WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 July 1927, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE SAMOA PROBLEM

FACILITATING DEPORT ATI OX. (Special to “ Guardian WELLINGTON. July 25. The House of Representatives occupied practically the whole ol its weekend sitting. Iron) 3 p.tn. on Friday to a.in. on Saturday, in discussion the Samoa Amendment Hill, which is designed, frankly, to facilitate the deportation of Europeans and Samoans from the mandated territory at the will of the Administrator for the lime hoing. Of course the second leading of the Hill never was in jeopardy, the Government's Give majority always ' .on ■; at hand: hut it was -igiiiiu ant that quite a linmher ol lii tnl inel's and Nationalists abstained Irom voting, while .Mr Lysnar. the meinher I'm Gisborne. and .Mr Potter, the meniher for lioskill. who now may lie classed as Imlepetidenl Reformers. threw in their lot with the protesting Labour Party. Labour's eontontion wa> that the resi-

dents of Samoa, whether Europeans or Natives, should not he Sett to the whim of the Administrator to he sent hither and thither at the nodding ot his head, hut should he entitled to a fair trial before some constituted authority. Naturally this appealed to a la rye section of the House as being more in harmony with Hritish justice than purely arbitrary rule: hut the Government was insistent upon the necessity for the proposed legislation and tin' big battalions let. it have its way.

RELIGIOUS EXERCISES. The ” Evening Post.” failhlul to its principles and its traditions, tells its readers afresh of the calamities that would overtake tlie community should the Hon. Leonard Isitt's Religious Exorcises iu School's Hill reach the Statute Hook. ” What to every Catholic and to thousands of non-Catholies will appear a llngratu injustice.” it declares. " must he perpetuated, or a system of denominational subsidies, ol which not the Catholic Church alone will got the benefit, must he instituted. In either case fifty years' peace which we owe to the incorporation of the secular principle in the Education Act of 187” will he shattered, and tlie waters of religious strife will he let loose with results that nobody can foretell. As practical men we should like the Prime Minister, tlie Einance Minister. and even the .Minister ol Education to consider, before it is too late, what answer, if this Hill goes through, they will he able to make next session to a petition from the Homan Catholics for a dciiominnl grant:' A conscientious consideration riiiist surely lead them all to the conclusion that the issue raised by ibis mild-lookiiig Hill is nothing loss than the choice between nationalism and deiiomiiiaiioiialism in education.” The danger of this catastrophe occurring is due rather to the apathy of the great mass of the public than to any zeal being displayed by the promoters of Mr Isitt's Hill. ‘ INFORMATION WANTED.

There are a couple of letters in the " Dominion ” this morning seeking information regarding the promotion of the Religious Exercises in Schools Hill which are of passing interest. ‘'ll the Reform Party was officially pledged to retain our ‘ free, secular and compulsory ’ system of education.” Professor Hugh McKenzie asks, "is it just, or honest that individual members ol the party should in a clandestine way and by secret strategy, to which certain Christian Churches were a party!) steal a march on the elo-tor.- of the Dominion? ” Mr Robcit Wood, a gent lem.in al-o well' known in educational circles, puts even more pointed questions to the Editor. "Mr Gilt tells Parliament.” fie writes. •• that the Hill is not his Bill, and it is Ihe league’s Hill, and then he shrouds in mystery the league when question'd hot when the league needs a represent a live oil the platform or in the Press, Mr Isitt Is that representative. Is the league a reality!' Has it a place of habitation? Is Mr Isitt himsoi'f tlie league, and the league spokesman ? Is the league the alter ego of Mr Isitt Y ” The ” Dominion ” points out very properly that it is the duty ol the Government to give such laciliUes as it, can for the introduction of Bills.

hut it leaves Mr Isitt. to look after himseliv. UNEMPLOYED. Mr G. A. Troup, the mayor, takes exception to the report that there still are a thousand men unemployed in Wellington. The officers of the Labour Department, he stated this morning. had only 500 men on their hooks and it was reasonable to assume that number covered all the men anxious to obtain work in the city. It was likei'y indeed that many of the men who had registered their names had found employment. It had to lie borne in mind that all the year round, even in Hie most prosperous years, iu all cities,

certain number of men were out ot employment. Allowance also had to he made for the fact that a certain class of men were, not particularly anxious to find such work as the auth-j mities had to offer. Either they were! incapable of manual labour, or pre- j foiled less strenuous occupation. Employers still were reducing the numbers of their employees, and this was necessarily affecting the position ; lint everything possible and prudent was being done. Of course the closest supervision had to he exercised. The money for tlie work had been subsidised, generously. for the purpose of bridging over an emergency, and it had to ho used to the best advantage of all those in real need.