CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 272, 9 April 1913, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

'ENLARGING WOMAN'S SPHERE. A meeting of the local Social Democratic Federation was held last night. Questions were drafted to be put to candidates for municipal honors. It was decided to run candidates for the Harbor Board and Hospital Board. It was strongly held that in regard to the Hospital Board, which deals largely .with women, both as employees and patients, it, was very very desirable they should be represented on the Board, and an effort will be made to induce a lady candidate to come forward in the interests of her sex.

AUCKLAND LAND SLUMP. Auckland lias been experiencing a slump in its property market; so we are told by a telegram published in yesterday's issue. It lias been going on, it seems, for over a year, but our friends in, the northern city kept the information strictly to themselves, and it is only now when they consider that the tide has turned that the rest of the Dominion is let into the secret. Auckland has Ion? been famous for the vigrous manner in which it has boomed its prosperity and kept any indications of adversity in the dim background. Some of its citizens will not admit even to this day that there ever was a case of plague in their niidst--it was blood-poison-ing or some morn or less commonplace disease. One cannot help admiring such (unwavering local patriotism, even if it does seem rather parochial at times. "My city right or wrong" may not represent the'highest ideal of patriotism, still it is much to be preferred to the state of mind of those people who have no pride in their eitv. and, provided their own interests and comforts are not directly assailed, utterly neglect the. duties of good citizenship, and take no part in civic affairs. —Dominion.

"FATHER OF TIIE TURF." Mr. George Hodgman, the ''Father of the Turf," whose death was reported by cable yesterday, commenced his career •as an apprentice in the joinery business, but soon became attached to racing, and donning the bag, or in an/"ease having a large interest in the volumes opened on all important events, when early antepost betting was carried 011 to a far greater extent than at present, he became a comparatively wealthy man, an intimate associate of Admiral Rous, who used occasionally to submit his handicaps for Mr. Hodgman's approval prior to their publication, and a prominent owner. He possessed an extraordinary memory, and some eight or ten years ago he was induced to nut his reminiscences into book form. These were published under the title of "Sixty Years on the Turf," and formed one of the most interesting additions to turf literature of recent years. Therein Mr. TTodgman discoursed in the most open fashion, more especially of incidents the principal parties to which had long since died. Some of the happenings he recounts were of a most startling nature, and only uo to prove what a great advance in the control of racing has since been effected. Tn his palmy days he was a contemporary of many famous characters, including Mr. flullv. the expugilist. who won the Derbv with Pyrrlms the First and Anodver, Colonel Peel. Squire Osbaldeston, Sir Joseph TTawlcv, Mr. Merry, the larquis of Tlastinss. Lord Falmouth and Count Lagrange.

NAVAL CONCENTRATION. The great advantage of nil Empire fleet is tliat in time of peace it can silently and without anv parade bp disposed wherever an "intelligent anticipation of events" shows its services will be most effective. A scattered distribution of the fleet may invite war; a timeIv concentration mnv prevent it. From the point of view of naval strategy we believe that the Australian policy has serious defects. We cannot, however, recognise too warmly the public spirit, the energy, and the earnestness with which the Commonwealth Government is tackling the question of national defence. The Labor Ministry of Australia iu this

respect is settling an example worthy of all praise—(,'hristchurch Press, THE LATE CAPTAIN SCOTT. Sir Ernest Shacklcton made a moving reference to the; late Captain Scott in a recent speech in Now York. '"This is the first time I have spoken in public of this tragedy, and my heart is full," he said. "Eleven years ago three men were struggling through the Antarctic ice back form sin attempt to reach the South Pole. One had burst a blood vessel iu his lung as a result of scurvy, and w.k nearly dead, but his two comrades did everything for him, cheerfully denying themselves little comforts. The man willi the broken blood-vessel was I; one of the others was Scott and the other was Dr. Wilson. I stand here to-night to tell you about it, but Scott and Wilson an; gone."

COLONIAL BORROWING. Iu <an article that it publishes under the heading of "Colonial Borrowing," the London Observer says:—"The Australasia colonies are, glad to get whatever they can. At the present moment underwriters are overburdened with Australian new issues. The New South Wales loan has been a fiasco, whieh. is a serious blow, since it was issued in a form that was likelv to be attractive to many investors." The paper expresses the opinion that the only colonial loan by which the public are now attracted is one on a basis of 3% per cent., issued at 93, with redemption at par not unduly delayed.

USEFUL CITIZENS. An idea of Hiilclutha's exciting experiences during the. recent flood is conveyed in the following report despatched:—Were it not for the heroic fight put up by the townsmen the havoc wrought must have been serious. On Saturday afternoon over 100 men gathered to assist those already working at a spot in the bank behind the town where the water was rushing through the bank. It was a herculean utruggle to beat the insistent element, hut over two score of men working with shovels and a large number dragging hags of earth waisthigh through the muddy water to the breach conquered it in less than an hour. This was the most exciting time of an anxious day. At 0 p.m. the alarm again sounded for another dangerous-looking breach, and . again the Balcluthaites fought and won through for their town. From then onwards till morning CO men toiled, stopping the, smaller breaches which continually occurred. Next morning they were rewarded with seeing the town practically dry, sustaining no damage. and everything safe, at the expense of aching joints and, at a low estimate, of 3000 sacks. The Borough Council bad procured the sacks, shovels and lanterns, as well as providing both tea and edibles for the workers, the majority of whom gave their services voluntarily. As said before, Balclutlia emerged from the severest test since 1878, but had it not been for the heroic fight of the untiring men on the banks the probability is fhat it would now present a very different aspect.

THE SECOND BALLOT. Tn an interview at Hobart the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher said: "While : .n Tasmania. I want to enquire into your system of proportional voting. Our piesent second ballot system is, I think, absolutely one of the worst systems evedevised. The last two »enoral elections in New Zealand have shown it to be one of the most defective electoral measures eevr placed on the statute book. Ido not think there will be another second ballot held in New Zealand as far as the present Government is concerned."