NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2164, 1 June 1914, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The enthusiasm of the Finns in ivelcomiag tiifiir famous compatriot KouarMAixtsr, the runner, on his return from 'Ammen, baa'often more brought down on them the wrath 0 { tfco TSAfi. It has been deei'Md, the cables tell us, that henceforth 1" Inns shall only participate in the Olympic . GitniiiS' as l.Stissian. Finland is to be exterminated for good as a nat.iw.ii and the work is evidently being carried mil viih Russian diomuglmrss. On his cpronaiiort Nichot.AS II swore solemnly that ho wo'ilt! "niaiutaiii the (,'oiistitation which was granted to the Grand Daoiij of Finland by Mmkhy the Eaf'Eßoft AiixANiiini Pavujvoti of glorious memory.' 1 but he violated that oath, and -during the last nine months one batch of Finnish Judges after another have been imprisoned lor refusing to break their withs because the' T.-ua broke his. The Tsak, it is reported by tlift .European Press, has made up { (Us mind to a "J?oly_ policy" and an insistence that Russia js a religious. • idea as well as na Emaii'e. fhel

Slav tradition is to be made supreme and once again ik Finns, the Pole and the Jews are to fuel the iron grip of the monarch's hand.

I The of.'j])on<oiit9 of non-political : control of the State railways will do J well to note tile attitude the New ' South, Wales Labour Ministry on the subject. Many fierce controversies have raged around the Commissioner system in that State, and the disagreements between the presfiot > G&vcmmcnt and the late Chief Oomiaissioncr have- been numerous and emphatic. The Government pro-peses to amend the system of control, but Mti. Holmaj? last week stated ekarly thai _he was p.;-ai ns:i revming ti> political adiijiiiihtratiu;.!. A dearer line of demarcation between what is a pohcy matter for the Government to decide and •what an administrative one for the Commissioners will be oho of the features of the new Baihvays Act. "The -liia-iB point,'' said the State Premier, "is to constitute s Commission in such a fashion that if, will b:; capable of dealing; with the .gigaatie task.confided to it witheiit the everwfoelminc; tea* 'ralisation upon one- n;ati that the present unscieritififi system involves. . , But I w-artt to make it known that it is aot- intended to reintroduce the era of political control." Ths Labour Party never had mur;li liking for the Commissioners, and Mb. HoiiSAN's auno«ftcet»en4 is a su'ikii!.!; isvibute- to the soundness of the principle that ths great State services should bo removed from political control.

Ujf&ER the law (is at present it is 'provided that jn the. went of Kati&Bal. Prohibition bewg carried cffceli shall net ba given to the decision for four years. The purpura of the delay is quite plain. The adoption ol ftah'onal Prohibition would l&fiiui *i heavy loss of revenue through the Customs'and excise duties, and it wtrttld take 6owc time for' whatever Government tpigiit bo. in power to make the- ndjustments nevssnfy to rcpfapc this loss. 1/ist week a deputation of Pi-ohibitkmists waited on tht; Prime Minister at Balelutha to request that the time limit ol four years should be . reduced to twt> years. Mu. Hassey's reply, feo this request as it appeared in the condensed form tnuismitk-d by the Press ABSooifttwra was liable to give the impression that there might be sonw ehariee of the suggested' redivefe being made,' The fit.ll report of tho Prime MiKiSTEji's remarks on the subject as published in tfe Ota fro Times are now to knnd, and they make the position quite- clear. Perhaps in the. cirsnmsfctuees it is desirable that they should be quoted in MI;" . .. With refi?ren'c.? .to the perkul v^iuifed ■to clapvc betirsen th# .carrying of foitiienaj ProliiWtiDVi anil its eoiiit.ii!* hiio operation, Mr. MttfcS.y said thnl in sii;di an event a rMrrMgoiuei'lt of til!) fu-.n.r.-tfiffl system of flie Ucmiuioli ns'oii'W lie neepssiiry, nils' that ifoiu ! yon is would ji.ot ill Hist wise be too l6iis a prrM. In view of the fad, that something over a million a. year is collected by way of taxation in connection with the importation... manufaetura and sale of liquor, it will be readily seen that the readjustment of the: finances in ..inikipation of fie lons of this sum annually could act be hurriedly 'accomplished.