NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1384, 9 March 1912, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

,It is with genuine admiration that we felicitate Sir Joseph upon the success of the wayside incidentals to his trip to Auckland. He had a "hearty" reception at Palmcrston North, and also at Feilding and Hunterville. At the last of these places he was welcomed by a largo gathering of "workers," who cheered him as "the man who kept the' flag flying." What flag was that? The only flag that flies aboyo the gaping battlements of "Liberalism" is a flag badly smudged—the flag of broken faith. And everyone knows that so far as it was articulate at all during the election campaign, organised Labour was expressing its hatred of "Liberalism." Even Mr. Payne—it is a pity that.some matters we would rather not mention must be mentioned—even Mr. Paynk pleaded for a conjunction of Labour with the Reform party against the uncleanness of "Liberalism." So we can imagine who the."workers" were who cheered "the man who kerjt tho flag flying." And it was certainly clever oi Sir Joseph Ward to havo the hearty receptions and the "workers" and the rest of it. Although the Brisbane strike, thanks to tho courageous and patriotic Government of Queensland, was quick in coming to its inevitable dismal end, there is just opening in connection with it a question of the first importance. Mr. Justice Higgins, ; who sees his law through the glasses of trades unionism—how could he help doing so I— has declared that the wearing of union badges is legal, or, rather, that there is no legality in the prohibition of their wear. In the course of the hearing his Honour delivered an astounding obiter dictum —it was really more than an obiter dictum, since it was the actual principle on which he based his judgment. This was, that it is a common law right to wear what one chooses. Wny ( even our tolerant defence authorities draw tho line at tan-boots in our Army. And nobody can go about clad only in a kilt and yachting-shoes. The Tramways Company has applied for a writ restraining the enforcement of Judge HigGINS's decision, and an interim prohibition has been granted by the High Court of Australia. It is highly probable that ths Court will completely over-rule tho Higgins order, and will as a result be fiercely assailed by the Labour agitators of Australia, who will want the constitution altered to suit them. There is much significance in tho fight in Australia between the Labour oligarchy and the principle of the Constitution. - Self-abnegation, the Hon. T. Mackenzie hinted during the week, is tho only right "Liberal wear. "I am content, ho told a Christchurch interviewer, "to take any position the party thinks I ought to occupy, after it has exhaustively considered all the circumstances." Of course he simply has no choice in the matter: ho has got to be content._ "My own opinion," ho went on, "is that at a time like the present every member of the party ought to practice selfabnegation; each ought to be prepared to do is most likely to settle difficulties and advance the cause of Liberalism." Wo do not know whether Mr. Mackenzie is here proclaiming his readiness to abandon his hopes or advising his friends to be virtuous and abandon theirs. In either case, it is amusing to find Mr..' Mackenzie anxious to "advance the cause" of what lie calls Liberalism but what most people laugh at and despise as "Liberalism." What was it he said a few years ago ? Does he wisli us to remind him of his little poem in which he said that the principle of "Liberalism' , was to "talk blethers to the working man," and that, to any "Liberal ' you could say: No douht vou'd turn Mohammsdan To ceten r r °'^ With nil Wβ nwi <Jj walk warily, hn is a vary. gjublobb runboi»