The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, June 3, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1000, 3 June 1911, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, June 3, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Send him victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us— God save the King! To-day George V., King of England, Emperor of India, and Overlord of .Britain Overseas, is 46 years of age, and here in Foxton, as in other parts of the greatest Empire the world has ever seen, we wish his Majesty Many Happy Returns of the Day !

His people the world over were somewhat fearsome when George V. succeeded Edward VII. that the British Empire would become decadent. How could the son of such a man, and the grandson of such a queen as Victoria, hope to add lustre to such an Empire as he had succeeded to ? they asked themselves. But already, even before he has been anointed and gone through the great coronation ceremonial, George has proved himself a worthy son ot Edward the Peacemaker and an admirable heir to Victoria, the Victorious. We may therefore go fearlessly into the future with George as our monarch. Gentlemen, be upstanding—the King ! God Save our gracious King ! God Save our noble King! God Save our King!

WE have received from Mr W. H. Feild, M.P., a copy of a letter from the Acting-Minister of Defence, in reference to the subject of military training in so far as it is likely to affect dairy farmers. The Minister states that “when registration is completed and the posting of youths to Units for training begins, every consideration will be given by the Defence authorities to the difficulties which may exist in certain cases of complying with the Act, owing to the nature of anyone’s employment. Training periods in the farming districts will be arranged to suit the slack seasons, and everything possible will be done to meet the requirements of local industries. It is not considered likely, therefore, that the training which the young men will be required to undergo will inconvenience to any great extent the majority of farmers.”

Mr Fisher, M.P, for Wellington Central, has been hearing rumours about himself during his visit to Australia, and he is anxious to lay by the heels the authors of those rumours. The public is not given a him as to whether “Dahn” has been enjoying a “ jambaree ” on the other side of the Tasman Sea. Mr Fisher, as is well-known, is a prominent No-License advocate. Anyhow, during a political address to his constituents this week, Mr Fisher remarked that the rumours should be worth thousands of pounds in the Supreme Court. He would halve the amount with anyone who could put him on the track of the person who started them or who circulated them, and the other half could go to the hospital. The “Rev” Mr Thompson, a champion of the Trade, was present at the meeting, and he stated that the meeting should express its belief that Mr Fisher was an entirely straightforward and honourable man in every way. A resolution to this effect was carried amidst cheers and applause.

Just what the census figures mean to the State is not apparent to the casual reader at a first glance. So far we have had the figures in driblets, mostly setting Auckland by comparison against Wellington and the other cities. “Look how we have grown !” Auckland has reiterated over the telegraph—and Wellington “ suprema a situ ” always sits tight and smiles. But the population of greater Auckland or of Wellington matters not in the larger issue of the State. Politically, the point of the census is to be seen in the first group of figures which we publish in another column of to-day’s issue. In that group it will be seen that the population of the North Island has increased by 55,018 over that of the South Island—which means additional seats for the North Island in the House of Representatives. And now it will be in order as Mr James Allan suggested recently, in anticipation of such a disclosure in the census, for the Southerners to ask the Government what it is going to do about it. “Shall we lose some

seats or will you increase the number of Northern seats?” will be the anxious euquiry. We hope the Government will be firm and declare for a reduction rather than an increase. We already pay too dearly for the Government of these islands cf ours.

Questions iu the New South Wales Assembly elicited the fact that the public hangman, whose salary was ,£IOO per annum, with £io for each execution, has resigned his position, presumably from there being no call for his professional services. Since the present Government took office, seven death sentences have been before the Executive, all of which were commuted. Talking of hangmeu reminds us that the following paragraph appeared in a recent issue of our Levin contemporary: “ Some annoyance has been caused to a I,evin settler by the circulation of an absurd rumour to the effect that he has been appointed hangman for New Zealand. He desires to have the report contradicted, as it is entirely without f ouudation.”