THE CHANGING SCENE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 821, 21 May 1910, Page 7

THE CHANGING SCENE.

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW. (By M.C.K.) Tho successful passage of tho earth through the comet's tail gives us another 75 years of life, and there is therefore ample timo for tho public to finish reading Sir Joseph Ward's Winton speech. Tho news received by cablo this week of the death of various centenarians will probably direct fresh attention to the fact that if ono would live long one must avoid becoming a member of this very unhealthy class. From The Dominion of a date in 1986: "Although there have been many remarkable changes since the last visit of the comet to the sun, thero are some particulars in .which no considerable alteration is apparent. Our readers will be interested .to know, for example, that the completion of the dock, which was decided upon by the City Council last week, was being pushed on in 1910, during the Premiership of Sir Joseph Ward; a native of Victoria, who scorns to have been largely responsible for the building of the 'Dreadnoughts,' ono of which has for fifty years been doing duty as ono of tho petrol hulks of the Antarctic Airship Company. It was this Ward, by the way, who proposed that the national debt should bo extinguished in 1985. Those who have seen with concern the growth of tho debt to £2,000,000,000 will agree with us that it is a lamentable thing that later generations of politicians ■ have been tho exact'opposite of that prudent and farseeing man, who, if at times he was unwisely persistent in reducing the cost of government below a reasonable figure, was yet inspired by the truest patriotism in his zeal to save every penny possible. The Independent Labour party, which has now ten members in Parliament, had only two members in 1910. Tho recent discovery of ruins on the shores of tho Waitomata Harbour appears, as our readers are aware, to establish beyond all doubt tho existenco of a city of somo magnitude. Professor Jones's theory may now be considered finally disposed of. It will be remembered that the professor, in his' famous work on the subject; propounded the notion, that 'Auckland' and 'Auckland indignation' woro figures of speech, used in the philosophy of the time as tho embodiment of tho attitude which wo now call 'the screeching negative. . That Auckland was a real city seems undoubted. Who knows but that when the comet again visits us there may again bo a city in the North ?• . . . Upon-the whole, it will be seen that our great-great-grandfathers were in some respects very intelligent indeed, despito tho fact that, following tho then Primo Minister's lead, they believed that tho comet revolved about Wellington."

Various events in , the past week or two have combined to deprive the public of those series of interviews, with public porsons which are essential to a wholesome reading diet. Occasion is, therefore, . taken hero to inform tho public of the views of various representative'citizens upon the allegation,, made at ono of the Teachers' Conferences, that the English language is not spoken here. Sir Joseph' Ward said there was only one point he wanted to deal with. The gentleman who had raised the question had said that "tho New Zealander had been at woTk improving his mother tongue by speaking it with a voico and an accent that would stamp him at Home as an 'illiterate and vulgar' person." To this he gave an emphatic denial. There were croakers everywhere, and ho was nearly tired of pointing out that there was no hierit in refusing to make experiments. Because tho Englishman talked English, that was no Teasou why the New Zealander should not advance on tho old models, and, adapting himself to the demands of progress, strike out on a line of his own. The English talked hero was greatly improved since tho Government took office. To say that tho country had deteriorated was absurd. He was convinced that tho Now Zealander's accent was purer than that of any other class in tho Empire

, Sir Robert Stout said-the Now Zcalander's accent was a great encouragement to those who, like himself, believed that we bred a finer race hero than anywhere. Ho had often felt, when called upon to sentence a nativeborn New Zealander to a term of imprisonment, that tho accent of the prisoner was incompatible with criminI ality. .

Dr. Findlay said lie could not speak of the Now Zealand accent with any authority. He only knew New Zealanders as listeners to his lectures.

Tho Rev. Dr. Gibb made a long statement in denunciation of tho tram-con-ductor's occasional corruption of the phrase "Faro, please" into "Keeaow!"

The Hon. D. Biiddo, when questioned, replied: "Has the New Zealand accent deteriorated? I do not think so. We certainly have had wetter winters, but then the summers have been particularly dry,- and tho rainfall is nearer normal than formerly. At any rato, tho crops are better than ever. No, on tho whole I 1 should- say tho accent of this country is peculiarly siiitablo for onion-growing and sheep-breeding, and, in a smaller measure, for indoor amusements."

It is reported that, despite tho efforts of the Churches, tlie San Francisco authorities have declined to interfere with the holding of the fight between Johnson and Jeffries.—Cable item.

Tho hulk of the newspaper-reading public has doubtless noticed during the past few wei-ks the extraordinary activity of -Mr. Gunsoii, the President of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. You can't escape him. His views, his telegrams, his statements, have been printed with a, fullness that would not be inadequate if ho were Shakespeare. His zeal for Auckland's well-being is stupendous:.lie never sleeps, but works right on, apparently, issuing remarks and telegrams, conducting controversies with all sorts of people', defending Auckland with a ferocity and verbosity without examplo anywhere. Ho bobs up on every page. Auckland has never had such a defender against tlio machinations of 'Wellington. In order to satisfy the public craving, we print tho official diary of Auckland happenings for next week: We breathe again: tho awful strain, Tho Jtccn Buspcnfo is o'er, And every eport who cadly thought They'd up and slop the war Will 'loudly cheer to know he'll hear Tho sound he's hoping forTho shattering crunch an Jcffrics's punch Gets homo on Johnwn's Sa\y. Wo do not bl.ime tho cry of "Shame! A brutal game!" but then Our point of view is lost unto .The reverend ecntlcmen: We' don't love gore, we'!! want no more Jn the way of puirdom when Jim's loft iiics tree_ end tho refcrco Counts slowly up'to ton.

If tho Churches' might had stopped tho fight In millions we would molt From tho muster rolls of the Christian souls,

For oach sport would sure have felt There was somcthiiiß wrong with a creed tlia.t, long Established, yet had dealt Mankind the blow of lcttnpr tho low filucl; bloke retain tho belt.

Monday.—Mr. Guiison will discover a plot to havo Now Zealand turned upsido down in order that Auckland may not be able to claim that it i's nearer to London than Wellington. Ho will frustrate it.

Tuesday.—Telegrams will be sent every thirty seconds, from 8 a.m. until midnight, by Sir. Gunson to tho Prime Minister pointing out the absurdity of mistaking barber's rash for • bubonic plague

Wednesday.—Tho Auckland papers will interview Mr. Gunson on the following subjects:!—Tho British political situation, tho best method of removing grease stains from soup ladles, the prospect ■of war in tho Balkans, tho New Theology, tho Johnson-Jef-fries battle, the writings of Dionysus of Halicarnassus, and the deleterious character of the atmosphere south of Tokaanu.

Thursday.—Four plots arranged by Wellington residents will be- discovered and frustrated by the world-renowned plot-buster, Mr. Gunson, who will lecture in the evening on Plot-Busting, and sit for his thirty-ninth statue. Tho City Council will change tho name of Auckland to Gunsouville.

Friday.—Mr. Gunson will keep on happening according to circumstances. Tho usual Gunson editions of the "New Zealand Gunson" and tho "Auckland Gunson" will not appear, their place being taken by the issue from each office of the ton volumes of the ''Collected Telegrams and Remarks ef Mr. Gunson, with a Chapter on PlotBusting." Saturday.—After attonding to the sunrise and the morning tide, Mr. Gunson will be interviewed on tho following topics:—How to Gunson, Why Auckland leads, Microcephalous Wellington, .To-day's; Plots, Kipling on Auckland, Modern Music, the Queen Street sewer, London and other suburbs. In the evening an indignation meeting will be addressed by Mr. Gunson. Sunday.—Sermons by Mr. Gunson at aft the city churches.