NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 113, 6 February 1919, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

The strike threats of the secretary of the Locomotive Enginedrivers' Union are rather overdone. To use a very expressive Americanism there is a strong suggestion of "hot air" about his talk, and to those who know something of the situation it is_ not as impressive as he appears to imagine. Indeed, he is damaging rather than helping a good case. No one disputes that the members of the locomotive branch of the Railway service haveclaims to consideration, and least of all the Minister in charge of the Department. Unhappily, Mil. M'AitiiEY has one idea of how to run the Railways Department and the Minister and his officials have another. Mr. M'Aklev's union represents one-tenth of the total number of Railway employees. He demands that the one-tenth he represents shall be dealt with regardless of the claims of the remaining nine-tenths. The Minister points out that hundreds' of thousands of pounds_ arc. involved, that ho has to consider the claims of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and those of the Railway officers as well as those of the locomotive men before he can come to a final decision, and he has fixed dates for meeting the representatives of the three organisations this month. The representatives of the two big organisations, representing ninetenths of the men in the service, being reasonable men with a' due sense of responsibility, have quietly fallen in with this arrangement. Mr. M'AiUiEy < thinks he can do better, and imagines lie can intimidate tho Minister by strike threat's. This method is crude and clumsy. He could do no greater disservice to the loeomotivo men than to. raise an issue which he knows, just as well as they do themselves, if pressed to a decision would not be observed by the great, majority of the members of the service, and which would deprive those foolish enough to follow such unwise of the privileges which they enjoy under the Railway service superannuation scheme. The claims of the locomotive men can stand on their own merits. They are likely to be prejudiced rather than furthered by Mr. M'Arley's extravagant talk.

Doctors have differed on the question of the value of inoculation as a means of protection against influenza, but the Eoyal College of Surgeons seems to have thrown in its weight with the "noes." A memorandum by that body, issued' onNovember 8, during the influenza epidemic in England, said:— ,f 'Since we are uncertain of the primary cause of influenza, no form of inoculation can be guaranteed to protect against the disease itself. From what we know as to the lack of enduring protection after an attack, it might in any case- be assumed that no vaccine could protect for more than a short period." The one thing about which there appears to bo some degree of unanimity as a protective measure is the wearing of gauze masks. Dr. Woods Hutchinson, a noted American physician, is_ credited with the statement, that with everyone wearing masks in San Francisco the number of new cases of influenza dropped from 2300 to 300 a'day.

The United States Senate, according to one of to-day's messages! has ordered a sweeping investigation to determine who is paying for the Bolshevik propaganda' for the overthrow of the American Government and the substitution of Soviet government. The question raised is pertinent, and is well worth probing. In many countries besides America organised efforts are being made to popularise Bolshevism, but as information stands itis impossible to say who is providing the funds which to appearance are freely available to finance and support these efforts. The Russian Boltsheviki have organised a centre of propaganda in Switzerland, but there is no evidence that they are distributing funds broadcast over the world. It will not be surprising if the final result of the investigation ordered by the American Senate is to show that the centre of supply is located in Germany. The fact at all events stands out clearly that Germany would he the only gainer if conditions of such ruinous disorder were created in Allied countries that the enforcement of the conditions of a just and stable peace became impossible.

Making all possible allowance for his desire to protect and safeguard Australia's legitimate interests, the Prime Minister of tho Commonwealth (Mr. Hughes) has taken up an attitude in regard to _ tho , disposal of the German colonies which must bo described as indefensibly contentious and bellicose. As information stands thp arrangement concluded will enable'the dominions which take over late enemy colonies to exercise the fullest possible control in such matters as immigration as well as in administering the internal affairs' of these territories. Apparently the supervision of the League of Nations, if it is successfully established, will be confined to generally protecting the interests of native inhabitants and to seeing that the territories held under its mandate are not turned to military or naval account. Such an arrangement is very far from justifying the noisy protests in which Mb.

Hughes has been indulging. Me. Massey seems to have accepted the decision of the Peace Conference much more contentedly than his colleague from Australia, and there is no doubt that his attitude more faithfully reflects opinion in the dominions.