NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 263, 31 July 1920, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

4 In selecting the first holder of its travelling scholarship in French tho University Semite is breaking new ground. For the first time we are officially establishing direct scholastic relations with France. The scholar chosen, "X- Cecil Malthus, of Canterbury College, will shortly bo on his way to France, and it is a condition of tho scholarship that ho returns to take up the teaching of modern languages in New Zealand. In. their report on the relations between Franco and New Zealand the members of General Pan's Mission declared that "no truly lasting bond can be linked without the concurrence of intellectual circles, sented principally by the universities." Tho dispatch of one student abroad, the first, we think, officially sent to a foreign country, may seem a small thing, but it Is a beginning, and from the acorn comes the oak. Franco has much of value to tench us, and something will he achieved if Mr. Malthus on his return is able to inspire his future pupils with a better appreciation of French genius and French literature. Wo want more such scholars sent abroad to bring back to us Hie fruits of science and research in olher lands. The most profitable research for us in our present Btnge of development is research into what other nations are doing. It is cheaper to pick their brains than to evolve a new cosmos out of books and inexperience.

Everyone who has occasion, to travel to Picton or Nelson will be interested in. the announcement that the services are to be improved within a month or two. It is stated that the Mararoa 13 to replace a steamer which will be used solely for a Wellington-Picton run. Tho general expectation is that the vessel selected by the Umou Company will l>e the Arahura, though some Marlborough residents cherish hopes of (seeing the Loongana. Details as to sailing days and hours aro still a matter of speculation, nor is it known new tno inauguration of a special I'icton. service will atfect the present Wellingloii-Nel-son-Pictxm' run, at present «' tryingly Jong and tedious. journey for Nelson passengers. Tlie time is over-ripe for improvement in both tho Picton. and Nelson sqilmgs. , '« * ' k » The Railways Department certainly invites in some respects tlio reproach laid at its door by Mr. A. S. Malcolm, M.P., that it is stubborn and autocratic, and shows a lack of ordinary consideration for the general public. The exclusion from the Thorndou platform of people who are seeing friends off by tho express trails is n case in point. Ono result is that, women and elderly, people often have to carry their own luggage To vho train as best they can when they have friends outside the barrier who are denied an opportunity of helping tlieni. Departmental obstinacy seems to be the chief-reason for refusing to admit the friends of passengers to the platform as they are admitted to the great stations in London and elsewhere. Tho practice formerly in vogue of selling platform tickets ought to bo itcumed without delay. As to the questions raised by Mr. Malcolm in regard to tho Department's, normal attitude towards outside suggestions, it is interesting that tho late General Manager (Mr. Hiley) in his 1914 report urged the appointment of a "Commercial Agent," whose duty it- would bo to evolve schemes to popularise travel by rail and to see that full heed was given to public complaints. Mr. Hiley declared thit "in no other concern in .which capital ; exceeding has been invested would the organisation lie considered complete without the inclusion of a responsible official whose solo duty would be the development of revenue-producing business." In these days of financial stringency, the immediate appointment of such an official may not commend itself to tho Minister;of Railways, but ha certainly ought to make a point of seeing that his Department as far as . possible giye3 that consideration to tho public which it would be the speoial duty, of a "Commercial Agent" to bespeak. * * * * About 25 millions sterling has to bo raised l>y loan this year, and tho Prime Minister' 6 announcement that the money will Im obtained by a compulsory levy, if not forthcoming voluntarily, has cieated some alarm. The Christchuvcli "Sun," for instance, describes tho proposal as "conscripting tho savings cf the people." and waxes indignant over it. Tho criticism is based on the assumption that tho Government intends To offer less thnn current market rales for the mOnoy it icquires, and will proceed to squeeze it out of the public by compulsion wholesale. Mr. lliissey, in' the Budget, said it was • intended to offer a "fair and reasonable" rate of interest. Yesterday he declared that, ho did not think compulsion would bo receseary, and repeated his intention cf offering a "fair" rate of interest. Tlie vj-to of interest, is tho crux of the matter, and it will not be disclosed until the loan prospectuses are issued. The Government can do just as much harm by offering too much as too littlo for its loans. If it oilers too much, an unnecessarily high standard will he set for local body and private borrowings, and a heavy needless load put on the public's back. On tho other hand, the rate must bo abreast of current conditions in tho money market here and abroad, or all tho compulsion in the world will not save us from ultimata financial complications. We want a rata that offers a reasonable thing, and ono that mean* compulsion only for over-greedy lenders. * » * «"

Japanese policy in the Far East is at present an object of concern and etispioiou in the United State.?, This morning; wo arc told that America is closely watching the activity of Ihe Japanese in Siberia ami China. With a dense ond rapidly-increasing population, Japan is naturally looking for fields for expansion. Already she carries an average of 380 persons to the square mile, as ngajinst 10 in New Zealand, H in Australia, 30 in the United States, and 93 in China, Every year sees the Mikado's subjects increase in number by about 7&0.000. Thoro is no means of materially adding to the productivity of the toil in Japan, as already every available aero

is fully cultivated, and the- very hills nro terraced and irrigated at an incredible cost in human labour to provide additional rice. Tho country must either import more and more focd from al>ro:iil or its people must emigrate. Those facts, and many more, are put forward by Mr. J. 0. I'. Bland in a series of articles in (lie London "Times," in which ho argues that expansion is an economic necessity for Japan. Blocked from access to America and Australasia,' where is fho to turn but to Asia? Mr. Bland contends that the undeveloped regions of China's loosely-held dependencies, Manchuria and Mongolia, aro the most promising fields for Japanese cmigratien, and that they are Ixmnd to follow Korea down the path of "geographical gravitation." The alternative-, as the Japanese see it, is extinction. * * * * For the sake of an immediate profit, the Sheep-owners' I'ederation is apparently prepared to give Armour and Company a free hand with our meat export trade. If/the license to export neat is granted in accordance with the Armour petition,' the Dominion loses its only tangible hold over this concern, hi these days of 'joint stock companies, it is only necessary to own 51 per cent, of the stock of each meat company to ccntrol it, and that ownership can he effect, ed either directly or through some third party who appears as the nominal owner, but merely does as lie is bid. Gigantic .commercial enterprises' such as Messrs.. Armours' aro regarded as anything but blessings in their homo in the United States, and to offer them inducement to open up 'Business in New Zealand is like playing with fire. It is satisfactory to have the assurance of Mr. G. L. Marshall at the. Fanners' Union yesterday that not a vote in favour of the Armour petition was cast by North Island members of the Sheep-owners' Federation. As the North Island owns U million sheep as, against the South's 11 mil-lions-and all the South Island sheepfarmers do not favour the petition-it is clearly a minority voice that speaks for the federation so far as real interest is concerned.