Manawatu Hearald. SATURDAY, JAN. 20. 1894. The Principles of Selection.

Manawatu Herald, 20 January 1894, Page 2

Manawatu Hearald. SATURDAY, JAN. 20. 1894. The Principles of Selection.

Ox "Monday we celebrate the Anniversary ol the founding of the colony by holding a race-meeting in which the success of the horses competing dep.-nds very much upon their breed ing. luimi:nße importance, and rightly too, i3 attached as to how the horde is descended, yet in the ca?e of human beings all Jaws are utterly cast aside, and the most incongruous, mating approved nnd permitted ! iSome months ago Lady Cook took the cudgels up on the woman's view •>f the question and very clearly pointed out in strong and perhaps plain terms where the disadvantages lay. It is shown tlu»f. if l ( ,ft to Nature the fittest wouid survive, hut as things are the unworthiest in crease most rapidly. Our work houses, prisons, refuges, penitentiaries and lunatic asylums bear sad witness to these inequitable laws and customs. As our women have almost secured their freedom, thiy is a question that is worth bringing forward as there is very much in'the contention that we English are un surpassed in the art of breeding the inferior animals - from a salmon to a shorthorn, from a pigeon to a racehorse, yet we bestow more pains upon the mating of these than we do on our daughters.

The process as to the manner of selection is very much open to question, but it cannot be gainsaid that some selection is needed, and that it is possible to give effect to it. Our laws in this direction require a mr-nd ing as it is disgusting to find it j-gai for a girl to becme a wife at twelvo years of age, and a hoy a husband at a few years older. That this is no irnaginery deed we unfortunately have hud evidence in this town, and that sanctioned by the parents of thtgirl, and approved by the clergyman who performed the ceremony ! Lady Cook points out the absurd if not fraudulent assertion that the husba.id makes at the marring* ceremony wh«?n he states " with all my worldly goods I thee endow," he does nothing of the sort, if he says " I thee endowed " relating to an act he had previously done under his hand and seal before tha ceremony there would be some substance in it, but the law of the land ignores such general statements made in a holy phi ce and at a religious eeremony. and the woman believing them may soon awake to a disagreeable knowledge of the fact. It is evident that the women of New Zealand have much to do to place themselves in a similar position to man, and the sooner they begin to move in the amendment of the laws nft'eeting their sex the better it, will be In one charge made by Lady Cook we most cordially concur, and desire that the best attention should be given to her remarks, which are ♦• Mothers should encourage entire confidence between their daughters and themselves. The mother is the fittest teachpr of h«r daughtt-r. How many girh would have been spared miserable lives hud they not been cursed with foolish or mock- modest mothers." In these remarks, though

primarily affecting women as being those upon whom the chief cares of the family are placed, we would that men should understand they are nearly as much interested, and onr surcpssors still more so. Until some public method has been devised to secure soiUe eeilso of fitness in the mating of our sons and daughters, it will l)f as wpH if private consideration i.=> given to the matter. Tho eviis arising from ignoring 'aiown iaws are apparent, and the remedy is also known if not acted upon.

When is a m,iu dvunk '•> That'- the

■ . .icuJon which gpwral'y puzzles witnesses, lawyers and ihe judge. " One witness hit upon a very happy interpretation, he ;>aid he believed that so-and-so was drunk, but why ? was the qiu siiou put, and the answer seemed appropriate aud was : because sc-ap.d-fo was talking boastiagly saying he could ride seventeen hordes at oiace. If not drunk the man must have been very foolish.

It was not clear, the question was left in doubt. A witness at the Court on Thursday stated that a young man who had been on the spree and secured " a lovely black eye," feH uneasy in tli« cveniug and wanted some money for a drink The witness was heard resolutely refusing to part, and then this young man worked in his black eye to advantage ; he appealed to his Ma for a sixpence to got a raw steak to improve ihr injured optic. How he expended that coin was left in doubt.

It was stated on oath on Thursday that what was wanted was a " double-barrelled apology." It did not " catch on " with the Magistrate, and "he wanted to know you know " what that strange thing might be. He had ai explanation which tended to to obscure the matter further than ever.

The other flaxtnills at work ar» the Messrs Symon?, Mr Frank Cavtn, and Mr Bartholomew's mill at Levin, as well as Messrs tiardner raid Rutherford.

Archbishop Redwood, in a lecture at Wellington, described the Chicago Exhibition us the ' fairyland of Democracy."

Tlit colonial judiciary, appointed for life iinj composed of men of high standing, ranked, ia the Archbishop's opinion far abovu the elective judiciary of America.

Progressive euchre parties are all the rag? juc-t now, though it seems a peculiar ceuson to select for iudoor amusements.

The Wellington Resident Magistrate haß reserved his d> cision as to sending Lizzie Price, charged with infanticide, for trial.

M-chbishop R'dwood considers that ihe Chicago Exhibit ion v;as an invaluable bbjpct lesson of Catholic history to the Aiu.iicau people.

We ave sorry to learn that Mr W. H Smirl), of the Manawatu Daily Times, is still suffering from the influmza, necessitating his placing the entire control of the paper in ihe hands of Mr J. H. Russell. We trust he may soon ta e a turn for tha better, but it must be (satisfactory to him to be able to leave the management of bis paper in such capable hands.

The Rev. W. Paton has assured tha Marquis of Ripon that the labour contracts between the Queensland planters and the Kanakas are scarcely more than disguised slavery

The Russian Government ha3 demanded a ri^ht of accss to the naval stores formerly d<-posiu-d on Poros, a small island of Cheecp, at the nioath of the Gulf of .Egina, and within 90 miles of Athens.

The machines ust-d in printing the Pall Mall Gazette and Bwlgst are now run by electricity.

Tne rumor is revived (says the Pout) that during the coming Cabinet season Minis tei-s wi 1 foist some more of their support. ei-3 ou the Legislative Council, rewarding them wiih a seven years' pension at £150 a year.

The mansion and home station at the Cheviot were disposed of on Wednesday at Uhrist church to Mr H. D. Bell, who is understood to be acting for Mrs Campbell, one of the legatees in the JRobinson estate. The price is £25,000.

The pleasing intelligence is given in the advertisement iu another column that the income tax is due and payable on the last day of this month.

On Thursday morning His Worship the Mayor was du y sworn in as a Justice of the Peace during his tenure of office.

The Foxton cricketers got a dressing down by the team.

Mrs Lewis" early luncheon on Mondaynext must not be forgotten.

Wheiher right or not a resident seoured a fine salmon trout this wt-ek, which, when cooked wa9 thoroughly enjoyed It would hard y be known from the real salmon, i he fi*h was caught in the river.

The Borough Council only permitted free grazing on the roads up to Lhe end of December, but the burgpsses 6eem to have prolonged the lime by common consent and itio apathy of the ranger.

Mr i. G. W ilson has secured the visit of .Vis S«wy.;is, the dairy expert, on Tuesday, when, we understand he will give an address in the evening.

Mr Bicbard Gray announces that his rasp terry syrup, made from tiiiu season's fruit, is now ready.

We are requested to diivot the attention of our lvaders to the fact that the Annual Sale of Surplus and summer S<ock will commence at The Bon Marolie, Palmemon North, on Saturday, 13th January, and continue for 21 days. Buyero in this district will do weli to pay the Bon Marehe an t arly visit.