Newspaper Notions

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 76, 14 December 1901, Page 7

Newspaper Notions

Little now-a-days is done foi honoui, and the measure of honourable sen ice is not lo\e of counti\, but what can be made out oi it - Paeroa Gazette * * ♦ A tanner ib nevei discouraged, no niattei what liappeas, and that is wh\ he is the onl\ man in the woikl w ho^ undisputed pn\ liege it is> to giumble. — Feildmg l Sta,r." » * ♦ When an earthquake conies along in good form, and is ewdonth doing a sprint, yon think le<-.s of \oui good points and moie of sins- Chnstcliurcli 'Spectatoi " It ha*> long been appaient that the eo-opoiatne sAstem of caiiMne; on woiks is most e\tra\agant, and that if the country is to get \ ahie foi its e\pendituie the contiact s\ stem \wll h<u c to be inverted to - Waikato Aigus " In tlie meantime, the countiv geneiallv will doubtless hold the belief that the sun will rise and the lams descend diid the woik of Government be cained on successfully e\ en if the Meiechths and many others, faal to secuic seat 4again — Mai ton Advocate " * » • We do not know exacth what the legitimate limit may be but wlicn it comes to cariMiig on the business toi four or fn c vea.rs an ox must sureh pass out of the categoiy of a le&son in piontable grazing and into that of the fat woman at the fan Hamilton Times ' As a mattei of fact main membeis of the "Lobby Brigade" are frequently liaid at work doing good service for then constituents, whilst the men m the House who are doing the talking aie wilfully wasting time playing the fool and putting the countiv to unnecessaiy oxpensp — Eltham "Ars;us " * • • As long as these' Tiusts exist, and aie allowed to grow m power and magnitude they aae an element of danger to the best interests of the colon's and on these grounds, and m Mew of the experience of America, it is necessaiv to watch them with a wew to lestnction — Waihi "Daily Telegiaph " * * • It may fan 1\ be aigued b\ the latopaAers of other centres, that it would be wise to wait until they have the new system given a tria,l in the Empire Cit\ before themselves authorising a new departure as to whose benefits 01 defects there is so little definite and reliable information — Marlborough "Expiess " «■ » * Of course, it is anomalous that we hhould have hundreds of thousands to spare for Royal receptions, Federal celebrations, receptions of Imperial tioops, fa rebelling of Contingents, King's Coronations, and a hundred and one other similar displays, and no money to keep the public works of the 1 colony going But what of that 3 — Auckland "Obsei vei " * * * Tine comet-like appeal ance and disappearance of the State Fire Insurance Bill are notorious Next session it w ill be dangled again before the democratic nose like Billy Buttons' bunch of cailots The Cabinet would probably like to bury it, but they cannot do so. Hence it travels 1 ound like the Eloctn c Executive Referendum, and buttei seasons — Mattel ton Times " * ♦ ♦ Great as the evil is, far-reaching as are its effects it is not possible to pro\ c that the drink-habit is on the increase The remarkable sobriety of great public holiday gatherings testifies pleasingly to the general temperance of our colonists and to the mistake of regarding us a.s a nation of backsliders because in a lone period of plenty our national drinkbill has apparently increased to the extent of two-pence weekly per head — Vuckland "Herald."

WHKN the BalUnce Mnustiv entered into office the salary of members was LloO It is now £300--just double This is known in political life as advancing bv leaps and bounds." — Rangitikei A choc-ate " * • * The mothei hen cannot always shield hei chickens from the hawk and New Zealand is the furthest uanderei fioni the protecting iwiig - Wanganui "Chronicle " * » * It us well known that, with piolonged tangi rights, corpses ha-v c been kept above ground even foi weeks so that a by-law prohibiting this custom is one which is much requned — Opotiki Heiald." » » ♦ In the Uppei House not a single man connected with ihe fanning industry had been appointed during the last twelve years simpK because the faimeis had not raised then \ oices — Dannevirke "Advocate " * * * During the past two \eais the people of the colonies have simply lost their heads in matters Imperial and the hero-worship indulged in is positively disgusting to sobei -minded people. — Opunake "Timers " * * • Hurrah' The great Fedeial Parliament has reduced the dut\ on condensed milk to a penn\ per pound Aftei this, and the reduction on eanat\ seed, New Zealand will sureh weep that the\ are not m the Federation — Cartel ton "Leader." «• * * The recent earthquake just came in time to prevent us from getting into the "doldrums," but this is the season of the year when things lull, and newspapers have to feed on such little things as may chance to come into their wav — Masterton 'Times " * ♦ • The principle of the Eight Horn s Day Bill has triumphantly reached the statute book, and reached it in the houi of retreat of the objectionable Factones Bill foisted by an official on an unsuspecting and guileless Government'- — Ashburton Standard " » # * If we could put up a fence round New Zealand, and keep out foreign goods, then we might maintain oui conditions but until that fence can be erected we should be ver\ careful to see that our industries are not going to be thrust out altogether — Inglewood 'Recoi d " It can hardly, m fairae&s, be contended that as a measure of self-protec-tion the flour-millers have not as much right to combine as any other tiade, and they are not to be blamed foi cooperating to put a stop to undue competition, which prevents them from obtaining a leeitimate profit on capital invested. Tins, we are mfoimed, is the function of the milling; trust — Hokitika "Times." There are the men hundreds of them thrown out on their beam ends There are the Ministers pleaching economy and drawing larger salaries than ever. There are the important public works brought practically to a standstill And there, dead and dishonoured bv Liberal demagogues, lies the humane principle established when last the biting bitteiness of retrenchment was experienced in this colony — Waneanui "Chronicle " * • * In New Zealand an eight hours day has been pretty nearly universal, and we find that one of the first objects which the workers have employed the conciliation system to secure is a still further reduction of from three to four hours a week The old adage which apportions the day into three equal parts, one for work, one for sleep and one for play, is cleaih no longer considered to have any eoecnc\ — Napiei "Herald." * * * While American enterprise has thus been doiner everything possible to enter into successful competition in markets nevond the seas, labour conditions have in "Vow oZaland, been such as to hamper our manufacturers who find themselves obliged bv law to pay hiehei wacrcs than they are able to afford, without being mined by the foreign competition that exists and also are hnmnered b\ all sorts of rules and regulations imoosed bv the enactments of an over-paternal Oo\ eminent Cartelton "Observer "