NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2165, 2 June 1914, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The Naval Agreement of '1309 may be dead so far as th-o Admiralty is •loacernedi but the. meiabers of the Commonwealth Ministry are losing ao opportunity of repeating that Australia intends to abide by it. lii theif addresses on Empire Day last week, both Mr, Cook, the Prime Minister, and- the Minister of Befenee, Senator MiUvEM. intimated jn the plainest way that- the Government had no intention of falling in with Mil. Gh-übch?m. ! S suggestion that the Australian Dreadnought W : onid be better detailed for' semio outside the Pacific. Australia has already made good progress, with her Xavy, .and is steadily working out the line of development suggested by AssKßAt'Siß iiraiXAin Ht\r rso\ the Admiralty ■ The n \i' unit is now a visible reality, and the- CVismiMvW0!»H!i hits not the slightest idea of' iibandmiusg the training of its ciUKens for the sea and scrapping the; shove depcits aud trainSng wliacls. "Vim cannot train mea in a fleet distant from otir shores f " gaid Hrxatoi; Mii.t.RX. 'A'oa cannot stimulate* the sentifueiit of defence unless the ships aro here, 1 plead therefore with the j people,." the Minister added, amid [ tile ;i..pplauso of his itudicnw, '*(hat J in wrmal tinie-s the Attstra.lian ships j fihftlt find their pytoary purjjosc of } use ro«.nd the shores of Ausr,rai.ia>'-' 1 No one will_ dispute tho argument of i the stratflgkt that the Aastrali-aii { ships, 'from a strak.aieai point of ■ view, vvoiiid be best employed in the {forth t Sea to-day. But the skatogi«fe will be a hold matt to deny that I the eiiihtisi-usni eveatml in Australia. | by tin? possession of its own Jlcet will [ in the long rim be a Jar more vnlui able faetor in the naval defence, <i[ I the Empire than the imm.- diiu.' gain ! of a very minor addition to "ih<» North be;: (J-et |

l'',u!.u?:ri and nitttt-frectitig ewn[wnies should be inU vested in a letter troiu Mis. C'i'nkjxoiiah. of Feild.i«K, published in this issue, i'l-j.,. subjwt of the communication is tin? Beef Trust, M.u. CijNNiiiSviA.st makes known cort-aSu payjHß opnva'tions in Quecasiaad wlne-h have come to his

J knowledge, 'tvhieh m;ii or may not- ! fhe f nrst behind them, but which j certainly look like .business ou a big | and iar-seeing stale. The process j seems to be to buy calves ut a good | vKiit price fur delivery two or. t-lirec years ahead, a deposit, being imuie time of purchase, and the u-uanee being paid on delivery, it does not require a very great mental eitori; to appreciate what this would meais to the cattle trade in three or Unu" yeavf' tinw if the prpeess de-s-i-iwa were sptematically and thoroughly carried out year by year. In three or four years' time the greater part of the cattle being rerirec! for beirf in Queensland would bo in the bauds of those who to-day have begun buying up the calves, and the ordinary biiyers from the uieafc comfiiiiist:; and exporters would find it v !j ! 'Y difiieult and costly if not impossible to secure what th-ey require for tneir purposes. Of rowrge, the procedure suggested Would involve the locking up of a lot of moncv for somo years, but big trusts and' combines, wfien settirig out to securc coiiti'ol of the market, usually uspect to i have- to face that sort of tluag, and wok ta the- future for the reward of Wicir enterprise, ft may be that tlu opera/tions in Queensland meiitirue.rj 1 ,f li; n are not those m the Leer Trust or any other com* binafcion; but tirey a vory sirsjjieioua appeavaiiß?.

Ihs Hastings Tnhuht seems to havi \a busy time exposing the inventions and iuacciu-acies of Mm Napier evening paper, the telegraph. 4 short time ago it will perhaps bo recalled the Tdcqrsiph, i n seeking to discover some ground «,n which to attack tli!! Massey f.Wrnf»ent rallied n-> an old State land purchase concerning winch ii; rag.du some very. s«veve remarks, tfabajj-- *»'•• purchase in question wi* earned through by the Wum Government, not the Hassey Government, ftnt! \h. Trlrrifupk has since <«en repenting its imHseivtion. Now,! ftolrfivor, it has again ventured out from cover, ami this time it .has astonish.:;! .Napierwith tk> remarkable di- : covery tiiul Mr. A mix's sBml«K is «ot a nn-i.liis ai, ail, but is actually •a ueneik Jl he igHciranee or dishonesty ot some of the financial critics the Government i s Tl fc tiuws ama*t , ifc is 'loubtfd if tbo efforts <>t the i cfeymph to convert a surplus into a. deficit iriyA ever been invito r-qitalled for effrontery or stupidity, luis is Jjow is docs Use ivriok; A real MtplM, it says, js'the balance' rcy«M<w over ordinary ex.neu--Ihire. hovr, judging the Government by tli!.; u'fiHon aceeptsd by itself w.heii ssokiM' to borrow, ami arolffog it the finww. « the. year ending on Mawh :ji jmst we amve at a deficit of TWi^ lio-call tor a tUiancial vfcard here, A.nv i 1 In «? sm far hijnseif, from the very ligtu'es aoiwiinewl by Mr. Alien. ho-.v tile ca.» really stands. the ordinary iSSS ,fu ' f!,a ! Year was XiL'.JSS.ti'Cth or ,«o-aJi!S more than the ordinary revenue joi_ the year 1512-13. Tl Uif; Govo.rni)VeHt had nut,i» endi exactly it would j have sjiCKt, iti ord'inaTV osceuditure. hist the lit the reveim-is. As a nwt®i ,'M* ordinary es ! penditure was r !fl or 4.'3i,="!GS snore thaw was received. Tli.e iiatioiia! folntltfes the,rt&.re went back by that amnwit. in other words, instead uf fl.M.re bMiisr a surnins »i' the lo.sl financial year t'li«e is a deficit! oi ~(331,508!. ' The jcike. of the, thing is that this j financial wizard knows so little about the fihafic® of thfl country., aad aceonntoncy gomm-atly, t.aat it has. actually indutled as arilinctnj etepc-ixdi-fthe balance of JJ I 20.00.) to gmci.it. at the ©nd of the year. And tlii.s, as the. Trihu'm points out, is bow it gets its deficit.

.The overcrowding of the menial hospitals, iiiiiv gramtally in pnii&ss of a-lneUoratwtt, has been a standing topic in New Zealand for liiitny yMi;S. It is a good thing to build enough accommodation for the people who.have become insane, but it is •also desirable that something s-h-ofiM be done to reduce tho need- for that. necommedafiiM. The Mewa-l Hospitals Department has a high percentage- of recoveries to a-dsiissiofis to its credit, ami has done excellent work often uuiioi- the most tf&v-e-rse-conditions> Tho fig id .of operations might lur.vevor, bo extend*! with aefr-antage, and we emnmend to the : consideration ol the Government- the proposals sow utt'tor discussion iii New South Wales lor the more eftee-t-ual treatment' of innnUl disease in its early and c&fafete stages. Du. Sim.UK, the Inspector-General for the Insane in Kevv South WfileSj has suggested that provision should be made in tire general hospitals for mental patients, who could be admitted without legal ■.for-iualitie-s r< ftri tovliiie.'ttes, but simply on the reeomineaclation >;of their medical -attarickints. "Since eases of mentai disease oecur generally- throughout the community,''-' states DiU Sixcunt, I

li the treatment of the early stage's cannot be reserved for mental spedalistg. Facilities must be offered to the genem.l .p rnctitioner for this pur-, pose- in the shape of suitable hospital accommodation, and of education during-his career as a student." The; dorter adds that greater, attention to theteachins* of mental diseases at the University is also necessary, aad the subject should no longer ho regarded as one of the minor or optional ones. Mr. Hok'ax, the Premier of New South Wales, believes that Dr. Sixci.ai it's sii|gestiaHs could be given effect lo at comparatively small cost. Provision of the. sort suggested is (ii'.ite as much needed in. few Zea- ; l«Bd as in New South Wales.

The rejection by the Australian Federal Senate of the Preference Prohibition .Bill brings the cowing Crisis another step nearer. This is Hi!) scocmd time that this measure has'been rojected by tho. Senate, and the question ol a (fosol'utiw will have to be tlocirfod very shortly. Before pressing ilsis jioint, however, the t'n'ino Ministoi: intends to give the Senate the opportunity of throwing out; the Postal Voting JlilL 'the Govcniraeiii's other test measure. In view of 'he prolonged stonewall on the Preference Pj-nlubiiion Bill which took place iu the H oii?e, (! w action of the Labour mniority in the Senate i,n promptly killing t;iju safe ii-t the firs!- reading stag?? is not j easy to tvmleistaiul. lb fs stated th-.ifc tho short shrift meted cut to it- is viewed with dfefttvpu# by a •section of the Opposition who" would it seems, have preferred tn g&o Uic agony prolonged. The waste «f tima in the Housa has been rmideretl futile from the strategical stAiwlpoijjti bv Hie unwillingness of the Senate to play the same game._ However that ma.V be, st »s Certain that a very iiitert'sliflg position is nmv in sight, and Ml:. Cook is said to be .jtikilant n\'!>v the rejection, of the Bill, as it enables him io ask fov a tlmiiV dis. whition. B»t to ask for it is on.e thing, and le. get ii Another. Kvvry. UiiiiK now d:'j* .'id.; on the new Gcvw-iior-Ueuenii's reading c 4 the Con-, «lil«lh/ii and Hie political situation, i-n thi' cirenmslanees wkirii have now arisen, he MTtniiily "rim.y * * grant- a double dissolution, inn. ilnnv is no "must" about it, lie is given a «-id,. discretion, and ho oiw is «crtain as to what reawas will weigh with

ism in coming to his decision. Will ! he be inikseiieed by the impumnee j of the measures rejected, or will be 1 take the ■ Vt'jjolo position hito con- ! sidoration, and take the only coum ■ which scorns at all likeiy to end tlvn ! existing ij.-ca diock—that is. Id boh! | both Houses to the electorates 2 j

lytS 'iK'irjbC'r for Avon is never more -amusing than when lie is, «l> tempting his uiock heroics and stnv< :ng to give -a semhlani'.e of seriousness to allegaticfls and charges which rtl j® .the Miost transparent nufiibftg. Ail last gessiqn ho was thumping tte table «nd bellowing for the ijcijcft* oi the readers of the ncivsjwpm wild *;(i.irges against the tiuveniiiiejit, accusing them of trying to raise the. rates of interest and nlay into ike lianas of the money-lenders;, ajui •;>!! tte rest of it, and having perfofined his little .piece, ha would resume his seat smiling presumably at his own soaring flights of fancy. Nw oiie in Pay lie: merit took these rihavgi'-s of us semnab-Bet wm Jilt. ItesSEa himself. Now, apparently, lie is .vi» tcrtaming the Chreiehurch electors with a new and cuilaygcd edition oi: i'ho PtiMi'c Trust- OMco chaa'gcs., as lie memos to term thcto, These. ajl.e-fiat-ions were thoroughly threshed out : last session, and the sum total of ; them .1$ that tbo MitiiMcr in : of tlie Dapiirtent exorcised his right, to frame ihe : >;uliry of the Department- .under his ■ol.targe, as he was entitled,_ and as it was his duty, to is a pity, of course, that -lie cfttud not please so important- a person as Mr. liff.ssr.i.t., but seeing that, lie s&ccestlecl jft oxtkiding the scope of usefulness of the Department, and in placing it on a better iooiinp al! /OB.nd than it has oyer be-on before, it! is probable that tic public, will be incliiiod to '..ear the . member f.Qj; Avon's emotional outbursts with some equanimity. Jl n. Hi-fumx also,, we suspect, will lose no sleep ow. f.he_ antics of the fientfeftaii whose chief claim to disMfte.ti.on li-.-s !H his inclusion in that cur.inns 'political. combination known as the "TenMinutes' Ministry.**