CURRENT TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 101, 6 August 1910, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

OUR NIAGARAS. Enthusiasts who live near waterfalls or great waterways in New Zealand are glad that the Government will devote half a million pounds every year for the' development of electric power that is] not needed. It has-been pointed out that the Niagara Falls in America would develop enough power to run all the industries requiring power in England, and that from one source. It is, thereiore, certain that the Te Reinga Falls and the Waikaremona outlet would supply enough power to run everything requisite in New Zealand. But to be quite frank, there is little to run. New Zealand is not a manufacturing country, and shows no disposition to be. The general inclination is to load possible; manufacturers so heavily that it would be foolish for them to enter trade here. It has been ishown in a recent London Times article that power from a great source could be conducted ail over the country even on to back country farms. We take the liberty of saying wiat where it is impossible to induce roading at the present time, it will be impossible to induce the necessary heavy expenditure for the supply of power for ploughing or shearing or general farm; work. The obvious reason for the expenditure of a large yearly sum in the liarnesßing of waterway© is to work! plants that do not exist, or which are' now worked by private concerns by the aid of coal for the development of power. It really does not matter to us wnat Americans are doing with Niagara Falls. The United States' has about eighty million people, and are manufacturing to an extraordinary and unnecessary extent, over producing, in fact. Canada has nearly six million people, and is rapidly developing her manufactures. New Zealand has less than one million people, and is not developing either her manufactures or her general resources in just proportion to the splendid chances that are shown. It is a manifest absurdity to harness a hors c and keep him standing in the expectation that you may have a load for him tomorrow or next Friday or a fortnight hence. It is also absurd to harness enough power to run industries that may exist some day, mainly with the idea of penalising private concerns that seem to be getting along very well without an ability to buy power. A great hydro-electric scheme will be feasible when New Zealand is better settled, when the increased population calls for cheaper production and internal manufactures, when one settler is near enough to the other to make it profitable to. run power to him. If the Government spent half a million a year in controlling the waterways so that they would not sweep the land into the sea it would be doing better work' than harnessing them forty years before the necessity arrives.

DESTITUTE PERSONS. New Zealand has an unenviable iety for the number of' people maintained by the State or. by-private charity. Many married men ttiink no, more 1 of casting off their responsibilities x than, they do, of casting off. their coatsy and' the result is the destitution of their i wives and children, the probability being' that the neglected children will become' breakers of the law and a charge on the Stajte. The new' Destitute Persons' Bill, introduced by the Attorney-General, 1 it is anticipated, will have the effect ofj reducing the' chances (which are now many) for the absconding or caveless parent, husband or wife in avoiding re-| eponsibilities. There is no real substi-i tute for parental control, but there are! systems whereby parents may be made! to feel their responsibility in the matter' of financially caring, for their offspring. It is shown that the majority of children in industrial schools are there because of their desertion by one or two parents. The mere fact of desertion pre-supposes criminal tendency, and it is, therefore, reasonable that deserted children are frequently charged with breaches of the law and that our industrial institutions are necessary, because of the unnatural proclivities of parents. The parent by "adoption" in the case of a child to whom a stigma is attached, is for the purposes of the proposed legislation to be considered responsible for the adopted child, so that this may hare the effect of making fewer children the basis of a financial speculation. > The attachment of wages in regard to the individuals responsible for maintenance charges is an excellent idea, but in respect of many deserting people there are 710 wages to attach. There are innumerable cases in which the haphazard father of a family simply "clears out," the only method available of "attaining his wages" bein» to arrest him, and to make him, earn wages in charge of a mam with a gun. Fortunately, the science of detection renders the deserter's task harder than formerly, and if desertion to Australia or elsewhere is made an idictable offence as per Dr. Findlay's Bill, even if the deserted wife and children do not gain anything, the criminal will be punished. In the matter of attachment of the wages of a person, liable under a charge 'f maintenance, the position is obviously difficult. The Bill provides that an employer may be called on to pay a proportion of the wages of an employee who is liable for maintenance to properly appointed persons. The facts are that persons capable of desertion are not generally industrious persons; that employers would hestitate to keep in their employment persons' under one of the worst possible stigmas, and that the employee himself having only himself to keep, wonld, as is generally the case, live a. life of idleness or crime. The Bill throughout pre-supposes the possession of an income to persons chargeable for maintenance, but it does not obtain any provisions for insisting that such persons shall earn an income. The deserting parent, or the person who refuses maintenance, should be given no chance of avoiding responsibilities. The only method of dealing with him is per medium of the man with the gun.

NEW 'ZEAiLANDEK HON T ORED. Colonel K. H. Davies, C.8., Inspectortxeneral of the New Zealand Forces, has received the high honor in the command

of a brigade at Aldershot, the New Zealand Government having granted extension of his leave for that purpose. The honor is unique, and certainly a compliment to New Zealand and to Taranaki especially. Tt will be remembered that the distinguished officer was at onetime in the Hawera Mounted Rifles, and that he rose through all ranks in that volunteer corps to the one of commanding officer, with the rank of captain. With this rank, Colonel Da vies went to South Africa with the First New Zealand Contingent, and in the field, both with that corps and subsequently, displayed soldierly qualities that stamped him as uncommon. He served with five other New Zealand corps, and at the close of the war was created C.B. and promoted. Colonel Davies was one of two colonial officers in Africa who were given command of composite columns, and he gained a reputation not only for his ability to use his troops effectively, but for looking after the safety and comfort of the men. 'His opinions, although lie was then comparatively inexperienced, were held in high esteem by eminent Imperial officers. He subsequently became officer commanding the Auckland military district, and on the formation of the Council of Defence he was made InspectorGeneral. His strenuous work and his habit of plain-speaking made him some official enemies, and it is certain that his reports as to the state and efficiency of the troops were not allowed to see the light of day without amendment. Although particulars of Colonel Davies' appointment to a Home command are meagre, it is unlikely that he has been transferred to the Imperial Army. Such commands as Colonel Davies has been [entrusted with generally last for three I years, so it is likely that he still remains a New Zealand soldier, and that he will be available for duty in this Dominion at the expiration of the period. It is recollected that recently Colonel Davies lunched with the King, and this seems to show that the authorities at Home have been impressed with his worth and ability. With the experience Colonel Davies will gain at Aldershot, he should be an extremely useful servant to the New [Zealand forces on his return to this country.