CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 266, 2 April 1913, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

■ THE MAYORALTY. Yesterday afternoon a representative deputation waited upon Mr. Jas. Clarke, chairman of the Electric Lighting Committee of the Borough Council, with a request that he allow himself to he nominated for the Mayoralty of New Plymouth. It was pointed out by the deputation that the present was a critical time iri the history of the. town. on account of the expenditure of tlie larse aiiioimt' of loan money and the •initiation of the trams, etc., and it was absolutely necessary, if success was to be assured, that the destinies of Hi? town should he in able and experienced hands. The feeling was voiced that Mr. Clarke had "made good" as a councillor and won his spurs, and could with every confidence be placed in command of the municipal ship. Mr. Clark, in reply, stated he had 110 desire to undertake the responsibilities of the positioi. hut he would carefully reconsider the matter. At the same time he preferred someone with more time at his disposal and ability than he possessed to he nominated. He would make known Irs decision at a later stage.

UNITED STATES AXD 13111 TAIN". The following was cabled to the Sydney Sun last week: —Following the a.ttack made by the Morning Post unon the speech of Mr, W. J. Brvau, American Secretary of State, at the St. Patrick's Day banquet in Chicago, the Daily Mail says that if Mr. IJymn really expresses the views of the' United States President and Cabinet the relations between Britain and America may enter upon a phase that will be regarded with extreme regret by the majority of sensible and moderate persons of 'both countries. The Standard describes the speech as "a fine example of the virulent, inflated nonsense that the inferior kind of demagogue talks when he wants to catch Irish votes." The Standard adds that It is impossible to allow Mr. Byron's utterances to pass as a mere indiscretion. Mr Bryan, in the course of the speech that has provoked so much criticism both la England and in America, declared that the victory for Trish Home Rule meant the end of aristocratic rule, and was a victory for the whole world. Ireland's part, he declared, would be remembered by every people engaged in struggling against aristocracy. He further stated that the victory for Home Rule would probably be unacceptable in England and Scotland at first, but in the end they would find it immensely to their benefit. MOTOR CARS. "It has been said that the motor cathas come to stay," said Mr. .T. Bett, (Palmerston North) at the Coachlmilders' Conference at Wellington last week, "and," he added, "I am inclined to think that this is correct. But I have yet to be convinced that more than 50 per cent, of the purchases made go to satisfy a genuine want. When I say a genuine want, I mean to earn revenue or expedite business methods. In my opinion, the other 50 per cent, of the cars sold go to gratify the rapidly-increasing luxurious habits of the population—l was going to say extravagance of the people, but I will content myself with the former expression The purchaser will probably sooner or later be called upon to do some hard thinking how to meet this coming difficulty; but I do not hold that we can materially assist to bring this view of the ease into prominence In too many instances sales are effected 011 terms calculated to make thoughtful men store in blank amazement. If a man wishes to indulge bis luxurious tastes he should be in a position to pay. Tie should require no terms of payment and no credit, or if he does ho should at least be in a position

to pay within a very brief period of delivery. Extended terms of payment on any articles, but more especially on motor care, are most prejudicial to the wellbeing or success of any business. There is nothing so laborious or distasteful to a debtor as paying for a 'dead horse.'" lu conclusion (says the Evening Post) he suggested that no second-hand car should be taken in part payment for a new one, and that a legal sale note, signed bv vendor and purchaser, should be drawn up in each case where terms were granted. Motor coach work had come to stay, and each year would see fewer vehicles built. AX HISTORIC OCCASION. ' The patriotic offer which led to the building of the battle-cruiser New Zealand was made four years ago to-day (says the Lyttelton Times of Saturday week). The cablegram despatched to London by the Dominion Government on March 22, 1009, was an historic message of the first importance. It set in train the movements which have given Australia a fleet unit, have committed Canada to a heavy expenditure on naval defence in one form or another, and have led South Africa to consider methods of contribution to the Empire's fleets. The Malay States Dreadnought, which is now in process of construction, undoubtedly is a result of that cablegram. The Admiralty nut.liorit.ies decided the type of the New Zealand, and it has been asked sometimes why tliev produced a sistership to flie Indefatigable, laid down a year earlier, when the British battlecruisers which were the contemporaries of the New Zealand in building were ships of a larger and more powerful type. The reason seems to have been that the New Zealand could not have been given the new lli.oin guns without delaying the completion of the British units. The Dominion Dreadnought carries 12in guns, which are as powerful as those of any completed foreign ship. AN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. It was stated recently that Dr. Jenness. anthropologist, who is at present in New Zealand, would join Dr. Stefansson's Canadian Arctic expedition. Dr. Stefl'anson is a famous explorer and ethnologist, who has already spent five years in the Arctic regions. He is now fitting out a new expedition, to leave for the Far North this spring, to make explorations in the million square miles in the Arctic regions marked on the maps "unexplored." The chief interest of the expedition from an anthropological point of view lies in the further investigations which Dr. Steffansson proposes to make in regard to the fair-skin-ned Eskimos of Victoria Land. These have narrower cheeks than the typical Eskimos, and have fair hair and eyes, i Dr. Steffansson believes that they came j from Greenland. which was settled in the earlv centuries bv Scandinavian settlers. He does not think the theory that they originated from any intermarriage of Eskimos with Hudson Bay whalers a likely one. Dr. Steffansson is a Canadian. of Icelandic parentage. After four years of cowboy life in North Dakota and Montana he became a student at North Dakota University and afterwards entered Harvard. He was connected with the Peabody Museum in New Yorlc, and subsequently did a lot of exploring. ABOUT SIEGES. The siege of Adrianople began on October 25, when the Bulgarian guns threw the first shells into the Turkish fortress, anil it lasted, therefore, just five months. The time is not long in comparison with that occupied by some of the other great sieges of history, hut the number of men engaged and the ferocity of the fighting have seldom been equalled. Paris was invested by , the Prussians from October 11, 1870, un- J til March 1, IH7I, when the besieging armv marched through the city. Ladvsmith held out from November 2, 1899, until relieved on February 28. 1900. The most gallant defence of a beleaguered city within the lust century was made bv General Fenwick Williams in the Turkish lown of TCars. General Williams. with 15.000 Turkish soldiers, three months' provisions and but a few'days' ammunition, resisted 50,000 Russians from .Tune IS to November 28. and then surrendered to famine and cholera. The words used bv the Russian general when the surrender was proposed were an eloquent tribute to a great soldier. "General Williams," he said, "you have made yourself n name in history, and posterity will stand amazed at the endurance, the courage and the discipline which this siege lias called forth in the remains of an armv. Let us arrange a capitulation that will satisfy the demands of war without disgracing humanity." t