TOPICS of the DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 36, 11 February 1905, Page 9

TOPICS of the DAY.

1 (From Our Special Correspondent.) J LONDON , * December 3. I j LA XN iOWDOIT. I" ! '■j London's latest plnyhous<?. the - Scala. ''! stands off TottenJiam Court-road on ' the site of the old Prince of Wakes', r famous in st.ajr? annals a.= the theatre :■ in which Sir Squire and Lady Bancroft made thwir joint maTta-eerial venv tnre. Tbe conrecting link bet-nreen t thp old and the new was present at the r opening ceremony this week in the perII son of Lady Bancroft herself, who. * armed with a. key of croUl. unlocked i the doors of the new house, and made v a neat Little speech of welcome to the f roests. The S<rala, or "Staircase"* ~: Theatre, is furnished and ! decorated, and in design represents the I last word on comfort and convenience. - ! It 3 spaciousnes-s and classic dignity t strike t.ho eye at once. The entraxn:i> ( hall, vride and lotty. leads directly up jv ! a short flight of steps, to the hack of . ■ the dress circle, whence a commandt j inp view of the house is afc once obi I t3ined. Here we are face to fac« with . ! a cornpiete novelty, a novelty which . ■ moTij than justifies Dr. Haddick's con- . j te-ntion that his theatre i= without, a i " parallel: for on both side? of the r circle runs a broad rnaxble staircase. s leadinjr ro the stalls, interrupted half- „ w-ay down by. in each instance, a platj '■ form, so constructed, as to form a luxg itrious and roomy box. These two are. j indewi, the only boxes to be found in . th.p building:. Warmth and colour are \ oriven ro the marble of the interior by { the crimson carpe.ts and the seats up'nolctered in leather ot the same colcwrr. The reserved for the staLLs . ' is particularly kirsje. while tho pit ex- _ j t«n<is urrnsually far back.and has a coin- . inodious saioon and a. srran-d reception . hall, together with cloak and ret.irin<r . roonis attached to it. There are no I pillars to intercept the spectator's line \ of sight: as ti matter of fact, there is ; i not ;i seat anywhere which does IKM; ; command a perfect- and nnjnie.rruptod \ I view of the Tnc great qneei tion of supplying adequate means for lias. a'so. been most carefully i ••'tα-dierl, and in this respect the Seala h:is fprtainiy hardly a rival in Lon- ■ dan. Moreover, the bnilding:. ho-Ui be- - i focr and behind the curtain, is abso- - lately tire-proof. The -=tae<, itself c : l>cai.«t.s a depth of 60ft. and a widtti i : of likf> extent, th-e proscenium opening i ! being :i7fr across. Tho orchestra, ar- . j to be in unison with rhe re.sr of the h-ouse. is sunk, af- . ' ter the fashion of the Th-eatre. j I and ia the matter of dressin^r-rooms , , tlie comfort of the artists has been 1 generously kept in view. t i "~ ~~~~~~~~ 1 HtTMOUBS OF THE SCHOOLI BOOM. r r "The Sebcttklmaster'" is not a paper I * j affect as a rule, but one might easily I be persuaded to become a subscriber y I if that journal always contained a-s - i good readirt|- a.s that to be found ia * ! the editors collection of schoolboy ■"howLec?" in tlte carre-nt issov;. He 3 leads off with the classical exitnple of ' ; the sort of mental confusion produced. * j in Little children who learn their Scrip- ": rare out of the membs of their teac*h- " : ers and never see the words in i>lack 1 1 and -white. ?t is old certainly, havtrur i! first appeared is the report of a Com--5 mission on Elementary Education t -vvhieh sat as long ago as 1555. bat is 1 ; k jood enough to repeat. A couple I of boys were respectively asked to t write answers to these questions: , ""What is thy duty towards God?" and J "What is thy duty towards thy neighr boarr?"' Here are the answers render- ; cxi: •O'Ey duty toads Ck>d is to bleed in i Him. to feriag and to loaf witbold your arts, witiioid my twtWi witiioid

my soul, and -with my sernth* to whirchp and give thanks, to put' my old trash in Rim. to call upon Him. to onner His old name and His world, and to save Him iy-uly all the days of my life's end. - ' " "My dooty t-oads my nabers, to lov« him as thyself, and to do to all men a.~ I wed thou shall and to mc; to love otiaer, and suke my farther aad mother; to onacr and to bay the Qneen and ail that are pet in a'forty under her; to smit myself to all my gooness, I teaches. >portial pastures, and mars- • ters, etc., etc."' ; Another good story is told by a . j vicar who was asked to present'the . prizes to the successful athletes at, L some school sports. In his prefatory remarks, he mentioned that games : were* not unknown even in Scriptural , times, and asked if any boy conld ftrr- . nish a text to prove this. "Tessir." said one urchin, ''our Lord, said to a ( team of his disciples ■when they w-ere i ag-oing to play in a cricket match, "Bβware of the 'levea of the Pharisees.' a Wishing to press home the great [ dL*appaintroent of the "Man who made > ! the supper and b&de many.' , a worthy I divine appealed to his class as follows: ' , "Noff. boys, pappose your mothers had ! been making great preparations and > i had invited several friends to come '. and take tea, what do you think they c would say if on the appointed day nobody came?"' Several bays put up their hands to answer, and selecting one the 1 cierii- asked hhn: ""Well. G . what would jviiir mother aay if she were treated like this?" The boy for answer . replied: "Come on, we'll eat the k>tP Mr Macn-amara fnrnish.es some quaint definitions given in the scoooK room. Here are a few of the best: A Mediator—A fellow who says i "-pnrK-h mc instead;" ! j A Barbarian —A man who cut hair! . I A Yaeb-t —A kind of a cow. A Tory—A man that is for someone . on one sick. . I Mr Chamberlain—A man -who broke ; out among other people. A iSariner —A young man what grses . after a young woman. [ I The Luddites—Shells fired by the j Boers. > Salio Lanr— A law whiefi forbids a woman to beeomc a kxng- ,- ---i Poetry—Poetry is when every line begins »i th a capital! letter. I The Salvation Army —They tell peo- - pie about Je=usi and make collections. ' i One bright yotrth certainly deserved i well of hi= master by creating a new 1 i a.xiom. The pedagogue was esplaining " j the meaning of a,n axiom, and asked if I any boy could give one of his own. I' Promptly one youth replied, "When L ! you are in the tniddLe you are half way 1 I over." ; ' Space forbids mc to qjioLe naore from j ! Dr. Macnamara's i-ollection than a portion of a seventh standard essay ! oa what constitutes a gentleman. ; i "People think that when t j men are dressed in nice clothes they J are gentleman, but that is not the case, j a gentleman is a man who knows his manners. . -A real gentleman ought to know his manners, and also not to swear. A gentleman, might- be walking along , a street and meet a votatg lady. he would go up to her and raise his I hat, and say good evening, dear, come j along a mc; she would, and when he [ left h.«r he wonld say good-night, darr i ling, and ask her to meet him at so--5 an'-so." , "THE BEAVE POOR THINGS. , ' L A novel labour of love Waicli has an - interest beyond the iixaiced sphere in ■ which its influence Ls spread caaie under : nir notice during the week. To assist : uTe physically deformed amongst the ■ children of the London poor is the adi niirable object of rhe Guild of riie Brave ; Poor Things, which on Tuesday held its ; annual exhibition in London House, i lent for the occasion by the Bishop of London. Tbc title of the school may [ perhaps seem a little laboured, but at - any rat* h has the quality of ehalleng- ■ ing- attention, and areas ing pity. Tire i Guild maintains an Tffwalid Craft L School at Chailey. in Sussex, where afaad daaaWed eaiidrea are tao^ri

to become self-supporting, or a.t least 1 axe given an interest in life outside 1 the narrow confines of their squalid 1 homes in London. What this means to 1 those who have giren up all hope in tiie 1 future and belief in themselves may be " imagined. Old English toy-making and " quaint nursery furniture forms, foe the [ present, th-e ciiief industry for the boys; '. coverings for nuTsery fnrnituTe. curtains, fire-screens, blotters and any siat- | pie articles are executed by the girls. [The scholars become small wage-earn- ' lers'from the very first, according to ' their capacity and industry, and they ; ! are taught to understand that no inferior work can be accepted. As the school grows and funds allow, the per- ' manent members will be taught other handicrafts, by mean? of w-hich they jean ultimately become self-supporting. iAn exhibition of the children's work lis held in London even* Christmas, and kind-hearted friends buy up the toys at fancy prices in ordeT to swell the funds of the institution—the prices ranging from 5/ ior a toy tram-car, to ten. guineas for a nursery wardrobe. As the I Bishtxp of London pointed oixt. this little sdsool rs acting as a pioneer in the great work of education among crippled children, and its noble aim must command the sympathy of everyone who has given a thought to the pathos of childhood's infirmities and the brave spirit which helps these poor afflicted little ones to grapple with misfortune and rise superior to their affliction. OLD TEXTS OB NEW ? Mr Samuel Lloyd, a gentleman closely associated with the Britisi and Foreign Bible Society, has, with the assistance of others, produced a version of the Bible which appears to rest its chief claim to public favour on the fact that it is in English." The title of the work, which is to be published at an early date, is ""The Corrected English New Testament." , and it has the approval of no less a church dignitary than the Bishop of Durham. Whether it will meet with general approval remains to be seen. Undoubtedly there are portions of the Authorised Version -which might with advantage be rendered more intelligible and unequivocal in meaning, and parts winch might be rendered more felicitously. Mr Lloyd' and his helpmates appear to have made alterations which were totally unnecessary, and quite as unhappy as those which certain busybodies recently made when bringing "Hymns Ancient and Modern" up to date. To give some idea of the revision, the word "paWican," which is doubtless misleading , to the popular mind, becomes "collector." "Lawyer , is changed into "teacher of the larw." and "penny" becomes "'shilling," as being nearer the real value. A further idea, may be gained from the sentence in the Authorised Version, "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avafleth much." The Revised Version makes this, "Tne supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working." In the '"Corrected English" version we say, '"Mighty in its working is the prayer of a righteous man." With these emendations one does not feel disposed to . quarrel, bat I fancy few people will be able to discover at first glance why the text "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests" should have been meddled with, and the word : 'roosts"' substituted for "nesifcs," nor I fancy will the following alterations strike the man as being parti- ' cularly happy editorial efforts: , AtTHOSISEP VKBSTON. CORRECTED. r> generation of Brood of vipers, . vlpeas. who Iftath who warned you to ' warned you tr> fiee from the wrath flee rfrom tlip? to come. wrath to come? .{(Matt. iii. 7). . Wlioeocver s trail Whosoever shall : say. Thou fool, say, Moreh! ho will shall be in danjrer h# in danger of the ,of hell fire. (Matt. hell of fire. v. 22). If thy right ey<» If thy right eye \ offend taee, piuek ensnare thee, pluck it out. (Matt. v. 29). it out. Xd man also No one seweth a ■seweth. a pieve patch of undressed ■of new cloth on an cir.th on an old gar- ! old. garment: else meat; else the fllun? ■ j tbe new piece that taketii from it, the I filled it up taieth new from the old. away from the old. and a worse rent i " and the rent is is made. •! made worse. (Matt. . ii. 21.) - Why b*boldest Why beholdest • taon the mote thou the splinter that Is in thy which is in thy brothers eye. (Tjoke brother's eye? ' j vt. 41.) On the morrow, On the morrow he when he departed, took out two snil- ' tap took out two- lings, and save them pence, and g:x-r*t to Uie host, tltt-m to the Host. (Lake x. 33.) ■ Occupy till r Trade ye till I : came, i Lake xix. come. j My flesh is meat My flesh is true indeed. and My food, and My Wood blood is drink is true drink, indeed. (John vi. The ntwk shall The foefc will not not •.TO-α- till thou crow until tiiou lutst ! bast denied M<- disowned Me. thrice. (John xlii. j i Lo. now speaJiest J.-o. now thou i Thou plainly and spea kesf. plainly and speakest no pro- speaSest no similii John sxi. tude. 29.) I Jesrus of Naza- Jesus the Nazaretti, tlie Kso-g; of r"nc rhe King oC the Jews. i.ioiia rile Jews. . xix. 19.) And as he rea- Ajid as he dis- ! sonetl of righteous- ooursed cowprnness, temperance, in? rigineousness, and jartjrmenr to self-control, and the come, Felix trem- Jucigment tto come. Med. iAi-ts ssir. Fe!is was affrighted. ■25.) Then said Then Agrippa said ! nireo Pani. Almost ro Paul. Wltn bat thou perscKHlPst little pecsuaeioa thoa ,mc to be ;t Chris- wottWst make mc a tian. (Acts sxvi. Christian. • 28.) ' lABBYS NEW BRITISH CONSTITUTION. We have long kno-wn that our present scheme of representative government did not meet with Mr Labouchere's approval. an"d some of us have wondered whaf he would do if h? werp invested with full powers to amend it. Cα the current issue of ""Truth" ]xc. telts v≤ at. j wjiiaiderable what he uonsiders [we require, and makes ten sugge^tious ■ which may be thu:s briefly recited: (I) Triennial election of Commons. with whom all bills would origina-te. ; One-third of the members of Parliament elected every year, a ballot to decide ' who should sit for one, two, or three ■ years, so that *'if a Ministry in any ■ i year showed an abnormal iiteapacltv ior delfberately ran counter to the views jot the electorate there would be an = ■ opportunity to get rid of it." (2t The House of Lords would cease !to exist. It would be replaced by a ■ Senate constituted of members of the ■ House of Commons «ko have sat for ► twenty years,

Three ex-judges \ ' Three financial experts j Three manufacturers Elected! Three wholesale mereltanits by th« Three retail traders House Three admirals [ of Three generals j Commons Three literary men ) Three arehiteets or painters i Twelve artisans 7 2so iSenutor to hold any other post iS the public service or receive any mark: of distinction. Term of office, three years. One-third to be re-elected annually. Function* of the Senate: Disenssion of all public masters. The passing of resolutions (tpiantum valcant). Suspensory veto on bills sent np by House of Commons. Bills passed without modification to become law. If thrown out or altered to he brought up next session, when, if passed without discussion, to become law with. Royal assent. (3) Parliamentary franchise subject to three months' residence. On change of abode, transference: provided the elector has not voted for two years, proper notice to be given to the registration authorities. (4) Registration and election costs defrayed by public funds. (5)" There are at present 670 M-P.'a. Half could do better work. (6) Redistribution based upon equality. (7) Annual elections always to be held on the same day. The majority to be collective. A second election that day week, the candidates being the two at the top of the poll. (5) All members to receive £250 per annum and travelling expenses. (9) Not more than twenty members of the Honse of Commons to occupy paid posts in an administration, and the salary to be not more than £500 per annum, except in the rases of the Premier and the Foreign Secretary of State. "If people want to make money they should take to money-making," says "'"Labby." (10) The House is overworked. "Home Rule all round"' is the only true solution. We ought to have one Imperial Parliament and four local Parliaments, taking the United States as the model.