RANDOM REMARKS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 412, 8 November 1911, Page 3

RANDOM REMARKS.

"To place and power all public spirit tends, "In place and power all public spirit ends."

Thus sang Moore a good many years ago, and some people will question whether the sentiment embodied in the couplet does not stand as good today as in the stirring political times of a hundred years ago. However, the paths of the public man are not always rose strewn, and the average man is sometimes moved to sympathise with the person who doc.i his political work and votes the way he wishes him to in Parliament. Mr Massey only recently concluded a libel action against a well-known journal, and Sir Joseph Ward has just announced his intention of taking action against a newspaper. The Prime Minister also tendered the information he that he had in his pocket no less than half-a-dozen apologies for libel. Apparently the process became monotonous. Place and power may mean a good deal to some people, but there is a price to be paid for most things, and libel actions are rarely satisfactory to either of the contending parties. In this instance, as Mr Dooley remarks, I sympathise with both of them.

A political campaign is the means of disclosing peculiar characteristics in human nature. One. type of person is always antagonistic to the ruling power, be it what it may; another type just as naturally evinces its conservatism by supporting blindly whoever may be in office. There are many others, of course, including the party advocate who can see no virtue in any political idea unless such be promoted by his own particular party, and wants to fight the man who supports the Opposition. Of a truth it is a very mad world my masters. However, the lines of the madness were laid long ago, and all we can do to relieve the situation is to keep as close to the orthodox as possible, and by perpetuating the madness convince people we are sane. Personally I am prepared to support anything if I can escape fighting the Party advocate, or avoid the conversation of the man interested in the No-License campaign on either side.

Summer is coming, its advent being heralded by many signs and portents familiar to the observant person. For instance, at the boarding houses nets may be seen on milk jugs to prevent the inroads of the übiquitous house fly. It has always been a deep and dark mystery to me as to whether the nets were intended to catch the flys with their numberless millions of germs, or merely to catch the germs and allow the flies to escape and gather more. Germs are said to be wholesome if taken at the right time, and in the most approved manner. No doubt there is such a thing as over-doing it, and it is well to keep an antidote on hand. However, summer itself is an antidote for many things. In its train follow tennis and bcwls and cricket and fiah stories, while this year the season is somewhat overshadowed by a general election. But elections are weighty and important matters and should not be dealt with in a spirit of levity. Talking of fish stories forcibly reminds me that it is getting extremely difficult to hear of anything new and interesting performed even by the most daring and ardent weilder of the rod. A Te Ivuitian party journeyed up the line to a suburban stream on opening day, and despite the fact that there was ample material for incident in the party the trip was apparently almost bald of result. A fish or two were caught, but any selfrestiecting angler knows that the chief obj'ect of the cult is to provide suitable additions to the interesting budget of noteworthy happenings, which add such a fascinating touch of romance to the sport. A studied air of reticence pervades the atmosphere whenever allusion is made to the trip, the only incident approaching the standard of notability being something connected with the losing or mislaying of the commissariat. Fish stories usual circle round the commissariat, or the commissariat round the stories, so there is some promise in what has been divulged. When the healing hand of Time has somewhat softened the wound, doubtless the story of the fish and the commissariat will be added to the list.