Notes and Comments.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 171, 4 July 1901, Page 2

Notes and Comments.

An incident has occurred Which shows clearly the RUSSIAN state of espionage SPIBS'. existing in Cassia.

The new Minister of Education, General Vann off sky, on his return from Moscow recently, summoned* twenty students to his private house, had a long,. fatherly talk with them, and asked them to put their grievances and complaints clearly before him,. - Among the students were some Who were intelligent, outspoken men, and they succeeded in thoroughly opening the eyes, of ' the Minister as to the gross behaviour of the police. A couple of days later the- Minister wished to have another talk with two of the students, and summoned them again to his house. But they had wisely and completely disappeared. Not a* soul knew where they had gone. General Vannoffsky immediately informed the Czar, who ordered all possible enquiries to be made, but nothing was discovered. The general opinion is that these students have been put away or hidden by the police because they had. dared to impugn >heir pfficial conduct to the ministers. .Gteperal Yanitoi&ky ialborougbly disgusted that ~eyeo- in his "private house be Apparently beset, with spies, and the matter will not be allowed to rest until the whole troth i« revealed. ,

The Dunedin Mberal wi nothing if hot outspoken, and

THE its latest issuers no > RE ACTION, exception to the rule. In the course of: a .leading article it says:—**lt is said that this trip will cost New Zealand £loo,ooo* and never was money more foolishly spent. Nothing will be received in exchange but a few flattering words, a and. cpntempbod* a few iUnminations a show that lasted afe Wclmnreyahd-r^.headacheih the morning.* The same characteristics in an individual are punished severely. " There are some persons’ so constituted mentally and physically that ,at seasons of excitement they go abet getdrank. Thoaewho are familiar with the cities could tell before-, -hancK who would be dronk on reception day. Next morning; they are repentant—and- thirity f--and their irrimoriaksoula .conld be bought for te drink.' r This is 1 what, the cplohy as ’a whole has.

been doing for the last fortnight* It hiis seen rdsy visions Hi' it# delirium. It has pictured itself an Integral and important part of a mighty empire, ft has flattered itself that royalty Knows it) whereas on the map of world it is to the Sritish politician and statesman merely a fly speck oa the o&eati, a diminutive island o£ ■group of islands* or something peopled by *a rather intelligent race of natives anda few settlers* Things appear in theit true proportion the morning after ft. debauch.” Surely the «we” of the Dunedin paper has not yet recovered. from? the “ debauch)” or ®lfie the Spirit of self-abasement has overpowered all else.