NOTES OF THe DAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 541, 23 June 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THe DAY.

: In a rocont note we stated, by way of emphasising the' disparity between the six shillings per head expended xn ,de-. fonco in. Incw Zealand and the thirty shillings, per hoad in Britain, that the. taxation in Britain was only £2.155. per head as against more than ,£5 in this country; A correspondent writes for fuller particulars regarding the figures as to taxation,'and asW ako how the, taxation por head compares with tho wealth per head in the two countrios. Our figures were of course rough approximations, as will-be the further figures that , we must nP w giyo- . It'iis calculated by Mn. L, G.,Chio? ( za Money s that the total wealth' of. the United ' Kingdom is £11,500,000,000, held by a. population of ■(4,000,000, T.he wealth per head is, therefore, about £250. The total wealth of Now. Zealand (public and .-private), has never systematically investigated. The Yoar Book put it at £326,230,387 in 1905.- It ■••may bo: taken that the. Year Book-'will placo'it at £350,000,000 , this year, which would work out at about, £350 a head. But it must be remembered that a vast share of this wealth is fictitiousj and exists only in the mind of the Govornment valuers. We can only guess at what it would be if calculated on. a basis of real, values, Asto the taxation of over £s.per head (it.wasißo os, ,4d..:during the year, JUJ7-8, and has since .risen,' wo believe, to £o\ Os.),.that amount relates to the Stato tax'ation only. The local taxation amounts to; a- further 305.: or more per hoad. :Tho tax revenue in tho ynitod. Kingdom wa5:£119,830,000 in 1907;-which is roughly £2 iss.: pbr -head. ' Not' only, therefore- , is .the : New 'Zealand .public grossly qvortaxed injcomparison with the British jpublic,''.it is,also, .judged by',the' British." ; standard, ' overtaxed ; in ■ relation"; to.-; the..'wealth' ;■' per head of. tho population,., Our, correspondent observed that he did not question our statement, , but: was merely desirous of, information. Wo may, therefore supply: him --with a now fact which may bo of assistance t<) him, namely,' that if the;; taxation per head in Great Britain were raised: to tho Now '/Zealand lovoli; tho extra yield alone would enable the Government to :build"6'vei' i fifty' Dreadnoughts , evej-y •y^r'v ;; .-.;f" - :; ";■■'' '.'■:' ■''"■>.-- r ;" ;^- •'■;•.'":

-An Auckland journal expressed pleas* ure ;a ; fowdays' ago at, the buoyancy .of tho 'rovonuo 'cvoiv; although •.it thought that; the: falUng-off. for tho" year 1008-9 was £850,000, Or seventeen,times' ; grcatcr : than was actually the case. ■■', It naturally',■ occurrcc!: to us to. ask at!what point .the journal in question would withhold its congratulation's. we .have mot with a. still, more ' example -..of : ,,thc complaccnt/.'apprq.val which; t.be Ministerial ' pross. always Itoopa ready lor tjiij ,Goyornmorit/ftnd,,all its works,- Tho Puncdin organ. of the - Government : makoa this rei'crehcV.to the Hon.; James'.CAnnoa in;a:;ieading''articlor': ; :v ; ; :; ; ; '■;!','" ;■';'. ; ; in'" powers., of speech,'' as well' as ..in ■gen-, .oral'; capacity,*'porttips' ! hb,isseeoh'd. only, to onb :,; Now .Zealand.' statesman'',of ; 't!ip.; l l aay;; while 'his'."personal' acceptability',is .warmly' recognised -%y 'all partios. and classes. -Unfortunately tho' effect, of his' natural ability has always been', hampered''. to •' somo extent by a. constitutional.or.'racial ■sluggishness, and- thia': drawback;'. prevented- him ; talking tho fully' prominent' posi-' .tion that would 'otherwise, bo. liis due. : ,/v. : This, should'surely take 'a high /rank' amongst tho 'classic/examples of/cuphemism.VTho'thing could not bo. more gracefully ;putj.'; No-doiibt, if 'Mr. Hoaa had boon' appointed ; ! -Acting-Premier, . wo. should have, been, told;..that Mn. Hooa'f "eminence as ;'a.statesman" .would , havo boon greatorjthan it is ( .generally; sidefed "had it hot beenthat his.temperament inclines to an impatience' of cirr' cumlocution .and .roticerice, and were he not to somo' oxtent hainporbd by a constitutional reluctance, to expend on. the full study of economics ■ tho time..;, that some philosophic, writers' havo at their, disposal/' : :; ;.',' ■'.■''.:' : ' ;,'-' '.'■ ■' ■

' The: public will, not'have;forgotten the :controversy that was arpusqd last mdnth; by the publication of a brief -'cablegram'-' reporting a .statement upon;-.secular .education, which, was • made to an interviewer in-London by Sin Robert Stout. Wo give this morning this full text::6f the .interview, which;appeared in tiic Daily News. 'of .May.lo-• lt/.will : bo |seon that, on, the point iij disputq; the, Chioff Justice.:.. told the 1 interviewer :-no;moi'c than "was containod in the: cable message!. His' actual words were that, "those trained free from biaa 'produce'only;half as many criminals in proportion .to their, number as those-trained in tho' denomination' al schools," 'No figures are given to; sup- ■ port this 'very surprising; statement.' : .-Indoedl;!a little reflection"will' , 'show that it is' practically; impossible to obtain any sound figures on -the subject, At the same time most people will agree that on the general question of the morals of the people the Chief 'Justice was on,, firm ground in '■- *'. ;his adoptbd country. 'We wish that the -same 'could be. said of his assertion that "altruism has marvellously increased." There, is still.a large and fruitful store.of private benevolence in New Zealand, but it is incontestable; that the great growth of the State's: loyics for charitable purposes has been unfavourable to y. the: ■ development either' of. altruism or; self-help; . '.',:■/

New Zealanders can , take- just pride in the; splendid performance Established on .theAVanganui ltiver yesterday by the two athletes who competed, for world|s sculling championship honours. Arnst again tnurophod over the ex-champion, and again demonstrated beyond,all doubt his superiority, but his rival , made it equally clear that he also is in the class to'which ■ohauipionS; only belong. The record time in which' tho iracc was ; rowed .proves the quality of both men, and the admirers pi ', Webb, who expected him. to better all his prnvious performances, have been justified in r their anticipations. It can fairly bo.claimed that New. Zealand to-, day possossos the two finest oarsmen iri tho world. ■■■WEBB,'-"who is a fine sports-;, man, can take this consolation in defeat: that was beaten by a fellow New Zeakndor," and that tboi , champion was forced to cover the course in world-record tiiuo inordpr to retain the 1 title.

The decision of tho City Council to do. its own street.lighting in is said to bo. a step 'in the direction of eaving money, and can: be carried out before long/ as. the lighting contract with 'the Gas.Company exijires : oh pecombei' 1. A considcrnble. nuinbor of new lamps: are to beV orected, and, bosides the nrospect of an iiiiprpved,.'lighting- service liy: tlio sub-, stitvition of the .city's 'electric ■ light for. tbo, CJoiajjftßjrV'' ij«i) "it would tipyoar that

,v considerable all-round =aving will be effected by the change The proposal is to in&tal 2.Q4 ulcctrjc lamps in place of 100 gas lamps, the cost being estimated at £2312 The cost of the 106 gas lamps last jpar was £472, and the estimated cost of the 201 metallic filament lamps of "5 candle-power will ba about £.)'ill 10b., which sum includes interest and sinking fund on tho capital cost at 5 pi , i cent,, and dopreoifition at 3 por cent