NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1056, 20 February 1911, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

'The flying of tho Union Jack at all Canadian border towns will no doubt be takpri as a prompt reply to Mr. Bennett's motion in, the United States House.of Representatives demanding tho oponing of negotiations for tho annexation of Uanada. Apart from tho fact that the absurd motion of Mr. Bennett has been negatived by. a nino-to-one majority it was quite' evident from tho outset that the mover was very much more concerned with killing the tariff reciprocity proposals than with tho question of annexation. Mn. Bennett was one of 'the opponents of the Reciprocity Agreement and the motion brought forward was no doubt calculated to' strengthen the hands of those Canadians who 1 are opposing'the,agreement..' From this point of view the idea was not without a oertain smartness; but it is unfortunate for Mr. Bennett's hopes that it was so clumsily handled. Canadian antagonism to the tariff proposals appears to bo_ weakening somewhat and it is quite probable that the real/difficulty in : putting them through will come from the United States.' It is interesting to note that Sir Wilfrid Laurier has promised ii full statement of Canada's position on tho question of annexation. It should be timely and," unless wc &ro greatly mistaken, convincing.

The disgust expressed by a bandsman in a letter in another column at the form which tho public reception of the Garrison and' Tramways Bands is - to take this- evening will, wc think,-, bo shared in by the bulk of the public of The two bands named have brought to Wellington the first and second grade championships of thc i Dominion. After months of hard practice at considerable personal sacriflccs "they have succeeded, in an exceptionally brilliant fashion, in ■ defeating the best talent in band music that Now can bring against them. The citv shares in thoir triumph and we havo no doubt would bo very : pleased to do them honour ;n tho form of a public reception or somo similar function. Unfortunately, however, some enterprising porson assocjatod with the movement to send a team of athletes to the Festival of Empire has conceived the idea of converting > what should bo a gathering, to do honour to the champion bandsmen into a moneymaking venture to further the interests of a team of champion athletes. Citizens who would bo. delighted to, attest by thoir-prcsoncc their apprc- ; ciation of thoi.finp, poriormance of our bandsmen arc to be penalised for so doing, in order to benefit a movement with )vhieh: : thcy may 'not have the slightest sympathy.. Wo. do not wish itfto.bc: thought that we aro ; opposed to the sending of a,team.of. Home. Quite tha rmrsc/ ButSvc hold very strongly the opinion that it is a most improper thing, and in tho very worst taste to make usb of a public reception in .honour of tho band champions to force' frorti the public a payment to-bo.devoted to somo entirely alien purpose. If any charge -is - to bo mado at'al|, tho public, wo aro 'confident, would l much prefer that it should : go'• to twairds recouping tho bandsmen the cxpenso they havo been put to; 'The promoters of the athletic team movcniont probably' havo gone into the . matter thoughtlessly—a little ' consideration would have, shown-, them that they, wore liable to cut a very sorry figure in tho eyes-of thqir fellow citizens. Roversp tho position.What would they think of a charge being made, at the public reception and welcome homo of their team of athlntes, the proceeds to go towards tho cost of sending 'a band : to tho noxt contestt Most assuredly.thoy would think it a mean way of using a public occasion to, raise money for some purpose entirely foreign to the occasion.

Mn. Mlllar is not . likely to be very grateful to. his political chief for tho defence r 'he-has mado':-of'the appointment Of Mr. Millarl's - 'son to a specially-created post- in' the li'ailways Department. Sin Joseph Ward's wordiness and irrelevance were seldom demonstrated advantage. What, on earth has, all his talk about regulations and-prac-tice of the Department; and the passing of examinations couiltirig for service and so on to do with the apt pointmcnt in question? No one has over disputed tho right to mako such appointments—no 0113 has ever questioned the right of Ministers to crcato special ■ offices. • And the figures quoted'by Sir Joseph Ward about the-'money. Mn. MiLMß's' son might, havo received- undor certain circumstances; and what it cost him to go to England and so on. 1 All thoso might bo correct—probably they aroinot, for Sir Joseph Ward apparently makes no allowance ' for what Mr.. . MilLar, jun.,-; earhod while in England. However, assuming they are all correct, what have they to'do with the matter? Absolutely nothing at a 11.,.--. The ..only questions are whether son is fitted for the position,l land secondly .whether he is entitled it .in prcccdcnce to other person's in the sorvicc equally or more..fitted to fill it. In other words, was lie appointed on his merits or because he is the son of tho Minister for Bailways? Wc must confess that' we are not in a position at the moment to sav whether the. appointment is a satisfactory ono or not. vAll .'we know is that it has created Some dissatisfaction in tho service and that the special.circumstanccs of the case appeiire'd to'us. to require' tjif>t an explanation should be made as_to the facts. Wc have had the official explanation from Mn. Millar, and until it is proved to bo errofieous it must b;i accepted however unfortunate the circumstances may appear. Sir Joseph Ward has reen fit to revive the matter and to go into certain details and to drag in sideissues which ho had much befter have left alone. Mr. Millar must blame him for reviving the subject in a manner ..that is certain, to', provoke further controversy. • .