NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 755, 2 March 1910, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

It is not difficult to understand the indignation of those Wanganui residents who are protesting against Me. Buddo's refusal to allow the importation of certain wild animals by the proprietor of a private Zoo. The Minister, it seems, has no objection to the importation of bears, buffaloes, and elephants, but ho will not permit the landing of pumas and leopards. He explained to one of our representatives yesterday that he bases his action on Section 42 of the Animals' Protection Act, which provides that "no person shall introduce into New Zealand, or liberate or allow to go at large, or have in his possession ..'. . any beast or bird of prey." Nothing can_ be plainer than this clause, but it does not give Me. Buddo any power to permit the landing of beasts of prey. Indeed, we do not see why Me. Buddo is thrusting himself forward at all. He cannot even offer the excuse of. consistency, for he has not caused action to be taken against the Wanganui Zoo proprietor for introducing lions and a tiger and for having them in his possession. Under the Act, somebody should be prosecuted for having the Newtown lion in his possession, and proceedings should have been instituted against the proprietors of certain travelling menageries. As it stands, the law appears absurd; but it stands. And Mr. Buddo seems to have obtained the idea that Statute law is a thing that exists entirely at the discretion of _ Ministers. The matters involved in ihe case under notice are not momentous, but the whole affair, and the appearance of Mr. Buddo as a dictator superior, to the Statutes, is somewhat amusing' if its serious aspect is overlooked.

We said the other day that the conclusions of the average visitor from abroad who rushes'. through New Zealand are of no value excepting as an indication of the social route along-which he travels. We are. now afraid that this statement is not universally correct, for we have received the interview granted to the Daily News by Mr. Will Crooks when he returned to England in time to be rejected by the electors of Woolwich. Mr. Ceooks's statements wore noted by , the cable agent at the time,' but they did not receive full justice. He | said that "the- almost unanimous voice" of every meeting he addressed in New_ Zealand, as in Canada and i Australia, was "Carry the Budget and down with the Lords": "Again and again came the question, 'What are you going to do with the Lords V and the answer of the audience roared in chorus, 'Clear 'em out!'" And this "in spite of all this conspiracy of doctored cablegrams," for Mr. . Crooks says that ''every cable message is painted": "Usually it is , an extract from the Daily Mail or \ Doily Telegraph.*' The cry for preference, said this most imaginative traveller is "absolute bunkum." It will not surprise New Zealanders, therefore, to learn, on Mr. Crooks's authority, that "in Auckland the / unemployed had determined to wait on the Prime Minister himself, and made it so uncomfortable for him that he was afraid to land." As to the land question in New Zealand, it is ''terribly acute": "The old bad habit of giving away big lots of ,land is at the bottom of it. And now there ia a proposal to convert such leaseholds into freeholds. And that is what is going to ruin Sm J. Ward's Cabinet if anything, is." Mr. Crooks, by the way, tells of a South Australian farmer -who makes £6000 a year from his 1000acre holding J It is pretty obvious from what class of people Mr. Crooks obtained all these staggering views and news.

The reported expressions of opinion by Lord Kitchener concerning the inter-dependence of New Zealand and Australia in the matter of de,.fence are interesting though they may not prove palatable to everyone. His # suggestion that the cost of es-. tablJßhing and maintaining a military college would be too great for the Dominion to undertake and that this country should therefore ' eni deavour to work in with, the Commonwealth to the extent of sending New Zealand military students to the Australian institution is not a' new idea. In the last report of the Council of Defence the question was dealt' with on lines practically identical , with those mentioned by our visitor. This, is what the Council's report said on the subject; "The question of the establishment of a School of Instruction on the lines of that at Kingston, Canada, has been discussed and found to bo too great an expense. ■ Communications have been made with the Commonwealth with the object that, should they , establish a school it might be open to New Zealand students." Lord Kitchener in this matter it will be 'seen has been forestalled by the local defence authorities. We note that Sir JosephWakd has decided to do only whai_ is immediately necessary in connection with the bringing into force of the new Defence- Act which was set down to come into operation yesterday. This, of course, is done in order that Lord Kitchener's report may be taken advantage of in framing the new regulations. The Prime Minister is acting wisely in pursuing this course; but there I should be no unnecessary delay in I taking decisive action when the report becomes available.