The Daily News MONDAY, DECEMBER 10. CURRENT COMMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81899, 10 December 1906, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, DECEMBER 10. CURRENT COMMENT.

The Manukau electorate has of late yenrs declared strongly for the Opposition, and with a strong party man as Mr Lang is, the issue of the election just fought was never in doubt. Ktill it was not anticipated the Opposition .would have had the decisive walk-over

that they had. Personal popularity no doubt counted a good deal in the contest. Mr Lang was well known to the electors, a Targe proportion of whom he represented in Parliament for years. Mr Ballard, his opponent, on the other hand, was comparatively unknown as well as untried, and started his campaign so late in the day

that he never even had time to speak at all the centres. It is unfortunate that things were not more equal to enable the feeling of the electors to be more thoroughly tested upon the land proposals. As it was, the large increase in the Opposition majority over that of the

previous election must be taken, in view of the part that both the Hon, Mr MeXab and Mr Massey took in the contest, as an emphatic protest against the Land Bill. The polling was disappointing. At the general election 5311 votes were recorded; at the late

.'lection 3780 were registered, a di Eerence of 1530.

On the question of race-purity in New Zealand, the Premier has at hist spoken in a way that can admit of no misunderstanding. The press—or at least a section of it—in New Zealand has agitated about it, has warned the people of it, and except for some few spasmodic outbursts of indignation on the part of irresponsible units, nothing has been done to face what Sir Joseph Ward, calls "the yellow peril." The presence of a very high Chinese official in New Zealand at the moment gives point to the subject. Asked in the South whether the Chinese Government had an eye on the Australian colonies as a possible dumping ground for its surplus population, the Oriental envoy said he was not at liberty to speak. The inference is of course that if he had not been sent to the colonies to spy out the land he would have been allowed to speak. Therefont one concludes that the Asiatics are desirous, as they are showing by their constant arrival even under severe disabilities, to settle to a greater or less extent in these colonies. Even at the risk of being accused of harping too much on the Asiatic menace, we do not apologise for again asserting that the only way to keep the race pure is to keep it apart from Asiatic blood inlluence, internal commerce and aggression. Whether it offends the people of a great and powerful Empire or not should not prevent us from doing our duty in excluding the coloured alien. At present he is being allowed to know as much about us as we know ourselves. The knowledge he will eventua)ly"iisc against us. The Premier's warning about race-purity should be repeated in every paper, in every home, to every school chili in the country. On that purity alone depends the future greatness or weakness of the British Empire.

It amused us rather to read that in the Wellington Arbitration Court a day or two ago a gentleman said that live and six per cent was easily obtainable at the present time in New Zealand. We agree without discussion, in the city paper containing the remark ol the gentleman also appeared a "wanted" advertisement, stating that a person was willing to sell a house for .CIUII. The rental that had been charged for this house was stated to be 17s (id u week. Now, that house is a cheap one as properties go, and the rental not large. The interest on the value of that property both there and elsewhere in the colony works out at anything from ten to twenty per cent. The gentle profession of pawnhrokiug often leads the tut generous lender to advance money at the rate of thirty per cent fur a loan which is repayable within a week.. A case in a Magistrate's Court a few weeks back lifted the veil from

ft money-lending transaction in which the client had paid four hundred per cent! Business men in New Zealand who affect to be surprised that live or six per cent may be obtained for money really ought to study real colonial liuauce.

The servant girl question seems to be almost an international problem nowaday*, and worthy of much cable space. IMiile a long cable came to hand on' Wednesday siyiiijj that distracted women in the .Mother Suite were going to import servant gins from England wnolesaie. it may possibly be found, that the servants will not be allowed to laud because of the "contract labour'' dillicnlty w'liich Australia—and .Sew Zealand—seem to believe is a good line for countries that want, above everything else—population. It is »aid that the colonial gir! is getting too independent to lake domestic service, ami she probably is ill the right if she can get something better to do. For instance, you wouldn't be a farm labourer if you could be a farmer, would your Another phase: Plenty of girls come from Home with the intention of becoming servants in the colonics, They meet their "fate" on board, frequently ~e i '"arricd en route, and arc therefore at once o'dl' °* th -« labour market as far as the pining lfurlvusses ' u ' l ' concerned. There was a news item in the P.vss the other day which told the tale of the suicide of a woman who had been unable to obtain a cook. There is no doubt that the question appears to be quite as serious as the Kussian devolution, tires on wool strips, or the political situation. You can't force girls to work for you any more than you can induce the average small boy to accept the oiler of a billet. And between us, the boy question is as great a worry to many concerns as the girl question is to the average woman.