CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 141, 11 December 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

, THE COST QF PRODUCTION. Which of the big nations will be the first to abandon the struggle to pay the frightful cost of preparing for war in time of peace? The Montreal Witness gives us a revealing glance at the enormous sacrifices France is making because she seems to hear the German sword leaving its scabbard: "Tile cost of making nations 'prepared for war' is appalling; year after year tho expenditure piles up higher and higher, and the people ,surely cannot endure it much longer. France, for instance, since 1872, has spent more than twenty-seven milliards of francs on her army, her frontier defences alone having cost her on an average •20,000,000d01. a year for the past fortv years. Such were the figures given by the French Minister of Finance, M. Klotz, in jin address recently at Issoudun, where the inhabitants have just erected a memorial to the natives who fell in the war of 1870. In the course of a review of what had been accomplished for the army under the Third Republic, M. Klotz said that the effective strength had increased from 426,591 in 1875 to 581,491 in 1910, notwithstanding the fluctuations in the birth-rate. Owing to the elastic provisions of the short service system, 800,000 reservists belonging to the recently discharged contingents would be .available on the first day of mobilisation, and, together with the standing force, would form a perfectly trained and equipped army of nearly 1,400,000 men. Besides this, there is a second line in reserve, constituted by a similar number of reservists belonging to earlier contingents. Furthermore, France has 1,700,000 territorial troops, and therefore she could put into the field upon an extremity nearly 4,500,000 combatants, 2,500,000 of whom would be fully trained and equipped, while the second-line troops would, after a few days, become as formidable as the first line. M. Klotz has announced what the Republic has done for the army, she is prepared to do not only for militia aeronautics, but for the navy as well. Which means that the taxes wherewith to pay for these things must be very heavily increased, while tho poor people are clamoring for cheaper food in the midst of their semi-starvation. No wonder Continental Socialism is extending so rapidly. It is probable the more generally a nation become liable to personal anticipation in war 'the stronger will be the national antipathy to it."

LICENSING REFORM IN BRITAIN. The progress that New Zealand lias made towards the settlement of its liquor problem is illustrated by a discussion that is proceeding in Britain at the. present time. The Liverpool Licensing Committee has put forward a scheme of reform that has been hailed all over the country as "drastic" and "revolutionary." "The reforms suggested by the committee," said the Rev. F. B.'Meyer a few weeks ago, "are the most drastic handling of l'l uor un record. If

this example is followed widely throughout the country it will effect a mightier reform than any statesman has promulgated and date the beginning of a new era." But the reforms proposed really appear mildness itself compared with the New Zealand licensing law. The Liverpool hotels .are to be required to open at 5.30 a.m. instead of (! a.m., and j they must not serve women or persons under the age of sixteen years before! midday. The closing hour is to be 10 p.m. instead of 11 p.m., and the hours of business on Sunday must be limited to three. Clubs will be placed on the same footing as ordinary licensed premises with regard to the sale of liquor. It is interesting to read that when these proposals were placed before the magistrates, Sir Charles Petrie said that they dealt too freely with the liberty of the subject. "I have often hetiTd people say in London," he stated, "that Liverpool is only a 'one-horse' place and not worth going to. By passing resolutions of this kind we will be encouraging shebeening and private drinking." Another critic said that he could not understand the reason for prohibiting the sale of liquor to women and young people during the Morning, but he presumed there was some special local ground for the change. The Liverpool publicans seem to have accepted the soheme quite philosophically, and it may be extended to other cities in the Mother Country. Glasgow has already taken steps in the same direction, though it has not gone as far as Liverpool in the effort to promote temperance.