NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1274, 1 November 1911, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

In the course of a discussion on fcho supply of clergy at the Auckland Anglican Synod last week Bishop Crosslev declared that we were .mistaken in saying that he desired to exclude all but theological students from St. John's College. Of course wo fully and unreservedly accept the Bishop's assurance, but he must admit that our inference was the natural and legitimate one to bo drawn from the words of his charge. There is, we believe, only one scholarship at St. John's which is limited to candidates for Holy Orders, yet the Bishop suggested that the governing bodies or the General Synod should be calledupon to conditionalisc the scholarships, and to require of "every holder" service for a term of years in New Zealand, or as an alternative to_ repay the amount of his scholarship. As this term of service can only mean service as a clergyman, the proposed conditions would have the effect of requiring every holder of a scholarship to undertake to enter the ministry. Surely this would exclude all but theological students from scholarships at St. John's. However, we are glad to see that tho Synod was not asked to endorse the suggestions referred to, and it is also a- matter for congratulation that no steps were taken to establish a new theological college for the special benefit of the diocese of Auckland. It is only fair to say that the Bishop stated that he would only adopt this latter course with great reluctance. The Bishop and Synod appear to have adopted the wiser course of making St. John's a more eflicient institution by raising a fund to assist candidates for the ministry who arc unable to provide for their own training, and for whom no scholarships arc available. Those who contribute to this fund would certainly have every right to say that the candidates so assisted should serve in tho diocese of Auckland for at least five years after ordination, or to make any other reasonable conditions not inconsistent with the general purposes for which the College was founded, but it would be wrong to alter tho conditions which Uio donors of the existing scholarships have attached to them. As the need for a regular and adequate simply of thoroughly educated and well-trained.

clergy cannot bo denied, it is to be hoped that the appeal for funds will not be in vain. Anglican Churchmen should not be content to rely .so largely upon the generosity and foresight of those who have passed away, but each generation should do its part in maintaining and extending the work of the Church.

Mr. Massev and his first lieutenant, Mn. James Allkx, have quickly got to work on their election campaigning. Nothing very new was said by either at the meetings they addressed on Monday evening, but the general survey of the political situation which each presented was interesting enough. Sin Joseph Ward will probably be found hard at work shortly, but most of his colleagues will be fully occupied in endeavouring to hold their seats. So far Sir James Carroll has not very much to fear, but this is not due to the strength of his position so much as to the Tack of a candidate ready to give up the time and to put himself to the trouble of an election contest. As a matter of fact, the Gisborne seat is reported to be rather a shaky one for the Government at the present time —certainly more so than it has been at any time during the past twenty years. Sir James Carroll's personal popularity is his chief hope of success should a reasonably strong opponent be forthcoming. Mr. Buddo s position is said to have been strengthened a little by the readjustment of boundaries, but he will have to fight, and figh,t hard, to win. Mn. T. Mackenzie, who has deserted the South Island under the pretext that his electorate has been wiped out in name, hopes to gain thc.Egmont seat from Mr. Dive by virtue of the fact that he is Minister for Agriculture, and is thus able to make glittering promises to win the unwary elector. But Mr. Mackenzie may not bo Minister for Agriculture after the elections, even should he prove successful in the contest. Moreover, we have been told by no less an authority than the Prime Minister that the election promises of Ministers, speaking as candidates, arc not binding on the Government. This is unfortunate for Mr. Mackenzie, for, deprived of his authority as a Minister of the Crown, ho has little to recommend him to the electors of Egmont, who, in any case, arc likely to ba better served by one of themselves, familiar with the district and its needs. Mn. It. M'Kexzie holds a reasonably safe seat at Motueka, but Mn. Millar will not have an easy win, if he wins at all, for Duncdin West. Mr. Bedford, his opponent, is expected to poll well. Sir John Findlay will have his hands full at Parnell, despite the illness of the Reform party's candidate. On the whole, therefore, Ministers will not have very much leisure for electioneering outside their own electorates.

The public cannot fail to bo impressed with the strength of the opposition to the Government in the Wellington city and surrounding electorates. Tho candidates for llcform really overshadow their opponents, and while they differ here and there on points of policy, there is the greatest unanimity on the part of all on the one really vital issue—the necessity for a change of Government. In addition to Messrs. Fisher, Wright, Herdman, Bell, M'Ewan, Shortt, and Dr. Newman, for the Wellington City, Suburbs and Hutt seats, there arc Labour candidates standing for each of the seats, and these are amongst tho most outspoken of the critics of the Ward Administration. On the other hand, the candidates who support the Government arc numerically weak and also lacking in weight in other respects. This is very significant. In the past there has usually been a plethora of Government candidates, but the tide has turned strongly against the Ward Ministry in Wellington, where political questions arc .as a rule most closely followed. Wellington has a great opportunity at the coming elections to strike a sturdy blow for reform in the administration of the country's affairs. It is fairly generally recognised here that it is' useless to send to Parliament any professed supporter of the Government and expect him to prove of any use in clearing up the evil practices which have developed out of the long reign of the Continuous Ministry. The platform professions of candidates arc quickly forgotten in the atmosphere of Parliament when the party Whip gets to work.