The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, September 30, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1050, 30 September 1911, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, September 30, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The No-License and Trade patties are greatly agitated over the state of affairs in Maine concerning prohibition. Both sides claim a victory, but at present the reports are very conflicting and the public are looking tor a pronouncement from an unbiased source which may be expected at an early date—in any case in ample time before the licensing poll. Whatever the result, it is absurd to draw a parallel betsveeu Maine and New Zealand. Our laws, isolation, cleaner administration and higher standard of education and morality place us on a very different plane to the state of Maine. If New Zealand carried National Prohibition there would not be the same influences at work to destroy the reform as at present obtains in Maine. The facts concerning the effects of No-License —which is only partial prohibition—in a number of electorates in the Dominion, go to prove beyond the shadow ot a doubt, that it has been a great factor in lessening crime and adding to the material prosperity and happiness of the people-

A writer in a contemporary heaves a brick at political candidates who are opposed to compulsory military training. He says: “Personally, if I agreed with a candidate on every other political question, I would refrain from voting for him if he did not think this country was worth fighting for if necessary. If the country is not worth defending, it is not worth living in ; and how a man can desire to take part in the counsels of a country that is not worth living in passes my comprehension. Kven the most ardent ‘peace at any price’ agitator could hardly say that military training will do the youths any harm ; if it only improves their physique and teaches them discipline it will accomplish much. And if an enemy comes we must duier fight or give in—there will be no arbitration. Wherefore, it seems the height of foHv to condemn an Act which

; r v des the means of training men tc fight it necessary. There may be details that are not perfect, but with the general principle of the Defence Act very few sensible people will disagree.”

The number of sheep in the Domiuiou as given in the last returns was approximate!v 23,754,585. For the year ending April 30, 1910, the number was 24,269,620, so that there was a decrease of 515,035 in 1911. This decrease was mainly all in the North Island, the South Island as a whole showing an increase, as although the Canterbury and Kaikoura districts showed a decrease of 242,386, this was more than made up by the increase in Malborough-Nelson-Westland district and Otago. Auckland showed a decrease of 88,876 ; NapierGisborne, 274,444; and Welling-ton-West Coast, 234,877 ; a total of 598,197. The decrease recorded is principally accounted for by the dry summer and shortage of feed in some sections. This led to a larger number of sheep than usual being killed for export. One Canterbury company alone has handled 196,891 more carcases this year than last year. The decrease in several districts is further accounted for by the establishment of new meat export works. The Auckland district has still 1,116,470 sheep ; NapierGisborne, 5,638,857 ; and Wel-lington-West Coast 5,564,138. The number of carcases of mutton exported in 1911 was 1,979,534 ; lambs, 3,708,468 ; legs and pieces, 42,624 cwt.