Notes and Comments.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 112, 23 February 1901, Page 2

Notes and Comments.

The Mafcaura Ensign says:—“A new danger threatens our

male sweethearts and wives, “generals.” viz., that of their being

ousted from the household culinary department over which they have successfully presided since ladies became a factor in the social economy of the world. This danger was given emphasis by the fact of three Mataura bachelors gaining third awards for scones at the show recently, one of the trio also annexing second prize for the best plate of porridge 1 ” As events are progressing at present, “ our sweethearts and wives ” are ousting the mere male man from a good many vocations, and he, poor downtrodden worm, feels that he must retaliate in Lind. In face of the great difficulty experienced in getting female general servants, it would not be a bad line to train the men to fill those important positions. The suggestion seems too late for Mataura, but Waimato’s sterner sex might be inclined to give heed to it. One thing is certain—that when the “ female wimmin ” start after a job the male man goes to the wall. His only hope lies in bowing to the inevitable.

On Wednesday night the Wellington City Council resolved Wellington to take steps to abolish town hall, the ward system in

connection with the municipality. It also resolved to ask the ratepayers for authority to borrow £50,000 for the purpose of erecting a town hall. What can they want such a building for, an opponent of Waimate’s scheme will ask ? Surely there are enough buildings of that nature in the Empire City! When need evidently exists there, is it not a further proof of the need of a town hall here, with the opportu- ities it affords of mental and physical betterment ? We Waimafceites are too apt to consider only the bare money question—whether it will cost us a trifle at present, instead of what benefit, apart from cent, percent., we may derive as a people in the future. Man was not meant to live on earth in the same way as a vegetable. He hap, or should have, higher aims, and if we cut away every sprouting of new and fresher growth we leave little but " dry bones,”

Who has not read of the mobile Boers, each one with a yard boer or two of biltong mobility, looped lasso-like on his saddle, with a similar length of twisted tobacco leaf, a huge and twisted pipe and his weapons of offence and defence ? He sleeps nightly in a farmhouse or, failing that, in the stable, with his faithful steed at his side, and at cockcrow is off (after a hearty breakfast cooked by the , vrouw and the kinchen) in search of ] fresh kopjes and soldiers new, with his indestructible biltong still on the saddle-bow. Now, what would happen to “ Joe ” Boer if he were a New Zealander ? They would give him a slouch hat, a field service cap (which would be the means of destroying his sight and giving him sunstroke if he wore it), two uniforms (one to attend church parade in), three shirts, three pairs drawers, three under shirts, three cholera belts (most useful of all), two pairs boots, two pairs shoes, one hold-all, one housewife (a cloth receptacle for thread, buttons, needles, etc., let us make haste to mention), several pairs socks, handkerchiefs galore, one tin blacking and brushes for bis boots (he blacks his boots morning and night except when he forgets or has- thrown his blacking away), a large knife on a lanyard to hang round his neck, a toothbrush and paste, a hairbrush and comb, a clothes brush, a button brush and stick, an overcoat, three blankets, a waterproof sheet for sleeping on—and a sack. For his horse he has a saddle and bridle, surcingle and pad, blanket,, picketing rope and peg, heel rope, headstall and rope, brush and currycomb, nosebag and hay , nets. If he were mounted , with this gear and bad in addition his rifle, backet, bandolier

arid pouches with 150 rounds of ammunition, his haversack containing a tin canteen and a day’s provisions, a waterbottle full of aqua pura, or otherwise, hay nets full and a feed of oats in his nosebag, it would take an elephant, and a mammoth at that, to tote the lot along without some slight inconvenience. This, too, makes no mention of presents of silver-mounted fla —no, watchkeys, and photographs of his best girl or girls, together with a ream or two of notepaper in the form of letters. But does he take this ? Not he. First lauding station dump goes the lot with the exception of one blanket, a waterproof sheet and a change of underclothing and necessary articles for the horse. Could a paternal Government but realise this, and also the fact tbat"there are tons and tons of clothing of all sorts South Africa every month, it 'might occasion less trouble,- besides diminishing the size of the little bill New Zealand will have to foot in the sweet bye and bye.