NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 594, 24 August 1909, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The Missions to Seamen Church and Institute in Wellington, which isVat present celebrating its eleventh anniversary, is a -very active ; and progressive branch of a great organisation"which is doing splendid work in providing for the religious and 'social needs of seamen; in ; various parts of the Empire. An organisation" of this kind, must appeal strongly to the .sympathies of every British community. As a great, commercial nation, our depends' very largely, upon the/faithfulness and. ability .; of those "that go, down to the sea in ships.' that do, business in great waters. 1 Though' modern science' and shipping laws ■ have done a great -deal to improve the life of the sailor, his calling must always remain a perilous and, anxious one. The dangers of : the deep are ever with him, and, every shipping contrc should regard it as both a duty and a pleasure to make the short time .he spends, on land as profitable, happy, 'and comfortable as possible This, is what the Missions to Seamen is trying to, do, and not without a large moasure of success. The; Wellington brunch' is well and. faVpurably known throughout the Dominion' for the work it is doing and the way it is doing (it, and its success is in a very great measure due, to the, tactfulness,; enthusiasm,- and kindness of Mb. James Mooke, the missioner in charge. No one understands better than he does how to bring out the best characteristics of thc : sailor, who, taken as a class, beneath a ■rough and rugged exterior carries a big, kind heart. ■ . ':;' ''-;

In due course the truth about tho Government's retrenchment, proposals • will become so plain that it cannot any longer bo. disguised. A hint as to the amount of sincerity in the Government's virtu•ous.:talk about the nend ;for, oconbmy and for, the. prevention of tho .waste that will.

insist on "creeping in" wan dropped by Win, Millar in Dunutlin tho other day, Aftor declaring that tho current depression is passing away, lio said that lio "had hopes that in tho future condition!) would havo improved to that extent that the Government would bo juslilied in taking back many of tlioiio who had been rotronohod." Lot tho •■public reflect a little upon whatthat moans. Ma. Millar's latest statement, read in conjunction with tho previous statements' by Ministers, is vory remarkable, When we pointed out that tho' necessity for retrenchment was tho fullest possible justification ,of our contention that tho Government, in its. wild, wastefulness, had improperly over-staffed tho Departments, Ministers and the Ministerialist press hastoncd to find some way of escaping from this chargo, Tho only cxcuso they could think of was put forward by Sin J. G. Ward in his fnvcrcargill speech. That thcrotrcnchmcnt proposals provod wastefulness he Aorccly denied. Tho fact .was, so ho told tho public, that the Departments wore now in running, order, and it was therefore at last pos-, siblo.to reduce the Departments and dis-. miss superfluous officers, -And nosv, at tho very' first symptom that good timcß are returning, wo". havo Mr. Millarpromising that the Government will take back into tho sorvico i»,i;iy of those who havo boon dismissed. V.o wore' told that their dismissal would not interfere with the efficiency of tho Departments for the reason given by Sir Joseph Waiid; 'If 'that was correct, what reason can bo advanced for again swelling the. ranks of the.Civil Sorvico? Of course everyone 'has sympathised,' and will sympathise, with thoso who have been displaced through no fault of thoir own; but what oxcuso can be offered, in face of the previous' statements of the Government, for tho return to extravagance hinted at so. broadly 'by Mr. Millar? It only, confirms the suspicion, which wo shared with most unbiased people, that as soon' as tho, clouds began to lift tho Government' would resume its old: career off dissipation and extravagance! Me. Millar's promise of more billets, wo should point out, has a closo connection with his vaguo hints of an political orisis. No doubt if a roal crisis should arise, which does not seem at all likely, at?'present; tho - Government, will Use ovory penny, it. can: lay ".its hands on in its'efforts to retain ■ office. ' .?■>•■ :■'■'.

~ The. New Zealand Flour .Millers' Asf sboiation is to meet in Chrisfcchurch tomorrow to consider matters of vital interest to itself as a body, arid; of .-very great interest also to the whole of '• the residents .of New Zealand.; The main point at issue tp be decided at row's conference ; Ib , that: affecting: .the very being of tho Association/ Are allthe minors now. on the roll, of the Asso-' ciatibn , prepared -vto plcdgo. themselves for another term of years to limit 'their, output to, the: quantity decided upon by the : Association'l' Kis claimed by a Bee-. tipti-'pf those' in tho trade that the Association must continue to exist, qtherwi.se several mills will have to, ceaso.operar tions, as.New Zealand -is considerably over-milled ! at present. The present-day demand can bff satisfied with the <'.mills wording only seven hours a day,.whereas thoreis nothing.to prevent mills outside the Association working the full four hours; if they can .place their :prpduct. Some few weekß ago mention was made of the .probability, of; ono or two: of the big southern,millers dropping put of the Association. If they-persist thcro will be nohopo, it seems, pf-tho Associatipn continuing: inrexistence, arid out throat competition may--then be looked forward : to: ■ Tho Question at issue for oaoh miller is,- briefly,' whether he will benefit most by- grinding full time "■ arid competing ■', in an ojien, market,, : or ;i by ;working ]us{; as: long as. is' necessary to hgrind the quota- apportioned him by the I Association and, getting y the <: standard price thereby. 'Tho interests of the pub l lie dp ;npt at to,bo anybody's cpricern., •: ,v-'\ .;: •,:'.-. :

An aspect cf the question of State ad : ' vortising -which wasnot ■touched on in- ; pur reference to tho! boycott'of; The Dominion by the Government is_ dealt with by' a correspondent in' this issue.'; He points' out,that Government advertising is'most wa'stcfully-carried 1 out, and' that if Ministers wore actuated,;, by any - sinacro 'desire; to economise ; they would' soe that the advertising was placed, ,ih thp hands of those who'would see that it; was attended.to in a manner .to/secure the.. best possible return for'the:smallest possible, .expenditure. : We agree , entirely with our correspondent's contentions;-No one who knows anything about the subject could think otherwise.. But; wc have already shown 'that the question of. ccony omy does not enter into the _ conduct of the Government. .Its desire-is-to. penalise a paper which it can neither, buy; over uor intimidate; It has _used; and, is-us-, ing, all ,its weight and influence to danK age '■■■■ this, paper-because jt' persists;.; in pointing out' the weaknesses and evils of the Government's administrative 1 methods. That is the one- ota jeot. To talk of■oconomy.in connection with the boycott : is too obviously, a ; pretence and;a sham.; On a previous:occasion -we pointed, out! the, '.wasteful; .ex-: travagarico which has been,gpirig'on ;in other directions than ; that'of adver.tising, notably in'connection .with Government publications, and it is pleasing to note that'some economies.now appear to be practised in. this. respect. A second correspondent- also writes on; the adver: tising question, and refors, furthermore, to thescandalous attitude of. the Govern-, ment * : in : refusing ■■'■•'the ■■' New Zealand Farmers' ■ Co-operative. .'.' 'Distributing Company the right to proceed in the law courts ;against a r Department, of; the" Stato which in the conduct of its'trading business -'is 'alleged.',, to hayo- created a: nuisance which.has .damaged the business of the' Farmers' Co-operative Company. We have on a provionß'occasion referred to tho improper -manner in which- the Government has sought .shelter behind; the .Crown. Suits Act/' and so; prevented the company' seeking a means of- redress which it would possess; against any private firm or individual. ( If an injury lias, been done the Farmers'. Cb-opcrativo Company by the man.ner..in which the State "Coal Department conducts its business—an injury which no private firm would be permitted to inflict without re- , dress atlaw—surelyit -is entitled, to, re-, dress from a State trading,concern, if no. injury has been done, why docs the Government fear to; waivo; its. technical fright under an; old, law ,which- prevents the company taking the matter |nto the Supreme Court for. decision?. Is it because this co-operative company' ,of farmers is composed of a class of'the community which, like ourselvcs,';,finds so little favour with the Government of the day ?'•• We do not know, but it is only an-' other of the many instances in which Ministers have abused their- office, and , perpetrated, injustice. . .'..;''