MELBOURNE TOWN TALK A CRICKETERS' DISPUTE. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Melbourne, January, 16.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 338, 30 January 1889, Page 6

MELBOURNE TOWN TALK A CRICKETERS' DISPUTE. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Melbourne, January , 16.

I. don't know whether my readers will ttaek c .much 'interest •in 'the dispute f wliich -Has * arisen between the '.Cricketers; Association and the^ Melbourne Cricket •Club. Not being" a cricketer myself, I have 'personally paid bui little attention^ btie controversy, and I only refer to 'it now because it seems to possess an, importance nob confined merely to Melbourne but to the colony at large." The fate, of the, annual Intercolonial match between Victoria 1 and New ' South "Wales hung upon, *an amicable settlement, of the question, '. and had not the Melbourne Club stepped in cm -its own account, there would this r year have been no contest with the sister colony. 1 The result is that the Association stands', -aloof from the arrangement, and withdraws its patronage, .whilst a number, of members of suburban and country., clubs .have resorted to boycotting tactics in connection with the whole aflair. It is scarcely .fair, ,howe,ver, of tjhe "Argus" to turn round upon the r Association k and* -say that it exists", solely 1 - for 1 , the* purpose "of money riftaking;' The popular belief has always been ampng§t£the general public — J who may not, of course, be so well informed' as the 1 " Ai'g.us $-rrt>hat tb.e Association was formed in the interosts of cricket purely 1 and .simply, and not for the sake of paying particular attentWfr, .to the gate money. If ever there -was a money-making body, it certainly is .the Melbourne Cricket Club, and the members, therefore, should be the last to make a charge of that sort against any other institution. It' is so seldom one finds such a straightlaced, high - toned literary production as the ,'^Australasian " tripping, that one may be forgiven if he cannot refrain fiom drawing attention to such an exceptional occurrence. Sometimes even Jove nods, ' and we find the ' journal in question, in dealing with, the political character of Sir Henry Parkes, writing as follows :— " Public men ought to take pains to be understood. If - they have no time to be always correcting and explaining, then surely selfinterest should suggest to bhem the expediency of so acting and speaking that Ihe who runs >may read.' ' Now this is a very popular misquotation, but I am a little surprised that such an oracle of enlighfc,ment as the "Australasian" was not aware of I it. The expression is generally' taken to J mean that the writing is so legible that he who runs may r,ead it. But assuredly the Hebrew prophet,'' from whom the quotation is taken, neither said nor thought of saying anything of the kind. Habakkuk is foretelling the vengeanco which the Chaldeans would inflict upon the land because of its ungodliness, and writes, "And thq Lord answered me and said, Writo the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he. may run that readeth it." Obviously the prophec is to write so plainly that anyone who reads it may understand *it, and run away and escape from the coming A'engeance. It is not that he may run and read, but that he may read and run, a suggestion to which I should invite the attention' of those who take the " Australasian." Whilst on this 'subject lam reminded, of a few more instances, not perhaps so much of misquotations as of an erroneous belief as to the authorship of certain hackneyed, expressions. The Bible is sometimes robbed of what belongs to it, bii,t on the other hand it is somebinies improperly credited with what does not belongs to it. There arc several proverbial sayings ' which are very generally but erroneously supposed to be taken from the Bibfe". Godtempersthe widd to the shorn lamb and Cleanliness is nextto Godliness both como under this category. Both are without doubt" very excellent sayings, but certainly not Biblical. The former, we are told by the compiler of "Familiar Quotations," was first used by Sterne, who puts it into the mouth of Maria in the " Sentimental Journey." He adds that it is an adaptation of an old .French proverb, and that. a very similar passage occnrs in that curious repertoire of old saws, Herbert's V Jacula Brudentium" — . To a close sshornesheepo God gives wind X\y, measure.' i The other passage, Cleanliness is next to HvUllness> is given with quotation marks in one/ of John Wesley's sei-mons. But the origin of it is. nob- known., • The compiler of !' Familiar Quotations " says that a' Jewish lecturei', reported in 1 the "Jewish Woi ld," asserts that this has beeh for centuries taught by the rabbis in the Talmud, both as a r eligious principle and a sanitary law. The common' sayings, Pouring oil on the troubled xoaters, and The loar horse scents the battle from afar, are also very generally believed to come from the Bible. But the Bible will be searched in vain for eitherjof them. On the other hand >the expression, by the skin of my tedth, which many regard as vulgar slang, is in reality Biblical. It is the unhappy Job who exclaims, in 'the bitterness of his anguish, I am escaped with the shin of my teeth. It is not surprising that the "Australasian" should be found indulging in a little piece of satire at the- expense of Dr. Mclnerney. The gentleman in question is a Dootorof Laws,of theMelb'ourne University, and a prominent figure in that remarkable : body, the Australian Natives' Association. ! "Who is Dr. 'Mclnerney?" asks the " Australasian^" t , and,, then proceeds to give, a n^moevJ of' particulars concerning' his bir£H, 'which sh6W "that it possesses a "very inigmate J dcquaintance, „with his career. P Tb'i§'Ts^c'arcely' reasonable, and only exhibits spite lon the part of the writer, instead* 1 of' some-'liannlees" try, which' he would -have 'us believe is hip sole object. 'The^'rtrse, lioweyer is,fcoo thin, and will not mislead anyone..'. The purpose of the attention to which the "Australasian" honoured Dr. McTnerney is obvious — and also cowardly. Dr." "Mclnerney stands a very good Chance at the" next general elections 'of being,; returned •to {Parliament, chiefly through .the' influence, of the Aus-, tralian Natives' Association.,, As he is a Liberal in, polities, and is in sympathy with, 1 those who are .agitating tfor Home Rule forIreland, he: is consequently abhorrent in the eyes of the Conservative -organs. To put him out of t the way^therefore," is .their policy, and they are not particular if 'in 1 doing so'they stab him in the back. The : members of the Australiap Natives'"Association must/«,be native born \ and 'the , V Australasian," , no.t t .satisfied' * with Dr. 1 Mclnerney's own word forit, or . that of his imother^who surely is' .entitled 'tosbe heard, 1 gives -out ,that he^was'born at Kilrusb, 'Ireland, and not 'on the Bendiao 1 diggings, jin 1854; The, j great? Conservative weekly maybe", "made a- present of all' the' credit 'it 'xn^ay, reap. from\"this; singular <bit< of ', political" fair play and manly treatment of |an honourable opponent.* Dr. Mclnerney, 'if -he (possesses -the 'confidence of the Asisofciation, may be returned by the' members, ideepitethe puerile controversy -about* his •birthplace., .■, , fc j.;.>*, • -. -'* 1 The medical, visitors ,to ,ihe_Congress held • in the University'biaildings during 'the past 'wejek'lftlve' 1 cer£avnly had but little cause' to complain of wahbfof l entertairimept whilein ; Melbourne.' The festivities in their* honour have included^ lurioheon with the May on",

Jbariquents with the President of, "the Con-/ Society ' •<of Victoria,- and the' Speaker/^- the ;Legislabive' Assembly ; a", ball., at "Government, House; a garden paity afe Sir William Clarkes rural: residence; a' trip -.to the Heads,, .at the.invitatioiv.of the Premier arid* /Ministry.;; special, complimentary, concert's given 'b"^ the Executive Commission !j of bhs 'Centennial Exhibition, and by the i Metropolitan Liederbafel. The jweek's pro* I grammo has thus nob been " ; all w_ork and' no play." . ■