NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1804, 17 July 1913, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The Opposition have been shedding crocodile tears over the lot of the "poor old" messengers whose services have been dispensed with. An attempt has even been made in connection with the Grey election to damago the prospects of the Reform candidate by alleging that six old messengers had .iad their services dispensed with despite a death-bed plea oil their behalf by the late Sir Arthur Guinness. The whole business is a mean and paltry attempt to make party capital by holding the Government up to odium on the pretence that these old men have been deprived of their living by flintyhearted Ministers, who care nothing for old and worn-out servants of the State. The simple and unanswerable fact is that these old men are better off now than they were ever before as messengers in State employ. They have been granted pensions on a most liberal scale and have written to the Government expressing their appreciation of what has been done for them. If given the chance not one of them probably would be so foolish as to give up his pension for the sake of taking up his old position as messenger. The Opposition know these facts, but having started the slander going have not the decency ; to acknowledge the wrong they have done the Government.

An extraordinary state of things was brought to light at a meeting of the Manawatu Agricultural and Pastoral Association on Monday last. It seems that in connection with the election of treasurer which was conducted by ballot amongst the members of the Association, one of tho candidates secured from the secretary 300 ballot papers and later on his opponent was offered the same privilege and took advantage of it to the extent of 200 ballot papers. The practice appears to be for the secretary to send ballot papers to all the members, of the Association; but after this had been done Mb. J. M. Johnston, one of the candidates for the treasurership, asked for and obtained 300 additional ballot papers. The secretary then rang up Mr. Bennett the other candidate, told him what had been done and offered him a similar privilege - . Apparently this is not tho first occasion on which this issuing of ballot papers to candidates has taken place. Mr. F. Pirani condemned the practicc in the strongest possible terms as opposed to fair play and unpolluted elections and the president in reply to a question on the subject agreed that it should be stopped. Curiously enough the president and several past presidents appear to have been quite in ignorance that anything of the kind was being done. Before the subject closed it was made quite clear that provision would be made to prevent a continuance of the practice, but it was decided not to intcrfero with the election just held.

After the Prime Minister's admission at the Farmers' Union luncheon yesterday, that as regards scientific agricultural education New Zealand is half a century behind such countries as Canada and New South Wales one has a right to expect that an unmistakable forward movement is about to be initiated. Indeed, Mr. Massey remarked that he had already given notice to the Minister of Finance that he might come along and ask for an instalment of £25,000 for an agricultural college. He also spoke in terms of high praise of the public-spirited action of Mr. E. Newman, M.P., who had gone to New South Wales at his own expense to report on the work of tho Hawkesbury Agricultural College. Mr. Massey considers this report so valuable that he will ask Parliament to accept it as a Parliamentary paper, and he thinks every farmer should have a copy. In ,an interesting address to the Conference Mr. Newman pointed out that it was quite possible to spend a great deal of money on agricultural education without getting any good. This is one of the dangers that the Government will have to guard against. It is not sufficient merely to do something; great eare must be taken to do the right thing—to start out and continue on eound progressive lines. It is true that, as Mr. _ Newman said, "agricultural education has a magnificent future in this Dominion"; but it must be of a practical character and fitted to jffleet the special, needs and circumstances of the country. The Hon. James Allen intends to ask the Education Committee of tho House of Representatives to go into this matter. .

When the gentlemen who regularly make protest against the removal of the Public Service beyond the reach of political patronage wish to say something particularly horrifying about the Commissioner system they bewail the fact that the Service has been placed under an "irresponsible" Board. To hear Mn. Laurenson in his mournful fashion enlarging on the terrible possibilities of this "irresponsible" Board would almost make a statue shudder. It is really very amusing, this pathetic concern for the Public Service. The Commissioners are of course no more irresponsible than was Mr. Laurenson when for a little more than ten minutes he held a-portfolio in tho makeshift Mackenzie Ministry. Me. Laurenson and his fellow Ministers were called to account by Parliament and were ejected at the earliest opportunity as not possessing the confidence of the House of Representatives. The Commissioners can also be called to account by Parliament. Mr. Laurenson knows that quite well, but "irresponsible" is a fine big word and when no other fault can be found it is just as well to have something which sounds impressive to fall )jack on. The country, however, will not judge the work of the Commissioners by vague generalisations and empty assertions of the gentlemen who arc so anxious to secure a return to the days when the door-mats of Ministers wero worn threadbare by political touts and billet-hunters sent along by members of the "right colour.' It Is too early yet to express any definite opinion one way or the other concerning the work of the present Boai\i, but we have little doubt that it will be clearly demonstrated before long that both the Public Service itself and the country generally are going to be materially bo lie li ted bv the change made.