CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 218, 23 December 1910, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

PICTON ENTERPRISE. An attractive little volume, setting forth the claims of the Marlborough Sounds to be regarded as the "finest holiday resort in the Dominion," has been issued by the Picton and Sounds Promotion Society. A brief historical sketch of the district reminds the public that on January 15, 1770, more than one hundred and forty years ago, Captain Cook sailed the Endeavor into Queen Charlotte Sound. He took possession of the country he found for Great 'Britain by hoisting the flag on Motuara, and his appreciation of the quiet anchorage was shown by the fact that during his three voyages to the coast of New ; Zealand he visited the Sound five times. He established relations with the natives, although his consort ship lost a boat's crew, massacred at Grass Cove, and he made some partly successful attempts to introduce animals and vegetables. Fifty years later the Russian explorer Bellinghausen, with the sloops Wostok and Mirney, made a short stay in Queen Charlotte Sound, and about 1827 the whaling industry was begun at Te Awaite, the first settlement seen 'by the traveller on entering Tory Channel. At the time of Edward Wakefield's arrival in 1839 Te Awaite was the largest European settlement in the South Island, and the first white child horn on that side of Cook Strait saw the light there. Picton was a venture of the New Zealand Company, the town being founded to provide room for an overflow of settlers from Wellington. The historical notes contained in the volume are the introduction to a careful explanation of the resources and beauties of the Marlborough Sounds from the point of view of the tourist. The reader is told where to go and how to make'the necessary arrangements, and his appetite for,the trips suggested is whetted by a series of reproductions of scenic photographs. The Picton and Sounds Promotion Society is setting an example that might weli be followed in many other parts of the Dominion. At the'time of thejGhristchuroh Exhibition an interesting brochure setting out the chief points of interest in Taranaki, with accompanying letterpress descriptive of the province and its industries, was issued and circulated from the Exhibition. We are sure it had the effect of opening the eyes of many peaple a3 to the potentialities of the province, and created considerable interest in its past, present and future. The work, was a most valuable one, and could with benefit to Taranaki he re-published and ciri culated as the Picton Society are circulating their volume. We commend the | idea to the Beautifying and Scenery Preservation Societies and *he Seaside Improvement Committee. There are few places possessing so many picturesque and historical spots as Northern Taranaki and fewer places that offer the same attractions to holiday-makers. The time may come when New Plymouth will be regarded as the Brighton of New Zealand, and the sooner its citizens take steps to proclaim its attractions, to "talk them up," the sooner will that desirable day arrive.

' TOO ENGLISH? The authorities of Christ's College at Ohristchurch contemplate insisting that the boys of the school shall wear distinctive dress. And already journalistic objectors are in the field pointing out that "class distinctions" are not so finely drawn in New Zealand as in England, and that the "healthy New Zealand boy" shuns distinctive dress. Neither contention can be substantiated. Class disexist just as.surely in New Zealand as elsewhere, and the young New Zealander or the old New Zealander is as proud of distinctive dress as the Britisher, or the Portuguese, or the Kaffir. The New Zealander is healthy enough to be like the average human being and there is no reason why the Christ College boy should be "superior" to wearing distinctive garb as the Christ's Hospital ("Bluecoat"). School. There is also no reason why the passion for decoration in New Zealand should not settle down into distinctive garb. If a boy does not object to wear cadet uniform, he should not object to wear school uniform, and, anyhow, it should not matter to the authorities whether boys object or no. A schoolboy, should not be "asked"—toe should be "ordered." It will be exceedingly weak if the Christ College authorities abandon the intention of making a disciplinary change, at the instigation of alleged democrats. A schoolboy should be as proud of his school colors or school uniform as a sailor of his jumper or a soldier of his head-dress. The heresy of attributing to colonial boys finer qualities than those of, British boys leads to the prevalent complaint of "swelled head"—a disease that may be minimised by just such measures as the one Christ College intends to take.

CANADA AND FREE TRADE. There is a -vast and ever-growing movement in the Dominion of Canada to secure Free Trade. It began with the farmers of the west, wiho objected from the point of pcket to a protective policy which insisted that they should pay heavy prices for the things Canada does not produce, but which, in the far future, she may be able to do. The position of Canada and New Zealand in regard to protective tariffs is analagous," for as in Canada so in New Zealand the majority "pay through the nose" in order that the minority may thrive, lately, in Canada, English tariff reformers have toured the big Dominion, and when they returned to England at once discounted the idea that the Free Trade movement was either a large one or a growing one. Sir Robert Peris, when he returned from Canada, told Englishmen that there was no Free Trade disposition m Canada except among a few western farmers. The representative organ of these western freetraders neatly rejoined: "Sir Robert and men of his millions, when they come over to Canada to secure the views of the people, usually begin by visiting the presidents of the railways; the presidents of the banks; the heads of the big manufacturing concerns and of the Dominion Government. These are the people whom the English capitalist meets in the palatial club rooms of large Canadian cities. Thus the special privileged class of England meets the special privileged class of Canada, and then the English capitalist goes back home and tells his' people thaAhe people of Canada do not want Free Trade, excepting 'a small section of the far West.'" In New Zealand the question of Free Trade is hardlv ever discussed, and people with apparent cheerfulness pay exorbitant prices for most things, in the sure and certain hope that their grandchildren will not need to" import when the present generation is under the sod. Which is not very comforting to the present generation.