NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 674, 26 November 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The deputation' of members of Parliament and others which waited oii the Minister for Education yesterday made out a strong case in favour of the retention of tho free railway passes to teachers attending classes of instruction. Everyone will sympathise with the Minister in any reasonable -,\ effort to economise. But Mn. Fowlds's zeal has led him to , mako a fake step in his action regarding the railway privileges granted to school teachers, and we are pleased to think that he is beginning to realise this.. The strongest point made in support of his.recent decision was his statement that the privilege had, in the past, been abused. He was very positive on this point, and wo have no doubt,that:he has evidence to warrant his declaration. But while this state of things calls ■ for remedy, it is manifestly unfair, as well as unwise, to penalise the whole <of the teaching profession because of the laches of individual membertof it. Moreover, the withdrawal'of the privileges means something more than -the penalising of the teachers—in restricting tho opportunities of the teachers to 1 extend their ' knowledge and add to their attainments,; a blow is aimed at the general standard, of the teaching profession, and the effect 1 must inevitably tie felt by the whole nation; The remedy; for; the abuses complained of, therefore, is hot abolition of the privileges, but the exercise of a stricter supervision l to see that the regulations are icomplied with. : Tho actual loss jto ■'■'tho'.-iGovernment, from the granting of passes must, after all r bo trifling. If tho teachers had to pay, tho great:majority of them,could not afford to make the trips, so : that the. railway revenue is not likely to be materially augmented by'the proposed change; while, the loss to the cause of education, for tho" reasons pointed; out by /the , deputation, l must be very great. In brief, the Government, by granting ■ the privileges, suffers only a,; paper-lo&; : t , whereas the , whole country derives a material gain. ;While, therefore, we commend any reasonable ondeavour on the, part of the Minieter to oconoinise,. the withdrawal of the railway privileges of sch'ool'tea'chers appears to; us to be an unwise step,. and, viewed.from the standpoint of the national weal,; a ■ ivery : real example :of •falso^ecdriomy.:. ,, z[i'y'"~'i '.'-" : :y' r

The >■ debate '.in the- Lords upon. Lord Lansdowne's . resolutions, against the; Finance BiU is remarkably .interesting, and rnoro than. a littlo puzzling. ■• There was nothing very new in any < of the speeches until; Lord ;I CnoiiEE spoke: ; The ;.;Ik>rd' Ohancellor/s "speech. 'allyloxpected-T-anVablo'speech *in : .strict consonance with' the policy-stated 'by.'tho ■Ministers .in'; the ; House. - iTho ; . ; Government's .'claim to support, as. He'stains.' it, is.'.not;,this"rnenfi or this; particular'.JA\iaget, but the .right of a' Liberal Governmentto! exact submission from the Lords to 'any 'Finance Bill, sent up ■■: from the House.' To people at ;this end of the world it.seems'a' .very, extraordinary-.!thing that the'_ Government should.'be so ,keerily, 1 anxious ithat the peoplo 'should have; no opportunity -.to' express •'■ that •enthusiastic ' approval of the. Budget' which • the Government declares , is -the dominant feeling of the: people.'.'lnstead; .of /welcoming with '''delight, the only course'of action which will prove its' popularity the Government. is ■ seeking 'to.terrify -the Peers into 'Tho 'game is_-thus simply a game ;of.bluff— a (balancing of. theGovernment's _ own; fears 'regarding;;the. popular .verdict against the Unionistsfears of a Liberal'■success at' tho polls. , ' Lord Ghomer, \he;opposes the. Budget, opposes Tariff Reform also. He took up this, position: that both the Liberal and. Unionist policies , are; dangerous to v the financial stability- of -the nations Socialism • and Tariff Reform—Liberalism and official Unionism—are equally dangerous to naval .strength, v The'refpre he ..can' neither support nor oppose a. measure which ho dislikes, and,the alternative to which he dislikes no' less. lieving,, like the that a general election will : eivo. ncithor. party a largo condition, that :will. make extreme Radicalism' and Tariff Reform equally impossible as - policies—ho -urges the Unionist Free-traders to vote! for tho Unionist Tariff Reform candidates. Lord Hosebery's speeches.almost ihcom-' prehonsiblc. His opposition to , the Bud-: get has gathered strength, ■ and his denunciations of it: are more: .violent than ever,; yet, because of some opinions which he expressed many,-years .ago,; M' : . feels' himself unable to support. Lord : Lansdowhe. The abstainers will also include the Bishops,; and it is'thercfore-vory probable that a very large: number of Peerswill- remain neutral. The prospects of tho Bill are therefore not so dark as they werea week ago, but it is practically assured that the Bill is doomed' in, any case. '■'-■'.■...- • ■ -." : . :■'. : : -;. ■.; '/' '.. ; : ir-. - ; ;;- ',':: ■

: A new idea has been set on foot, to disturb the public's calculatious-as to what is to happen to the 'session.. The Minister' for ; Finance,.knowing' that'tho financial results, of , the current year will be far from pleasant, and therefore ■ likely to make his.-political course 'a' difficult one, is:obviously, anxious to bring, off a last coup in - the shape of. a session-less financial year. Ho desires that the Houso shall meet early next year and sit; for a'couple of months, adjourning thereafter for at least twelve : months. From his point of view this arrangement would be. very desirable. He would bo spared the trouble of .commanding a. restless party, and the difficulty ;of pleasing a still more restless and highly critical public; and the year 1910-11 may turn out well for Ms finances. ;' He may be. trusted touse every means he can.' in order to carry out.this extraordinary, and; indefensible programme; The new idea to .which we have ■referred is ihat an autumn session and a year's adjournment will enable a party of. mcmbcrß to proceed 'to England.. There arc many mombers whom we should, be glad to see visiting England, for the educative effects of foreign travel upon some .members would be a !.positive boon to this-country.. We havo no doubt that • tho suggestion that the House should adjourn in.ordor to : allow a party of members to go ■ Homo has been made in the-lobbies. : - If it has, we havo ; only .to. .say', that it, is tho most surprising thing that wo havo, heard of for ; -n long; time/ '. That it should oven bo;mentioned is a. significant commentary upon tho length of tho drift:towards tho theory that P'arliamont ;}s tho maatprvand-.-'tho uublic its servani. ■■/-; : ;■'■ : " :'„ i, - ; ; ; .