NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1810, 24 July 1913, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

' The popularity of heresy hunts is on the wane. They have ceasecl to evoke any real enthusiasm, and no encouragement is given nowadays to the challenging oi another man's orthodoxy on hair-splitting points of The cablegram regard-, ing the discussion of the .Rev. George Jackson's views on Old Testament criticism at the English Wesleyan Conference shows that even the leader of the attack adopted quite an apologetic tone, and only seven members opposed the -final decision that the conference saw no reason to interfere with Mr. Jackson's appointment as one of the tutors of Didsbury College. Mr. Jackson's views regarding the books of Genesis and Jonah and the authorship of the Pentateuch (that is the first five books of the Bible) have become commonplaces of the higher criticism. Similar opinions have been held and taught for years by such men as Professor Driver, of Oxford, the Dean of Westminster (De. Ryle), Professor G. A. Smith (tho distinguished Presbyterian scholar), Dr. W. H. Bennett, and other wellknown critics, whose loyalty to tho Christian faith is not seriously challenged. Referring recently to the controversy over Me. Jackson's views, De. J. H. Moulton expressed the hope that those who clung to the older fashions "would realise that there was room for great variety of opinion within Methodism, and tha.t the older fashion and the newer might live together on condition that both alike were faithful to the preaching of that message which had proved in the past the power of God unto salvation. The decision of the conference may be taken as an endorsement of this conciliatory attitude.

An important ruling given by tho Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. F. W. Lang, yesterday, affords occasion for extending to tie House congratulation on the choice it made in the selection of a successor to the late Sir Arthur Guinness. We expressed at the time our conviction that in Mr. Lang the House would have a Speaker who, by reason of his personal popularity and the general respect in which he was held, would fill tho office to the satisfaction of all. Since then tho member for Manukau has not only fully confirmed this view, but he has so quickly fitted into his new position; has shown such familiarity with the Standing Orders and procedure; and has displayed such judgment and tact in controlling the business of t.hc House, that he has won golden opinions from all. One of his first acts, and a wholly commendable step, was to mreke it quite clear to members that the very loose observance of the rule rcspectiHgpersonal explanations which has grown up in recent years was to he permitted nc. longer. _ Under covcr of personal explanations, members of boU\ sides, of the House, have developed a bad habit of making what can only be . regarded _ as fresh speeches in reply to criticism, whereas all they are permitted to do is to correct misrepresentation. Enforcement of tho Standing Orders in this respect will assist to the. more uxDcditious and more harmonious con-

duct of the business of the House, and will not prejudice either party.

An interesting discussion took place in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon when the Prime i\linister introduced the Workmen's Compensation Amendment Bill. Mr. Poland, the member for Ohinemuri, who opened the debate, contended that under the existing system workmen did not get sufficient compensation for accidents, and that there was too much litigation, the result being that workmen were induced to accept less than they were entitled to in equity. He thought the whole business should be made a State monopoly. Several other members agreed that some companies tried to "jockey" men out of their compensation. Mr. Campbell, however, declared that the State was 110 better than the companies in this matter, and as he was opposed to all monopolies, he was against the creation of a State monopoly in accident insurance. The Prijie Minister admitted that the discussion had been instructive, some of the suggestions made being valuable. He pointed out, however, that a State monopoly might bo quite as mischievous as a private monopoly, though he had no sympathy with the sharp practices of some insurance companies, and he would put a stop to them if he could. There can be no doubt that cases of hardship to workmen occasionally happen in connection with accident claims, but it ought also in fairness to be remembered that the companies have to guard against imposition. They must do their business in a businesslike way, and it is imperative that all claims should be carefully investigated. There arc often two sides to these complaints, and insurance companies do not as a rule wantonly resort to litigation. It is not good policy to do so. Still, it is only right that the Government should take steps to prevent injustice and hardship, and the Prime Minister is evidently moving in that direction.

With all the talk of breaking up monopolies which forms so large a part of the stock-in-tradc of the sham "Liberals" and the militant LabourSocialists, it is very significant that one of the greatest and most vicious monopolies in our midst is carefully ignored by these professing friends of the people. We refer, of course, to the brewing monopoly. It has been left to a member of the Reform party, Mr. H. M. Campbell, to direct attention to the matter, and it is satisfactory to note that he received a sympathetic reply from the Prime Minister to the question he had placed on the Order Paper. The particular phase of the brewery monopoly to which the member for Hawke's Bay drew the notice of the Government and Parliament was the evil of tied houses. It is fairly generally known that most, if not all, of the big brewery companies own a good many hotels, and it used to be a recognised practice in such cases to insist on the hotel lessee complying with the wishes of the brewer landlord in the matter of the particular brands of liquor sold on the premises. The restrictions imposed in many cases, and the harsh conditions of the' lease generally, frequently made tho lot of the hotel licensee a perfect torment. He never knew when some cruel and unjust clause of his lease would be turned against him and his lease cancelled; and he was squeezed at every possible opportunity: One effect of this was that many licensees were driven to break the law in an endeavour to make ends meet, and to put by something for the inevitable day of reckoning with'the tied-house owner. As the result of an outcry on tho subject some years ago, the law was amended with a view to preventing the breweries which owned hotels making them tied houses, but the riuestion is not an easy one to deal with, and loopholes were left, which require to be stopped up. Probably one-third of the votes polled on the licensing issue in favour of No-License are prompted, not so much by objection to the drink traffic itself, as by way of protest againßt the methods of the brewery monopoly and those associated with it.

Ten deaths are reported to have occurred as the result of tho outbreak of smallpox in the north, and in every case the sufferer has been a Native. There are still a good many people who are inclined to scoff at the precautions which are being taken by the Health Departmentofficials to cheek the spread of the epidemic, but the extent to which the demand for vaccination has kept up may be taken as an assurance that the public generally see the wisdom of taking no unnecessary risks. A satisfactory feature has been the fact that despite the number of cases reported, Europeans, with ono or two exceptions, have -so far escaped contagion. This may be due in a measure to the very mild form in which tlie disease has made its appearance. Natives are much more susceptible to attack than Europeans; but it should not be overlooked that it has now been pronounced that the form of tho disease here is practically the same as that prevailing in Sydney, where many Europeans have been stricken with it. We do not wish to suggest that there is any cause for alarmist measures, but tho public should clearly understand that there is no justification at present for any relaxation of the precautions deemed necessary by the Health Department officials.