NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 745, 18 February 1910, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The ■ -Attorney-General ■ made ■• a statement of no little interest when in Auckland the other day. He was "rather surprised," he, said, to find how little the. public understands the "true nature" ' of ; the Native Land Act, :the Special • Settlement Finance Act,' the State Guarantee Advances Act and the Land Settlement Administration Act.' Accordingly he intends to "discuss : with the PEiME.MiNiSTBE.some'_ cheap-and, effective -method of making known moire widely, than at present the opportunities they offer to would-De settlers.",; ~ This \is\ by no-,means a bad.- idea,', and,. if it_ is, well and cheaply carried out : it may ; have some good results.' Whether those results '.will repay the. outlay, iB a : thing we are a little doubtful: about.. But what' is the' significance, or rather, what are the-many significances, of the cause, and of the proposed cure, : of Diw Fihdlay'b surprise? There, is surely something wrongs with the public's attitude to-' wards politics when measures which the Government assures : us are .of, the highest importance are as little known and understood as the laws of, say, Brazil. .This ignorance' and indifference are.: really what niight. have been expected of .a political society' that has allowed, the wildest fallacies to govern its legislators for ■many - : years.■■:.•/ The ■■. great : material .prosperity of this young'!country, so rich in its'/nature, and so -fortunate in being able to supply -just what/the world has wanted 'at the; , time at •' which it :.has. .been wanted (meat, wool, etc.), has enabled, it to . boar .without effort ; the wastefulness, of. 'these : fallacies' /working.;':'':,■.'. Even-, so,. if ..the measures had i really,\been,.,urgently wanted: .and loudly demanded, De. ■■.-. Eindlay, would , surely ■ not.,have -found .tho gonefal ignorance of them that surprises him; The truth isthatfailing a_ clear policy our: politicians have simply proceeded on the • .lines'-'.of • thinking out something * fresh - arid ' making, a: law of it; / Sometimes: it : .has.been a-difficult thing: to keep the pot boiling/ •' /:•., A. '-';'■

'Citizens generally:will be disappointed .to' learn that De./Newhjui will ..'riot/. /seek ; re-election -to the Mayoralty. It will be soon- from an. interview, with,hira;'published else-,; where, ihat his private affairs prevent; him offering,his services for another twelve months,; and that' ; immediately after the close of/his term of omce.'he wilMeayc oh a visit to the Mother Country. De. Newman. has had a very strenuous .term; as Mayor of .the.city.."; He. was unfoi-

tunate enough to enter, the .Mayoral, chair; at a: time of trade depression/ and the, inevitable sequel of unemployment and; distress placed a heavy responsibility, on the ■ Mayor' and City Councillors., Relief works had,to.be instituted, and De. {Newman, and/those associated!'with, him in connection' with the relief.'movement had a' most painful experience in endeavouring to alleviate the distrcsß.'pf. the/large number of 'unfortunate's who' confronted ; them' daily, with appeals for..work.. '/.;;In. other directions .also. the Mayor.;, has, led the strenuous life,' and it cannot;be. questioned that he has by his efforts materially, increased., the, already great personal popularity'gained by , him-.'during his; long residence : in the I city, and also!.strengthened the confidence "reposed in him' by citizens.. At the proper time the ■ work accomplished during his term of office will be subjected to review in detail, and we have no doubt will prove highly Batisf actbry, to the majority of-citi-zens. .At present we can merely, ex.press' which-, will-be widespread, that Dn. Newman, cannot see his way to offer.himself for. a second term of office. -."':'

The Ministerialist .newspaper in Ohristchurch, which .is ■■ at / anyrate. tenacious, is greatly disturbed and perplexed by .the railway _ returns which we diseussed last: Friday. Our readers will, remember that for the "four weeks .ending, January 8 the net revenue' and .-revenue :per :mile from the railways were as follow :— ,:'•- '.."".;;'.■,■'■■ ',:■' •".;-."/,- Net'-;-': . ■ ' Net Revenue per '"■■■■;■■"•■ Revenue.' ; ■ inilo of line.' 'i.-: ■-•'•-.-.. '•■.' £:' . ' ' ■-£ s.d. ■'. North' '..;.....'. 77,542. ■' 68 6 4 . •'. South ■ ...: 51,740 .39 .4 6 Our Southern contemporary feels in some: vague way liat we do , not "state the position fairly" and that '>e delight in juggling with -figures." It goes on to quote the official returns to showthat the revenue from April 1 to January 8 . was £377,036 from; the - Southern and £356,911 from; the' Nortiiern: linesimplying, of course,' that we suppressed this fact.. Our contemporary, we must assume, has been unable to grasp the figures and their meaning. Wo may therefore repeat here an extract from our article:. ,

On August 21 the net earnings to that date, from the beginning of the. fiscal year, wore •£212,005 in the -easo of the ; South, and in ■ the ease. of. the North. There was then a leeway, of to he made up by the Northern lines. Since August 21' the net earnings have 'been: South, ,£164,431'; North, £204,027. The returns from April 1. to. January 8 therefore stand: North, £356,911; Soulh, ,£)77,036. If the same, steady rate of 'growth continues, the total return for tho year will bo greater from this island than from the South Island. ;

If the Christchurch journal will fix' its attention on this paragraph, it will see that quite a simple ; arithmetical question'is involved. By the end of the year, of course, our contemporary will not be able to miss seeing our point. In the meantime, we are very glad to note, that although the -loss. on. the Southern lines will a's.usual.wipc out the profit from the lines in this ieland—even!

the Christchufch paper seems.to expect this—yet there has been a great improvement on the' shocking position of the Southern system. There was, indeed, room for it. We are confident that before long there will be an end made of the indefensible policy of spending the bulk of the construction funds in the : South. And our Southern friends, if they could only realise it, will feel the benefit of the rationaL policy ho less than the people in this island.

Lord Kitchener's visit to the Commonwealth, brief as it was, seems likely to have \.a. most. ; im-' pprtant influence on the defence : policy _of Australia. From the scraps of information already disclosed, the Field-Marshal appears to have, presented a very comprehensive \report to the Federal Government, and that the Government has been';■ strongly impressed with the value of-the're-commendations made is; certain. The scheme suggested apparently fits in fairly well with that, already . favoured by the Government;, but the changes advised'are stated' to be important and more costly than origin-: ally intended. In' view of the. fact that Mb. Deakin has'announced that he intends to put the revised scheme \nto oporation at once, .despite "the extra cost involved, we. should not be at all surprised "to:find the Government making defence one of.the cardinal planks in their election campaign It would be a very strong card to play.just,now,' and '. it is quite probable that; the country would .prefer to entrust the: carrying out. of Lord Kitchener's I scheme .to the Deaiqn;' Government father than commit.it to the mercicß' of the Labour party. ;It:is., singularly fortunate that Lord Kitchener should have been: able.'to visit this. part of the'Empire'at a time when the question: of' internal defence is receiving really serious attention and before the far-reaching changes con-'-tcmplated have been put into effect. Whatever plans tho defence authorities in New Zealand.have matured are certain to be materially improved by'' thei.advice that may be expected from bur -distinguished 'visitor. :It remains to,be seen whether the Dominion Government will take advantage of the advice given in the Eame enthusiastic : fashion' that has marked Mr. Deakin's. acceptance, of Lord Kitchener's'scheme for : Australia;