NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1751, 16 May 1913, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Judging by the many congratulations which Dean O'Shea has received on his appointment as Co-adjutor-Archbishop_ of Wellington his selection for this important office meets with the whole-hearted approval of the clergy and laity of the Roman Catholic Church _ of New Zealand. His. many friends outside his own denomination will also wish him success in the highest meaning of the word in his new sphere of labour. Archbishop Redwood has now presided over the diocese of AVellington for over a quarter of a century. He was appointed Bishop in 1574, and became Archbishop of Wellington and Metropolitan of New Zealand in 1887. The archdiocesc is a very large one, and its administration entails much arduous work and great responsibility. Increasing yours _ have brought increasing work, and in order to cope with it, and to provide for further expansion in the future, a, Coadjutor has bccomo a necessity. Prior to the appointment of Aliciiiiisnoi' O'Shea there has never been a Coadjutor-bishop in Now Zealand since the days of Bishop Pomi\\>.UEit, but there have been quite a number in Australia. I'or instance, Dr. Mannix was quite recently made Coadjutor-Archbishop of Melbourne with right of succession to Archbishop Card, and the present Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney (Dr. 1 Kelly) had previously been Coadjutor to the late Cardinal Mohan. When a Bishop gets on in years it is often necessary that lie should have episcopal assistance, and a younger,man is generally selected and given the right of succession. In this way continuity of administration is secured, and when eventually the senior Bishop dies or retires bis Coadjutor carries an the work without a break. Archbishop Bedwood, in'the natural order'of things, may be expected to direct the affairs of his diocese for many years, and it will no doubt be a source of satisfaction to him to feel that his work will be. carried on by a prelate like Archbishop O'Shea. who will have a thorough knowledge of his duties and the fullest confidence of his people. The date of the consecration of the new Archbishop, which will be a most interesting and impressive ceremony, has not yet, been fixed.

It would make interesting rending if some enthusiastic devote? of the Reform party would give the time necessary to the compilation of a list of the exposures of instances of feckless ' misrepresentation and mean imputation against Ministers and others, which have been made during the, past few months. The tally would he a lengthy one, and might, shock even our anti-Reform friends into a recognition of the fact that such tactics must inevitably react on those using thorn. In yesterday's issue we published an exposure by Mn. 0. Hpxteh, M.P., of a silly attempt by the local antiUofonn journal to attribute certain expenditure on road work in the. I'ahiatua electorale 1o a desire_ lo benefit "Ihc squatters'' in I he AYuijiavn electorate. It was a clumsy ami stupid distortiou of fact, and unite :>n a par with fhe major portion of (lie criticism which eimiiKib's from the same tainted hource. A few weeks ago our readers will |ierlia|is recall (bat, «r i-.\-possd a very gross cusc uf miarcuru-

sentation in connection with the Postal regulations. A bitter was made on the Go\einlncnfc on the ground that it had introduced a new regulation providing that postmasters and olliccvs in charge of staffs should exercise a proper oversight over the private lmbits of their assistants. Wc showed thai tliis regulation—which is a very proper one in the case of young officers who are frequently stationed away from their homes—was not introduced by the Masma' Government at all; that-, in fact, it lmd been in forcc for something like twelve years. The local anti-Reform journal did not, however, deem it necessary to make any apology for its gross misstatement, or even to correct the lie which it had sot in circulation. To-day wc publish an exposure of reckless misrepresentation on the part of an opponent of the Reform Government, who, at any rate, had the decency to admitjiis error, and apologise for the injury lie has done. In this case the attack, though not directly aimed at the Government, deliberately suggested that the Government had desired to prcjuclicc the interests of the Public Trust Office. Unfm'tunately for Mil. M'Cullough neither Mr. Macintosh nor Me. Hosking, K.C., arc of tho stamp of men who quietly submit to slanderous imputations, and Mb. M'Cullough, being exposed in his inaccuracies, was forced to admit his error and express his regrets. Some extracts from the correspondence which passed between Mr. Macintosh and Mr. M'Cullough will be found in this issue.

The statement by the Prime Minister of Australia (Ma. Fisher) that it has bcoomo necessary to make a definite move in connection with the control of tho New Hebrides will surprise no one. Tho trouble is an old one, and it is one in which New Zealand is closely interested. The whole problem has been reopened during the last few days by the Kev. T. H. L. Paton, secretary of the Victorian Presbyterian Church's Foreign Missions Department, and it is his opinion that the best remedy so far suggested is to buy out the French settlers at a cost of about £250,000. Whether this proposal would be acceptable to France lias not been mado clear, and the proposal that Australia ancl Nov/ Zealand should combine to find the money raises questions as to future control that would require consideration. If, as Mb. Fisher states, Australia is to "get into closer touch with the government of 'the New Hebrides" some steps ought to be taken to safeguard New Zealand's commercial and other interests; and if it is true that Eastern Asiatics are getting • a strong foothold in these islands the need for . definite action becomes still more imperative. The Melbourne Arjc_ is of opinion that if the French interests can be ■■ bought for the sum named, the Federal Government should forthwith open negotiations to acquire them, and points out that the gi'oup "is not merely a strategic post of national importance (especially to New Zealand), it positively bestrides that highway to America which is destined to become the most travelled of all Pacific routes assoon as the Panama Canal is opened to traffic. This being so, it is im-

possible for Australia and New Zealand to witness with an easy mind the developments now in the Condominium." Consideration' of this matter should, amongst other things, serve a- useful purpose in diverting the thoughts of our politicians, for the moment at least, from the narrow rut of parochial interests. •

A depressing review of our manufacturing industries has been supplied to the Christchurch J'rcss by Mb. J. A. Frostick, who has produced some very striking figures. According to these, our principal industries have, during the, ten years ended 1011, been chiefly remarkable for a state, of stagnation in their chief essentials. For instance, taking the number of workers employed (meat- freezing works excluded) the returns read as follow:— Workers Employed. 1901. 190G.' 1911. Jfale? ... 33,20"i 40,326 31,571 Females... G. 239 6,220 7,299 Totals... 39,41-1 -16,546 41,870 Analysing these figures on a population basis they show that our industries in 1001 found employment for one person in every 19.7; in 1000 for one in every 19.08; and in 1911 for one in every 2<1.05. Anticipating tho suggestion that the introduction of machinery may explain the shrinkage, Mr. Frostick quotes figures to show that between 1901 and 190G when there was an increase in the number of hands employed one million more! was spent on plant and machinery than was expended between 190G and 1911, when the falling off in the number of hands occurred. The shrinkage, therefore, could not be attributed to the introduction of labour-saving machinery. Another feature to which attention is directed is the fact that, despite the reduction in the number of hands employed, the wages bill has materially increased. Summing up the position, Mr. Frostick indulges in the following comment: The manufacturers ami others responsible for tlie growth and development of our industrial life have introduced the best- appliances obtainable in their particular industries. lu this connection thev have invested over 12) mil ions stcriii,,'. But notwithstanding this cuormou* oxpPiuHturi* iov sippliuiic<?s. public records show that their productions are being sold to-day at a lower Hereon a goof profit than at any previous period in the industrial history of the Dominion. O, the other hand, so far as the workers who -ire actiiallv employed are concerncd, heir earning betwein 1896 and 1911 have Lserby considerably over 40 per cent Still, had the ratio of employment in our industries to the iiopulaion i„ 1906 been maintained in 1911, 10,0-iS more people would have had equally profitable' employment in thesis Industrie.-, there having been an ample margin m he public demand as demonstrated by the figures of importations. Mr. Frostick does not state in as manv words the lesson which his analysis of our industrial statistics t-nches, but his purpose plainly is Ifl demonstrate that local manufactures do not receive tlie support from the public which tliey are entitled to. Either that or else despite the higher wages paid there is a verv marked shortage of skilled l'ibour ' Possiblv both causes have contributed to (lie position disclosed.

fin round among the people that have really obstinate colds, ami you will speedih- fi„d that, not one of them is akmg "X\/,()T " Tin' fortunate loll; thai have discovered Ibe sovereign efficacy of "\\ZOT/' novor Icvop even uio worst colli above a day or two, and those I lint have formed (he good habit of inhaling "N'AZUI/" occasionally a- a prevonlive never take cold at all. .Sold in battles, .njnVaining sisty dose.-, Is. Gil.—-Advl. The number- given nl deaths by lloorls ill the American luidille-we-t. wire greatly i\ag_'c'iali-il; the lof ill casualties would ajjjjsn to be about rOQ»