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CURRENT TOPICS

BRITISH "DECADENCE." Mr. H. N. Moore, Premier of Western Australia, interviewed on the subject, said that he cannot notice that the Britisher is uecaying. Most •people pretend he is, mnd the alleged fact is unsettling. The majority of folk who suggest that the Briton of to-day is not a circumstance to the Briton who used to be, generally bases his conclusion on one fact: the boy or man who oilers himself for the Navy or the Army is not so good a physitel specimen as the boy or man who used to oiler himself. There is a larger percentage of rejects nowadays than formerly, but this is no indication of the general stamina of the race. It would appear that the real fact of the case is that the best physical specimens of Britons remain outside both services because outside work gives a better return for both physical and mental energy. Decadence in a race is shown by a national lassitude, dishonesty in business, a continuous decline in the production of the human kind, and in an increase of crime. The reason why Britain's best physical specimens do not enter either service is. they are not forced to qo so, and it is therefore necessary, in order to keep them "manned," to take what can be obtained. British business methods may be taken as an example for the world, and it is never to be forgotten that a "nation of shopkeepers" humbled the "master of the world." There seems no real occasion to believe that the Briton of to-day is not as good a man as life grandfather, or that the Briton of 2110 will not be as good a man as his ancestor of 1910. And with a real desire to better the conditions of the "masses"—the source of strength in all nations —it may be hoped that the vitality of the race of the future may be even greater than it now is.

SCHOOL COMMITTEES. To-night citizens will elect school committees. As school committees are part of the education system, it is clearly the duty of citizens to take a .vital interest in a matter that concerns their children. That parents do not take as much interest as they should is well known. Committees, on their part, do not always afford so good an example of public service as they might, and this is the fault of the electors. The elector's probable point is that a committeeman has so little influence that, it does not really matter who takes the job. But it has to be remembered that one of the functions of school committees is to elect members of the Education Boards, so that it really depends on the people who elect the committees what sort of service will be given by the Boards. In the matter of the selection of teachers the committees have no particular "say," although they frequently quarrel over the matter.' The Board semis theni the names, and they do the rest, but no application from a committee for a teacher outside' the Board's list would be listened to. So it is seen that the most important function of a committee is to elect Board members, and on the ability of committees to understand men will the value of Boards depend. When householders, therefore, attend the meetings they should look a great deal further than the "committee stage."

"THE BROTHERHOOD." Mr. Fisher", the man of the moment in Australia, has made some remarkable ami infinitely reasonable statements since the immense responsibility of leading the bulk of Australian opinion has fallen on him. In his declaration of policy, which is destined to become historic, he has upset a generally accepted theory—that Australia's working men are antagonistic to immigration. ■ He Ins said, and there is apparently no objection, that Australia will encourage the immigration of people of British birth, wherein he recognises the truth ol the old contention that Australia must have more muscle to develop her enormous resources. The numerous cases in which it was shown that new hands were not welcome are fresh in the memory. Tlie wretched law enacting that it is an offence for a worker in England to contract with an Australian employer still exists, and under this law numerous Englishmen have been temporarily de- > barred from accepting work in Australia. The point, however, was that Australian employers might—and certainly aidcontract with Englishmen to do work at lower wages than those ruling at the time. But it will be admitted that the English immigrant does not take lon<; to "get wise" and to become quite as adept as his Australian brother in selling his labor in the best market, Australia (and New Zealand) want men. They want men and women more tkan they want anything else, and since the dominant power in Australia recognises this, Australia must progress, if we are not too proud we may copy Australia with benefit, and throw overboard any absurd ideas that the people to whom we owe our existence are not as good as we. In his declaration regarding immigration, Mr. Fisher has shown'"that he has stepped out of the narrow rut, and maybe in the future he niay be disposed to admit that strong, healthy imen and women from the Continent will make good' Australians too.

SIX LABOR PAPERS. By appealing to the man who lives by the labor of his hands you appeal to the man you live by. In the first instance, every halfpennyworth of wealth comes from the ordinary everyday worker. He is the predominant factor in every undertaking,, the steam that drives the engine, the purveyor of food to you and yours. His power is endless. If he willed he could end trusts, combines, wars, millionaires, starvation.povertv. It he knew his strength he could nationalise England, depose Czardoin, kill show and falseness, upset thrones and hasten the millennial. He might be kinij— King Workingman. And so in Australia, the horny-handed have come to the conclusion that they can "run" newspapers. So they can'. A majority can run anything if they care to. Australia's new loader. Mr. Fisher, in an essentially moderate and sound declaration of policy, said that in three roars Australia would have hix labor daily papers. If labor i, true to itself this moans that journalistically Australia will Indominated by six papers, because thov will appeal to the greater bulk of the population. There is some reason. >oo for the support that should justly bo accorded to papers having real national aims, because, frankly, the influential papers of Australia are distinctly antinational and wholly run as "boodling'' ventures. Former attempts to minimise the newspaper telegram monopoly had excellent results, solely as the 'result i of Labor combination, and great things are hoped from a determined effort to free the Australian press from the yo';e of servitude to masters who bite' the hands that feed them. J

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19100425.2.16

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 372, 25 April 1910, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,151

CURRENT TOPICS Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 372, 25 April 1910, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 372, 25 April 1910, Page 4

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