Random Notes.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 35, 31 March 1894, Page 8

Random Notes.

The details of the Licensing Elections are still slowly percolating through the medium of the telegraph to the public ear, and as I last week pointed out, have proved rather a surprise to “Moderate” and “Temperate” electors alike. “Informality” has been very much indeed to the fore, having quite exceeded all previous efforts, and made a record which even he(or she) will hereafter find it hard to surpass, Many definitions hav e been given of that entity man, but none is in greater favour than that which describes him as “a rational animal.” . On Wednesday of last week there were furnished ample proofs of his possessing “ reason ” in abundance. What a time the polling officers had in elucidating the mysteries of voting to his enlightened intellect! How well, too, was his rationality used in exercising that sacred function the suffrage! Of the humours of the election I have had a little information, but there is little indeed that is striking in originality. One elector, (needless it is that I should indicate the sex) boldly announced that she had voted according to her conscience ! “ I struck out,” said she, “ the three biggest drunkards of the lot” (of course this was not Invercargill) “ and that settled them ! ” lu a polling booth that shall

be nameless,, not a few carefully deposited 1 ! one or other of the printed handbills,, and as. ca’-efully consigned both voting papers to their pockets, Yet one other incident shows that even hand -bill - distributors may combine the wisdom of the serpent with the harmlessness of the dove. He who officiated at a certain booth on behalf of the Temperance party, possibly feeling somewhat droit thy , carefully deposited his parcel of hand-bills in someconvenient spot, and during a temporary lull in the proceedings withdrew from public gaze. During his absence t’other fellow quietly inserted in the deserted pile a score or two bills on t’other side of thequestion, which, on his return to his post of duty, 'the Prohibitionist most assiduously distributed to the electors as they entered the precincts of the building. This continued for some time, but at last the inevitable discovery came, and I am informed the language of the deluded bill-distributor was not by any means so temperate as his professions would have led us to expect. The provocation wascertainly strong, however.

Possessing as we do a a real live (if we may believe all wo hear, a very much alive) Minister of our own in these parts, we do not now, as of yore, make so great a fuss over a visiting Minister—even though the visitor be the big and burly Minister of Lands himself. Consequently, the banquet on Monday evening, though quite a “ success,” to employ the term generally used in that connection, was quiet in the extreme. Yox was not invited, unfortunately ! Why, I know not. Possibly his colour is somewhat indistinct, and his retiring disposition being also so well known, the promoters overlooked him! This hint, doubtless, will make them less remiss next time. While quite as enthusiastic as the usual run of banquet spe< dies, the /too let off fcy the hon. gentleman do not read so well as his oratorical efforts usually do. Did the approaching shadow of Prohibition dull the ilow of soul and dim the sparkle of the glasses on ibis occasion? One remark, howe <er, of the hon. gentleman I w'as delighted to read—“ No member of the present Government,” said he, had any axe to grind.” Glad to be so far taken into the confidence of the Cabinet at this early season of the Tear, and know that fact That no axe was being ground in the appointment of the new set of Commissioners is painfully apparent in the late Commissioner Maxwell’s recent letter to the Otago Daily Times, while with regard towomen’s franchise and other questions of last Parliament we are freely convinced of the entire disinterestedness of our rulers.

Some time ago I commented on the mental pabulum provided by our booksellers for our youthful readers, and again briefly revert to the subject—one of .mo ismall.nioment to all concerned in the welfare of the young. How often do we find parents only too pleased to see their offspring read, without caring what the mental food supplied may be? Which of you, if your children ask for bread, will give them a stone—much less provide them with poisonous fare ? Yet the fare for the intellectual sustenance how often is it poisonous ? From a recent magazine article I cull the following extract; —“ One of the reasons for the recent epidemic [in train robberies may be found in the general business depression. It is, however, also largely due, in my opinion, to the readiny of yellow-covered novels. Country lads get their minds inflamed with this class of literature. Professional thieves or designing men find among this class many who are willing to go into their schemes. They start in as amateurs under an experienced leader. 1 hey become infatuated with the work and never give it up until arrested or killed.” It would be interesting to enquire to what extent the juvenile offences of this colony are due to literature of the Dcadwood Dick species, and it is a sad commentary on our commercial morality to find an advertisement urging our schoolboys to “ call upon Mr So-and-so for their schoolbooks, as h® has a large collection (thousands) of trashy novels, from 2d upwards, in stock.” Yox.