Passing Notes.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 15, 25 June 1920, Page 6

Passing Notes.

BY JACQUES.

* Laueh where we must, be candid where we can.— Pope. % * *

T , . . . . ■ General Booth has been telling us that the moral effect of the war has been to make the good better and the bad worse than before. In some respects this is very satisfactory. Hitherto the good and bad have overlapped in a most embarrassing way, so that it was often difficult to distinguish between the church elder and the ordinary sinner — especially in a horse swap, or a land deal. In fact, ths simple Christian often proved a more finished and capable sinner than the other. But that is all past, thank Heaven ! If the General is right, the war has sharpened and emphasised the line of cleavaga between the sheep and the goats in such a way as to make it no longer a dangerous matter to engage in a business transaction with a deacon or Sunday school teacher, or to back a bill for the man with the black coat and monkey whiskers. And, forbye (as my friend "Groper" would say), the clearer definition of the boundary line between the saints and sinners should greatly simplify the separating process on the Day of Judgment. General Birdwood, at Christchurch and elsewhere, expressed the hope that the R.S. A. would retain its non-political character to the end. This is the wish of many besides the General, but is it possible ? The returned .soldiers, as a class (and despite all that may be said to the contrary, they do constitute, in many respects, a separate class) have many grievances that can only be redressed, many aspirations that can only be furthered by political means. Tliey have alreadj had bitter . experience , of the apathy and neglect of the powers that be, and I feel that the time is not far dist-ant when they will tire of asking, cap in hand, as favours what they should be able to demand as ^rights. There are many evi-! dences of deep and general discontent among our returned soldiers, and the step from discontent to action is but a short one. It will be a very simple matter to crystallise their aims and desires into a definite policy, and as for securing direct representation of such policy in" our legislature — weli, they and their friends, are a numerous body, and in politics, as in war, God is always on the side of the big battalions. Personally, I could wish the organisation to remain non-political, but it looks as though circumstances may yet necessitate a change in its character and purpose. " Bait dgman," writing to the "Times," has been saying- some very violent things about the Council's wowseristic restriction on Sunday band concerts. For my own part, I could wish that his remarks had been even more dynamic, especially as regards the theatre time limits. The only discoverable reason for such is the greedy fear of the effect of earlier concerts on the church plate. There could be no disturbance of devotions, since such concerts could not well be audible even in the nearest churches; nor can it be reasonably urged that there is any greater intrinsic demerit in a 7 o'clock concert than in an eight o'clock one. But this particular matter may be safely left to "Bandsman" ; he seems quite capable of dealing with it. But a -wider question hinges on this. We all know, from unpleasant exI perience, that the wowsers in Invercargill, by their impertinent meddlesomeness and their intense activity, exercise an influence on civic affairs and our private rights that is out of all proportion to their numbers 'gnd intelligence. At every turn we find our liberties narrowly limited and our national demands frustrated by this small, but restless, army of kill-joys. Racing. cards, liquor, tobacco, the drama., dancing, Sunday recreation, every form oi sport, every source of rational pleasurs come under the anathema of those whose chief ahn in life seems to be to maks everybody else as miserable as themselves, And their activity gives them a greatei measure of success than is good for the rest of us. It is- becoming intolerable. and the sooner an anti-wowser associa-tioi is formed the better. General Booth his been giving hii views on spiritualism. "From the utili

tarian point of view," he said, "it k 4 failure. It has told us nothing new about heaven or hell." When the barriers were broken— when w# bridged the Great Abyss, And the spirits started 'phoning from other world to this; Our hearts were filled with gladness, for we thought we'd get to know More about our future dwelling up aboveor down below. Alas! Our hopes have dwindled; though on many things they* speak, The spirits can't, or won't, impart- ths knowledge that we seek ; Though we've done our best to pump 'em, they have nothing new to tell Of our very useful Heaven, or our neces- • sary Hell. We've asked the spooks to tell us i| it1} hard to learn to fiy, If bo'y and girlie angels ever flirt uponfie sly; . ^ If Heaven has its taverns where a soul can get a "spot," And whether angels' pinions are detaclv able or not. If Satan's on his tether still, or free to mooch about, If Hell is quite as horrid as the parsonj make it'out; But no word of information from their lips can we compel Of tbe mysteries of Heaven, or (he Fahrenheit of Hell. ILave they any bargain counters for ths - ladies in the skies ? Do Paddy and the P.P.A. together fraternise ? : Has Ihe highor cost of living ever bothered : th, of late ? Does Peter still retain his job as Keeper oi ^ the Gate ? We'd like to know for certain if the angels ever tire, Of the harping and the hymning of ths Everlasting Choir Or if their gentle hearts are thrilled with joy to hear the yell Of some thirsty, tortured sinner in ths summer time in Hell. Oh ! futile is our questioning— we never learn of them, The latitnde and longifeude oi Hew Jerusalem ; If many of the mansions there are ticketed "To let — " Or hell, upon the other hand, is overcrowded yet. They are mum about the cherubs in the realm of Endless Day, And the smoky little devils in the place across the way; So we're- forced to the conclusion that, ^ wherever they may dwell, They know no more than you or 1 of 1 Heaven or of Hell. A movement is afoot for the relief of I the present appalling sufferings of the j women and children of Central Buro| | This is just as it should be, and it | be hoped that the response throughout J Empire will be a most liberal one. W the period of bitter struggle, we # compelled by the first law of natttre. 1 visit on these innocent ones such Pnva i and misery as our every instinct o manity revolted against. We co I help ourselves, then. War leaves fl room for the play of the finer fee m°i'. I is different now. The struggle is | but it has left a terrible legacy o m and woe, which presses most hea^y | women who had no more than a su part in the war, and on children w ^ ^ i not born when it occurred. ^ ^ t 1 power to help them to some ex e » ^ | dnty demands that we shou j While we are not prepared to forg^ ^ 1 who plunged the world into ma , 1 i the barbarous decree tnau | the fathers shall be vislted ,-pig- j children." I would like to see ^ ^ 1 gers," of all countries, take sep _ ^ m t-ion in this matter. I am sure ^ ^ | could raise an enormous f«n {of and " milk and warm clothmg ; ^ I famished, naked children of tho^ I .lands. Such would be a ^ j 1 of chivalry, and one ^ than M 1 , more glowiug page to 1S _ jjera. ; perhaps. ever yet be® »""e°