RANDOM NOTES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3656, 18 December 1920, Page 4

RANDOM NOTES.

(From O r Ex-Ohutu Correspondent) Being in Auckland for a few- days I wont to the Library and read up the “Talhapo Daily Times,, ’ ’ and the sight of the old paper inspired we with the desire to inflict myself upon your readers; hence these jottings, which it is hoped may prove of interest.

Auckland, Kipling's 4 ‘last, fen!eli« cat,„loveliest,” is not so very lonely, for it is exceedingly busy, and while all around is heard the cry of the burden of the high cost of living. Yet a strange contrast to that cry is to be seen by anyone walking down Queen Street, wherein promenade throngs of smartly dressed men. and women, who patronise the picture shows, theatres, and races, to such an extent as if the H.C.L. is only a myth. While the cost of living has gone up the standard of living has also risen, and the men and women of to-day demand many things that 1 our fore-people would not dream of desiring. “Who can blame them?’ 7 says a reader. I don’t; but the fact remains that a higher standard t of living must of necessity mean a higher cost of lining. The people seem to have an unlimited supply of money to spend, and they spend it, to the' low, ominous murmur of. discontent. Wq are living in a fool’s paradise, and sooner or later there will come

a rude awakening. I was present at the closing scenes of the Pukekawa murder trial whereat Samuel Thorn was found guilty of the murder of Sidney Eyre (pronounced Air). The accused’s counsel’s speech occupied the ' afternoon, and a masterly speech it -was. The jury retired about four o’clock, and by 7.30. p.m. a crowd of close upon. 500 people had gathered, while the number of motor ears outside gave the Supreme Court the appearance of an opera house. About 8.15 the whisper went, round that the jury were returning, and immediately the doors were thrown open there was a wild stampede, to gain admittance, and none were moi;e eager than a crowd of women, who pushed and shoved with the rest to get in. At length' the crowd got in. and there fell an unearthly stillness, broken only by the filing in of the jury. The solemn look upon their faces was an indication of the nature of their verdict. The accused Thorn was then brought up from* below, and as he entered the dock there was nothing in his appearance to gauge wEat his feelings were. He scanned the jury closely, but not one of them looked at Mm, and he then turned around to look at the clock, which hangs above the public entrance, thus giving the public an opportunity of looking at hinu Folding his arms, wiith his mouth firmly set, ho awaited the coming of the Judge, and as His Honor took his seat, the stillness deepened, and; one could almost hoar his neighbour’s heart beating, so solemn and tense were the moments. The registrar put the fateful question and the foreman uttered the word of doom, "Guilty.” His Honor, in a voice that shook with emotion, then adldresset! the prisoner, concurring in the jury ’s verdict, and then assuming the black cap, pronounced the death sentence. Touched on the shoulder by a warder, the accused turned and ;with a firm tread walked down belowl thus passing out of the public eye. It was remarkable the interest the women took in the - trial, large numbers of them stood day after day

wedged in a crowd of ho/Sweltering humanity to listen to one of the most sordid stories ever told in a court. My heart went out in pity to th©murdered man’s children, who wer ( © forced to give evidence of their mother’s immorality, and one felt that this should not be, for after all she was their mother, and it savoured of refined cruelty to fftree them tospeak of their mother T s shame. ' Among the many signs 0 f the spirit of unrest that is abroad, not the least striking is the great interest that is being manifested l in Spiritualism, and every bookseller of any importance is featuring literature on ocult sciences, and the arrival of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has increased this interest. For two* nights, the creator of Sherlock Holmes has filled the Town Hall in Auckland to overflowing while he lias told the story ‘ of his conversion, from f< Agnosticism to Spiritualism” * (for Sir Arthur lias never professed, the Christian faith). I did not have ■ the privilege (f) of being present at the two meetings, but I road very carefully the Auckland papers' ' length’- account, of the addresses, and it is more than remarkable that an educated man like Conan Doyle * could believe such piffle as he gave utterance to. * Perhaps the fact the box office receipts totalled over* one thousand pounds may be a contributing factor towards his belief.'. The Churches liavc taken a hand in the matter and almost, every Church featured Spiritualism as the Sundayevening sermon. Not the least interesting was the scholarly- Pastoral* Letter (i Ih* 1 ...

Cleary, D.D., Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, whose treatment of the subject revealed much research and reading. Writing of Churchaß reminds one that there is opportunity for a smart up-tojflate bjjjd agent to strike out in a the stately old Presbyterian Church at Auckland, known

as St. Andrews, is pastorless and Congregationless, and if some land i agent were to affix a card “To Let” ' he may be able to do good business. Joking apart, it is sad to contemplate such folly and childishness in such a grand old faith as Presbyterianism is,‘and it savours of hypoccrisy for the General Assembly of the Church to discuss Chdrch Union one day and then the next day expel one of their ablest ministers simply because the said minister is true to his convictions. The Eev. A. A. Murray and his faithful congregation have betaken themselves to the Tivoli Theatre pending the erection of a church. No wonder the , average person of to-day scorns the Churches, when they are guilty of such folly. A leading Auckland boot shop had an auction sale extending over many days and the sale gave striking testimony to the enormous profits there must he in the boot trade, for boots marked and selling at £3 7/6 per pair A were sold at auction for £1 19/ per ■ pair, and it is only reasonale to suppose that even "at that figure there was still a profit to be made. No wonder there are 0.8.E.’s floating around. Some folk deserve two or three for the high commercial morality they possess. Christinas will soon be upon us, and the writer would take this opportunity of extending, the Season’s Greetings to the staff of the Daily Times and to its readers. The writer earnestly hopes that *1921 may prove not only iHappy and Prosperous, but that at its close all may have the satisfaction of feeling that they have accomplished something that will be for the betterment of their district. •To my friends I would say, in the words of Alice Meynell (in her poem ‘'Thoughts of Separation”): “We-never met; yet we meet day by day Upon those hills of life, dim and immense . The good we love } and sleep, our » innocence. O hills of life, high hills; and higher than they. Our guardian spirit meets at prayer and play. . Beyond pain, joy aifd hope and long suspense Above the . summits of our sails, far hence An angdl meets an angel on the way; Beyond all good I ever believed of thee, / Or tlou of me, these always love and live And though I fail of thy ideal of me My angel falls not short. 'They greet each other.” An Revoir.