NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1669, 8 February 1913, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Nothing, apparently, will now satisfy Mas. Pankhurst and her

followers in the rampant section of tho suffragette army but that tho

Prime Minister of Great Britain should bow down before her and humbly promise to bring down ' a Government Bill granting the fran- : chiso to women. .She desires to put her foot on his neck, so to speak, and exact from him, not a favour, but repentance. In the meantime her irrepressible armjj is ruining , golf-greens, peppering unhappy policemen, and dropping phosphorus and pin-lire cartridges into pil-lar-boxcß. Miss Sylvia Pankhurst has slapped a police superintendent's faoo with an ink-besmeared hand, and that in the very citadel of the law—the polico station. For tho superintendent's sake wo are glad that Miss Salvia's hand is small and soft. Miss Margaret Morrison, summoned to the Police Court to answer, to a chargo of throwing pepper in a constable's face, smashed twelve windows in the Court, and threw a bucketful of water over a police-sergeant. She is now reported to be "hunger-striking." One can very well imagine an unexpected encounter between Mr. Asquith l and Mrs. Pankhurst in an unfrequented thoroughfare, and the Prime Minister of_ Great Britain flying for his very life. Quite seriously, people are growing very _tired of' these illogical and' irresponsible tactics on the , part of women who havo clearly become completely obsessed by the idea 'that a deliberate and_ wanton defiarioe of law and order is the. surest means of getting to tho ballot-box. Mr. Asilav'nK Pursued aa the head of the Government a policy of evasion, which contrasts strikingly with his very, able speeches definitive of his personal -position, is now faced with,'for him, the« unpleasant necessity of giving a plain yea or no in answer to the demands of the belli-, geront Mrs. Pankhurst,- wh'o has dono with private Bills, ahd illusory amdndments of the kind adopted by the Premier .in fulfilment of a halfhearted undertaking to givo tho question a sporting > chanoo in the House. _ Meanwhile tho tactics of tho ultra-militant suffragette party are boing carried to extremes which are. a menaoo to public safety. ■ What, docs Mr. Asquith propose to do about it J And what will the ladies do next 1

.. This afternoon, citizen's of Wel.hngton will havo an opportunity'. oi which we feel suro; many will gladly avail themselves, of demonstrating in a practical way their appreciation of, the excellent and philanthropic work which is being dono in this city by the Plunket Nurses. Under tho auspices of the Society for the Protection'of the Health -of Women and_ Children, a garden fete will bo held in the grounds of the Prime Minister's residence in Tinakori Road, and all who desire fco rccord their appreciative approval of ' the object in view—tho raising of funds wherewith to facilitate and extend the valuabto work of tho Plunket Nurses—aro invited to attend. There are now two nurses at tho Plunket Consulting' Rooms' in Vivian Street, and their advico and assistance, both in consultative practice and in visiting tho homes of tho people when their services have been invited, havo unquestionably been of , practical value. Mothers in need of somo guidance in regard to the rearing of [ their children, on questions relating to common infantile troubles, and to the feeding of children, havo been materially helped by a consultation or a visit. Tho social valuo. to the community of such an institution cannot be measured by the usual methods of appraisement. '< Its work is unostentatious. But that it lias a strong claim to tho practical support of the community goes without saying. Tho Plunket Nurses require no _ pica from us to establish that claim; and wo simply take this opportunity of reminding . tl\e public that it will have a seasonable opportunity to-day of discharging its aninual obligation to a descrying institution, and at tho same time of spending an entertaining afternoon.

days ago we suggested that the people of this country would be quite willing to postpone it's reception of the battleship _ New Zealand if tho international situation gave any caUBO to tho Admiralty'to feel that tho ship would be best placed for the present in British or European waters. We are very glad indeed that the samo idea occurred to the Prime Minister and Mr.' Allen. Mr. Allen, wo are told today, informed tho Admiralty, with tho concurrence of hiu'ehief, that the visit of the New Zealand might be deferred "if tho timo were unsuitable." Mr. Harcourt made the reply, which will bo a source of satisfaction not only to Now Zealand, ■but to the wider world, that there are "no strategical or political necessities" to prevent the vessel's | tour of tho Empire.- Just as tho British Government, whatever tho need for keeping tho vessel at Homo might be, would have dispatched tho vessel on her tour if no representations to the contrary were made, so it would have accepted . Mr. Allen's • suggestion if tho postponement of the tour were desirable. The Minister has therefore given tho British Government an opportunity to make, through Mr. Harcourt, a significant statement of universal interest. His reply means that tho British Government views the international aspcct of the Balkan war with complete serenity. Had there been any risk that Britain might bo involved in any trouble that may follow the war, or arise out nf it, Mr. Harcourt would, ns in duty bound, havo accented the suggestion that this fine ship should remain at the front. Ho would not, in such t> ense, have done Britain and Now Zealand tho disservice of sondiw? 0110 of. tho finest warships on a holiday. Mr, Allen's