NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1496, 19 July 1912, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The mail which arrived yesterday brought us some further comments by the British press upon the recent 4i per cent. loan. It cannot be complained that the criticisms quoted are merely destructive and condemnatory. There is, of course, no further necessity to deal with the late Government's attempt , to persuade the public that it was borrowing its money at 3g per cent., or £3 12s. per cent., for it is quite plain to everyone now that we shall be paying about £5 per cent, for thi money we shall have received from the deal. We ask attention for the important and significant comment of the London 'Times. The Times urges that it would have been better finance to issue a long four per cent, loan at a trifle under par than to pay over, possibly a good deal over, that rate for the chance of renewing on better' terms in two years' timo. The Pall Mall Gazette takes the same view. Anyone who cares to look up the brief speech of Dr. New man, M.P., in the House during the short session in February will find that he offered exactly the same advice.. But Sir Joseph Ward used to say that the financial critics in the then Opposition, the present Government, Knew "no more about finance than his boot." Happilv his policy and his language are now equally discredited. The London Times's comment on the financial worth of New Zealand uuder what we can safely refer to, now as the old rigimc makes no pleasant reading, but every patriotic New Zealander will welcome, and will hope that the supporters of the late Government will seriously ponder this pregnant sentence_ from such _ a powerful an :1 influential and disinterested source as the great London daily: To awake out of n. fool's paradise is clisagreoable, but to go on sleeping in it is to court trouble. This aphorism sums up the whole :aso 01 those who, like ourselves, have proceeded amidst a storm of abuse, misrepresentation, and clamour about "traitors to tho country," with tho duty of warning the nation of tho folly of acquiescing in the madness of Wardist finance.

The decision of the Bacing Conference to appoint stipendiary stewards to ncßist in the prevention of malpractices iu connection with thii

sport of racing is a wise one. No doubt the Chairman of the Confer • once, Sin George Clifford, is correct in his contention that the abuses associated with the sport are greatly exaggerated,. but the moral effect of the appointments, if suitable men are chosen for the positions, \yill be very great. A large proportion of the complaints heard in connection with running at race meetings are due to ignorance or to bias, but at the same time it is equally certain that there arc occasions when club officials display a quite surprising lack of observation, and overlook happenings which undoubtedly warrant a demand for explanation. It is not merely in connection with the running, however, that stipendiary stewards can render service to the snort. Sie George Clifford placed his finger on one possible source of trouble when he directed attention to the large number of jockeys to whom licenses had been issued who had not had a single ride last year. There were 50 of these, while 47 others had only had one ride. How do these youths and_ men live ? It certainly is not desirable to hav; these people clinging precariously on tho outskirts of the sport, and stipendiary stewards can bo turned to useful account in weeding out the undesirables" by assisting the clubs with information when applications for licenses are being made. The success of the scheme necessarily will depend largely on the character of the men secured to act as stipendiary stewards, and also on the powevs conferred on them. If they are to carry the confidence of the clubs and the public, they must be not only men of experience in racing, but. also men of recognised repute and of sound judgment and discretion. The experiment that is about to be made should in capable hands prove beneficial to the sport and assist to strengthen its standing with the public.

The other day we ventured a. mild protest against the tendency in New Zealand, as exposed by the proceedings of tho Royal Commission on Education, to regard the child and the education of tho child as unimportant and almost negligible details of "the educational problem." It is a pleasure, therefore, to be able to quote a good English authority upon tho importance of a plain and wholpsomo syllabus. At a recent meeting of the North Wales Mathematical Association the opinion was expressed that, despite the new methods, better conditions "and better-paid staffs, the teaching in the elementary schools had deteriorated. The Manchester Guardian endorses this opinion and adds:.

Th« mistake appears to have been in attempting to do too much for the elementary schopl pupil, or to get too much out of him. The notable success of some of the old village schoolmasters of Wales, working with very crudo educational machinery, is now seon to have been due largely to teaching a few subjects, but teaching them thoroughly. Teachers aro constantly complaining to-day of the crowded condition of tho time-tables, and the difficulty of dealing with all the subjects in the curriculum. Tho much greater variety and wider ecope of elementary 6chool work make it impossible to concentrate upon tho few essential subjects, as it was possible to do in former days, and the result is that while the children know a little about many more subjects than formerly, they know loss about any one of them.. . ■ '

The Guardian adds that there is a tendency now. in Britain to return to the older standards of simplicity and thoroughness. This is a ten dency that cannot too soon be started in New Zealand.

The return compiled by the Government Advertising Department showing the expenditure by the Ward-Mackenzie Governments during the past three years on advertising in \Vcllington will no doubt prove of interest to our readers. The amounts apportioned between the three Wellington daily papers prove plainly enough—if further proof were_ needed—the manner in which public money has been misused for political purposes. The figures aro really, as the new. Minister in charge of the Department stated, very extraordinary. They are as follow:--

"Evening Post" 1903 "Now Zealand Times" 1824 Dominion 126 The greater part of the small sum spent with The Dominion apparently was the outcome of the Deccmhor elections. It, is satisfactory to not? (.hat tho now Government is determined to sec that while it holds office tho scandal of using public funds as a means of favouring or penalising the press of the country shall not be allowed to continue. Mb. Fisher, tho Minister in charg.; of the Department, has issued instructions that the distribution of advertisements shall be "absolutely impartial." "I have issued instructions to the Advertising Department," he further stated to an interviewer, "to the effect that advertisements arc to be inserted in those papers from which the Departments concerned arc likely to get the most benefit, and that the Department is to be run as a commercial and not as a political institution." In'tho past a great deal of money has been absolutely thrown away so far as any benefit to the coufhtry is concerned, in useless advertising for political purposes. These leakages may appear small when compared with a total expenditure running into millions, but apart from the removal of their corrupting influence on public morals, tho savings that could he made by a'cutting off of. waste, would in tho aggregate total up to a very large sum annually, and enable a corresponding relief to be given to the taxpayers.

The- Union S.S. Company's liner Tahiti has been described by passengers ns tho best sea boat of tho lino. In substantiation of that assertion, Captain F. l>. Evans, .R.N.K., informed a Dominion representative that no discomfort was experienced on board during tho big routhcnsterly gate tho vessel experienced off Capo Pnlliser on Wednesday. A variety of galea from nil points ol the compass were experienced on tho voyage between Rarofonga. and Wellington, but the dvrticst weather was mot on the run down tho coast between Napier and Cook Strait. The steamer arrived off Cape Pnllitcr at i) a.m. on Wednesday, but after an attempt bo pick up tho land, the vessel had to bo hove-to until between 3 p.m. and 1 p.m., when a slight improvement in tho weather enabled them to como on slowly. They wero off Wellington Heads about 8 p.m., but as tho weather was too thick to enable the light to bo picked up, and there wee a big eea running, Captain Evans had to shore the Tahiti's nose, onre more into tlio south, and just hang on. To his great surprise, ho heard music at .about 8 o'clock, and horn then on till 10 p.m. a dance was successfully .held, though thire was a very big sea running. Only one person was ill among the saloon passengers during Wednesday's storm. "Do you know," said Captain Evajis, "we've nover had the 'fiddles' on the tables since the Tahiti has been running in this fer•;ce, and we have not lost any crockery, though \je've had some blows. Tho only c-x]>ediont we have ever practised was to wet the cloths oil one or two occasions."

"That is be a permanent instruction to the Dates Committee not to allot the Saturday before Easter Sunday as a, day of any race meeting."—This was a resolution j)laced before the New Zealand liaci«S Conference yesterday by Mr. G. Hunter, who in bringing- the question up referred to tho desirability of respecting the religious beliefs of all classes of tho community. The motion was seconded by Mr. R. H. Nolan, and strongly supported by Sir Geo. Clifford (president). On being put to the meeting, it was carried by 25 votes to 12. The recommendation will not be given effect to until the season 1913-1914.

Notice is given in this week's Gazette that a dispatch has been received from tho Secretary of State for the Colonies stating that the Italian Government has notified that an effective blockade of the Island of Ehodes commenced on May. i last, but that the town of Ehodes remains open to commerce subject to conditious to be prescribed by tho Italian military authorities. ■ . A movement has been instituted by the Orphans Clubs of Auckland, Wellington, Dunediu, luvorcargill, and other parts, and the Wellington Orphans Club has invited representatives from all those clubs to be present.at the monster ladies' night, to bo held in the Town Hall on August 10, and to provide a programme for the entertainment of tho ladies. Tho whole of the clubs concerned havo accepted the invitation. The Auckland Orphans aro generously supporting the movement by bringing down an orchestra, of 45 instrumentalists. In addition, several leading Auckland musical n.nd vocal performers will be present. The Dunedin representatives are also bringihg a band of humorous songsters and reciters. There is every probability of Orphan S. H. Osborn being among the party. Hβ will be remembered in connection with the last Wellington Competitions, when he and Miss Gardiner, of Melbourne, acquitted themselves' with great distinction. Certainly it will be tho largest gathering of Orphans that has yet taken place in New Zealand. Owing to n. great deal of epaco being required to provide supper for the ladies, it was decided to limit the invitations to 1000, which will be distributed through tho medium of members of tho Wellington Orphans Club. Members are requested to_ make early applicatioa for tickets. His Excellency the Governor has promised to attend the function.

The Magneta Clock Company is providing clocks for nearly every room in the new General Post Office. Yesterday at noon Mr. Ingram, representative of the company, gave a demonstration of the system. There is one master-clock, to which every other clock in the building will be connected electrically. The clocks will be dials, behind which there is' an electric controller for the hands. Bγ this means'^vqry/clock,.tliroughout tho-puild-iiig 'will-record'tlie saino tiine to the frac2 tion of a second. ■ The demonstration was given iii a room fitted with forty clocks, all of which were governed by the master-clock, of which they were tho most docile imitators. It will be remembered that the clocks in last year's Exhibition were similarly controlled.

Post offices at Ngaio'and Khandallah are considered by the Onslow Borough Council to be necessities, and the Mayor arid the councillors of the borough have decided to wait on tho Postmaster-Gen-eral, and request him to have the institutions proceeded with. Tho decision was come to at a meeting of the Onslow Borough Council last night, at which gathering it was stated that the Postal Department had already purchased a site near the public liall for a post office at Khandallah. •

At.the Mount Cook Police Court yesterday, before Mr. Thomas Piloher, J.P., the following cases were dealt with:— For insobriety, Anna Delia Swanson was fined 10s., or 48 hours' detention; Edward Gillcspie, 10s. or -iS'ihours', and ono first offender was convicted and discharged.

The Wellington Hospital Committee,yesterday agreed to recommend thnt the following resolution passed by the Wallace and Fiord Hospital and Charitable Aid Board be endorsed by tho Wellington Board: "That representations be made to the Minister for Internal Affaire urging on the Government tho necessity of providing an institution for the compulsory detention of morally defective girls and women, tmd that other Qiaritable Aid Boards bo written to asking for their cooperation in the matter, with a Tequest that similar resolutions to passed nnd forwarded to the. Minister in Wellington."

On Wednesday tjlie.ro wero 317 patients in the Wellington Hospital, the largest lnimbor on record. Tho previous best is 303. There is a possibility (says the Auckland "Hcnald ) of a new steamer service between the continent of Europe and New Zealand ports being inaugurated in the near future. Messrs. Aim. Bulckc and Co., with headquarters at Antwerp, in a letter which camo before the Auckland Harbour Board, asked for information as to port duos, etc., and stated, further, that if thesu were satisfactory, and if suitable arrangements could be made, they intended to start a new service. Tho information asked for is to bo supplied. "Evorybody in Samoa teemed to bo doing well," said Mr. J,. K. Brown, a Fiji merchant who has just visited Tonga, to an Auckland "Herald" loportor, "Cocoa and copra are very plentiful and the IndiaruVber planters aro just, beginning to tap tl/uir trees; some of their rubber-brought f>s high as ss. lj'd, in London, and cocoa up to ,£7B per ton." Prospects in Tonga for copra are splendid, and the bananas havo quite recovered from ■ traces of disease; shipping will commence at the end of tho year; tho crop is a good one. On tho whole Mr. Brown was impressed with the fact that Tonga was very prosperous; only Haapai suftcred in tho hurricane, so that good crops aro expected. The following letter has been received dv tho Hon. F. M. B. Fishor {Minister for Marine) from Captain Maiming;, of tile Mararoa, in reference to the proposal to erect another light in Cook Strait:—l am delighted fo tee by this morning's paper that you aro contemplating a new lighthouse- iu the vicinity of Capo Terawhiti. Of course, Tongue Point is the finest site. It Almost appears to have been specially designed as a. site for a useful and necessary light. I have crossed Coot ST.rait fully 0700 times, between 1873 and 1912, and I cau assure you that in navigating that part of the Strait from any direction a light on that point would bo beneficent to mariners. Thanking you for even contemplating the light referred to, and assuring you that its erection would be appreciated by lvoth coastal and deep-water shipmasters,—l am, etc., W. Manning." Tho tender of Messrs. Bros., of Wellington, has boon Mweptcd for the supply of fornge to the.'Defence Department for tho period ending March 31. 1!'13. The contract prices are as follow:— Crushed oats, 3s. id. nor bushel; whole oats, 35.; oaten-sheaf chaff, ss. Ltd., per cwt.; bran, ss. Od. per 1001b.; ciuslied beans, 4s. per bushel; carrots, 3s. per cwt; clover hay, 5.«. per cwt.; whoaten straw. 3s. per cwt,; nwon food, 2d. per bundle. Me&rs. S. Rowo and Sons nnd Towiiiend and Paul also tendered. On Monday next the Hon. W. F. Massey will fulfil an engagement made while ho wa.s Leader of the Opposition, bv attending 11 social gathering at Pahintua, lit. whirh Mr. ,T. If, lvsctitt, M.I- , ,, is to bo outei'taiued b\ his sui>nort;r&