The Daily News. MONDAY, DECEMBER 19. CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 214, 19 December 1910, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, DECEMBER 19. CURRENT TOPICS.

LICKING CREATION.

The census recently taken in the United States of America is interesting because it is impossible to judge of its correctness. Most people outside America are ready and willing enough to discount the prevalent idea in the States that everything there is of the most superb kind in point of size and value. Probably there is a new element of honesty slowly creeping into Uncle Jonathon's territory, for Mr. Durand, head of t'he Census Bureau at Washington, simply would not believe the figures that were poured in on him recently. He made immediate investigation, and the President ordered that all persons connected with the astounding frauds should be prosecuted. As an indication of the American's appetite for largeness, the figures sent in from t'he town of Tacoma were 116,284. This was only 33,21)6 in excess of the real numbers! In ten. districts the enumeration showed 20,753 names. The correct numbers were 1,1,646. Cities which are out after the scalp of London in the matter of population, and all of which showed grossly exaggerated returns, included Seattle, Aberdeen, Portland, Minneapolis, Boise, Idaho and Fort Smith. There are other cities that have lied to the same extent as these. But apart from incorrect returns, the United States has ten cities which are really included in the fifty largest cities in the world. Most cities ar# inordinately proud of their size, and boast of annual increases, but increase of city population from within the territory of any country is a sign of decay. It means that the country is being bled for the swelling of the city, that there are fewer real producers and more eaters. In the most densely populated countries the cities are comparatively small. Thus in China, because' the population is more reasonably distributed, the largest city (Canton) 'has only 1,600,000 out of a total Chinese population of nearly four hundred millions. London has seven and a-half million million out of 1 a total English population of about thirty-six millions. New York, which is only about three million people smaller than London, is racing to "catch up," but it would be much more to the advantage of Britain and the United States, too, if the populations of both huge cities dwindled and the exodus filled the unpeopled countryside. It should be the policy of New Zealand—which is not at present in danger of rapidly filling up—to, distribute its people. The four cities now contain too large a proportion of the total population, and all are interested in becoming the most congested of the quartette.

GREEDY BANKS.

There is nothing philanthropic about any bank doing business in New Zealand. Bank presidents, from the safety of substantial cover, have got into the habit of lecturing the people of New Zealand on their lack of enterprise. A few months ago the president of the Bank of New' Zealand plainly showed in terms that were not marked by the best of good taste that the public was a very naughty little public indeed for its lack of energy in increasing the profits of that and other banks. The lugubrious statements then made were to the effect that political activities had in some remarkable way put a stop to private investment of money, that if there were any cash to invest it was sent out of New Zealand, and that the naughty little public ought to be ashamed of itself in not jumping into the breach to make it. possible for banks to add palatial wings to their money palaces and increased dividends to the shareholders. The banks have a pretty fair grip on the community, and it is a composite, well organised and close clutch, and it is this particular clutch that (has largely brought about the evil which the banks attribute to the negligence of the naughty little public. It has been shown that there is a serious decrease i* business by ithe reduction of advances to customers. That is to say, the banks have much money for which there is not : sufficient outlet. The fact, is, that although customers want money for the furtherance 'of projects, and, therefore, for the ultimate welfare of banks and their shareholders, they have been frightened to lean very heavily on institutions that might at a critical time call up or ask for a big reduction in their advances The Bank of New Zealand has just paid to its shareholders a six per cent, dividend for a half-year's operations, but the moan goes forth that it has much money customers are not asking for. The reason customers are not asking for advances lies in the fact that when financial'matters were "tight," the banks, or, rather, some of them, which. ought to have faith in the future, seeing that they liad the best indications of the promise for the future in their strong-rooms, the increasing productiveness, and so on, did not rush to the aid of customers or anybody or anything. They cried aloud for the reduction or wiping off of customers' overdrafts. They lowered the rate of interest on fixed deposits, but looked for a fat interest when advances were required. They made hay, in fact, while the sun was under a cloud. When solus emerged from his seclusion, deposits naturally rolled in and the banks found themselves in possession of cash their customers are still too frightened to ask for and which certainly will not be advanced at the same rate of'interest the corporations pay on fixed deposits, even when the customers have cheered up and ask to be forgiven for their lack of borrowing enterprise. The dictatorial manner of banking magnates in blaming the public for the evils that banks have themselves in a great measure created jind fomented does not assist customers or the country generally. The apathy of the public is not altogether due to lack of enterprise, but to their fear of the allpowerful clutch that the banks can exert, and which has been exerted to a very big extent during the past two or three years.

ALCOHOL AND EFFICIENCY. It lias lately been shown that a railway man against whom a prohibition order has been issued is not considered fit to be retained in the service. That is to say, the authorities deem him to be fit as long as he is drinking, but not fit when he is forced to desist —which is very quaint reasoning. Any railway man who utlimately becomes the subject of such a prohibition must necessarily have been unfit to do his duty for a long time previously. It would obviously be more reasonable to demand that no person who was in the habit of freely indulging in alcohol should enter the service. Modern life demands greater efficiency, nerve and control than ever. Many companies and corporations in Britain and in the United States demand an undertaking from their recruits that they will abstain from alcohol. The companies are not guided in this matter out of consideration of the | individual welfare of the men. It is not a question of philanthropy, but one of efficient service. It is impossible to coerce any person into a given line of conduct unless he is dependent for assistance on the man or men who coerce him. In the American railroad companies, which demand total abstinence of its servants, the agreement is, of course, mutual, and 110 engagement results if the applicant objects to the provision. A Government which controls any enterprise is not only in the position of an employer . who has a right to demand faithful, sober and efficient service, hut

it is responsible in a large degree to the individual, his pocket, his health and his future. Whatever may he said about the "interference with the' liberty of the subject" in demanding teetotalism, or at least stern temperance, the men who control great enterprises have the "thick end of the stick," morally and commercially, when they say to their employees, "You must not drink alcohol/'