A Graceful Admission.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14978, 27 May 1914, Page 8

A Graceful Admission.

By general consent Mr Lowther is one of the best Speakers the House of Commons has had, but he made a palpable error last week when he enquired of Mr Bonar Law whether he assented to the disorder that was being caused by his party. The question really amounted to an attempt to shift responsibility. The Speaker is responsible for keeping order, and the House has given him ample powers to enforce his will. It is strange that such an eminently cool, clear-head|d, and resourceful man should havo made the mistake of seeking to make the Leader of the Opposition primarily responsible for the task of controlling the House. As we* pointed out last week, in the similar debate in 1905, when the Unionists were on the Treasury benches, thero k no record of any personal appeal having been made by the DeputySpeaker (Mr Lowther) to the then Leader of the Opposition. But Mr Lowther has atoned for his mistake by his frank admission of error, and his reputation will now stand higher than ever. Indeed, one hardly, knows which j to admire the most—the ready re-

Mr Bonar Law, without diminishing by one iota the respect due to the Chair, refused to allow himself to bo placed in a false position, or the courage and absolute fairmindedness with which the Speaker, being- convinced on reflection that he was wrong, has frankly admitted and apologised for his mistake. It is of thins which keeps alive the sense of pride with which Englishmen still regard the House of Commons in spite of all its faults.

The football match between an [ English, and a German team, which had such unpleasant results to the visitors, serves to draw attention to the progress of English games in Germany. A British resident in Germany, who sends very informative articles to the "Sydney Morning Herald," has something very interesting to say about tbe change that is coming over Germany's attitude towards games. The conquest of Britain in athletic sports is an aim frankly avowed by all those who ar» promoting outdoor ~ames in Germany. We are all familiar with the indictment so frequently made igainst the English for their passion for games, and with tho holding up of German peopte as a model of devotion to business or the intellectual life, but "a wave of wild enthusiasm for sports is sweeping over the country, which, within recent years, has made more progress in the strenuous pursuits of commerce and science than any other in Europe." It i_ plain that many Germans have come to realise that the success of the English as a world-Power is not unconnected with their love of outdoor sports. The "Herald's" contributor mentions a lecture he heard delivered by a Dr. Wolstorn, one of the lecturers employed by the German Olympic Committee to stimulate interest in athletics. Dr. Wolstorn frequently referred to the part field games had played in English national life, and to the importance of aiming at supplanting the British aa a sporting nation. We may therefore enjoy our games of cricket, tennis, or golf, without being bothered by a conscience telling us that such pursuits are waste of time in an all too short life.

In a leading article yesterday the Dunedin "Star' appeals to Mr Massey to "pass over -with reasonable brevity" in his speech the strike and tho attitude of tho different parties during that trying time. This singular request is not inspired by the same motive as the alarmed protests of the Leader of the Opposition and his thick and-thin apologists against the discussion of a topic which they would greatly like everybody excepting tho Bed Feds, to forget. (They want the Beds, of course, to remember the assistance the "Liberal" Party gave to them in their war upon the community.) The"Star thinks that Mr Massey can afford to leave out any reference to the strike, because he is assured of "unanimous commendation of the vigorous measures that were adopted by the Cabinet in >.ovember last,""and'because he took a course "which even' fair-minded man and woman in the Dominion heartily approved."

The "Star," and the Opposition know •it, is merely stating * fact. Whatever Mr Massey may say.or nofc say, and whatever the Opposition may ekj, the public knows that the Government rendered the nation an enormous service, and the public also feels quite certain that it can rely upon peace and safety only so long as the present Government holds office. The only hope of the Federation of Labour is the return of the "Liberals" to power. But it is too much to ask that Mr Massey should imtpose a vow of silence upon"himself. He has a perfect right to remind the public, not only of the manner in which the Gover.fn-ent suppressed a very dangerous conspiracy against the community, but also of the abundant proofs which the Opposition furnished of their readiness to assist' the Bed Feds, out of ' party spleen. In any event, it is the j Prime Minister's business to .reply to I the desperate misrepresentations of the enemy.

At times the public must he sorely puzzled to know whether the Leader of the Opposition is a dry humorist or whether be lost his sense of humour who nho lost office. He has just been telling a gathering of the faithful in Wellington that .Mr Massey ia a terrible villain for not announcing forthwith all the details of the Electoral Bill which is io be introduced next seseion. "Surely," he said, "everyone with a right to enrol also had a right to know at the earliest moment what the conditions of tho system under which they voted were to be." Wo cannot follow the logic of this, unless we are to assume that the Leader of the Opposition contends that some sort of question of patronising the ballot-box is concerned. That is a ; humorous idea-, like most of the ideas of "Liberalism" i a its dotage. But it is rather delightful to find Sir Joseph ?Ward talking of the "right to know at the earliest possiblo moment." We do not remember that his ill-starred second ballot scheme was placed before the electors prior to its introduction in the House. Indeed, he used to keep nearly all his measures very carefully concealed until the last possible moment. At the present time he shows anything but anxiety to at all what his own policy is, always supposing that he has any at all.

Those who argue that as soon as the prohibitionists had succeeded in making the sale of liquor illegal throughout the country they would immediately cast around for some other form of restriction, will have their suspicions confirmed by what is taking place in Chicago. Wo recently mentioned how the newly-enfranchised women in that city had lately succeeded in carrying Nolicense in several of the outlying districts. We now learn from the "Daily Telegraph"' that, encouraged by this success, they are now advocating the establishment of a matrimonial bureau in Chicago, with the power of checking tho issue of licenses to marry. Before ing a license it is urged that a man shall be compelled to answer such questions as "Have you a trade or profession?" "Are you permanently employed?" "What is your salary?"! If it be disclosed that he is earning less than £3 a week and has no income from any other source his right to a license will be challenged. Now the motive lying at the back of this proposal is undoubtedly excellent. In Chicago as elsewhere, num-

mony without, sufficient means, and have plenty of opportunity of repenting at leisure. In too many cases the young wives with babies in their arms are deserted by the husbands, and have to seek charitable aid. Tho mistake is in supposing that such deplorable occurrence* can bo prevented by enactment. The complete and touching faith in legislation as a remedy for social ills evinced by iromen voters all over the world is one of the weaknesses out of which they will doubtless evolve in time. No practical person can doubt that if the proposed obstacles were placed in the way of the marriage of theso impetuous and irresponsible young persons, they would in a large number of cases simply dispense with the ceremony, but the result would be the same in the end. In that case the "cure" would be worse than tho disease.

The "Telegraph's"' correspondent puts his finger on the real cause of a good deal of the unhappiness resulting from improvident marriages. In Chicago as elsewhere the brides of today expect to begin where their grandmothers left off. "Tho grandmothers began in a loghouse, with a fryingpan, a table, and chair, they wore homespun and knitted their own stockings, while now girl_ must have steamheated apartments, mahogany furniture, Paris gowns, and automobiles." Where these ideas prevail it is evident that the possession of three pounds a week will not stave off matrimonial disaster. If the Chicago' ladies could create a sound public opinion iv favour of simpler modes of life, and instil a feeling of greater responsibility into the minds of young people they" would do far more good than ia likely to be achieved by the legislation they propose.

The visit of Mr L. M. Isitt to the Westport district does not appear to have been a remarkable success. At Millerton a motion of thanks and confidence was rejected in favour of a resolution of thanks only, and at Westport, where the desired resolution was carried, the bulk of the audience refrained from voting. The significance of this little failure of the member for Christchurch North is in the locality. For months the "Liberals" have been saying that the Government's appointments to the Westport Harbour Board were very wicked, and that Westport is burning with indignation. Westport knows rather better than the Isitts and Wittys and Atmore_ the actual facts of the matter, and it refuses to burn at all. And yet we have no doubt that Mr Isitt plied his audience, in the usual manner, with invective very much "over-proof."

There is something both amusing and pathetic in the anxious search of the Opposition organs for arguments against Mr Allen's naval policy. Nothing seems to be too absurd or, too irrelevant for use. The latest "parallel to be drawn for the impressing of "Liberals" is between the Swedish Navy and Mr Allen's proposals. After referring to the proposals for the strengthening of the Swedish Navy, a "Liberal" newspaper says that "the Swedish Navy can never present a really formidable front to a first-class Power. It can serve on this side of tho world to point the folly of the Reform Government's local fleet scheme." Upon this fatuous statement we. need make no comment, but wo should much like to know exactly what our "Liberal" friends would have Sweden do.

It is evident that with the coming of the aii-ship attacks of "spy-fever" are likely to be increasingly frequent and virulent. A telegram in this morning's paper &tate 8 that a sensation has been caused by the arrest near Cologne of Clement Bayard,, the famous French aviator, and two of He companions, on a charge of espionage. They were imprisoned in a common cell for thirty-six hours, and accused oi witnessing the landing of the Zeppelin airship, although it appears they were at a considerable distance and possessed German permit*. A few weeks ago three German aeronauts who descended at Perm were arrested and charged, Herr Berliner with espionage, and hia two companions with illegally passing over a Russian fortress, an offence punishable, it is said, with a year's imprisonment. We have not yet heard the result of the trial, but it was believed in Germany that the men were absolutely innocent of any-, thing ■ approaching espionage. No one but a lunatic, it was pointed out, would attempt anything of the kind from a balloon in Russia, when he was hound to return W earth in that country. The incident is significant of the state of tension existing between Russia and Germany just now. It i„ also an illustration of the perils which confront the aviator, besides what may be called the natural risks of his "dreadful trade."