NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 784, 6 April 1910, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

In another column, under the heading "A 'Humanist' Act," we print'an account, furnished to- a contemporary by Mr. A. E. Barclay, of the way in which the Death Duties Act of last session presses upon the poor. The first estate to come under the operation of the Act was that of an old age pensioner whose property amounted' altogether' to about; £90. After the medical and funeral expenses were paid the'estate was reduced to £78 odd. The enclosing of the old man's grave cost another £10, and the costs and expenses of administration amounted to about" £ii. There was then loft a trifle more thin sufficient' to pay four small of £lpiand one of £2o —to friends who had. cared'for the old man. when he was alive. Under tho Death Duties Act, however, the Government' insisted qn taking.. £7 17s. sd.',' i.e., 10 per cent, on £78 14s. 6d. It appears that ah appeal was made to the head office of the Department, and.the Department .refused to make any remission. Altogether this "humanist." Government of ours profited "by the' old man's death "'"to.'■ the tune of £11 " 13s, 5d..'" To . Mb. Barclay it seems "a scandal ,and a disgrace that k>: poor and little an estate should be absolutely plundered in this way." "Upon that point' we offer no qpinion. What"does require attention,' however, is the fact 'that fhe Government represented 'the Act a beneficent measure designed to alter what it considered the unfair taxation 'of. the old Act. " "As . the Dhristchurch Press reminds us, the Government Whip, Mb. who ardently championed tho Act, declared that "the ' onlyv class that has any burden cast upon them by this Bill is the class that can afford to carry it." Nobody will doubt that •the majority of of Parliament will feel thoroughly disgusted, with, and. ashamed ,of. their handiwork. ' So' long; as 'the.Govern., ment's majority is content to yqte just as it is ordered, and in' ignorance ,or_ carelessness of what is. contained in the Bills submitted to the House, we shall continue to be burdened with, offensive and noxious legislation.. Wo should like to hear Mb. Laukenson's comments upon this case. We should like still more to hear: our "humanist" ment's explanation' of the'.wisdom and kindliness that it has embqdied in the" Act,' which its author//. Db.. FiNpLAy,'' described as. "qne, of the most, important steps this". Government has taken in the direction' oi making wealth bear its proper den." " ' ."' "'' '' '"',""■ ;; ...'-.'...'v.'i-!

Some indication of the; excellent wprkthat is being done by the Wellington Boys' Institute is afforded by : the annual report of the institution, which is published in full in our news cplumns tprday.' ''-'We. nq't only keep the boy off the street," the re'p'qrt states,.' "but. provide" useful an 4 instructive evening classes and entertainments, . . .' and also have supervision over him on his holiday afternoons." And what is more, in addition to assisting to build up the boy's character and equipping him for _ the _ duties of citizenship, the Institute! interests itself in securing him employment. "An increasing number qf- positions were secured through our employment department," it is stated,'and what is most encouraging, business firms ..are finding that' the' boys commended by the Institute always give satisfaction. This year's' re?' port is indeed " most encpuraging one, and should stimulate those who have in.the past rendered assistance .to, the work to further effort, ana also induce others who have not yet given any practical dempnstratipn of sympathy with this admirable instil tution to come forward and help. Stronger finances will enable the officers of the Institute to extend their sphere of influence and show even better results than those now recorded.

The latest messages from Lpndpn respecting the political crisis in Britain make it clear that the Government is by no.means at an end of its trouble with-its Irish friends. In his Tipperary speech, summarised in yesterday's cable _ messages,. Me. Bedmond took a distinctly menacing tone. The situation would be eased; he said, "if the Nationalists were assured that the Government would decline tp continue inpffice in the event of guarantees being refused.'.' He still maintains his posi-' tion of requiring as the price qf his ■support the certainty of the destruction of the Lords' powers, and that is a price which Me. Asquith simply cannot pay. "If the Nationalists passed the Budget." 'said Me.' Bedmond,'. "and "the. 'veto'., resolutions were rejected, the Nationalists wpuld be withput a weapon to force Me. Asquith to abide by the Albert '3all declaration." Whatever _ happens, Mr. Bedmond must keep his hold en that weappn. As to the Budget itself, he said that Mr. Lloyd-Geoege had "satisfied him weeks ago" that satisfactory concessions would be made in the shape of exemptions of Ireland "from the operation of the new taxes. To-day we aro told that Me. Asquith has denied having promised the Nationalists any kind of Budget cpncessibns. This statement, made in the House of Commphs, was obviously drawn from the Prime Minister by a Unionist question based on Mn. Bedmond's reference to Me; Lloyd-George. Mr. Asquith realises that nothing can be: more dangerous to his party than a belief that there has been a secret compact between the Liberals and the Nationalists, for the suspicion that he intended tp fight for Home Eule would wreck tho last hope of. Liberalism for the present.' 1 In view of this new turn in the struggle, it is interesting to recall MR. Eedmond's statement of his position on tho openr ing pf Parliament. The Nationalists had supported the Government at the election "heart and sou]" "because its pledge on Home Rule was

supplemented pledge which we regarded from our point of view as more important still —namely, the pledge which was given with reference to the veto of the House 1 of Lords. 'We regarded the abolition or the limitation of the veto of the House of- Lords as tahtampunt to the granting of Home Rule to' Ireland." That statement will be used with telling effect by the Unionists when appeal is again made to the country.

Tee following letter, signed "A Woman,"reached us accompanied by a mutilated copy of the pamphlet referred to:— I should like through your'columns tp warn' the public, particularly the women portion, against a' man,' dressed as a clergyman, whcT is selling a pamphlet purporting to have been written in furtherance of a' pause.' The doctrines he preaches.are of a decidedly obnoxious nature, and likely to prove harmful to the younger members of the community.

Judging from a casual glance at certain page's of the pamphlet,'our correspondent's .warning: is well justified. The publication'will certainly not serve any good purpose, and the teachings of the writer in the closing chapter will'disgust every cleanminded person who has the misfortune to read it. It'is most unwholesome rubbish. • ..'"'.'.-

The Commonwealth of Australia has its own silver' coinage, with""a special device on, the coin symbolical of' the Australian. Continent. ' The seinqVage'on sil'v'er coin "leaves' a very substantial profit, and the Commonwealth is entitled to have-this profit, but it is quite another matter to expect New-Zealand to contribute, to that profit. Bankers in New Zealand appear to be disinclined to put the Austranan silver'coins'in circulation without being paid to do so, ancl it is believed that the.Government, who are considering the matter now, will support' the panks.' The value of. the silver in a shilling is not more than 5c1., and if wo allow two qr J three pence more for costs of coinage, etc., it will be seen that there is a very big profit on_the coinage. It is estimated "that, roughly, about £400,000 worth', of • silver coins circulate in the Dominion 1 , and this would represent 8,000,000. shillings. Taking '.'the"'.profit"'at,', say, 4d,- in every "shilling,'the ' Commonwealth would gain about £lQ0,C)00 by the cir? culatiqn of its silver in New Zealand. "It is. probable that the Com-: monwealth" Government' will come ttf sortie arrangement' with .our own 'Government .on' ,tfe matter—the §1-, ternatiYe is likely' to ~lk prohibition, of the circulation,of the 'Australian silver coins in the Dominion. • ■ • ;