NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 792, 15 April 1910, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The tributes paid by. the Miraraar 'Borough Council last evening to the retiring Mayor, Mr. C. 'J; Crawt. EonD, were thoroughly well; deserved. Mr. Crawford has shown exceptional business capacity in handling the affairs of.the borough at a critical stage of its history, and its development during the years that ho has tilled the Mayoral chair has been quite phenomenal., Councillor M'Leod last evening described it as the model borough of New Zealand, and while this may appear as a rather tall claim, there can be no question that it has made very remaiikable progress, and that its position to-day is in , most respects a very satisfactory one. As Mayor of the borough,' Mb. Crawford has given up His time freely and fully to advance the interests of the district, and we can conceive no higher testimonial of the value of his services than the encomiums passed on him last evening by the Councillors who are best acquainted with his work. Those who are working in Mr. Crawford's interests in his campaign for thp City Mayoralty should be stimulated and encouraged by the fine record which their candidate has left behind him at Miramar. Those Wellington citizen? who have not yet made up their minds as to which candidate to support for the office of Mayor should, be assisted in making their choice by comparing Mr. Crawford's achievements for Miransar with his rival's record , on thp Wellington Harbour Board.

An extraordinary fate has overtaken a committee set up by M. Clembnoeau, then Premier of France, with the intention of compelling different Ministerial Departments to submit to important economies. This committee "went here and there, into this Ministerial Department and that, asking to examine the piston and cogwheel of the machinery in order to see whether there was pot really some waste of propulsive energy in some corner or other. But wherever they-entered the officials withdrew before them. They Baw little of the wasteful documents, of the unnecessary scribes, and the dilatory methods; they saw next to nothing ; and when they asked for power to force entry here, or to seize papers there, their diligence was only laughed at. Still the thirty-three well-meaning deputies continued to meet, and , questioned each other time. and again to see whether any one had been fortunate enough to discover room for economy in any Department whatever, and they separated continually with the same certainty that their mission was not yet accomplished." It has all the time beep notorious that waste is rampant in the services. Owing, however, toits insufficient power, the committee was baffled at every point. And now comes the news that another committee has been appointed, which has made the discovery that money can be saved by abolishing M. Olemenceau's committee. When the time comes for cleaning up the waste in our own public services, wo think that better luck will attend the reformers.

The German Emperor's interest in fuotball and other British sports, recorded in a cable message yesterday, is surprising only that it was not exhibited long ago. One can only suppose that ho has hitherto been fully occupied with the work uf setting Germany right in its muaical'ideas. His'recent coudeiuna-

tion of Strauss's Blektra has drawn attention to the reality of his interest in music and the drama. He is not only a critic—and a humorous one, for he thinks Wagneb too noisy I —but an author and composer. With one Joseph Laupf, a mediocre poet, he wrote a series of "Hohonzollern dramas," which were produced cat Wiesbaden. As he was also responsible for the staging, scene-painting and limelight effects, it may be imagined that the audience's behaviour could not be found fault with. His Majesty has made quite a little name for himself with his "Hymn to Aegir." He has been known to snatch the baton from the conductor M military concerts and, to conduct the band himself. Generally, however, he is content to fill the role of critic and patron. On one occasion he sent for Leoncavallo and commanded him to compose an opera, taking as his text a German historical novel, Roland of Berlin. Leoncavallo found it tough work to read the novel, and he had not produced the opera after seven years. The Emperor's keenness never flagged, however, and Leoncavallo, to. rid himself of his Imperial dun, was driven to complete the patriotic opus. The Kaiser's habit, we are told, "is rather to inspire than to produce." .