NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 636, 13 October 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The effpdt of,the,recent finanpial and "commercial depressiqn upon the workers is shown in very striking, fashion in some tables published in the report of the Labour Department. V The numocr of persons "practically assisted" by the Depart, mentwas 10,391, whose dependents numbered , 7510. In 1907-8, only : 0305 persons wore so assisted, their dependents numbering 4408. The number of unemployed who wore given: work by the State nearly doubled during the year, the figures being; 1907-8, 3328; 1908-9, 6201. A very curious, table .gives tjie number of married men assisted by the Department in each year since 1892,. with the. number of their children. The decline in the aver? ag'p number of children to each man has been steady and persistent, In' 1892 it was 3.48; .by' 1898 it Wd finally fallen below 3; by 1906 it had fallen .below, 2; in 1909 it was 1.77..-. The pvidepces of' depression appear also in the 1 statistics, relative to the number pf factory workers. From 1903 to 1908 the number of these workers increased substantially,' the annual ■increases ,bej"n¥ 3652, 4921, 3745, 2690, 4907, IPOB-9 was an. increase of only 223. The total amount" of wages paid ip 1908-8 was £5.710,226, ap inqycase.of only £391,207 op the wages qf the preceding year. No more convincing proof : is wanted of. the. truth that it 1 js upon J;lie I workers that.,compierpial. depression falls most directly_and most Heavily... ThVGgvcrprncnt attribu^ 3 the depression mainly to thfa drop in wqp! values. It remain's for, Mr., I 1 ow'lds, ,therefore, t6 convince the;worker: that hp was stating the truth when he said that a drop in wool is really not a terrible thing, inasmupjv ag.ite eifpet falls ; on those who, have toq much money already! ' ' ."•'•.'

\"The freehold . agitatipn," says ; trie Ministerialist, journal. in Qhristchurph, "is a purely artificial one," It is .emboldened to make.this Btatementfby such considerations as these:'■' "The professing friends' 1 oTHKp'Tre'ehbTd 'teriure arc in a substantial -majority.; Mt itVdocg not follow' that all the members who ■ have been labelled as freeholders would follow" the Opposition into'-the.lobby- against the Government', • .. There are a good pifiny Liberals expressing' Sympathy with the freehold cry who quite.fai] to r'paliso' what is behind the Opposition's, policy, : '■;'•_. Bchirid'it'is the desire and the'intention to bring back the ovil .land conditions of the past," In vjpw pf the fact that the Reform' party s land,policy published broadcast Specifically provides'for the freehold,,' yiilk, limitation of area to prevent the aggregation o( large, estates, this bogy-raised by-the Ministerial journal ['displays either, remarkable jgporancp on-its part.of what, is, happening'in- the political world's or olso that it delibeiv atcly shuts its; eyes to the actual position-. It is quite evident from our contempor l ary's attitude that tholhopo of the : antifreehold party lies in the chance that the Government may persuado a sufficient number of freeholders in its.' ranks to swallow their principles, If the freeholders on the Ministerial benches are likely to render, their defeat at the next election' certain by turning tail' on their pledges, it is really quite unnecessary for the -Ministerialist press to manufacture excuses for therm If the freehold issue is clearly, raised, • and the Government makes .the tissue a party question, that will bo the Government's own '.fault,. For the'- constituency .tliat. spnds ' a freehold adyocatp to Parliament will not consider its member excused for his betrayal ol thoir confidence by any theory ho may hold a? to what the. Government would like him to do. "In. spite of thp preppntjgrpncp of the frechojd sentiment in Parliament;" pur ChpstchurchVco'n-. "we arp npt disposqd to take' a, pessimistic view of the prospects," In ot]icr words, some of the Government's friends are hopeful that by hook or by crook the. country cap be defrauded in the matter of land tenure. 'These very frank people quite''forget, that the freehold: constituencies, defrauded twicp already, are watching their representatives very closely. The most extraordinary thing about the situation is the fact that'thoEe who arc endeavouring to thwart the popular will are the'loudest in their insistence on the principle that the popular will must prevail. ' • ■

It docs not appear to have occurred to Sir Joseph Ward, that ho jg acting very unwisely in attempting to take from members one of their few privileges in the, matter of'private Bijls. His obvious annoyance at Mr.Herdman's smart tactical manpeuvre ■ in getting.jp his speech .on Civil Service reform pn the first reading of his Bill seems to continue to affect his judgment, for', ha was indiscreet enough to repeat yesterday his objection to the established liberty'of members to explain the object of the Bills that they intrpduca. Jt js a surprising that the Prime MijjjsTgß shpujd allow Jijs feelings.to so sway, him as to proceed to. an_ attaok upon one of the most valuable privileges of the private momber, In threatening to move for such' an niupndT mqnt of the Standing .Orders a§.will eur? tail the freedom of members to call attention to thoir proposals, hq was Dot simply oxocuting a movo against tho Opposition. The fact that Mr. Craioie, ono'of his most loyal adherents, was glad to follow Mu. Herdman's example should have warned the Prime Minister that ho will offend quite as many of his own party as pf the Opposition if he attempts to carry out his threat; Up to a certain point a Government, can trust to party loyalty to acqiiiescp in the absorption by tho Executive of tho rights of the whole.Assembly. Btit.Siß Joseph YYard is', apparently -convinced that there is no limit to what party loyalty will condone. ;He appoars to.l]ave forgotten that tiraeß have changed since Mr. Seddon's 'day;-ho is attempting.to do what nobody loss Btrong than his powerful predecessor could ever hope to do. Most of us boliovcd, when Sir.Joseph took/ office;,-that .he; would 'roako conciliation and tact his ' chief

weapons. Wo thought., that he realised ma.limitations. Apparently wo were all mistafcpp, It is prqbablc, Wever,' that the Prime Minister will find it desirable to change his tactics ere the session closes. Wp doubt very much that the Ministerial following will subordinate its.views and convictions entirely to the will of Ministers. There is a growing feeling that outside of direct party issues members should shake off' tlie" thraldom of .the Ministorjal whip and pxercise an unfettered judgment on matters which may come before the House for consideration. It is a hopeful sign of better things ahead. .