CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 105, 11 January 1912, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

LITTLE LOCAL MATTERS.

| Strangers are more apt to notice the disabilities under which people of a town suffer than the citizens themselves. The criticism of newcomers is sometimes helpful, and may be useful in rousing a town from its sloth. A gentleman who has not long been a resident in New Plymouth alleges that in some small matters considered necessary for the convenience of citizens this town is many years in the rear of other New Zealand towns. He notes, among other things, the absence of a proper system of dealing with household refuse, the apparent lack of carts for this purpose, and the fact that the authorities appear to be not at all interested in the matter. He also mentions the lack of numbers on houses, a matter that lias been frequently discussed without the slightest response from the authorities. The lack of common public sanitary conveniences is a third matter referred to, and is, indeed, a most urgent one, considering the size of the place. The comparatively trifling expense that would be entailed and the absolute necessity of bringing New Plymouth up-to-date<in hygienicmatiers and the comfort of the public escapes the notice of the authorities, and the continuance of antediluvian methods is greatly to be regretted. That past complaints have had 110 effect is also to be deplored. NEGLECTED ASSETS. Many people are partial to the fallacy that New Zealand leads the world, and, on paper, it frequently appears to the stranger that we are more advanced socially than some other folks. Examination of actual deeds, however, frequently leads to the disclosure that promises of performance are "more frequent than a'ctual activity. Many people believed, for instance, a while ago, that New Zealand was in the lead in the suggestion that medical examination of school children should be instituted. While we discussed it, the Australian States became active in the, matter. Germany, the United States and other countries have long ago taken the matter seriously in hand, without making, any noise about it, and before the matter had been even discussed in New Zealand Britain had seriously tackled the problem. Our relatives in the Old Country have withouj; - the slightest clamor just finished the examination of six million elementary school childrenj one thousand medical men having undertaken the great task. The results are, to say the least, appalling. Of these six million children, ten per cent, were suffering from defective sight, five per cent, from defective hearing, eight per cent, from post nasal troubles (adenoid and allied diseases requiring surgical treatment), forty per cent, from decayed teeth, and one per cent, from easily recognised tubercular diseases, irrespective of ringworm and other dirt diseases. These medical men have asserted that one out of every six of these children is either unclean in head or body, and that a tremendous proportion are pediculous, The New Zealander would probably be disposed toi'cornbat the men't that most of the percentages would be about the same in New Zealand, but that the percentages in post nasal troubles would be very much larger and that d«ntaM,Toubles- ate more .common. «*We are so accustomed to regard ourselves and our belongings with pride that statistics about the health of our children would probably bounce off us and flood the papers with protests from many parents. There has, as far as we are aware, been no organised attempt in Britain to remedy the defects these examinations disclose, and without action .piles- of figures, do- not matter. Sooner or later every civilised state in which these disclosures prove the decadence of the race must do something and quijt, .talking. The time for New Zealand to look after the health of its future citizens is to-day. : THE AMERICAN NAVY. A report presented to the United States Congress a few weeks ago foreshadowed a heavy increase iii the naval expend!- 1 ture of the republic. The Secretary of the Navy, Mr. George von L. Meyer, stated that many of the American battleships had reached an age and condition when they could no longer be regarded as effective. The old ships were "obsolete and practically worthless for service in the battle fleet, even in the second line or reserve." "A total of forty battleships, with a proportional number of other fighting and auxiliary vessels," stated the Secretary, "is the least that will place our country on a safe basis in its relations with other world Powers. While at least two other Powers have more ambitious building plans,, it is, believed that if we maintain an efficient fleet of the siee above mentioned ws will be safe from arttack, and that our Country will be free to work out its destiny in peace and without hindrance." At the present time America has about thirty battleships and eleven coast-de-fence armor-clads on the active list, but at least ten or fifteen of the vessels would be "scrapped" if they belonged to Britain or Germany. Mr. Meyer showed the real position of affairs by stating that he had reorganised the navv with the object of having seventeen battleships ready for war at any time. Five big ships were undergoing extensive repairs in the dockyards at the end of last month. The Secretary told Congress that the present policy of replacing the old battleships at the rate of two a year would give the republic forty ships eventually, though not as soon as is to be desired. It seems, however, that this policy would not 'bring the fleet to the required strength for nearly ten years, and then" about half the ships on

the active list would really be obsolete. Reading between the lines, it is not difficult to sec that the American Government is not satisfied with the progress of the navy. The United States will possess twelve Dreadnoughts at the end of 1910, when (jermany will own twentyone, and at least thirty-two will be flying the Union Jack.