NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1653, 21 January 1913, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

, It has been a little difficult, in the light of some of tho discussions on tho Homo Rule Bill, .for a colonial to understand the Irish Nationalist politician's conception of the "union of hearts." Iho difficulty will not be lessened by a perusal of tho debate, reported in tho papeira to hand by this week's mail, upon a motion by Mn. Hammehsley, a Unionist memberj that tho Union Jack should continue to be the official, flag of Ireland. Unless some such provision were made, ' ho said, it was quite clear from, the threats that had been uttered that some different flag would be adopted in Ireland. As might have been expected, the amendment "drew" the firo of Mr. Redmond's supporters, some of whom expressed themselves ih .such' disrespectful terms concerning the flag as to draw from Mb. Balfour a dignified rebuke.

"They (the speakers referred to) lnve made speeches about tho Imperial flag," said Mr. Balfour, "which. I think myself, speaking as a' citizen of this Empire, absolutely intolerable.. (Cheers,) I listened to them with shame and disgust.- (Renewed cheers.) If that is going 1 to be the spirit in which they are going to deal Kith these great symbols in Ireland, then. I can tell them, that, liowevor honest their professions may bo an this House, those professions'are destined to'be absolutely shattered under the policy which', they themsolves have put forward." (Prolonged cheers.)

Mr. Redmond, who followed Me. •Balfour, was sufficiently conscious of the effect of these speeches to seethe urgency of declaring that there bad been no leader of national sentiment in Ireland who had not been willing and eager to grasp the idea of a separate nationality combined with Imperial greatness and unity if he bad been allowed. He sought to mitigate the indiscreet candour of Mr, Jeremiah Macveaoh, who. had said the Union Jack was the symbol of a hateful thing, by a; verv laboured plea that the Jack' would bo Imperial, and no longer English and hateful, when the union ,Was dissolved. We in New; Zealand rather lovo the Union Jack. But it was torn down in the House of Commons by a majority of 130. The. thing is, ominous. 1 : ,

• The latest Australian papers. .to hand throw no. new. light '■ on the name' which the Federal • Capital will bear. 1 There are signs, however, that some alarm is felt lest tho colleagues of Mr, Fisher ipay be bullied by that strange man Mr. Kino O'Malley into ; selecting a namo which will bo so grotesque or meaningless that Australia, will never end being ashamed of it. Mb. Fisher favours.the . namo : Myola ("meeting-place"), ah excellent and melodious name which, wo , fancy many people will like. Silt George Reid. suggests "Pacifica"—which tho. history of the next century may greatly justify. Some foolish people have Seriously put forward tho name's "O'Malley" and "Fisher"— rather a reflection upon the merits of "Billy Hughes." Other: suggestions are "Parkes',' or "Parkcston,", but against this proposed perpetuation of the namo of •' Sir Henry Parkes ,}s l the doubt whether the paternity of the Federal idea can do imputed wholly to that notablo man. An easy wpv out, we should say, would be the / selection -of "Georgetown." This : is a name which'time has invested with distinction, a name no nation could feel any uneasiness about. 'King George inaugurated the Federation, and the capital will be christened during bis reign. But suggestions, We gather, are now too late. Tho name has been decided upon, and will bo kept secret until the christening on March .12. We can, only pray that the chosen namo will not be so shockingly inappropriate and absurd as Mr._ Kino O'Malley's connection with its chojce makes- it likely .that it will be.

A little over a 1 month ago—precisely, on Deiember 13—the White Slave Traffic Bill received the Royal Assent.;'-To-day, we publish'a cable message t<? the effect that the drastic powers conferred upon the police authorities by the Bill havo enabled them to inflict exemplary punishmont upon two social degenerates , who were convicted of activo participation in the odious traffic. One of them was sentenced-to eighteen months' imprisonment and thirty strokes of tne "cat," whHo the other was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment and twenty-four strokes! ,We imagine that this salutary punishment will bo_ followed by a sharp rise in tho emigration statistics so far as these undesirables are concerned. These, be it noted, aro punishments for first offences. Last week five women and three men were charged at tho; Auckland Police Court with, being concerned in the management of disorderly houses; and ordered to leave tho country. A significant remark which was not reported in tho Pl'css Association mes-i sago was made by the Justice of tho Peace (Mr.'J. C. Lanosford), who was associated with Mr. Cutten, 5.M.,, during tho hearing of the eases. The female accused were ordered to absent themselves from New Zealand until the matter under discussion was "beyond memory," no definite time being fixc.d. "It is understood," he said, "that they will not palm themselves or their nefarious practices off on any other parts of tho Empire." Unfortunately, that is very probably just what will happen, and the point which now concerns us is whether these social pariahs should not be dealt with under some amendment of the law which would reliovo us from the possible—and extremely probable—charge of dumping our undesirables upon other _ unsuspecting portions of the Empire.

A return presented to tho Tramways Committee yesterday, covering the four weeks and 36 weeks ended December 8, appears to indicate that a much-needed improvement in tho finances of the tramways" system lias taken place. The figures, howovcr, must bo received with some caution. For the 30 weeks the gross revenue showed an increase 0f,£41105, and tho increase in the . working expenses was £2203. The improvement, in the sum, upon the preced-

ing year's figures is given as £1363. Put it was during the last four of tho 36 weeks that this change for the better; took place. An increase of £024 in tho revenue during that period was accompanied by a decrease of about £700 in the normal expenditure. Although wo are able to follow tho not very clear bookkeeping of tho Government Departments, we must oonfess that wo cannot fully grasp the meagre and disordered interim accounts of the city authorities. Perhaps, therefore, we may be wrong in supposing that the tramwayß are not shown in the report to have turned the corner. One significant fact, however, is plain in tho report. The relatively meagre improvement of the position has taken place despite tho fact that more, though not many more, passengers were carried in tho 36 weeks than in tho corresponding period of 1911. Thero could- be no stronger justification than this for the. hardening _ up of fares (by modifying concessions and revising sections) than that fact. The working expenses per car-mile appear to have increased by a smaller amount than the car-mile revenue, and this is very satisfactory. But it is clear enough that a cautious policy, must bo' continued, and the citizens will do well to set their faces next April against those candidates who are anxious to wreck the tramways fi : nances forthwith.

According to the opinion of tho Solicitor-General of the ; United States, stated in a recent case arising out of legislation designed to enlarge tho State's powers of regulation over the mails, "Congress has the unrestrained power to say what, in its opinion,, is so hurtful to the public welfare that it should not pass' through tho mails. .■. Congress could now excludo all papers advocating lotteries, prohibition, anarchy, or protective, tariff if ai majority of Congress thought such views against public policy." This is tho kind of statement, that might very well have emanated from a caucus leader in the La.bpur party; it makes no secret of.'its opinion ! that the press has far too much freedom, overlpoking the constitutional point that tho . freedom of the press is tho freedom conferred upon the public under British laws which were only evolved after years of struggle and warfare against the tyranny and oppression of autocratic government. In New Zealand the State- exercises the right of discrimination in regard to what shall ,pass through'the mails, but the constitutional authority for this right is : questionable, although the grounds for its assumption ari reasonable, and in tho public interest, in so far as the prohibition touches the of;obnoxious literature. It is easy to see, however; that this authority, under tho regime of a powerful political mawith unscrupulous men behind it, might be enlarged tdr'an' extent which would amount, to a son? ous intrusion upon the legitimate privatb affairs and opinions jof the individual, and of newspapers hostile'tq: that party. The mapper in which The Dominion was penalised by the. late Government; for its political opinions is a caso in ''point, and'.will not soon be forgotten by the public, which was. also penalised. ;' ' " ■ . ' - ~ r