INTER PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1067, 29 April 1873, Page 2

INTER PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Referring to the late case of " Solomon, oculist," the Timatu Herald says:—Public interests demand that this little episode in the Christchurch Police Court, should have the broadest publicity. Quacks do and will exist and flourish on the amazing gullibility to be found in human nature Given a man with plenty of assurance, and capable of advertising himself as connected with some wonderful discovery in pharmacy or what not, and his fortune in nine cases out of ten is made. His dupes, though perhaps with a perfect knowledge that they are duped, are generally the last to come forward to expose the deception practised ; the fear of being laughed at, and being regarded as fools by their wiser brethern, acting as strong deterrents against their seeking redress. It is to be hoped that the loss is only one of money, but it is not always so, health being frequently immolated at the shriue of quackery. Whilst on this subject we cannot refrain from expressing our conviction that, putting aside the actual advertisements inserted by the quack doctor the newspaper press is often his most valuable ally. Though the editorial comment may frequently be given with the utmost bona fides, yet there is a strong soupcon of suspicion that the

paragraph and advertisement are twin brothers written probably by the same hand. The editor is placed in a dilemma. If he refuses the paragraph the advertisement possibly is withdrawn, thereby doing a certain injury to the newspaper business. On the other hand, if he prints the paragraph, while the proprietor of the newpapev ia pecuniarily benefitted the wrong is done by puffing, even perhaps better than the advertisement which stands purely on its own merits, some form of quackery positively injurious. The establishment of a permanent Australian Museum in London, in •which each Colony could be represented, as Queensland was represented in the Exhibition of 1872, is advocated by the Lyttelton Times. Our contemporary adds:—"The Agent-General, or in the case of a Colony that is not represented in London by a high official of this description, some old colonist of standing and position, would be the trustees of such a Museum, which should be under the care of a highly qualified with a staff of competent assistants. The first cost would, of course, be considerable, but if Western Australia-, South Australia, Victoria, INew South Wales, Queensland, New Zealand, and Tasmania, were each to contribute— < say, in proportion to population or the previous year's revenue, the individual sums would not be large. Once established in a suitable building, the annual cost of maintenance to each colony, calculated on the same basis, would be a mere trifie, and there can be no doubt that the advantages derived by all would he incalculable. The exhibits, the practical information which intending emigrants desire to obtain, could be added to from time to time, so as to keep pace with the progress of the colonies, and the Museum would be, as it were, a standing ad* vertisement of the very best description."

A correspondent writing to the Napier Telegraph gives his experiences of country life. He visited Waipawa and says for a positive fact, that a Waipawa audience sat out a Hoskins and Colville entertainment for the sake of the dance that was to be got up after its conclusion, and that one of the chief features of a "Waipawa entertainment, is the willingness shown to accommodate one's neighbour by breaking his nose, or by blacking his eyes. There being a freedom of open handed charity displayed in these particulars, which is only exceeded by a Waipawaite's desire to get drunk, or to make you drunk. Drinking indeed appears to be the chief happiness of man in the country, and the publican, after a sixty hours spell of serving out liquor, at length mechanically pours out grog or beer, enters into conversation, and gives correct change, perfectly unconscious that he is awake. So, at least, 1 presume,for having stayed three days at the second best hotel in Hawke's Bay, (and this I say in earnest,) amidst sounds and sights which can only be likened to those one can imagine are to be heard in the nether regions, the landlord, as I was leaving, expressed his satisfaction at the quietness and harmony that had prevailed during my visit.