CURRENT TOPICS OF THE DAY

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 18 March 1914, Page 3

CURRENT TOPICS OF THE DAY

(from various sources)

Major-General Godley, in an interview, said his ideal was to see New Zealand's citizens' army staffed by New Zealand officers. He hoped at the end of a year or at most two years, this would b« practically the case, and New Zealanders would be able to regard their army as "their very own." The ambition was a very proper one, and he was glad to help in realising it. An occasional exchange of officers might be desirable,, but as good men could be produced in New Zealand as in any other part of the world, and he hoped to see all the colonials that were wanted taking up defence as a profession.

The assertion has often been made that tho present Government favours the squatters, but in actual fact this has not been borne out. Kecentlj' a Marlborough correspondent forwarded the following- question to "Light and Liberty":—ls it a fact that the number of landed estates in New Zealand is steadily increasing as the result of the Eeforrn Government's land legislation?' Light and Liberty' answers the que&tiou fairly fully as follows.—"lt is distinctly untrue for any paper or politician to say that the number of the large estates in New Zealand has increased under tho Reform Government's land legislation. It is equally untrue to say that the owners of big estates are not, as far as is conveniently possible, reducing the areas held by tiiem.

Mr Cook, in a speech at Cowra, N.S.W. said the position of affairs in tli6 Federal Parliament was practically impossible. It was absurd to talk of passing non-contentious legislation with a House constituted as it is, md with a Senate which flatly told the Government it would pass'nothing ot which the caucus does not approve. No self-respecting Government would submit to such treatment. The tux payers must decide to return one party or the other in sufficient strength to pass the legislation. An early appeal to the country is foreshadowed.

In a riot at Southbenrl, Indiana, seven were seriously injured and nearly 100 hurt whentwunty -five policemen tried to aid the sheriff to carry out the order of Judge Fink that the Rev. Stanilans Gruza l)e placed in charge of the St Oasimus Polish Roman r"atholic Church. A mob of 200 men and women, after fighting for two hours, prevented thu efforts of Gruza to obtain possession of the church. The fire department was called out to help the police, but all was unavailing, the mob threatening to cut the hose. Gruza was appointed to the church a year ago, but the people objected and asked the bishop for anotner priest. The request was refused, and the case taken to court, when the judge ordered Gruza to have possession. -'.- •:.• a. The Christchurch Press tells the following :—A day or two ago a man was approached by a stranger, who announced himself as a prospective purchaser of a machine. After a careful examination of the motor cycle the stranger indicated that he was prepared to buy, but would like a trail spin first. The owner readily agreed and the stranger rode oft. It proved to be a long trial run for the owner has seen neither his machine nor the stranger since. * * * A hither to unknown phrase of the now notorious County Council "tags" has been unearthed by that conspicuously well-informed newspaper, the "North Auckland Age/ which makes the following solemn asseveration in its issue of the 27th ultimo:—"Two Whangarei councillors are being sued for £12 2s 8d each by the AuditorGeneral as their share of the cost of bouquets (!) given to Lord Islington and Mr T. Mackenzie a year or two ago." Once again the proverbial "Northern hospitality," at either a flower show or a wedding, has proved tod much for the abstenious pressman. * * *• "In five years Australia will export more frozen beef than any other country in the world." That is the opinion of Mr Russell tfaysan, inventor of the Mackeenkan Freezing and Defrosting Process. "South America," he says, "has almost abandoned freezing in favour of chilling, as* chilled beef brings a better price. By using formaldehyde in chilling, the mildew trouble has been got rid of, but the long journey froni Australia renders the chilling process ineffective, and tl;e amount of formald&nhyd.e required would injuriously affect the meat. Australia, therefore, has a grout chance to capture the hard frozen trade. "# % Interviewed on the subject of land settlement, Mr Massey said that the number of selectors of land for the yeas ending December 31. was 2143, and the area selected Q77,91U acres* ' During the financial year ud to the end of last month the Government l^ad purchased 140.tj92 apres of land a£ a'cost Ui £qq9,fiO6 under th.c Lands fqr Settlement Finance 4pt. J^ur^ng the present financial year th.ey had settled 4. IR2 acres at a ost of £'58,729 and placed thereon 28 settlers. Mr Mas. .sey said that another Land Bill would be brought down next .-ession, but ho could not say the lines on which it would go, except that it would be designed to facilitate the putting of pe.^ pie on the land.