NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1975, 4 February 1914, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The disinclination oil the part of the younger men in the community to accept the responsibilities of eiti* zenship is not an • indication of healthy national life. Of . course there _are many fine exceptions, but speaking broadly the sense of public duty arid the desijfe for social service are not nearly as strong among our young people as they ought to ho in a democratic country like New Zealand, and the Mayor of Auckland (Mft. Parr) did well in,calling attcotion to this faefc in his address at the Y.M.O.A. Convention, which is now being hold in Auckland, A promising movement has lately .been set on foot in England with the object of impressing upon the young men of tho nation that they owe a' duty to the community, and that it is not right or reasonable that they should aceepfc > all the privileges of citizenship without bearing any of its. responsibilities, The. younger generation in, every well-ordered . State should fit themselves for social service and bo ready whenever • opportunity offers to take an active' part in the management of the affairs of the community. Athleticsports and other forms of recreation naturally have their proper, place jtt a healthy life,, but these things should not be allowed to become the end and object of existence, to the exclusion of all other interests. It is a poor conception of life that is lirnited to _ sleeping, _ and amusement, and civic wail political affairs should appeal strongly to anyone with intellectual energy and force of character. Mr, Parr's attempt to, show that civic service h of greater importance than Parliamentary work was not very successful, and, in any case, such comparisons are of little value. Professor Pickek was. on surer ground when he stated that men of character are needed both in . municipal and national politics, and that the management of the affairs of local bodies is an apprenticeship which .should help to fit a man for Parliamentary life. There arc ample opportunities in I\ T ew Zealand for every form of so-' cial service, and oar young people have plenty of brains and enthusiasm which might with profit be directed into this channel. The State certainly has a right to the use of a larger. share of their time, and thought than it at present receives.

.Tni; American Woman's Suffrage League bits, started an Active! campaign with the object of bringing pressure on Congress tu satisfy its demand for the right to vote, but so fur the Suffragists do not appear to have made- much progress. The League has jttst beeti accorded an interview by 'President Wilsox, but judging hy the brief report, in aur

I cable columns, the result does not seem to be very encouraging. Dit. Wilson declared that lie was unable to act _in • the matter because his party has not incorporated Wo.man's Suffrage as a plank in its platform, and lie appears to have been careful not to give any indication of his own views on tho subject. On a previous occasion his answer to a. similar _ deputation was equally non-committal, and one report of the proceedings stated that his reply was couched in such terras that it was impassible to say whether he was in personal sympathy with the suffrage Movement or with tho opposition. His. refusal on that occasion to ask Congress to deal with tho matter w ? as based on the ground that he was not at liberty to urge upon Congress, in Messages, policies which had riot received tho- organic consideration of those for whom he was spokesman. The deputation asked for an equal-suffrage amendment to the Federal Constitution, or that the Administration's power should be used to secure an appointment in tho Mouse of Representatives of a committee corresponding with, the Suffrage Committee. in the Upper House which would have leisure to; examine the subject. The PeESi-.i dent's refusal "is of wide applica-' tion and interest," says the New York Evening Post because it does not apply solely to Woman's Suffrage, but to all the various move menfi and propaganda which send delegates to Washington and seek to induce the White House to take up their cattso and make recommendations to Congress. Tho President. was so kindly and courteous that some of the Suffragists are inclined to think that he believes in their cause; but several of the newspapers declare that he "dodged" the point very cleverly, and that he concealed his meaning so artfully that some of the Women were encouraged, some • Were disappointed, and some. Were so ; dazed that they were unable to form : an opinion.

Wij-en the Parliamentary correspondent of the London Dtiihj Sews, which, is one of the leading; organs of the Eadteal Party; atlrft-ita that the situation in Ulster'is dangerous, it iiiay be takes for granted that the British Goverrtnient is tto longer shutting its eyes to the extreme gravity of the Home Rule All efforts in the direction of securing a setMeraeiit by consent have " failed, arid indirect negotiations between the. party leaders havo also proved fruitless. Ycfc in spite, of these dJs:courageriicnts the British public refuses to believe that responsible statesmen -will allow : Ireliirid to drift into a state of civil ttar. There is_ a general feeling that something will happen to prevent a national calamity of such magnitudej, and the- latest information is that 'the Opposition intend to force a dissolution almost immediately, so that an election, will . ■ take place before the, end of May. This course may . be _, very' desirable ftom the Unionist point of view, but it. is not easy of accomplishment, In the- ordinary course■of events the Home Rule ifHll would bceoffie la.w on May 9, or as sooii afterwards as the Government can pass it through the Homo of Commons, The Ho.use of Lords has already rejected the Bill for the sßcOnd time, and, according to the provisions of the Parliament Act', the.Lords will ■have no further opportunity af 'considering the measure The Unionists have.contended all alongjtliat' the, electors have' never expressed their approval of the Homo Rule scheme, and they have urged the Government' to submit their proposals to the people at a general election,-but Mr.. AsQtfiTii has rof used to comply with this request. It is,v of eourse, doubtful whether Ulster would be satisfied even if the. Government Wort returned t& power; but Ml?, Bo'NAit Law has stated that he Wouldadvise them to accept the' verdict of the electors.

• The very modest little..muster of Opposition members which gathered abound Sin .Joseph" W'ard'in Wellington yesterday docs not appear to have, hatched out anything very startling as the result of its first day's .deliberations. The member for Hutt perhaps was indulging his fancy for joking when he discoursed at Petouc last Friday on the tremendous happenings which wire- to stir the- political world this week its the result presumably of this gatheringof Wardis't stalwarts. Softie of Mil. WiUtqrd's admirers ■ had almost expected to learn that his services to "the cause" had at last been fittingly , recogmsodj and that Sift . Joseph: Ward had gracefully relinquished the mantle of leadership in ojder that'it might .pass to shoulders better fitted to bear what must prove an increasingly heavy burden. It is discouraging in the circumstances to learn that the proceedings..at the conference are unptfblishable, or. rather, nob' to be published. Those 'who may hope to find in the .recent speech of' the Lca-der -of- the Opposition at Te Aro.h.a some the tremendous developments: which are to convulse the politics of the country wiH.be again disappointed. Sir Joseph apparently, laid himself out to conceal the. policy and intentions of the Opposition, ..and is to be congratulated .on the success of. rii.s efforts. The speech is guaranteed to shed no light on anything beyond the extreme anxiety qi the Leader of the Opposition to persuade the court* try that his references to the 'charge of the mounted "specials" Post .Office Square were in the. public interest. ■Silt. Joseph has very difficult tasks, ahead of him, but few. more difficult of accomplishment than- this.

■ An angler says that the trmif fishing season hi Qtago and Southland. has been very ra.voM'a.blo. The Shag River appears to bo recognised as one of the best haunts of good trout iu splendid' condition.' Southland streams are also well spoken of, and it is reported that ■a small party who.wont south for"their holidays caught in one st-roani 250 fine fish—a goodliaul for five days' angling, The sad drowning fatality at the Fsrry Bridge at Spring Orcclf last Week should, says tho' '■Mai'lbo.riiugh Express," bring homoto swimmers generally t-lio fatal blunder of "entering tho water after a.full meal. Tho evflcliso at tho inquest went to show that tho deceased partook of a hearty meal justbefore enterina: the water,' and it is more than likely that consequent on that he was seized with sudden, .heart failure rather than witli craiiip. Tho fact that the collapse of the swimmer, was so sudden bears out this theory, for, if attacked with cnimp, he would have been enabled to call oat for assistance, or by some uitans make his condition Known before sinking, lint lie went down like a stone, mid was wot seen again aHvo, 'pointing (o a total .anil sudden lass of sensibility.. Jledieal men have repeatedly issued warnings against bathing directly after meals, The Rev. V. Walker, vicar of F.ilerslie.j has accented the living'(f Lcalott, in the diocese of \Ulouecst«.iy Kugjand, buring ths? past year Mr- Walker Iras been, travelling id England, aid ho will ■not return to New Zealand.