NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 81, 30 December 1920, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

The sevens earthquake shocks experienced abroad in various parta of the world give a topical interest to the latest bulletin of tho Hector Observatory, in which Dr. T. A. Jaggar, of Hawaiian volcano observatory, advocates a similar undertaking here. Dr. Jaggar's work was recently described by Dr. Allan Thomson on his return from his Bacifio tour, and has enabled the forecasting of volcanic disturbances in Hawaii with a remarkable degree of precision. We cannot prevent earthquakes, but apparently, by the - continuous ob-, servauqn -of volcanic phenomena, we can •toll when they <*re coming. It is many years since severe earthquakes were nxI periencd in New Zealand, and it is to 1»« hoped it will bo many more before WQ l'avo them again. Dr. Jaggar. however, declaros that in New Zealand great volcanio disasters may be prepared for and expected at long intervals. Earthquake centres lio out at sea on each side of the Dominion, and the length of the intervals between major and minor dangerous times can bo determined! by a volcanic observatory. It is interesting to note that Dr. Jaggar also holds out some hope that it may be possible to harness the enormous natural power now going to waste in tho thermal district. The estimated iost of an obsorvatory in from to .£3OOO a year, and such an expenditure would seem to be amply justified in view of the results obtained in Hawaii and Japan.

Presumably the extracts from the agenda paper of the New South Wales Labour Conference cabled this morning represent its most novel items. Expulsion of its more eminent mcmbera is becoming a habit with- Australian Labour, and a proposed new ground/ of expulsion is acceptance of a title from the British Government. Bathurst proposes that no man. shall bo allowed to iccumulate over ,£IO,OOO. It would be ntoresting to know the steps to be taken o' effect this. If two men were each in lossession of a fortune of ,£IO,OOO, and no spent the whole of his income, and he other saved a portion of it and addd it to his capital, the first would bo iving a blameless and exemplary life ri.thin the law, while the second would apparently be a heinous offender to bo tripped of all that his thrift had put >y. That thrift and industry are no anger classed as virtues in advanced labour circles is also made plain by he ingenious suggestion for abolishing he wage system', and replacing it with l "Universal Service State" in which iveryone m Teturn for four hours' laKiur daily shall have the necessaries oF ife delivered to his door. A little while lack the objective was defined as the cowing tj the worker of the whole pruluct- of his work. Farmers produce nore of their own "necessaries of lifo" ban most people, and we liuve yet to lear of the fanner who su«ne«ded in dong it oft four hours' labour daily. Apparently the originators of this pioposal vant- the whole product of their labour iud a share of somebody else's as well.

It is not unnatural that Mr. Josophni I llantils, as Secretary of the United States Navy, should be concerned about I lie future of the American oil fuel supply. During the last ton years there has been an extraordinary increase In the number of petrol-driven vehicles, and -whole -war fleets have abandoned coal for oil fuel. America hns hitherto been the principal source of the world's stipply. The British Empire produce? only 2>\ per cent, of the 'world's output of oil, or, if Persia ft classed as under, British control; 4V pur cent, of the whole. The shortago in supplies now being felt throughout tho world is due mainly to Amerioan reqnii ements for motor-cars. "While tho number of motor-cius in the United Slates in 1911 was 700,000? it is officially estimated that h 1922 it will reach 12,000,000. I'etrolilrivcn transport is increasing in overy other country also at a far greater rate than new sources of supply are being opened up. At tho recent Imperial Motor Transport Conference in London, one speaker expressed the opinion that by 1922 there would be so pronounced a ahortage of oil fuel that the great majority of private owners in Britain would .have to put away their cars. Tho possibilities of the Persian fields are stated to be prodigious. Mesopotamia awaits development, tlicro are promising surfaco indications in. Palestine, and if a commercial proecss for dehydrating peat can be discovered tho bogs of Ireland alone aro estimated to be capable of meeting the present requirements of tho United Kingdom for power alcohol or petrol for 150 years to coma None of tho,so sources, however, offers immediate relief,

Germany's difficulties in aro undoubtedly- real. In the disorganisation following the armis-ice ntal the change of Government emrmous quantities of arms and ammunition disappeared. The authorities, by proclamation and the offer of rewards, have endeavoured to recover this material, but l)r. Peters, the Disarmament Commissioner, announced in October that only 750,000 rities halt teen surrendered, the equivalent of the armament; of three twmy corps on n. peace footing. In some districts one riilo to every 200 inhabitants was surrendered, but in Greater Berlin, where much had gone astray, the proportion was only one rifle per 2000 inhabitants. Th» failure to recover the missing arms is made a reason for retaining the armed civic guards which havo been created in Germany in largo numbers outside tho regular army, and to whose disarmament the German Government now objects. The, Goi'inans naturally make tho most of their case, and the Allied Premiers at their forthcoming conference at Mice will have to decide whether there Is any bona lido ground for a relaxation of the disarmament terms. Thu problem is a delicato and difficult one. It would lie extremely unwise lo leave Germany so weak, as to open tlio door to a revolutionary rising. On tho other hand, it would be equally unfortunate to Ik bluffed into permitting tlio maintenance of forces unnecessary for the internal stability of Germany, and whoso retention can only be desired for somo ulterior purpose. • * * * It has been complained all tho technical school teachers' conference that technical education is the Cinderella of the education system. Tlio machinery is there, but the public fails (o make full

use of ill This apathy is probably mainly duo to the high wages offering for unskilled labour, and the consequent lack of incentive to qualify for some skilled occupation when as much, or more, money can be?earned without any training. In time, if the shortage of skilled labour becomes acute, matlters will no doubt right themselves, but the whole [position is one that deserves more consideration than it has received from thoso who would see tho industrial life of the Dominion advancing as it should. Mr. Thompson, the president of the technical teacheis' conference, declares that our education system fails in that) it does hot provide sufficiently for the education of the worker as a worker. Just where the balance should bo struck in an ideal system is a nico point. At lihe same time it must not be forgotten that what the worker requires as much as anything, in view of modern Australasian tendencies, is an education that will enable him to make a right use of leisure. Non-working horns are growing rapidly, and in what manner are they spenti by thousands? Without intellectual interests discontent and personal unhappiness are likely to be tlie fruits of the present increasing and too frequently wasted leisure,