The Daily News. FRIDAY, AUGUST 30. CURRENT COMMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 30 August 1907, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, AUGUST 30. CURRENT COMMENT.

In reply to a question asked by Mr i Ok-'y, the Acting-Minister, for Railways \ stated yesterday that it was impossible to reduce the tune occupied in the jour- ( ney of the maii'train between New Ply- ] mouth and Wellington unless the nuni- . bcr of stopping-places was largely reduecd. Mr Massey coiumeiiteud upon the undue length of the stoppages. Sir ' J. Ward replied that a reduction in time was impossible with proper regard to the convenience of passengers, particularly women and children, who needed rest and opportunity to obtain refreshments, it being in many eases inconvenient for them to obtain what was required on the train. It is passing strange that whenever ah alteration in a railway service is wanted by the public, the Departmental reply is "it can't be done." Some time ago, when a request was made to have the New Ply-mouth-Wellington trip shortened, the Department was adverse to the departure, but when pressure was brought to bear, and the Department shown that the public meant to have what it had a right to expect, namely, a shortened service, the Department found a way of effecting a consideraDle saving in the time. A similar saving, or, at any rate, some material saving, could, we feel certain, be made in the direction referred to by Mr Massey if the Department were anxious to bestir themselves. Under present arrangements trains stop ten minutes at Hawera and Wanganui, while at Palnicrston North" a stay of tweufyflvc minutes is made. It strikes the lay mind that these stoppages could easily lie reduced by one-half. So, too, could the stoppages at the smaller places, and particularly at Sentry Hill. An hour's saving might be effected by this means, and an hour's saving in the run from here to Wellington would be a bi'g consideration. As for the Premier's statement that the present stoppages were necessary on account of the convenience of passengers, well, we cannot see the force of it. With the dining cars and other conveniences attached to the train there is really no necessity for passengers to use stations in any way during their journey. Most people concern themselves more about finishing their journey than about stopping on the wayside, and would much prefer to have the time of the journey reduced than have stoppages of the p'resent duration made. It is to be hoped the Premier will go into the matter again, and see his way to reduce the length of the stop- ' pages, and thereby the length of the | Xew Plymouth-Wellington run.

In the course of his annual report to the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Pomarc, Health Officer to the Maoris, makes allusion to the work of trainin" Maori girls as nurses. So far the attempt to get girls into the hospitals has been but a feeble one. Says Dr. Pomare: —'Objections were raised by one or two hospitals to the entering of Maori girls to be trained as nurses, he- | [cause the pakclms would not like the association. This state of affairs in this democratic country must be deplored. [One would have thought that when it became a question of humanity the skin would not have mattered, and that the pakeha girls studying in the hospitals, when they w:>re brought face to face with suffering humanity, would have had their horizon broadened so as to see only the suffering. Further, all petty and selfish diffeicnccs in tlnir station and those of their more unfortunate sisters would have sunk into insignificance with the greater work of allaying the pains of suffering humanity he I or.- them. When the Great Master calls his own they will be from the four winds of the earth and of all races; it will not be a matter of colour then, but of what the servant has done with his or her talent. There ought to be ton girls in training where there is • oni y one at present. When I sec the afflicted and sore-dis-tresscd, the sick and dying, without an experienced hand to tend them or give diem relief, 1 grieve and exclaim, 'Tallica, Tnihoa, how many murders hav« been committed, how many homes have been made desolate, how' many babes have been made orphans in thy name!'" We have long advocated the training of Maori girls as nurses, and can appreciate Dr. Pomare's feelings in the matter. With efficient training the Maori girl should make almost as good a nurse as her white sister. The Maoris want nursing skill more, really, than the Europeans. The present frightful mortality amongst Maori babes is almost entirely due to lack of nursing and care on the part of the mothers, who are but victims of the semi-civilised conditions under which they live. If the Maori race is to he saved from extinction it can only be saved by training the young Maoris in the laws of health and hygiene, and no better start in this connection could be made than with the systematic training of young Maori girls as nurses. It does not speak much for our humanity or Christianity that there exist hospital managements who would place obstacles in the way of young Maori girls entering the institutions to gain training and experience. We would scarcely have thought the colour line in New Zealand had come to be drawn so close as this.