The Moving Finger

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 14, 9 June 1911, Page 6

The Moving Finger

"The Moving Finger whites ; and having writ, moves on."

Of course you enjoyed John Gilchrist's tastefully graceful appreciation of Oscar Wilde's works. That "dream" he quoted was trenchant in its pathos. "De Profundis" is full of such—infinite in its deeps. It opens out the soul. And you can now get "De Profundis" in a shilling edition. Writer is waiting for "The Soul of Man under Socialism" at the same figure. A great essay it is. * * -*

Wo count it an achievement to havo "stuff" sent to us by the justly-cele-brated author of "The Jungle." (Contrary to the vieAv and opinion of many critics, we hold that "The Jungle" Avill live. No worker's education is complete Avithout it.) Upton Sinclair's generous revieAvs on another page Avill lead to Avide enquiry for the books ho commends. Only one—alas!— is obtainable in N.Z. And yet we ought to havo on sale in this Dominion copies of "The Chasm" and " War— what for?" A conference of S.P. literature secretaries ought to result in a practical solution of the difficulty.

The June "Lone Hand" is the fiftieth number and contains an instructive article on "How the 'Lone Hand'is produced." The "Good Australians" are Chris. Watson and Dr. Mawson. An apparently sensuous f-crial is commenced. "Books worth Reading" is a department wo arc glad to welcome. The magazine in the "altogether" makes'a cheap and clever sixpennyAvorth, but lacks virility. Norman Lindsay's drawings are the feature of every number. Lmdsay is mintage of leaven. * * *

A "BookfelloAv" pa- from "Sydney Sun" :—ln London they say that H. G. Wells supplements invention with observation, and that "Ann Veronica," for example, "has more than a hint of a daughter of W. P. Reeves. The American "Publishers' Weekly" finds prototypes for the figures in ''3 he New Machiavelh." It says ihe hero, Remington 3 was modelled partly on Sir Charles Dilko's career. Like Remington, Dilke Avas in his day the* most prominent political figure in England - h like Remington, Dilke Avas Avrecked by a sexual entanglement; and, like Remington, Dilke possessed imagination and constructive ability in a degree unknown before in an English politician.

"Wells'e book has created a lot of talk in political circles in England, and a good many people feel that his character drawing has been altogether too photographic. No one can tail to identify Evesham, the leader of the New Imperialist Party, with Arthur Balfour, leader of the Tories. Crossington, the newspaper proprietor, is to the life a picture of Lord Northclrffe (Alfred Harmsworth). The Baileys, who ran an idea and brain factory for the Radical wing of the Liberal party, are Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Webb, the Fabian Socialists, aalio are doing just that in real life] and. so on all through the book. There is hardly a character m it that can't be identified with some real person in public life." But the imitations are not as close as this would suggest. Wells has merely used facts as a spring-board to fiction. * * *

"My chief feeling is that the editor is a bad editor Avho cares more for the outside of his paper than for jthe inside, more for the look of his papers than for the look of his readers," says Mr. A. A. Milne, in the "Sphere." "But, of course,- Aye all think editors are incompetent. I have several ideas of my own for the right editing of a paper. One of the most brilliant is this, that every two months, supposing the paper to be a weekly one, a number should be printed consisting of the worst contributions sent in. I think this would have a good effect; it would show readers and critics that if the paper Avas not as good as it used to be it was at least nothing like as bad as it might be."

M. P. Fisher was asked by a "Dominion reporter" what he thought of the standard of public speaking in Australia ; his ansAver is interesting : "Per haps," he said, "a comparison between the political leaders of Australia and New Zealand would be rather invidious. I was fortunate enough to hear the Federal Prime Minister (Mr. Fisher), the Attorney-General (Mr. Hughes), Mr. Deakin, Sir John Quick, Mr. Hume Cook, and many others whose names stood out prominently in Australian politics. The Federal Prime Minister is a solid and cautious speaker, giving one the impression that he has thoroughly "weighed what he is about to say, says it, and says no more. Mr. Hughes is somewhat fiery, much more imaginative than his leader, and stir 3 an audie__a« in a manner Mr.

Fisher is unable to approach. Mr. Deakin is vastly different to either. H_» is a very cultured speaker, quite as rapid in his delivery as Sir Joseph Ward, grammatically correct always every sentence beautifully turned and finished. But, if 1 may presume to criticise, I should say that he speaks more like a constitutional lawyer before a High Court, and is often so abstruse that the average audience, whilst filled with wonderment at his flow of language, is apt to wonder what it is he is driving at. Mr. Watt s the Acting-Premier of Victoria, is a fine powerful speaker, and full of homely phrases,_ which make him popular with his audiences, and very often unpopular Avith his opponents."