NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1833, 21 August 1913, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The next Olympic Gamc-s, which are to be held in Berlin in 1916, will probably prove the most exciting international athletic' contest which the world has ever witnessed. It will be a very serious exhibition of sport, for contests of this character mean very hard work, and involve a great expenditure of time and money. Germany is going to make a determined bid for the athletic supremacy of the world, and unless Britain takes the matter up in an equally vigorous and systematic way sho is not likely to improve upon her unsatisfactory effort at Stockholm in 1012 when her representatives could only secure third place. Judging by a cablegram published in yesterday's ■ Dominion, a vigorous attempt is to be made to better this record, and an appeal is heing made for a fund of £100,000 to enable the British team to bo properly trained, and also to provide an athletic organisation for the permanent benefit of the nation.' This may seem a very big sum, but Britain might just as well stand out of the contests altogether as enter into the Games in a half-hearted spirit, and unless her athletes are trained on the most up-to-date ' and scientific lines they will have a poor chance against their German and American rivals. The athletic reputation of the British race has received some severe blows in recent years, and there will be keen disappointment throughout the Egipire if our representatives are outclassed in 1916 by those of other nations.

The Minister in charge -of the Cook Islands, perhaps smote overhard in' demolishing the attack of the member for Christchurch North on the Cook Islands administration, but he exposed very clearly some vory unfortunate mis-statements of fact. Mr. Isitt plainly was ill-in-formed concerning Cook Islands affairs and he had evidently been briefed by some friend of the old regime more anxious to use him as a weapon with which to strike at the Government than to disclose to him facts which would have discounted his attack. No one can quarrel with Me. Isitt for seizing what appeared to him a golden opportunity to make capital against the Government, but equally he is deserving of little sympathy in the chagrin he must suffer over the exposure of his errors. Dr. Pomare we aro pleased to see placed before the House the circumstances which gave rise to Mr. Isitt's unfair reflections on Mr. Stevenson, the gentleman who filled the post of Acting-Resident Commissioner during the brief period between the absence of Judge M'Corjiack from the Islands and the arrival there of Mr. Northcroft, S.M. The member for Christchurch North no doubt had no personal animus towards Mr. Stevenson, and when he assailed the Government for him to the post mentioned in face of the fact that he had been guilty of compounding a felony, it was plain that his purpose was to injure the Government. But incidentally he did not hesitate to cast a serious aspersion on the character of Mr. Stevenson, and one which we are confident the majority of people will consider the circumstances did not warrant. To accuse an official of having compounded a felony and at the same time to suggest that it quite unfitteel him for a position to which he had been appointed would naturally suggest the commission of sonic very grave offence. As a matter of fact, what actually happened was the theft of a sum of money by a young man who was caught shortly after on the steamer about to leave the Islands. He was forced to disgorge the stolen money and allowed to leave by the vessel on which.he had secured a passage. Those who know the conditions existing at the Islands at the time, there being no faol there, the smallncss of .the luropean population, etc., would no doubt consider that Mr. Stevenson, though he had committed a technical error, had exercised a wise discretion. This indeed was the general opinion. Where Mr. Isitt "fell in," however, was in attacking the Massey Government over Mr. Stevenson's appointment, whereas his own party had done exactly the same thing and were originally responsible l'or selecting him for the office lie holds at the Islands. Mit. Stevenson we have every reason to believe is an excellent official of many years' standing and holds the rcspect of all sections of residents at the Cook Islands.

The new classification of the Public Service drawn up by the Public Service Commissioners was issued last evening and clearly sets out the position of the whole of tho Public pervants under .Commissioner con-^.

trol. It is, of course, not the final word on the question, for under the AeL the classification is subject to review by an Appeal Board, all members of the Service having the right of appeal. No cloubt there will bo a fair number of appeals. In classifying so large a body of Public Servants it is inevitable that some ground of complaint, real or imaginary, must be given. It is impossible to tell from a cursory glance through the list exactly what the proposals of the Commissioners in the way of the salaries allotted to given positions really amount to in the way of improving the prospects of the members of the Service. It would seem, however, from a hurried comparison of the proposed classification of 1911 with that now submitted that the present list is framed on>'a far more liberal scale and is much moro likely to give general satisfaction.

The attempt last evening of the member for Otaki to wriggle out of his broken pledge to vote against the Ward Government was not very successful. Mr. Robertson, said he was pledged to vote against the Reform party as well as heing pledged to vote against the Ward Government, and in a confused sort of way tried to balance these pledges against' one another, presumably with the idea of showing that he had a free hand. It does not matter very much what Mr. Robertson may now say on the subject by way of explanation of his actions. He knows very well and the electors of Otaki know very well that he would not now be member for Otaki but for the fact that the people of the district were led to believe that he would vote against the Ward Government on a No-Con-fidenoe motion. He did not so vote. On the contrary, he voted to save the life of that Government and has been an excellent echo of that party ever since. These are facts which will take a lot of explaining away.

The Australian Federal Government does not intend to devote all ita energies to altering some of the most oppressive features of the legislation of the Labour Ministry. It also has a constructive policy in which humanitarian measures have a prominent part. The Minister for External Affairs (Me. 1 Glynn) is already engaged in formulating a scheme of social insurance, and is obtaining information on the subject from various European countries. Reports are being prepared regarding the rates of contribution necessary to place the scheme on a solvent basis; the approximate cost to employers, employees, and taxpayers; and the most effective means of providing for the administration of the proposed system. Specially inquiries are being made regarding the following qlasses of benefit:— Maternity, medical, sickness, funeral, widows, orphans, ; accident, and sanatorium. Mr. Glynn says consideration will necessarily be directed to the. question whether it is possible to make • social insurance comprehensive of all matters covered by legislation respecting workmen's compensation and employers' liabilso as to substitute industrial life insurance for legal remediesi in eases of - industrial (iccident or debility. It is specially desired that the provisions and conditions of the system should be those most likely to 'combine effectiveness with a minimum of expense and friction of administration, and be most conducive to co-operation and the encouragement of thrift.