Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 3

[miscellaneous paragraphs]

The democratic Volks Zeitung of Berlin has been suppressed by the German Government, which appears to be painfully sensitive to criticism.

His Excellency Sir William Jervois left New Zealand on the 18th inst. During his six years' term of office he has had no constitutional problems to solve, and with the exception of the department of defence, has wisely refrained from meddling in politics. Unfortunately he had a craze for harbor defences, and chiefly through his influence the colony has thrown away nearly a million sterling in fortifications, which involve the employment of a large permanent staff. He has proved by far the most expensive Governor who has presided over the affairs of the colony.

Robert Dennis, proprietor of an obscure London paper, lately sued Mr Henniker-Heaton for £500. Defendant is an ex-colonist, who has during the past three years been making speeches and publishing letters on postal reform. The claim was for writing the aforesaid letters and speeches. The charge was probably a « stiff » one, but the defendant had better have submitted with a good grace. As it was, he settled the case out of court, pay ing £100 and £200 costs. Mr H.-H. is not the only politician who has been indebted to a journalistic hack for his brilliant public deliverances.

On the 14th inst., P. Selig, part proprietor of a sporting weekly, the Referee, charged C. M. Gray, city councillor, of Christchurch, with assault. Defendant did not deny having struck the complainant. Selig had taken offence at defendant refusing to let him have a white shirt on credit, and maligned him in bars and billiard-rooms. Meeting complainant by accident, Gray accused him of sending him a grossly offensive anonymous letter, charging him with immoral conduct. Selig denied having written the letter, called Gray « a beautiful teetotal fanatic, » (one of the expressions in the letter), and told him he might be as immoral as he pleased. Gray's reply to this gracious permission was to punch Selig's head, whereupon the outraged Hebrew laid an information. The Court did not think any very serious offence had been committed, and fined defendant £2, with £1 10s costs. Much interest was taken in the case, the court being crowded, and within an hour of the decision, the amount of fine and costs was subscribed and left at Mr Gray's shop.

The New York Daily Graphic, the only illustrated daily paper in the world, is in almost hopeless difficulties. It has never been a financial success.

There is genuine humor in the following note by a Salvationist. He had ordered a Sheffield newspaper for the benefit of the corps, but after a short time wrote as follows: « Please discontinue sending your newspaper, and send the contents-bill instead. There is more in it. »

Mr Spurgeon, in the Sword and Trowel, tells a good story. Telegraphing to his people from Mentone, informing them of his recent serious accident, he added the reference « Matt, vi 31. » Unfortunately the « vi » was changed to « v » in transmission, and the astonished deacons read: « But I say unto you, Swear not at all. »

Preparations are being made for an exhibition to be held in Dunedin, and the Government have very improperly, and without any warrant from Parliament, promised the large sum of £10,000 in its aid. It will be a purely private concern, and under the same management as the show in Christchurch which gave such general dissatisfaction four years ago. Parliament, by an almost prohibitive tariff, has given outside manufacturers plainly to understand that we do not want their wares; and we can scarcely expect them to send samples of their goods simply as models for imitation by colonial manufacturers.

The Bookmart for December is as usual brimming over with literary and art gossip, and keen criticism, original and selected. The editor, Mr Halkett Lord, after a somewhat varied literary career, seems to have at last found a niche which he exactly fits. To the current number he has contributed a capital sonnet, entitled « Io Grolierii et Amicorum: »

If borrowed books but home returned again!
Or did they from their wandering escape
In pristine grace, with no deflow'ring stain.
No dog's eared leaf, no binding all agape!
Against my wish this action thus I shape:
Like all true hearts, to share by treasures fain
I'd gladly lend—but parting's sad sweet pain.
Ah Grolier! Would thy motto I might ape!
No faint half-heart, no grudging spirit thine:
No boastful vaunt, to further private ends,
The never-dying, gold-ernblazoned line
That tells the world thy books were for thy friends.
But yet, methinks, to cynic eyes it looks
As though thy friends out-numberèd thy books.

An interesting rifle-match took place at Wanganui on the 11th March between the employés of the two publishing houses, A. D. Willis and H. I. Jones. There were « cracks » and « muffs » on both sides, and much interest was taken in the result. Jones's side had a lead of 16 points in the early part of the match, but this was gradually reduced, till, when the last man on each side had to fire, the score stood: Willis's team, 186; Jones's, 184. The two principals now had to settle the contest. At the 200 yards range Jones scored 25 and Willis 21; at the 400, Jones 18 and Willis 21—Total, Willis's, 228; Jones's, 227—a close finish! The trophy was a fine pair of spoons, which the losing side pays for. Messrs Collins Bros., of Auckland, contributed a guinea to the trophy, and will continue the subscription if the match is made an annual fixture.