NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1549, 19 September 1912, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Some of the anti-Reform newspapers are saying that the Government's proposals relating to the reform of the Legislative Council will bo "keenly discussed" in the House. We certainly hope they will—the keener the discussion the better. But if they really desire to do any good for themselves or for the country the Oppositionists will have to get something more sensible to say than is being said by their newspaper friends. Their Christchurch organ, tor example (how inconvenient it is, by the way, not to know whether the anti-Reform newspapers are proIsitt or pro-MYERS, pro-P,\YNE, or pro-WARD), expects that Mb. Massey s supporters will contribute nothing to the discussion but a few words of platitudinous approval such as the "dumb dogs" of the Seddon and Ward era contented themselves with. It may be safely left to lima to help our contemporary to get used to the fact that the old methods went with tho old Government. But what specially strikes us. in the Christchurch paper's latest article is this passage in its defence of the right to oppose the reform of the Council on the ground that the ; proportional system of representation is not to be instantly provided for the House. "The Liberals," it says, "cannot afford to decline half a loaf, or even a quarter of a loaf merely because their opponents refuse to give them all the bread to which they arc entitled." This is reallv very funny. These "Liberals" had twenty years in which to give tho public the bread of proportional representation, but did not, and now they arc going to be indignant because the bread—"to which they arg entitled"!—is not forthcoming in five minutes. This is of a piece with their censure of Mr. Massey for not having long ago repealed their own precious Second Ballot Act. Really we must give up trying to compr'cl hend such queer folk.

The movement inaugurated by Mns. Godlev to interest the women of Now Zealand in the Senior Cadet corps of the country should serve a twofold purpose. In the first place it should assist to stimulate the interest the youths themselves in their military training. When youths or young men realise that other people are watching their efforts and noting their achievements they are usually encouraged to do their best, and there can be little doubt that in the event of the women taking up at all enthusiastically Mns. Godley's idea to provide special shooting prizes for the Senior Cadet corps, flic effect on the lads will be beneficial in more ways than in the improvement of their sliooting. But the step proposed should also be of value to the women themselves in assisting to give, them a belter idea of what the training which our youths undergo under the Defence Act really means, and what it actually rlnc.s forth" rising generation. Much of the misconception which at present

exists would be speedily removed if the public took the trouble to make themselves better acquainted with the work of our cadet corps; and with the fuller knowledge thus obtained would come a truer appraisement of the value of our defence system, not merely to the nation, but to the youths themselves. We must congratulate Mns. Godley on her happy idea. Like most ideas, it will need to be pressed forward energetically at the outset in order to command attention and to be properly understood. Once that is done its success should be assured.

At time of writing the Public Service Bill is being held up in Committee by the Opposition. It would be unparliamentary to state that the opponents of Reform are stonewalling the Bill, but if they are not stonewalling, _ some of them are certainly indulging in an undue amount of quite unnecessary talk. The truth of the matter is, no doubt, that effort of the Massey Government to place the Civil Service of the country beyond reach of political patronage is very unpalatable to them, and they are ready seize any means that offer of delaying the passage of the measure. The Government, of course, are fully aware of this, and if they are as determined to pass the Bill into law as they declare themselves to be, they will have to meet factious opposition with late sittings. It will be regrettable should the Government be forced into this position, but when hours are wasted discussing the short title of the Bill it must be plain to everyone that ordinary methods arc not' likely to succeed. Such reasonableness as may have underlain the initial objection's of_ the anti-Reformers, who had received protests against the measure from certain sections of the Post and Telegraph Department, was dissipated when the Minister in charge of the Bill showed that later communications indicated that the original objections had been removed by the Government agreeing to amendments which met the points raised. The Government, we should imagine, will persist with the Bill, and while reasonable criticism and opposition cannot be objected to, Mr. Herdiian and Ins chief should make it clearly understood that any attempt to 'block ;he Bill by stonewalling tactics will )nly serve to inconvenience members ind prolong the session, In other ' vords, that the Bill is going through : lowever much the Opposition may i ittempt to obstruct it. ■