CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 271, 8 April 1913, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

A COUNTY PORTRAIT GALLERY. The Taranaki County Council is honoring all those gentlemen who have in the past given their services to the ratepayers in the capacity of County Chairman, by hanging framed enlarged photographs, suitably inscribed, on the walls of the new County Chambers. The list of past chairmen has now been complated, and the wall is adorned with seven photographs. It is the intention of the Council to continue this practice, so that in the course of years there should be a very interesting collection. ;The County has now been in existence thirty-six years, that is since 1877, and during that time there have been eight chairman, including the present holder of that oil ice, Cr. J. Drown, who was first installed in l!)0(i. The names and dates of service of the past chairmen are as follows:—Late Col. R. Trimble, (1877-1879 jlate Mr. J. Elliott, 1879-1887; late Mr. A. Bayly, 1887-1SS8; Mr. R Price, 1888-1893; Mr. W. Bewley, 18931890; Mr. H. J. Okev. M.P.. 189(i-1905; and Mr. €. V. Tate. IDO.vlilOfi.

GOVERNMENT'S LAND POLICY. The New Zealand Times is rudely inquisitive in regard to Mr. Maasey's land policy. "What," it asks, "has become of the Prime Minister's ten years' supply of Crown and native land, 'ample for all requirements? What is the matter with the famous Part 11. of the Land Act, 1912, which was to provide gieatei quantities of land for closer settlement 'without costing the country a penny'? What has become of his 'policy' of last July, when he said he would increase the taxation to any amount necessary to provide land for settlement?'' The truth is, of course, that in his anxiety to please everyone, Mr. Massey has made rather too many land policies'.

A CRUEL SUGGESTION'. Tlie Berlin newspaper, Lokal Anzeiger, in a regrettable ebullition of Anglophobia, has suggested that Captain Scott deliberately_ committed suicide rather than face tfie bankruptcy of his expedition. The _ suggestion, of course, lias been met with a prompt denial by the London newspapers, and the Daily Express, in a short but dignified rejoinder, points out that the character of the men involved and the noble and lofty nature of Captain Scott's last message are a sufficient reply to such an unworthy insinuation. The Lokal Anzeiger says that it was the duty of Captain Scott to have taken some steps to prevent Captain Oates from going to his heroic death in a blizzard. The Express very properly refuses to discuss the matter. The epitaph conferred upon Captain Oates—"Hereabouts died a very gallant gentleman"—it says, supplies the whole answer, and the newspaper adds by way of a Parthian shot that the ignorance of idealism thus betrayed by a leading German newspaper ''makes us marvel less at the flaw of character which has prevented German success in colonisation."

A ROMANTIC CAREER. The late Sir William Arrol, who died a few weeks ago at the age of seventythree years, had an unusually romantic career. Born in Houston, in Renfrewshire, in 1839, in circumstances so poor that he was obliged to go to work at the age of nine years, he made a great fortune for himself and achieved a world-wide reputation as the "master builder" of bridges. His first start in life was as a "pieeer" in a cotton mill, but he was an ambitions boy, and, even at that early age, he seems to have felt an uncontrollable prompting to go out into the world and have a try for fortune. At any rate, lie left the mill and obtained work in a blacksmith's shop, where, as lie used afterwards to say, his chief employment was "singe in' sheep's heids for the neighbors"—a singed sheep's head being then a delicacy with the working classes of Scotland.' Although these were humble occupations and his earnings were very small, yet young Arrol contrived to save a little monev. and at twenty-four, at which time he was a foreman boilermaker, he began business on his own account with his savings—Cflfi in- all. From this small beginning one of the greatest engineering, and certainly the greatest bridgebuilding business, in the world was built up. His contracts included the Tower Bridge, at the price of £1,000.000, and the Forth Bridge, for which he was paid £1,000.000.

THE AUCKLAND EXHIBITION:. The proposal for a Taranaki Court at the Auckland' Exhibition does not appear to find general favour with all the local bodies that are being asked to contribute to its cost. At Friday's meeting of the Clifton County Council, ihe circular from the central committee at Stratford was received, statin"' that the Council's proposed assessment to the Court was £25. The Council iu> tc then had wearily dragged along, when suddenly a breeze occurred that tended to liven the general dullness. The letter had hardly been read, when Councillor Bower interjected: ''Put it on one side, and proceed." At once the Chairman, who had been marvellously patient throughout the day. asserted his authority tinisly. 'Hold on, hold on. who's Chairman here? You've been talking all (lav. Bother me! These Mokan m«n : have high notions!" Continuing, he said that if there was anv moncv to snare, it would lie a good idea to advertise Taranaki, but one thing that stuck was: "Why was not Clifton County Council invited to the first meeting, to which it was stated that representatives nf all local bodies were invited?" ITe was talking now as a member of the Council. "You talk all the time." ejaculated Cr. O'Sullivan, who stated that I he wished to move a resolution. Cr. Bower also interrupted. "Allow me to finish." said the chairman, who moved that Mr. •T. B. T{it-hards be asked to explain whv the Council was not invited to the fir<t meeting. Cr. .Tones seconded. Cr. O'Sullivan moved as an amendment that this Council could not see its wav clear to take anv further steps in the matter as they had 110 moncv to spend and nothing to exhibit. This was seconded by Cr. Elliott and carried, though the chairman thought there, was no necessity for such a resolution, and he wanted to know whv the Council had been slighted. There were a few further passes later on the Council at one time developing Gilbertian propensities.