The Turnbull Collection.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16253, 2 July 1918, Page 6

The Turnbull Collection.

W© hope that the Government, in dealing with Mr Turnbull's magnificent bequest, will keep the library as an entirely separate institution, and call it after the name of the donor, following the precedent of the Mitchell Library in Sydney. It would be inexcusable, for example, to merge it in the General Assembly Library, partly because it would not be so accessible to the public as the donor evidently intended it to be. but chiefly because it ought to be kept purely as a reference library. In the case of the General Assembly Library, members are allowed to take the books to their homes to read a practice which not only leads to losses, but of course impair' i.he value of the library to stv(»<"u« -who desire to use it for reference purpose;. To show proper appreciation of the gift, the Government should keep the library in a separate building, and appoint a capable librarian to take charge of it. An ideal arrangement would be to keep the books where they are now, in Mr Turnbull's late residence, if this can be acquired for the purpose. It is just opposito Parliament House, and is a new and substantial building, constructed especially for the purpose of housing the collection. Wo would also suggest that a small committee be appointed to manage the institution. An essential part of the schemo should be to add to the collection every book and pamphlet either published, in New Zealand, or dealing with New Zealand, so as to keep it np-to date and as complete as possible. If this were done, New Zea-

land would probably bo better provided than any other part of the Empire with the materials for the study of its own history, institutions, and resources.

The afternoon papers yesterday did not contain a single line of fresh war news or telegraphic matter of any kind from outside this island. This morning's papers are in the same position, owing to our western and northern lines of communication being cut by the weather. For a whole day—it not longer—the local public will bo without any news of the wat. Thi3 will be very inconvenient and disturbing to most people, we have no doubt, but wo fancy they will take no harm if they spend a few minutes in reflecting upon how much better off they are than people were fifty years ago. They may also console themselves with tho thought that to-morrow morning— if the communications are restored — they will have a double ouantity of news.

Lord Robert Cecil, in his comment on von Kuhlmann's speech, remarked that the German Foreign Minister's reference to "the freedom of the seas" betokened a serious German anxiety concerning trade after the war. Many German writers are preparing their public to face grave difficulties. Dr. Walter Rathenau, who is

reputed to have done more than anyone else to organise his country's industrial forces for the war, foresees great difficulties in dealing with the mass of labour that Trill be thrown on the market when peace comes. No matter how demobilisation is delayed, he says, there will be a great labour surplus, and a continuance of high prices. The future promises to contain, to auote his own words, "gigantic taska and enormous difficulties."

Most of all, the Germans who study industrial and commercial questions dread an economic boycott. The "Welthandel," which obtained the views of leading commercial men in Bremen, says that these men admitted that if Germany does not obtain the necessary raw materials German trado will receive its death-blow. Even if the policy of the Pnris Conference is not carried out by the Allied Powers, there will be, these Germans fear, an antiGerman feeling which will operate almost as strongly against Germany as a regularly • ordained boycott. The "Welthandel," thereforej concludes that the only way out for Germany will be the maintenance of an oversea Germany greater than that which existed before the war. Even in their most optimistic moments the Germans do not dare to think of recovering their old position in the face of an antiGerman world. The lot of the dog in England is a hard one. There is no prohibition, so far as we know, against keeping a dog, or, indeed, as many dogs as one pleases, but it is illegal to give a dog food. For a qonsiderable time it has been illegal to give a dog'food "fit for human consumption," but dog-biscuits of a sqrt could be supplied. About two months ago, however, the supply of these biscuits was threatened bv tho action of the Wheat Commission in commandeereng the low-grade meal from which the biscuits were made. It then looked as if the dogs would ho starved to death, and a few people asked whether an honest death-warrant for the dog would not be better, than the circuitous policy of starvation. It was expected, however, that the people who loved their dogs would continue to nourish them, and risk the consequences.

One of the minor results of the war in Britain has been a strong movement for thp protection of small birds. This id due to the necessity of conserving the nation's food supply, which this year is specially threatened by insect plagues on account of (1) the turning up of so much fresh soil, (2) the shortage of hand labour to deaj with the pests jwd the expense of chemical insecticides, and (3) the heavy toll of birds taken by the long aijd severe winter. Professor Newstead, >>{ Liverpool University, lately printed the result of his prolonged observations of various birds. One bird observed, a Great Tit, made 384 visits to its young in a day, bringing food, 90 per cent, of which consisted of noxious larvse. Allowing twenty da fa for the rearing of the yountr. that gives a total of 7680 visits to the nest, representing the destruction of between 8000 and 9000 insects, chiefly caterpillars. Professor Newstead also watched a starling, which visited its young 169 times in seventeen hours, and on certain days 340 times; and the food included 269 injurious insects to only four beneficial ones. The President of the Board of Agriculture warmly approves of the movement for the protection of small birds.