Windsor & Richmond Gazette, Saturday, February 24, 1900 - page 13 NOTES EN PASSANT. [For the Gazette, By "Chris", Lower Portland.] ------o------ The Government have very righteously decided not to compensate the Somers - Vine British New Guinea Land Grabbing "Shyndikite," with the taxpayer's without being directed to do so by Parliament, which, of course, will not agree to waste money in this direction at least. By the way, it is noticeable, that Mr. Lyne is careful who he doles out money to without Parliamentary sanction since Reid's downfall. Despite all his caution, however, the days of Lyne and Co., are numbered. ------o------ Melbourne has a lady auctioneer, who wields her hammer with the best of her opposite sex. And this reminds me : "The women of the day are usurping all the callings of life that have hitherto been followed exclusively by men." 'Chris' doubts, however, if any of our lady auctioneers, lawyers, &c., can darn their own stockings, or cook a decent dinner. And, by the way, I have not heard of the "new woman" who raises her hat, or offers her chair to the gentleman whose occupation she has stolen from him. However, all things are possible in this world, and I expect before long to hear of the lady who performs both these gentlemanly actions. ------o------ "Fifty thousand soldiers will wipe the Boers out," said Joe Chamberlain when England and the Transvaal were on the verge of war. How hopelessly at sea in his estimation Chamberlain was, may be gauged by the fact that there are double and treble that number in the field at present, and reinforcements being received almost every day. "£10,000,000 will cover the expenses of the war," said Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but he has been compelled to change his opinion, and the highest financial authorities state £50,000,000 as the probable cost of the war, or five times the amount originally voted by the Imperial Parliament. "If England wants the Transvaal she will have to pay a price for it that will stagger humanity," said Oom Paul at the commencement of the campaign. That fact, as we are now fully aware, has been put into good effect by the wily Boers. ------o------ England, whilst generally supposed to be at war with the Transvaal Republic only, is in reality fighting a combination of European powers, all of them joined together in an intense and cordial hatred of England's prestige and power, and would rejoice in the Empire's overthrow and downfall. Dr. Leyds (the Transvaal Plenipotentiary to the European Powers) with heaps of money at his command, has done his work well, and has succeeded in inducing these nations (Russia, France, Germany, and Holland) to secretly and substantially assist Kruger in the war with England. Besides securing competent generals to guide the Boers, and other military experts, he has also managed to have smuggles into the Transvaal, unlimited stores of arms and ammunition, including the latest war guns and material, Creusot guns, Mauser rifles, &c., with the result that the Boers, to the surprise of every one, have shown that they are almost as capable as any continental powers, of defending themselves a! gainst an invading army. ------o------ Cecil Rhodes is just now the subject of many stories. A war correspondent at Modder River, who represents a London news agency, contributes one of the best. It is given by way illustrating what a hated ogre Rhodes is to the enemy. A party of Boers, leaving their positions north of the Modder to search for some missing ambulance wagons came upon a detachment of the British troops. Three of the Boers advanced and asked if our men would give them some water. The reply was, "Yes, if you'll say, 'God save the Queen.'" The Dutchmen hesitated and looked at one another. Then one of them said, "Well, God save the Queen, but ------------- Rhodes !" The water was given them. ------o------