The Daily News WEDNESDAY, MAY 16. LET THERE BE LIGHT!

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8111, 16 May 1906, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, MAY 16. LET THERE BE LIGHT!

The Urewera Maoris were not misled for long by Run, the new " prophet," who went up like a rocket and ciime down like a stick the olher day. The pakeha community is liable to smile broadly at the simplicity of our coloured brethren, who on occasions become possessed of a religious frenzy, forgetting that after many centuries of alleged enlightenment, the white is almost as easily led, and certainly as credulous as he ever was. A few years ago thousands of people camped on Mount Eden, in Auckland, anticipating the end of the world, which a misguided —and possibly insane—person had told them would happen at onoe. The peculiar faith of a people in the occult powers of a particular person is demonstrated in the success of a Dowie, a Voliva, or a ■ Worthington, working on known credulity of followers—a faith, by the way, that has cost many lives. # * « *

A whim ago there came to the colony a " Zulu Healer," Not only were the " masses " influenced by the charlatan, but the " classes " fell under his ban. He did a big trade with his coloured waters for some time, and suddenly left for new climes. The American person, clad in buck-skins, who drove around the world in a six-horse coach, with a brass band, may be remembered. Wherever that person went he advertised his cures by getting doctors to certify he was the marvel he set himself up to be. Repeatedly he was dragged in his coach to his hotel by frantic admirers, amongst whom he scattered coin. When the same admirers, discovering him to be a fraud, went to the hotel to drag him out, he was not there! Neither Rua, the "prophet," nor even Te Kooti, have misled the Maoris so easily as smooth-tongued frauds have misled pakehas.

Consider the plague of swindlers even a small place like New Zealand permits. The medical monster, who plays on the nerves of young men with specious lying booklets and horrible letters. The aimy of palmists, psychometrists, crystal-seers and the like, the owners of cures for everything—from a scratch to ft broken leg, from measles to appendicitis. How easily is the food faddist, misled ! He has onl/ to read that gilded grain, or some other perfectly unnatural food, will cure indigestion, and give him snap and vim and vig our, and he becomes a disciple of the " gilded grain " school. The Maoris, or the Hindoos, or the negroes go a little mad once in a while. A largA number of whites go mad, and keep mad as fresh opportunity occurs. And why ? Simply because of the pathetic lack of originality. Civilised man is cast too much in the same sort of mould. Ho thinks too little for himself. He's too easily led, Six out of seven men will ex press similar views on a given subject, all gleaned from someone else. * * * *

Conventionality kills individuality, and makes the conventional mass an easy prey to the unconventional indi vid nal. The systematised methods of education, the sameness of examinations, the pretended necessity of turning out one individual with the same sort of mental equipment that does service for another, is all wrong - or, at least, if it is not all wrong, it is very stupid. Anything fresh or novel attracts the crowd, who do not sum its virtues as individuals, but as a mass. The crowd are too much like sheep. It may take a long time to get a sheep at the head of a mob through a break, but when he is through, the mob follows suit. There are plenty of New Zealand examples that might be quoted. Take a play The dress-circle person tells his friends it is " magnificent." The democrat in the pit says it is "noclass." The play is "magnificent" to all dress-circlers, and "no class " to the pit democrats. The average person accepts the estimate of some one else.

If a long-haired person listens rapt ecstasy to a musical gymna knocking Wagner out of a piano, or making Chopin acrobatics, the crowd will applaud with long hair, and look silly when he is in ecstasy. Lst a maniac cry "Fire!" in a crowded building, and begin to make a rush for an exit. Does the individual look for fire or pause to think ? Not a bit. He's trampling on necks in a minute. And suppose there is a fire 2 Are there not numberless cases in which a person with individuality has saved the situation by using the gifts the majority don't possess? The Auckland Salvation Army man •who ordered the band to pl.iy immediately after a person had shot himself to death in the Army ring had individuality. He knew that the crowd would follow the bellwether.

* * * * The educational process of forming one's own conclusions instantly and sticking to them, is a better process t,,a n filling up one's mental structure with facts from text-books, facts that tens of thousands of folk have also memorised. The cut and dried sc hool system, in which the same view is presented to the mind of every pupil, who is expected to express the idea in the same formal words, is mostly responsible for the bell-wether business. Our public men express themselves in the same stereotyped way. The King is always "deeply moved." There is a stereotyped expression employed for everything that happens, and when a number of people trained tq view things from the same standpoint have occasion to think, they think ii one way, and there is trouble. Respite experience, the man with a new religion, or a new frill, or a new liver mixture, and a smooth tongue, could come to New Zealand to-morrow and do a big trade. He cou'd do a similar trade anywhere where the stereotype system prevailed. The only preventative of mob-silliness is for individiinls to use the reason that is either awake or dormant in everyone but a lunatic.

Mr McKinnon Bain's orchostra has again been engaged for the big Hospital Ball at Hawera, and for the Tennis CluVs Ball at New Plymouth.

For the first time in many years there is no examination at New Plymouth this year in the practical department ot music in connection with Trinity College, London. Not a sign of the times, surely ?

The Patea Shipping Company have' decided to lengthen the Kapiti by 20 feet. The Kapiti will be taken off the running early next month to undergo the alterations which, when completed, will increase her cargo capacity to 6,500 boxes of butter and 180 tons of coal.

At its last meeting the Borough Council heard the objections of Mr A. Standish to the proposal to construct a public sewer along the right-of-way on his property fronting Liardet street for the convenience of several ratepayers at the corner of Devon and Liardet streets. The hearing was adjourned in order to give these ratepayers a chanoe of considering Mr Standish's modified | offer to lay the drain.

Farmers and settlers will read with interest Messrs Bewley and Griffiths announcement in this issue, stating that they have decided to start monthly sales of wool, skin 3, and hidos in New Plymouth. The first sale will be held on 23rd May, and entries should bo sent in by the 18th inst. The commodious and well lighted premises of Mr M. Jones, in King street, have been secured, and buyers have announced their intention of being present. We hope to see a big en'ry at the initial sale.

The country districts valued by the District Valuer this year were Waiwakaiuo, Mangorei, and Hurford road districts, No objections have been received, and no Assessment Court will be required for these districts. The other districts revised aro Oakura, Tataraimaka, Okato and Werekino road districts. The time for receiving objections for these has not elapsed. It is suggestive that though the valuations of their properties have been largely increased, the ratepayers in the country have not objected to the valuations made by Mr S. Hill.

The Mayor of New Plymouth considers that over t'4oo of the estimated expenditure will be non-recurring. This includes £225 to be repaid to the town clock trustees and portion of the engineer's salary, which, of course, will not have to be provided this year. The engineer, Mr Gibbon, is of opinion that the Council has undor-estimated the upkeep of streets, and has made no allowance for the renewal and- repair of bridges. Powderham street bridge, he says, wants considerable attention ; the new Henui will require some tirring, etc, and a rotten culvert on Cutfield road will have to be replaced.

An old identity who has watched the Taranaki oil operations with much interest, is enthusiastic over the recent developments. "I always knowed, mister," remarked the old gent, " that there was plenty of oil about. Why, it's been my idea that there's oil from Moturoa to Gisborne, and that Tongariro and Ruapehu and the hot lakes have been burning petroleum for millions of years. It's about time the Government got to work and put out the fires, and got some of tbat 'ere oil."

At the thirticuth annual meeting of the New Plymouth Investment and Loan Society, Mr J. B. Connett presiding, the annual report stated the pa.t year had been fairly successful, and, despite the fact that the property holders had had au anxious time, the society had come through more than well. Mr S. Teed was elected to fill the vacancy on the Board caused by the death of Mr W. Cottier. Messrs T. Furlong and W. F. Brooking were re-elected directors, and Messrs J. McKellar and 0. F. Foote re-elected auditors. Tho usual honoraria of £75 will be paid to the directors, and the services of Mr C. Rennell, who has proved an invaluable secretary for the thirty years of the Society's cxistance, will bo appropriately recognised. j

A new lesson was introduced into the Opimake school one day last week, when it was too wet for drilling the boys, and is one (says the Times), which should meet with the approval of all farmers. ■ The hoadmastcr, recognising that milk testing is an important factor in dairying, produced a Babcock milk tester, with the view of giving the boys instruction. He explained the theory of the machine, and the force used in testing. Mr G. Looncy, a practical farmer, and a keen Chairman of tho School Committee, worked tho tester, and tested the samples of milk which the children brought, which varied from 3.4 to 5.5, We believe this is the first occasion on which a demonstration has been given in a public school and it is certainly one which should be encouraged.