GENERAL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 610, 11 October 1913, Page 2

GENERAL.

Ex-President Roosevelt, accompanied by his wife, his son Kermit, and six scientists, have left on a tour of the South American States. Mr Roosevelt delivers lectures at the universities there and subsequently leads an expedition on behalf of the American Mußeum of Natural History, which will thoroughly explore the River Paraguay, returning in the spring of 1914.

A Dunediii solicitor, now settled in ttie North Island, writes to a contemporary: —"The land speuclator is not the curse that some people would lead you to believe. To my mind, and I am judging by results, ha is one of the biggeßt and most important factors in the development of the country. We have not onp, but many places, here to-day where this has been shown, and where, if we had waited for the Government to help us, we 'Would, instead of having Bmall farms with good road frontages, have large areas from which, practically speaking, no return would be derived.

Sir Almroth Wright, M.D., has published a book entitled "The Case Against Woman Suffrage" elaborating the arguments of his famous letter. He states that the woman voter in the colonies was only a pawn in the game of politics of the opportunist politicians, who had enfranchised her. Moreover, there was no woman's question in tha colonies. Engilsh women who are'threatened with starved and frustrated lives can emigrate, and go to a humDler social class, where they may earn their living and possibly become mothers.

Various contests have been held to decide who is the greatest man, and the most public spirited man in Australia, but we do not remember having seen any plebiscite taken to decide who is the man the biggest "cheek" in Australia. A writer in the October issue cf "Life" magazine says that if such a contest were held a certain press photographer of Sydney would hecome an easy first; ard certainly the stories he tells of hid photographer's actiievements indicaate that he possesses not only the "cheek," but the other essentils, in the make-up of successful press photographer. Other conspicuous features which might be mentioned Bre: A fine serial story, called "The Valley of the Moon," by Jack London; a realistic description of the process of forcible feeding, contributed by' Miss Sylvia Paknhurst herself; fl clear and forceful exposition of the Higher Criticism aqd its perplexities by Dr Fitchett; an 3 a strong story of Western life. The instalment of the diary of Captain Scott which is published in this number describes with most interesting detail the life of the party during their winter in the frozen land, and gives details of the wonderful journey to Cape Crazier carried out by Wilson, Bowers, and Cherry-Garrard —an expedition described by Scott as "ona of the most gallant in the history of Polar exploration." In addition to these special articles, the regular departments of "Life" are strongly maintaned.

"I am an old man and in my 75th year," * said Archbishop Redwood, ''and they say that old men like to speak of the past." His grace proceeded to relate some incidents of his boyhood just as the memories came back to him, he said. He came here in 1842, the youngest son of a large family. The voyage but from London occupied six rrfSnths. His first contact with New Zealand soil was a striking one, for boylike, getting into mischief, he fell into the hold of the ballast which had replaced the cargo brought out, The family settled in Nelson, living for six months in a tent. Then bis Grace's father built, what for a long time, was the finest house in the district, though it was made of mud, gravel, and clay. They lived on the products uf the chase, quail, pigeons, ar.d ducka, then™ so very plentiful that no or>e would have thought they could ever become scarce. He recalled how hia mother, seeing a New Zealand daisy on first landing in Nelson, said to hiß father, "See what a beggarly country you have brought me to. It can t even grow a decent daisy." But she lived to see grapes grown in the open air. At first the only fruit they had were Cape gooseberries, but before long they planted a fine orchard of apples, peaches, etc. He recalled the first wheat field planted by hia father. Th<- wheru hi;:hor than o head- and yielded tUi bushels to'?he acre. Taoi .war wheat went u>< i.o 10;' a hasiioi. 'Hic-ce iiini uvrLit ip ;',;d nri; I eoiuiiuove; 2 thr.t time, aii tiio gvassnoppeis. : ;,;ider:", and oii'tv inseets had been . -,y lhe- drilled nird;-. awi :»»pv oi ! tiie e bin:? v.Tia » ;d:v."