NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1730, 22 April 1913, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The attempt which has been made t-o promote trouble amongst, a section of the police force will have been noted with regret by the great bulk of the force, as well as by the general public, New Zealand, on the whole 7 has had some reaoon to take a pride in its police force, and Under the new regulations and the improved conditions generally it was hoped that the force would attain to a still higher level of efficiency, and further strengthen is hold on public confidence The duties of the police are of a nature that make it essential to their successful performance that the public should be able to repose full oonfidencc in their judgment and discretion; and particularly is this the case in these days of social and industrial unrest. The preservation of order in times of threatened mob violence and riot depends more often than not on .the moral, rather than the physical, forcc behind "the man in blue," and anything which may tend to weaken that influence should bo resolutely avoided. It is for that reason that the police cannot be permitted to participate in political or partisan movements of any kind; and that is why it is necessary to frame strict rules and regulations to govern their conduct and actions. When they have their grievances—and no large body of men is ever entirely free from grievances of one kind or another—there is a legitimate and proper method of bringing them under the noticc of those in authority—a method which is not only the speediest and most likely to securc redress when the complaint is a just one, but which does away with the risk of misunderstanding on the part of the public (is to the class of men who constitute the force. In the case of the socalled "agitation" in the police, fores which has recently received some pub-, licity it would seem that it is nothing more than a storm in a teacup. Mischief-makers in or out of the force have attempted to create strife, and; having no real ground of complaint, have failed. If these men are in the force, the sooner they are weeded out of it the better for the forcc and for the whole community.

The report of the Commonwealth Statistician on wages and the cost of living, a brief summary of which appears in our cable news to-day, will not make pleasant reading to our Labour friends, either here or in Australia. Under a Labour Government we have been led to expect great tilings for the working man, but 'thc_ official figures of the Federal Statistician do not point to this conclusion. "The results generally," says, the message summarising the Statistician's report, "show (hat sinos 1806 there has been no material improvement in effective wages, while the productive activity per head of population increased at a greater rate than the effective wages." Wages have increased, but the purchasing power has not, owing to the greater cost of articles in common use. What is the use of the bootmakers' increased wages if lie has to pay more for his bread and his groceries, and his milk and clothing owing lo the increase in the wages of his fcllnvvworkevs in the cn.Tiipal.iims ine'n(kmeij. And so il. goes on ;i 11 round. There i? a glimmering of hope, however, in Hie Statir-tirian's figures. The productive, activity p<r lirid of the population appears to have shown

a marked increase. Therein lies the secrct to cheaper cost of living and lictk'r conditions all round.

Tin; old (rouble between Japan and the United States has broken out afresh over a Califomian Bill which prevents alien,4 from owning land lur nioro than a year, unless they have expressed an intention of becoming American citizens. This provision presses very hardly on the Japanese, inasmuch as they cannot in any circumstances become naturalised, and it is also contended that it violates treaty rights. The progress of events is being v.atched with keen interest in the United Stales, and tlw Bill lias caused an outburst of indignation in Japan. The present trouble is only one of (he many phases of (lie great problem regarding (lie relations between the East and the West, which periodically becomes acute! in different forms, the difficulty being-tided over from time to time by a more or less workable compromise. A permanent solution lias so far defied all the efforts of statesniansliij/and international diplomacy. Indeed, some people are of opinion (hat the problem is insoluble. "Nature seems to have set up certain racial barriers which cannot be broken down without disastrous consequences, and Eastern and Western peoples find it very difficult to live side by sidc_ in tho_ same country without serioun friction, which every now and then develops into a crisis. Japan has, during t.fio present generation, become a iire:ratc Power, and its representations in matters regarding the rights of its people cannot safely bo brushed aside with impunity even by such n nation as the United States. The suggestion made at .1 great meeting at Tokio, mentioned in our cable columns, to the effect that the questions between the United States and Japan should be settled once for all to prevent the possibility of war is much easier made than carried out. The wit of the world's statesmen has so far utterly failed to arrive at anything like a permanent modus vivendi between East and West.

The dishonesl attempt which has been made by a miction of the antiHeform press to saddle the Masscy Government with the responsibility for the reaggregation of land in certain parts ol' the country, particular mention being made of the Mangawcka district, is exposed this morning by a report from the Commissioner of Crown Lands. No re'aggregation has taken place since the Reform Government came into office, and the whole story, so far as it reflected on the present Government, was a base fabrication. Here again the enemies of the Government have over-reached themselves. Not only have they brought further discredit on themselves by their unfounded attack, but they hive onco, more stupidly directed attention to an evil which lies at the door of the party which they themisclvcs support, and which they are striving to get back to office. Such as has taken place occurred under the rule of the Continuous Ministry, and if any Government :.s tq blame for such happenings, it is, the Seddon-Wahd. Governments. We must again congratulate the Prime Minister on the assistance he is receiving from the anti-Heform prei» # in exposing the shortcomings of his predecessors in oilice. The clumsy bungling of his critics in the ranks of the Opposition press leaves him much to be thankful for,