NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 798, 22 April 1910, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Sie Wilfeid Latjbiee has made an important statement upon the relation of the ■ Canadian Navy to : the Mother Country. Under the Navy Bill it is provided that the Navy shall not go on active service • excepting under an order by the Go-vornor-in-Council, and somo doubt has existed as to how far this prowould make for Canada's dissociation from the wars of Britain. Earlier statements by the Prime Minister, were interpreted to mean that Canada might as often as not pass upon Britain the censure of remaining neutral, but our reading of these statements was that while he desired to retain the power to keep the ships in harbour he contemplated that that power should be like the King's I' power to veto legislation. The statement which is recorded in our cable news to-day bears out this view. Britain had in the past, ho pbserved, engaged in many wars which were not of such a character that Canada could justly take part in them, "but," he added, "if Britain were seriously endangered a wave of enthusiasm would sweep the Empire, and the whole fleet and resources of Canada would bo placed at the disposal of the Mother Country." Nobody has ever in his heart really doubted that; but it was in part the Prime Minister's own fault that these half-doubts grew up. In his anxiety to give emphasis to the necessity for reserving to Canada the final control of her fleet he forgot to emphasise equally the fact that that reservation was merely precautionary and might never become positively operative. His latest statement, however, should put an end to the alarms of those nervous people who have been conjuring up visions of estrangement and separation.

An extract from the report of the Prisoners' Aid Society, published in a recent issue, is capable of being construed as reflecting on the Jub : tice Department. It contained a suggestion that "overtures" had been made to a desperate criminal to inducn him to leave New Zealand on his discbarge from prison. This was not the ease. The real position was very different. The prisoner in question, it.appears, shortly beiore he ■was due for release, stated that he would like to go to Australia, '• and aeked for assistance to get; there. The Justice Department, of course, has no funds at its disposal to.assist discharged prisoners, but the head of the Department issued instruc-, tions that the man's request, should' be submitted to the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society. Some confusion appears to have arisen as to the best course to pursue, but eventually it turned out that the man himself solved the difficulty by stating his disinclination to go to Sydney: The Justice Department naturally could not encourage a system whereby criminals are transferred , from this country to our 'neighbours on their discharge from prison. The idea no doubt might be an excellent one from some points of view, but if our neighbours adopted the same procedure we should probably find that we , were getting much'the. worst of the bargain. The particular ex-prisbner in question, it is of interest to ''note, is not a, New Zealander, and his idea in wanting to get to Australia'was that he w.duldihavofla bettervdhance of securing work and making- a fresh start there. In the circumstances the endeavour made to assist him was commendable .enough and it is a pity that it has been misconstrued. ■ • .' . '

We are pleased to be in agreement with' the Pkime Hinibtee in his re-

ferences to the present position and prospects of the country. Indeed we are inclined to suspect Sik Joseph of scanning our columns with flattering attention, : He so nearly reproduced our expressed views of the situation in his Mangaweka speech. We find a good'deal to agree with also in his Levin address on the subject of railways. No one, for instance, can cavil at his bold refusal k> go in for wholesale borrowing for railways and so make the good name of the country "stink ia financial circles." No one can doubt that

"the best course for the Government to adopt would be to lay down a straight-out policy and to name the railways" which were to be undertaken first and within a reasonable

time." Might we suggest that a good time to announce this railway construction policy would be about August or September, 1911 1 It would .indeed be a happy circumstance if Sik Joseph could go to the country, say in November of that year, with a large and' judiciouslyprepared schedule of railway works to stimulate the flagging energies of the reluctant voter. .Another suggestion which 'might prove more palatable, to the country as a whole is that a commission of experts should be appointed to go into the whole question of future railway construction and to report- to Parliament. There is something to be said in favour of the State controlling the whole of the railways of the Dominion, but when the State declines to build railways to develop the country, it surely is not in the interests.of the Dominion to refuse to private enterprise the right to carry out such developmental work. . Where would the flourishing Manawatu district have been to-day but for the courage and enterprise of private individuals which led to the building of the Wcllington-Mana-watu railway ? ;

undertaking. l

;ricts at present,