THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1902. Notes and Comments.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 296, 16 December 1902, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1902. Notes and Comments.

What is there about the average man and woman that "i am makes either of them

i sin think his or her opinions oka.cle."| on_every subject under I suu paramount impor&ncw- that where two or together the in a conversation is r if ln&diately broken with the more irrelevant remark that " Now it' it liajrbeen me," or " My opinion is." it be that we will never atfcetm perfect unanimity, but that some strive to attain that goal by Jite. impression of their own likes 'ami dislikes on the rest of creation. ijTlie aforesaid scraps of philosophising (one can hardly call them £ philosophy) have been evoked by the opening of a novel from the /\Vaimate library. The title, "The evolution of a wife," has written under it on the tirst page, " A most charming book." Not content with this the words have been heavily underlined. How or to what the wife evolved present deponent knoweth not, but certainly this anonymous criticism might have been spared future readers. The theory of evolution may not suit their tastes, so that they might with perfect good faith write underneath, " A most ridiculous book." Then the third reader might disagree with both and use another adjective. It would certainly seem the best method to adhere to verbal expressions of opinion. The books are meant for reading, not for writing on, unless one is a. literary reviewer, and for that the usual procedure is certainly not to write on the book itself. If it were, how few of us would see the reviews.

For nearly six months now, since the declaration of peace,

after ' soldiers have been pourthe war. ing out of Africa. About 100,000 of these men were reservists, or time - expired soldiers, and both classes were at once thrown upon the labour maker. Up till now almost nothing has been done despite the fact that the War Office had received daily dozens of applications for work or other assistance. Tommy Atkins pwas lauded to the skies while the war was on, but public memories arc proverbially short, and the men who committed the crime of surviving the ordeal of disease and deatli find themselves in the way. However, it seems as if something were to be done at last, as a cablemessage says : —Princess Christian and Princess Beatrice were present at an influential meeting, held with the object of impressing employers of the crying needs of 70,000 reservists and time-expired soldiers now idle. The Duke of Fife presided. He said that now the glamour of war had disappeared it was imperative to show that national enthusiasm was not mere passing excitement. Lord Cheylesmore appealed to employers to find places and to the public to provide money and clothes. General Trotter seconded the appeal, dwelling on the excellent character of most of the men.