CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 226, 6 January 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

THE HEROES. Chance begets heroism and opportunity is its mother. Heroism is not the sole property of the people of any nation, for it grows in all climates. One might stroll clown any street in any town and put a hand haphazard on any person capable of heroism—if he or she had the chance. If people rushed around looking out chances for the exercise of heroism, the business would become unpopular. Hidden heroism is frequently the finest brand of the article, but it is the spectacular kind that appeals to the dramatic instinct in human nature. Carnegie, the American steel king, who is tortured with too much money—earned by the silent heroism of a cosmopolitan crowd at Pittsburg—has instituted hero funds in various countries, and has now extended his benefice to Germany, where, mainly bec.iuse of the numerous catastrophes,'generally the result of commercial mishaps, the German worker has frequent opportunity to become a hero. The cash payment of heroes is a modern institution, and the saviour of lives from disaster would possibly, be surprised nowadays to be given "four penn'orth of bronze" or a wreath of bays. From a cash standpoint the feat of a rower, a runner, a footballer or a swimmer appeals more to the public than the feat of the fireman who dashes into a redhot house and pulls lives out of it. As far as one remembers, no modern saviour of lives has been given a new house, but it is easy enough for the hero of a sport' to become independent. The average man who performs a fine deed is nearly always the person who sees the least in it. To quote an instance: A few years ago a man fell out of a boat being pulled into a northern wharf, and a strong tide took him rapidly away. A wharf laborer, without taking off any garments, dived for him and struggled for twenty minutes to prevent the unfortunate man from drowning both himself and the rescuer. Both came ashore. The moment the laborer had performed his feat of heroism he picked up the handles of his truck and continued work. There was no person handy to pass his name along, and, as for the rescuer, he simply did what his instinct dictated, and probably forgot all about it. One hardly knows whether Carnegie's fund will handicap instinctive heroism or produce a race of professional heroes. Military heroism is a matter of routine work in time of stress, and one is glad that Mr. Carnegie does not propose dowering soldiers with cash for work done. It is hoped that the British V.C. and the German Iron Cross and the British King's decoration for civilian heroes will be more highly prized that Carnegie's cash. To "die rich is to die disgraced," said Carnegie, and he calls on the heroes of Britain, France, America and Germany to save him from disgrace. He ought to be very grateful to them.

NEW ZEALAND WINE. Naturally New Zealand vignerons see in the threat of national prohibition the death of their trade and the last hope of ever mating the Dominion a wine-pro-ducing country. For some years the Government, with the help of imported experts, gave great attention to the grape, and with a possibility ahead that some people would continue to drink alcohol, there was a prospect of New Zealand becoming a rival of South Australia. The heart has gone out of many of the New Zealand vignerons, although the alcohol

industry still thrives most vigorously. A suggestion has lately been made by a Gisborne writer that when prohibition comes light wines should be exempt. This, of course, would be impossible. If beer is barred wine must also be barred. If grape-growing dies out because it is impossible to produce alcohol from'grapes. there seems to be no reason why we should not "go the whole hog," and give up growing vegetable products of any kind, for they all produce alcohol. The gentleman who suggests exemption 1 of New Zealand wine mentions that inability to obtain them will affect the tourist traffic. This is interesting. New Zealand has not yet had a chance to make a name for its wines, and the tourist, who is nearly always bound by custom and influenced by the name on the bottle, certainly does not call for the native product. New Zealand cannot earn a reputation for wines in New Zealand, md the imported person is not likely to 'jive us the necessary reputation. Again, if the rich tourist refuses to see tiie Cold Lakes because he can't buy New Zealand wines and will not visit Rotorua because the grape industry has perished, why not let the tourist traffic die, if the morals of New Zealanders are saved? Grapes are not a difficult crop to grow, and they like soil that might he useless for most other purposes. Also, vines bear after two years. The vigneron, therefore, although he is at present showing no marked disposition to lay out new vineyards, may be supposed to be waiting to "see how the cat jumps." If the country becomes as stainless as some folk; anticipate, the vigneron may also become a reformed man, see the sinfulness of growing fruit of any kind, and tear up his vineyards. If, on the other hand, New Zealand refuses to cut out alcohol in every shape and form, and New Zealand wines are made to supersede the very "hard" drinks that most folk affect, some little good may bo effected. The Now Zealand wine trade is pathetically small, jind the trade in imported spirits is very large. No New Zcalander, whether he' is prohibitionist or otherwise, will deny that if locallymade wines even partially superseded imported whisky it would he better for the people's stomachs and the people's pockets. Tint, of course, the stern morality of the people may righteously crush the business in its infancy, and grape vines may be included in the. category of noxious weeds.

N.T.11.R. The fact that the North Taranaki Mounted Rides held their military sports at Waitara is a reminder that I here is no N*«w Plymouth troop in the corps. New Zealand mounted rifles have a world reputation, and the country-bred horsemen of this Dominion are capable of being made into mounted troops of the highest efficiency. Without derogating from the utility and efficiency of the voluntary infantry, there is no'doubt whatever that mounted rifles are of tile highest value for New Zealand defence. Although military sports are not an absolute criterion of soldiers' ability to fight, they demonstrate effectively that the existing emulation could in time of stress be put to splendid use. The young man of Taranaki is naturally a horseman, and he takes to military work under good guidance just as easily as "a duck takes to water." No. soldier would hesitate to use, the North Taranaki Mounted Rifles to-morrow if there were anything for them to do, and it would be'hard luck for that corns to move out without a representative!l troop from this town. Mounted rifK work is not only useful to young men because it increases their power of perception, their quickness of movement, 1 their smartness and their discipline, but because it calls for good horses, ijja numnhd volunteer takes a

pride in himself and his corps, lie will have a good horse, and if only for this reason the work should beipopular anion" old and young farmers from the point of view of utility and efficiency. There could be no difficulty in recruiting a New Plymouth troop, for the men and horses are readily available. Whether the necessary permission could be obtained under a new system is not known, but it is very probable that if citizens interested themselves a New Plymouth troop could be added to the establishment, improving the strength and usefulness of the X.T.M.K.