NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 697, 23 December 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

: The astonishing concern shown by.some members of the Cabinet'for the interests of the boolanaking. fraternity was again demonstrated in the Houso of Representatives yesterclay.V'Tbo PIUME MINISTEIt professed to, bo" unable to see any differonce _ between the bookmaker'; and the tbtalisator, and made' it more evident than ever that ho : ib . determined to shcl- , ter the bookmakers behind the totalisator. His declaration, that both the 'to-, talisator and; tho bookmaker should go means 6nc of two things: cither"ho was in in which case ho should have legislated in the direction stated during the current session j or ho was merely endeavouring to alarm the supporters of the -totalisator, and force them to join with the bookmakers and make common causo against s the anti-gambling party. It is indeed remarkable :to find tho bookmakers with such staunch friends in high places. The Hon. J. A. MillAk,. in his zeal as : a defender •of the ..■ layers: of odds, went so far as to aceu6o the racing clubs of licensing disreputable persons in .order , -to discredit the bookmaking fraternity. This statement, coming from a' responsible Minister of the Crown, is very surprising. Mb. Millar must know that the racing clubs have no' option in. tho matter. They have -, no means of testing the character of applicants for licenses; and they have even been threatened by another .'Minister' of the ;Crowni ■in ■ response to a suggestion, that the clubs in-. , tended to exercise a.free discrimination in the:issuing;:pf licenses. ~ It is not our purposo, to pfifief into' , the pros and coni of the totalisator v.\ bookmaker question. Anypno.who knows anything of what is going on at. the present time in connection with gambling on horse-racing knows:.the. grave evils...that...have'' developed out of tho placing of bookmakers on a legal footing. . Some, of these evils have been pointed out in our columns at different times since the passing of. the Act. The Commissioner of Police has deemed; it necessary to direct .attention to them., Yet, curiously enough; the Government'supports the bookmakers, and Ministers come forward as ardent champions of their'cause.' •"'•;' ■ .'.-''' l '.-■.,■'■'.

Although the temporary currency of ."University rofora" as.a topic has been suspended, wo are sure' to hear a good , deal more of it, when the Senate meets early ".next year. There is one aspect of the question which is, almost entirely neglected in most of tne periodical' discussions: •Mβ refer to the, importance/of : preserving the fundamental purpose of a University, the : traditions of the -Uni;versity: as, a homo, of quiet culture.: The danger of-, : . the ; reform ■' movement, as : ' wo have pointed but in the past, is in the possibility that the reformers will convert the University into a glorified technical school. We commend to their notice some words used by Lord Rosebery last month in a:speech at. the Glasgow "University Club's dinner. Lord Rosebery is no enemy of "thenew.Universities. ■ They are; he says, "the ■ outward and visible .signs of the grace; which is likely to show'itself in the influence of our national destinies." Yet he did not "believo'greatly in the development ( of the two old .-.Universities of Oxford and; Cambridge oh modern lines":, ,; .. : ": : ••■-■,- "..-,.■■'- : , : V . :r):,";,,.'... ..'■• I think they must remain immemorial shrinea of that exquisite learning which they have provided for many centuries , past. And I am very doubtful, -personally, of anyj beneficent result from pouring now vrino into : these two ancient bottles; I use the word in no humorous sense. I believe,.that 'they-.have a great task still before tlieur in the advancement of those studies which ;they have -always'carried on, and which must always appeal to a large, a leisured, and a learned section of the nation: 1 am very doubtful of grafting on to those ancient institutions newer technical .schools or the: schools which they< are .attempting to found. Oxford and Cambridge have so venerable, a tradition to support them that they need no ; modern adjuncts, or. no specially modern adjuncts, and I greatly doubt if they are.likely to profit by them much if they had' them. . ■'. ~ ■■■;• . ■■ .■ ■ In New.:Zealahd we have.but ono Univorsity, and if it be modernised and reformed out of recognition,: the nation, in years to come, will find itself lacking a very precious.thing. ; : ; : ".; .., .;■/-.-

IWβ have felt impelled on various occa» Sions■ 'during the present .session to. ex-■ press strong disapproval of. the manner in which business has been.forced through the House of llopresentatives by Ministers. ■ Yesterday, however, Bills wore rushed through a complaisant House by privato members at a;rato that equalled the .very worst efforts of Ministers. The Government was not toi.blame for this, the Bills were local Bills, and the anxiety of members to get away- to thoir homes before Christmas was solely responsible. Bill after Bill was rushod. through, in some cases the member in charge not even troubling to explain the provisions of the measure entrusted to his care. It is somo consolation to know that these Bills had previously been submitted to the Locals Bills Committee, which it is to be hoped gave them careful scrutiny. The domdralised state of the House may bo judged from the _ fact that- it quietly submitted last evening to the introduction by the Prime Minister of a largo budget of im-: portant new clauses relating to the State Guaranteed Advances Bill, including one reversing, tho dopision of, tho '. House ro'garding tho control of local bodies' eink : u»g, funds, ' i woariodiad indiffercut

House made a feeble protest, the majority which threw out the Government's proposal a few days ago failed to appear, and the Prime Minister, reinstated the clause by 37 votes to 27. Subsequently, when members realised what had happened, there were some angry recriminations, , but the Prime Minister had his way. Sir Joseph Ward can congratulate himself on the stato of submission to which ho has reduced membora. To make tho farce completo he should now insert in tho Supplementary Estimates the vote of £400 for Mr. W. P. Beeves, struck out by the House from the General Estimates; and also tho vote in connoction with the State, Coal Mines Department, by : reducing which members made protest against the injustice done the Co-operative Farmers' Association under the Crown Suits Act. It bo a fitting finalo to.the past fortnight's work. , . ....,'. ■ ';'.

The retirement of Mr.; Dinnie from the office of Commissioner'of Police will not como as a surprise to most people. Those who followed_ the proceedings; of the Police Commission, as reported in the press, must'have felt that while Mr. Dinnie had cleared himself of blame of most of the charges made against the administration of his department, and while they recognised that there was a. good deal that could bo said in his favour, yet the position was far from satisfactory. Mr. Bishop's report endorsed this view, and went rather further. Wo are, bound to confess that in his reply to tho findings of the Royal Commissioner, Mb. Dihnie was able to point out inconsistencies, which must weaken the report as a whole. There is, indeed, much in the report that; Mr. Dinnib can legitimately claim as a justification of his years of: office. At the same time his attitude during the proceedings of' the Commission and since has not been such as to strengthen his position. His cord is that of an excellent police officer, but an excellent police officer may not be suited to' the responsibilities attached to the office of head of tho police force of a country. The Government, wo believe, is acting in accord with,' -.'public sentiment in deciding on a change, but whether the change proposed will be an impvoyomont it is impossible: to,say until we know more of the details. ,'■"•;