NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 692, 17 December 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The fears expressed that the Defence Bill was doomed are, wo arc pleased to say, unfounded. Tho Prime Minister announced to the House yesterday that, the Bill was one of those which ho intended: topress through this session.-This intimation will meet with very general approval. Our internal defences require to be placed on,a proper footing, and there can be no doubt that the volunteer system. has failed to meet. requirements. In expressing our approval of.' the;decision of Sir Joseph Ward to afford the House an opportunity of passing the Bill we cannot refrain . from complimenting the Prime Minister, on the, concession which he has made to those members who objected to the proposal that the Government should take oyer the assets and liabilities of volunteer corps; on their disbandmont.; There can be no doubt of the reasonableness of the objection raised to the Government taking ihe assets of corps, but it is reasonable also that the Government should, say that they will not take over the liabilities, which may in 1 some casps have been incurred'in ways which the Defence authorities would not, have approved, The Government's proposal, to overcomo , this; difficulty by lumping 'all the t volunteer corps and pooling their. assets and liabilities might have balanced things, but it was manifestly unfair to those corps,_ many of'the members of which- aro said to'have buted out of their own funds, which hayp tho assets: Sir Joseph Ward has there-" fore acted wisely in '.abandoning this clause of the Bill, and he is to be commended for his decision. _ 'If Ministers would show. ; this readiness to meet the' reasonable wishes of members . more often' the business of Parliament would proceed much more; smoothly and satisfactorily, and much .'of the,; bitterness which is the outcome of prolonged' sittings,' and ; a feeling that it is Hopeless to appeal to the good sense of Ministers, would disappear. ■■.'■'.■ •■''■' .;■•■ •.,.!.; ■•.'■/

For some time '-pastwe'havebeen, calling' attention to the great disparity bebotween the returns i fforri;the railways in this island and the; returns ; from ■-. the railways in the .South,, Every month, now the greater earning. powers of the Northern lines' become increasingly apparent.. The'' following shows' the net returns for the last three monthly periods (the figures for the latest period {appear in last night's. Gazette):— ■ , ■■ .-, Fourweeks. : '..'■■ '•'■;'" .'. South. -:■ .North., lending. '. '.;. -i'■ .' .'.■■;.;.;-..£ ;.' Soptombar. 18 .....'.'.'...'...1.:...!. 15,865 . "': -2i;iU October', 16 ;.;..............„.V..:. 20,365 . ■ 21,717 November 13 ..../......!.„.:..„: 28,771 "; .'■ /- 37,450 ; ;,;i'.To*»iß ';-"jeso,3ii■The, Superiority of the Northern lines is really' greater . than this, 'for there are 1571 milesof line in the South, and only 1135 miles'in. thisisland.',The_ net return per mile in the three periods ;is' shown. in the, following.table:—>-.'• ..'V ;.■■.•..-.- ■'■■/ Four weeks ;; : '-. ■: South., v.- .'' North. ; :;oiiding. .•:'-. : ■;■ '''£:';s. d. ; : ':.. ' £ s.ii. September 18";.....; -.. 10 4' 8 ;' "18 12 6 .October, 16' :...„........ 12: 6 G.'.: ; . 19 2. 8 November 13 ............... 18. G 3, ; -32 19 0 By the end of the .year; as usual, the plairT, fact that £he Northern lines arc carrying the Southern lines on their back will 'become plainer than ever.'Our Southern friends, who grow increasingly angry; with these figures,as tho fiscaPyear advances, may hasten to show that' for the 227 days ended November 13 the net return from the Southern,lines amounts to £277,606, as against: £232,594 from, thq Northern lines (a return, we■ may note in passing, of £176 14s; per mile in the South,' as against. £204 ,18s. per'mile , in; the North). But .at■.-.this time last; year the South still held its initial advantage —£192,959 against £lßi;243—and ;yet the ybar ended with 'a.revenuo.', from the North amounting to £420,031 arid from the South, £394,679. .'The' disparity by the end of the year will be so markedly in favour ,of the North that; the public will hot unreasonably express their disapproval of curtailment of the services in this island being made until; the Southern lines are put in order. ■'.'■:.." ■'•'. V'.v

'It is most unfortunate that the Native Land Acts Consolidating Bill .should haveV come up for consideration at this late stage!of tho.session;..'.lt. is a most important and much needed measure, and the Government is deserving of credit for its attempt to place this vexed question' of Nativo lands on a more satisfactory footing. A/visitor to r the Houso of Representatives, - ■ however, would be shocked to note the manner in which the Bill is being treated by members. Early yesterday morning when Mr. Hekkies, a rocogniscd_ authority on Native matters, was speaking, there were not three members paying ' attention out pf -the bare quorum present. /Yet it was the most weighty speech of ithd debate... '.Later, when the. Bill was in Gomrnitteo, the in all—were :rushed through a thin Houso almost totally indifferent to what was being done. Certainly a very small band gave.some attention, but cvon they did so in a-hopeless sort, of fashion. -The harvest of this sort of sowreaped in costly and fruitless litigation, and repeated resort to 'amending Bills. It is not our purpose, however, to dwell on this aspect of the matter, but rather to dircct.attention to a suggestion made by Mn. Tayloe. The. member for Ohristcnurch North, haying in view no doubt the manner in which Bills are brought down and rushed-through _ without time for proper consideration,' urged :.that the Government should .circulate largo and important Bills', amongst members : during the recess. A Local Government Bill, for .instance, is to'come down iioxt'ses-sion—-it has been coming for a good many sessions. Why should not this Bill be circulated so that members could have timo to_ study it and come prepared to do justice to a measure of "such' importance to everyone? Tho National :An : nuitics Bill, is another measure in connection, with which this cdurso was proposed. Whan tho Wa&d Ministry ■ took

office, there 'was. the kindliest and most hopeful feeling in the public mind; If he had known it, Sib Joseph Ward had a great opportunity before him. The;' : public was growing tired of the old op-' prcssion. ■: It wolcomed tho promise of business-like methods. _ It applauded the. • new Government's initial abandonment of the old method of driving Parliament. It took pleasure; in pointing out the value of the policy of tact.and con-: sidorateness that made the session of 1902, when Sm Joseph Ward was Acting-Pre-mier, a very pleasant and satisfactory ono. Here is a chance for Sin Joseph to return to the paths of political righteousncss.'..'' ■■> ';'!'■.■...''' ■'.■:' The British Chancellor . of the Exchequer appears to bo singularly unfortunate in his campaign .against the Dukes and Marquises. A cable message received to-day gives us the particulars of his, latest lapse. -. He stated in his Carnarvon speech that a small, tailor's shop noxt door to the Cardiff Castle had been assessed at £947 annually, while the Marquis of Bote's property (Cardiff Castle itself) was assessed at £924.. The tailor's solicitors have proved that their client's assessment was only £40, but Mr. Lloyd-George does not apologise. He was forced to admit, however, that the Marquis contributes £33,000 annually to the Cardiff rates. In his famous Limehouse specchvMß. Lloyd-George attacked tho Duke of Westminster for having, as ho alleged, raised the rental of one of his lessees, a Mr. Gorringe, from, i'a.fdw hundreds: a_ year" to £4000 a year, at the same.time exacting .a '"fine" of £50,000. As a matter of fact the £4000 represented an■■', increase of only £335, and the hew rental was low compared with the of neighbouring properties, which, by tho : way, were not owned by Dukes:. The Chancellor ako accused the Duke of, Northumberland of "demanding" £900 an acre for a certain plot of land, which was required for a school site, and upon which he was paying a small rental. He made this charge after it had been repeatedly shown that the Duke had not "demanded'! any price. The price was : fixed by arbitration under : the compulsory powers of the education authority. There . are Other examples of ■■the Chancellor's astonishing inaccuracy. It is . unfortunate that Radicalism should display such; disregard for facts. ..: ■.;.'.; ■'■■'■'':