RANDOM REMARKS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 430, 13 January 1912, Page 6

RANDOM REMARKS.

By "Onlooker."

I have always been led to believe that bowla was a game which permitted of any quantity of sociability, and a certain amount of play, besides being excellent training for budding contortionists. lam free to confess that such a diagnosis of the complaint is open to correction at the hands of those who have studied it intimately. Even the most amiable of us have our prejudices, and the person who ambles gently along the line of latest resistance in framing an opinion about such an apparently innocuous complaint as bowls is apt to be brought up with a jolt delivered from an unexpected quarter. Preconceived ideas are invarably based on prejudice, and fundamental principles are unfortunately subject to the same weakness at times.

All this goes to show that human nature is weak, and prone to err. However, there is a very virulent type of the bowling disease which is particularly obnoxious to the public at large. When a bowler reaches a certain pitch of proficiency in what he terms the "art," he swaggers broadly and blatantly on the green, and teaches his clubmates how to shoot. That is. if he is of the blatant type. If he be not blatant, he is obnoxious in some other manner, and scorns to consult the goddess of the pavilion in company with the man who cannot "draw the ahem I, mean "shot." Occasionally, however, I rejoice to record, the high and mighty become reduced, the bladder is pricked, the bubble reputation explodes and the dignity, which preened and strutted before the public in general, falls to mother earth with a sickening thud.

The foregoing is introductory to an incident which occurred recently in Te Kuiti, and deals in generalities. Facts, however, have to be faced by all, notwithstanding their stubbornness. They have, moreover, to be treated with care, and manipulated so that they do not distort history, or pave the way to a libel action. People are said to be unable to get away from facts, which serves to indicate that anything more than an academic acquaintance with them may prove uncomfortable for all parties concerned. Another objectionable feature about facts is that they are regarded by many inexperienced people as fixed and permanent quantities, and as immutable as the laws of the Medes and Persians. Having merely a journalistic acquaintance with facts I forbear to pa3s an opinion further than to assert that they probably have their uses in the world. But so has the übiquitous and energetic flea, according to some misguided people. We have always to remember that what are facts to some people are to others merely something upon which to base a romance.

Much could be written about romance if one had not to deal with bald facts. Which brings us back once more to the bowling incident. Every club has its crack team, and upon that team devolves the honour of upholding the prestige of the club on home and foreign soil. Recently the Te Kuiti team journeyed afar, and, fired with the recollection of past heroic deeds, fought nobly to uphold the honour of the loved ones left behind —aye, struggled to the very last drop. At least they said they did, and when they returned their swagger was not abated, nor was their prestige appreciably dimmed. But they had reckoned without Dad, who had stopped at home to practice, and coach some colts to draw the shot, and to drive with unerring precision. The hook, cross-counter, and swerve wjere also not forgotten, while footwork was brought to perfection. The veteran detected a hollow note in the vapourings of the tourists; and when tfce time was ripe hurled the battle gage into the rink, and defied the cracks to death or glory. The gage was accepted and the battle duly waged. The result, moreover, was never in doubt. The veteran and his colts won handsomely, and simplified the work of the Selection Committee jt choosing teams for future events. There is a moral in the story, which bowlers will not fail to perceive. Personally, I refrain from comment. It would be cruel.

Joking apart, however, there is a side to the question which should have the earnest consideration of the club authorities. If the facts set forth are as stated, it is evident the wrong men are being chosen for important fixtures. This is a matter which should be remedied without delay.

Mr Jellicoe may safely be numbered among the band termed irrepressibles. He is never content unless he is in the limelight with a grievance to ventilate. His recent diatribe against the Socialistic wave has brought forth replies from the High Commissioners of the Commonwealth and New Zealand in defence of the political systems of the countries referred to. The gentlemen who replied to the outburst of Mr Jellicoe were content to confine themselves to facts and figures and allowed the force of argument to appeal to the sweet reasonableness of the public. The reply of a lady to Mr Jellicoe was not quite so considerate and taunted the critic with being a political reject. Public sympathy will be with the lady in this instance. The only way to stop a certain brand of irrepressible is with an axe or a feminine argument.

"There is nothing new under the sun," was chronicled many ages ago and as nobody has arisen to demonstrate that the statement is wrong it may be along with other remarks which have been scattered by sages all time 3. Still man is very much a present-day person, and interpreting the ordinary vernacular in the usr»' Benee there is rouch that is new

in recent happpnings. There is alao more than sufficient to justify the wildest flights of imagination as to what is likely to happen. To the staunch Government supporter in New Zealand the fact of Mr Maasey defeating Sir Joseph Ward at thr. polls is sufficient to make him wonder at the blindness of the public in general. Still, Masseys have bsen beating Wards and Wards have been overturning Masseys in our Empire politics since Parliaments were first created. Moreover, it is sincerely to be hoped the process will continue,for therein lies our strength and the hope of democratic progress.

In other parts of the world upheavals of a more drastic nature have been occurring. Portugal justified its claim to civilisied Christianity by shipping its monarch quietly out of the country and sitting up Labour Government without bloodshed. A little drama is being enacted at Tripoli, which will doubtless alter the world map. But it is in the East that we have to look for the real and actual upheaval of a nation. Whether such nation is in its death throes or its birth agony, has yet to b3 determined, but in any case the result is sure to exert a widespread influence on the world. To the western world the spectacle of the unchangeable Chinese Empire transformed into a republic is something too stupendous to contemplate. We are accustomed to regard the quiet, unostentatious Chow as quite a side issue in the scheme of the universe. In our country he is a tireless grubber of the soil, an industrious plier of laundry tools, or a sphinx-faced purveyor of oranges ana bananas. We shall probably get to know him better when the teeming millions of him are unleashed from the bondage of caste and ignorance. We have seen just now how he can fight, we know how he can work. What other attributes are enwrapped in that brown-3kir.ned anatomy the wor'd has yet to learn. Moreover, it is safe to predict that for such knowledge the world will not have long to wait. This is the age of progre&s and the East is gallopping to overtake the West.

The political situation is full of possibilities, and speculation may reasonably be indulged in by other 3 than Mr Payne, the newly-elected member for Grey Lynn. By the way, Mr Payne now claims to be a humourist and justifies nis claim to the premiership on humourous grounds. There are many brands of humour and the man who claims distinction on the grounds that sees the funny aspect of a question when such is hidden from less favoured mortals, can safely be classed as a humourist of the unconscious tpye. He may, 06 course, be that rare exotic type cherished of the gods, but appearances are against him. I wouldn't even accuse him of being Scotch.