NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 571, 28 July 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

We commend to the notice of the upholders of the system of political control of the railways the opinions which H/r. Haeold Beauchamp has formed as the result of his observations in Australia. "After a'somewhat lengthy experience," he found, "the people in both Victoria and New South Wales are generally agreed upon the fact that railways and tramways, necessitating, as they do, the employment of largo bodies-, of men, can be worked to;much better advantage, under non-political Boards or Commissioners." In Victoria, there used'to be great difficulty in making ends.' meet under Ministerial control; under the Cornmis-' sioner system they not only' pay their' way, but leave a handsome profit as well. Nor is economy achieved at the cost of comfort and convenience. The service, says Me. Beauchamp, "is excellent from every- point of view." Applying his 6b r seryations in Australia to the case- of New Zealand, he points out, very natur-' ally, that the Boards or Commissioners should be composed of highly-qualified men. 'The. Victorian Commissioners have "simply revolutionised railway matters," and similar results, he believes, will accrue elsewhere with the same efficient administration. Mr. Bbauchamp, in shortj has been thoroughly converted to ; the opinion that the interests of,the country can best be served by removing the rail-', ways from the influence of politics., We need hardly point out that ; Me. Beauchamp, who is Chairman of the Bank of New Zealand, can hardly be accused of hostility to Sie J. G. Ward''or his Government;, of which ho has long been a supporter.- He has made a valuable con-'' tnbution to the railways question in this country, and one which the upholders of the present wasteful system will find' it difficult to dispose bf. ..-.•

The Minister for Agriculture appears | to have devised a scheme which should he of value to the dairying industry. 1 The I object of this scheme,. as explained to the Farmers' Union Conference by Mr. MacKENZiE..yesterday, is to improve the qualit?,, of iuititar £& raising tfeo.,

standard of tho milk impply. 'lliorii fittfi bo no doubt lJiiit< thoro' lnm Imon an j"iprovomont in Mi in direction already, but tho general average in kupl down by tlio ciirp.lmaiKiHii or i/jiiofimcu of Urn few, The idea of tho Government in to iiiermiMi llw number of instructors .attached to tlio Dairying Department nl/ tlio uxjiotlfio of tho lllSllfiClorll, Itlld U) HXIiIWKI lill« ( /llMI!' lions o( iJiwiD Diliwri) 1.13 l.lio farms, in addition to Urn atkmlion they j;ive to tho dairy factories. The /ulv/Ultfigf) of lliii) must, lio apparent. However well equip- ))(!(! and ollioionlly worked tho dairy factories may bo, they aro dependent on tlio quality of thr> milk mipjillud to■ tliom. Whore tho milk i» of a |(ivon _ standard tlio (services of the instructor will not-lx) required, hut wlioro a supplier's milk docs not (lomu up to standard it will bo tho duty of tlio instructor, to visit tho farm, discover tho .reason, and.npint out tho remedy. Not only will this bo of value to tho faulty mipplier, who should bo directly benefited by t«he advice thus placed.at his disposal, but the output of tho wholo factory will bo improved and tho standard of quality of tho butler raisod all round. Tho farmer has:boon so harried with inspectors.'.,of various kinds that ho may bo inclined at first, to look askance at this latest/move of the Government. Provided, however, that tho instructors are properly qualified men- and possessed of a reasonable amount of tact, there is no, occasion to anticipate anything but tho, best, rc&ulta from the scheme. The Minister and tho Government are to ho complimented oil the idea. It rests'with them now to carry it out'satisfactorily. <: ■': ;<•'.'■ 'i-Y.'' ;'

A'point of Bome: interest' to,the colonics was raised in tho House of Commons last weok by Mit. Henniker Heaton: It may not bo generally known' that , colonial, newspapers rc-postcd in "England; are charged a much higher rate of postage than papers published' in Britain and registered. A registered; British ncVs-' paper of'any weight up to,'five'pounds can bo sent through the post, .for ,one halfpenny,, but a colonial or a'n unregistered paper requires a shalfpenny, stamp for. overy two ounces; of weight. ,; The charge on some, of the larger New Zealand .weekly' 1 pap'ers'/which people; in England might desire to-re-post: on, to friends must therefore be' a high one. Mr. Henniker' Heaton, in raising, this'matter-in the House of Commons, 'asked the Post-master-General, ,tob'rin'g'ln:an Act .'of. Parliament to' grant; colonial newspapers the right to .register .in England so as to take .advantage Of tho cheaper■rate ! of postage., Mr. Buxton!, ■''however! was not; able to; grant the request—why was,hot stated/' It could hardly be: that 'the. loss of:' revenue from' re-postages of'colonial, papers would be very- great; whereas the value/of the wider circulation in.Britain' of newspapers from the (Overseas' dominions would certainly, be an. advantage; in bringing aboiit a clearer understanding in Britain;of tho conditions of colonial life and the views and-aspirations ,of, those engaged,lin the work of nation; building in the outlying parts of the Empire.;-'- ;-.;:..■; -•' • Y"- ; .' '■ : '-' i ' ';;'■ '■'■'■'■"-

~ "Dvxedts is not the only place boasting an airship." Thus, characteristically, begins an Auckland'telegram which; we print :to-dav. "" .You may bp.quite .'sure .that 'Auckland iislnot 'g"6in'g.',to •'playvsec-. ond fiddle to anybody. .At present, it. full of people who have been "mystified'' by /'a. peculiar ■light," "a mysterious illumination," which has been "hovering", in-tho'sky. Auckland , has .decided, of , course, that the only possible thing to conclude is that it is an airship. A few year's* ago','the"; only i; conclusion i wdlil'd'have' been'" that' ;i't: was\ the 1 " 'giant.| gooseberry; ■ These mysterious' lights have'i been appearing, too; in Inv'ercargill, of all places in this world,' and Invercargill 1 has decided that .the light is,probably the. head-light oi. .;"an, airship, sent-to .reconnoitre""by the' German yacht' Seestern." J Nothing could be more natural. _ The night is the best time, and an.airship the safest vehicle, for finding oui the- lay of the!country. No; self-respecting German would so far-affront'the current conception of him by. hiring a buggy, or .using the .railway. The. famous "scareship", that caused soniuch in. the, British newspapers last May turned out to be a toy balloon, which wai' taken from place to place by motor-car'arid sent up at night-time,. in .the : 'interests of a..West End-firm of;motor^ar,factors.;.; We,can-, not rid ourselves of the idea that the local "scareships,".like,the English ones; will somehow, end up in ..."Jones's'Soap," or "Brown's Pills. It is possible, of course, that the mysterious light in Invercargill may be l a .development of tho "keg" business. The public, we trust, will endeavour-to-remain calm.