CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 285, 24 April 1913, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

BISHOP JULIUS' SERMON.

The address to which Bishop Julius treated his hearers at Christchurch the other evening was as refreshing a3 it was stirring. The various arguments in favor of military training were treated by his Lordship in a most exhaustive manner. While regretting, as any high-minded man must, the fact that war is inevitable, the speaker pointed out that the only course for any sane nation to pursue is to arm itself against . foreign aggression. The preacher went on to point out a danger that menaces our own existence as a nation—the weakening effects of city life. In a young country like this the evils mentioned are only in their infancy, but the thin end of the wedge has been inserted into our social life, and though our young men are probably mentally more alert than their fathers were, there is no doubt that the gain is at the expense of other attributes. We have sufficient belief in the innate goodness of human nature to refuse to believe that men are more vicious, or possess less moral fibre than they did fifty years ago, but the modern hurry-scurry of life, and the time-saving means of locomotion in the way of trams, trains, motor cars and bicycles, tend to undermine our powers of endurance. Moreover, the strain of competi-tion-brings in its train a craving for excitement which disintegrates the nervous system, and destroys.the calmness, so essential to moral and physical efficiency. Bishop Julius pointed out the enormous benefits to our youth which would result from discipline". Parents are rapidly removing the responsibility of training the children from their own shoulders to those of the State; and though many deplore this tendency, it has its advantages, since the resultant training must be more uniform and scientific. The sermon ended with a reference to the lack of manners and of reverence, which is a marked feature of modern life, and the speaker warned his hearers against mistaking bumptiousness for independence of character. The average youth in making his way through the world seems to forget that too much self-assurance and disregard of others' feelings is never the mark of a really strong personality.

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY,

' Complaints continue to reach us of tlie unsatisfactory'natiire of the quality of the milk sent to the factories in not a few instances during the current season (says the Hawera Star). We are assured, on what seems to be excellent authority, that a Government dairy inspector working in the Taranaki district has found that in a number of cases people are not nearly as clean in their milking operations as they should be; also that the cowsheds and milking utensils should have much more attention than they are apparently receiving at present. Factory managers complain very bitterly of this want of cleanliness, on the part of some suppliers, and say that part of the milk sent to the factories arrives in a most unsatisfactory state. This, th«y point out, is a men'aee to the whole industry, and is particularly unfair to those farmers' who are (careful to send along pure milk. The. 'factory managers, we learn, are of opinion that drastic regulations should be enforced, and that more (ibvernment inspectors are required to regularly visit the individual dairies, and insist 011 cleanliness about the yards, the cowsheds, the buckets and cows, and especially the milking machines. It is an absolute essential that these machines should be kept scrupulously clean, and every part should be very carefully washed after each milking. Recognising the supreme importance of the industry to Taranaki, it requires no argument to show how vitally important this aspect of the question is. Any element which might militate against the very best result being obtained should be met and overcome if possible. Any want of cleanliness must prejudicially affect the milk and to a greater or lesser degree the quality of the whole output of cheese. The industry must not be subjected to any such risks, and it is unfair that tho interests of the many dairy farmers shoufd be injured through the neglect of a careless or indifferent few.

THE WARSHIP'S VISIT.

Writes the Eltham Argus:—The half of Taranaki will wish to sec the New Zealand when she is at New Plymouth. It is quite evident that some very special train arrangements will have to be made. We are of opinion that the traffic cannot be satisfactorily coped with in one day, and suggest the adviseablenoss of the authorities taking into consideration the question of running excursion trains the dav before the arrival of the big ship in New Plymouth. This would give people who chose to do so an opportunity of staying in New Plymouth all night and paying an early visit to the warship as soon as she arrived next morning. The excursion fares should last until the dav after the New Zealand has left New Plymouth. This kind' of arrangement would go a long wav to prevent the terrible crowding' and inconvenience that must ensue if the whole excursion traffic is to be crowded into one day. New Plymouth people should spring off their tails and immediately start organising, for their town is going to be full. Probably some of the excursionists will get full too—but that is another story.

UNPROFITABLE WAR.

Mr. Norman Angell's theory that war cannot possibly ho profitable in those days is supported by M. Edmond Thery, president of the Association of the Economic Press of Paris. "Tho war in Eastern Europe," writes M. Thery, "reproduces on a very small scale the horrid spectacle that Europe would present if the great military nations came to a conflict. Instead of being fought between small standing armies as formerly, such a war would engage real national armies, including the whole of the able-bodied citizens of the countries concerned. Such a conflict it is impossible to allow, since it would be a war of extermination in the most frightful sense of the word, one which would ruin all the nations of Europe without any distinction, and which would set back civilisation for more than a century. Regarding it simply from the standpoint of economics and finance, it must not. be forgotten that the whole edifice of civilisation, social progress and human well-being rests on public credit, which is the most fragile thing in tho world." If wars were merely financial enterprises, guided by reason and not by passion, tho argument would be conclusive.

MAKING MERRY.

Money is scarce all the world over, and if it is scarce in the centres there is usually a rebound to the four corners of the earth. But place us in any way we please, and there is still the general extravagance in Australia, as well as New Zealand, where the conditions are somewhat similar. We are eating, drinking and making merry, not because on the morrow we have to pass beyond the Stvx", but simply because the conditions of life have altered with them without being able to maintain the pace unless with the assistance of our "uncle" in London, who, however, is getting tired of the repeated calls of the colonics on liis relief list.—Oamaru Times.