witnesses. - ■' . W’e will give some of the facts testified to b-y these gentlemen. Comment on them is unnecessary. Analyses made of water from wells supplying forty dwelling houses (mostly small cottages). Not a single good result obtained. Sir Edward Holden stated that he had, the very day of the inquiry drawn water from one of these wells “the colour of yellow ochre” 1 Fourteen cottages contain a fifth part * of the population of over 500 people. .Not one pf these cottages contain more than two bedrooms. In these two houses the families consist of father, mothex-, and seven children. In two cases there were six children, and in six cases four or more children, in addition to the parents. In four other cottages there is one bedroom.

The general death rate for 1909 was 16 per 1,000, the infant mortality 235 per 1,000. The tenants are afraid to let their cottages be inspected, for fear of an increase in the present average rent of 4/ per week if repairs were ordered.

The owners threatened one of the, witnesses with legal proceedings for inspecting the property. Fortunately, we have nothing quite so bad as this in New Zealand, but what are we doing to prevent the accumulation of such evils in our midst!