NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 172, 15 April 1919, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

Particular interest attaches to the announcement that the British Government will grant freo passages overseas to women who served in the land army as well as to ex-1 soldiers. It is not in doubt that these women would make a valuable addition to the population of any dominion in a position to receive them. Our Loudon correspondent mentioned tkc other day that large numbers of "Wanes" are anxious to emigrate to New Zealand, aud that they are girls of a healthy and self-reliant type, ready to turn their bands to .anything from domestic service to war work. The question of bringing out female immigrants is not one to be decided rashly, but many hard-worked wives and mothers both in town and 1 country will no doubt be much inclined to regard it with favour. It has a bearing on the matter that in spite of war losses this country still has a considerable preponderance of males in its population. According to the Year Book, in 191G (the latest year for which an estimate is given) there we're 993 females in the Dominion to every males. This near approach to equality was accounted for, however, by the absence of so many men at tho war. In spite of war losses and the fact that some soldiers have- married abroad it is likely that males in the Dominion will outnumber females by something like 40,000 when all the soldiers have returned.

The Sydney Morninp Herald, commenting on the result of the liquor referendum in New Zealand, says that the result' was a surprise to both parties. 'This in fact was not tlio case. Those with an intimate sense of the situation as it existed lwfore. polling day generally predicted that whatever tho result might be, it would lie a v»ry close call for the winning side, and that if the balance were tipped on the side of continuance the weight of the soldiers'-vote would be tho deciding factor. The, Herald makes some reference to the preponderating, influence of the women's vote in such an issue, but it is a fact that there are 110 means of arriving at a reliable estimate of this factor, Provision was made in the taking of this referendum for arriving at the exact weight of the soldiers' vote, but nonsuch provision for classifying the civilian _ vote. It would have been interesting to have been able to ascertain exactly how, for example, the women voted, for the knowledge so gained would have provided valuable data upon which to base the educational side of this social reform campaign. There is no doubt that a great number of women voted for continuance, but hojv far they were influenced by their own judgment or feelings, or how far the influence or wishes of their men-folk affected their decision can only be a matter of speculation It is probable that more women were influenced by husbands or men friends to vote continuance than there wore men_ influenced by wives or wraru'n friends to vote prohibition. But this, again, is merely guessing. It_ is generally assumed that in political contests'*the great_ proportion oi women vote as their men-folk vote, but on the liquor question it is doubtful if this view holds good to the same extent.

With the possibility in sight that influenza may again attain the dimensions of an epidemic in the Dominion, it is, manifestly incumbent on the Government and the Public Health Department to give full heed to the representations that 'are being made in regard to lengthening the quarantine period' for oversea ships. Even when the late epidemic in this country had died away to insignificant proportions ships proceeding from New Zealand ports to Australia were quarantined for seven days. Now that the position is reversed, and that _ influenza is raging in Australia it is obviously not a sufficient precaution to quarantine intercolonial steamers in New Zealand ports for a period 6f-twenty-four hours. Any doubt on the point is settled by the fact that a member of the crew of the lliverina developed the disease after the ship had been released from quarantine and had berthed. It is probably hardly necessary to quarantine ships from Australia for an initial period of seven days after their arrival, _ but a reasonable middle oourse ie suggested by the Wellington Hospital Board—namely, that ships should be' kept in quarantine for at least seven days , from the date on which they sailed from an oversea port. Had this procedure been followed in the case of the Riverina direct contact between an infected ship ■ and the shore would apparently have been prevented. Sinco the proposal of the Wellington Hospital Board is supported by the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, the Minister of Public Health slioukl have no difficulty in promptly arriving at a decision and carrying it into effcct.

Owing to the rear bogey of combiua\io i car No. 95 jumping the track at the junction of Courtcnay Place ami Kent Terrace at 8.30 last night, the southbound cars had to be diverted to the Cuba Street route for about half an hour. The extra time taken in getting the track clear was owing to. the bogey gen-r itself having been displaced from its bed by the jar caused by the wheels leaving tao rail*.