CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 168, 15 January 1914, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

WHAT WE HAVE TO FACE. The dominating feeling in southern and eastern Asia is rapidly becoming tlmt of indignation, at tjio exclusion policies of .Western nation,-!. The < Ivinesw jiro feeding this acutely and vindictively:, although with tilieir peculiar subtlety they mask their feelings under impassive faces. "W'lmt ell'-.t," we may well ask, "must the naval ami military organisation of 41)!),001),0I)() have upon the. English-speaking states in the Pacific?" Surely «t is essential to our -national safety that while China reorganises New Zealand' should Kettle its waste lands and increase its liritish population ?—Auckland Herald.

A YEAR'S PROFITS. A statement was published recently exalting the alleged unir|ne annual promts of the German gun factory belonging to the Krupitti. It is .stated that the net profits for the last twelve months amounted to £ 1,8(H),000. This is exceedingly satisfactory; but it does not nearly approadh the profits of a liritish linn (writes Sir Henry Lucy). According to the annual report of J. and I'- Coats, the net profits of the year, after carrying- forward over £-10,0(10 to depreciation account, readied the sum of .£3,102,052. Nearly one 'million and threc-ijnarters are distributed by way of dividend to the various classes of shareholders, whilst a reserve fund of over six millions tas been built up and is augmented every year. Probably therc. is nowlicrc in the world a manufacturing company which shows a financial result of cipial magnificence; and the whole business is wound up around simple cotton reels.

Yor»; x'evv Zealand. The Christchurch Press, in an article dealing with tile national responsibilities of the. ri*ing generation, says:— "The tendency of young Now Zealandcrs is to become unduly wrapped U]> cither in sport or money-making, " n 'l let public. ail'iiirs slide, ' Many of them do not even take the trouble to iiiider«tnml public questions, so -as to be able to give ail .intelligent vote upon them. They do not. lake the active part in municipal a flair* that they. ought to do, aiui the result is that ii great deal which ought to be done to make our cities healthier and more beautiful as places of residence, is left undone. They keep siloof from politics, and places which they oughti to fill are 'rushed' by 'cranks,' and professional politicians. The older generatign did their share of public service liku men. and we are reaping Wie reward of their patriotism and self-denial."

■ CAXC.TCR OX THE IXOIiEASE, It is a matter for very sincere regret that the dread disease, cancer, for which no effective remedy Ims yet been discovered. appnars to .be on' the increase. The Ollicial \ear Book, which has just been published, shows tlhtii; in the year ■lOl2 no fewer than 812 deaths in the Dominion were assigned to cancer. This represents 7.52 per cent, of every 10,000 persons. During the last ten years the i death-rate, from ibis .disease lias increased by 22.03 per cent., which is a larger increase' than is recorded in almost any country iu the. world. While cancer is increasing, however -and we should be glad to lie able to discover n cause as well as a cure—it is satisfactory to note that the number of deaths from tuberculosis per thousand of popui_ng. 11l 187;j there were, sixteen death* from tuberculosis ped tihousand of population, while in I!) 12 the death-rate from the disease had fallen to seven per thousand. This is a lower rate than is recorded in any of the Australian SStales, with the exception of Queensland.

NOT A STATESMAN'. l'rol>al>ly the worst that has ltcAn said against, Mr. Masse,y 'by his political oppownfei » Miat 'lno is not a statesman, ami this is perfectly- true I says the Wellington Times). lie is a trained and experienced politician, with an excellent knowledge of the political history of this country for the last twenty-live years, while lie j s thoroughly familiar •with colonial life, its customs ami its public retirements. I'.ut Mr. Massev's best friend would not venture to speak of him it-s a statesman. lie is not a .student of either social or economic problems, and never ha./been; but he is a shrewd politician ami a. trustworthy authority 011 agricultural matters. Wo do not say that lie cannot carry 011 the administration of tlhe country's all'airs very satisfactorily, but we do say, and that without hesitation, that he could not construct a policy of a "real, political party, because he has not studied the questions with which he should bo most intimate. It is more than probable that Mr. Massey would tind very great dilliculty at the present moment in deciding whether he. should class hiinsell as a Liberal or a (lonservativc. Certainly, the. mention of the word Torv is calculated to make him very angry. lIIIL ■being in Conservative company.'and having forced upon hi.m by the dominant •power in the background a policy that is Conservative in nearly all its details, Mr. Massey must be content Co |„. regained by the masses of the people as a 'militant Conservative.

BUTTEII AND CHKICSK. The British Board of Trade iWure. dmilim.' with the. dairy industry for the firs), ten mouths of l!ll:i indicate a . (llr . ther falling- oil' in the importation of butler from BrilM. dominions \,. w Zealand supplied 1 s:!cwt., as a-a'inst. 27ti,X24owt. ill I 111 2; Victoria [\W 'land's closes!) rival), lS:i,lO.Scwt.. ,u

ii.Siiin.st 1!17,5")40wt. in tile provionyear; Xcv.' South Wali-s liUlSewl (].ns.:;s!>cwt.) QiK'i'tisliinii. (7(),S2(k'«'l.|; and Canada {•>: owt.) Imports from otlipr nnintric* balaneoil t ; !ir ami (he rombincd totals wore sli'jlilly ,i n „ r ( |. ( , previous year gainst , f,l:oil;.;li less tluill ill 11)11, when the li.r;uros wore .'>,(>7!) UMicwl' Denmark. for the len-nionthlv period lust year, export!'.! !,<ls4S«f»vl. oi' lmt- ';••• to Kiiklihi.l. Mr. lioddoe. Canadian Commissioner at Ao.kland. ivoentlv informed an e\eh:;i";. that Canada' n.i now H'ivin.n more nt!t>niion io tin. I.onilon butter markol. :ni,l thi- i~, borne „ufc by the Canadian njures. The outlook For a (inn (.dtooso virkol, in Tendon is rery bright. Stools i» hand, in Canada md also in London are smaller {ban for i number 0 f year-:, and as the make in Now Zealand will 1»> niuoh in excess of list year, tlio d;> : '- ; -'-no!t nf tliU Dominion should benelil, as tin- demand for our ehoese will li t„ p iln . Ada (1,0-14,lSOcwt. year), Xew Zealand exports tin- L,-ee.it ,|„anti(v of Cheese to Kugliin,' any of the eornitries of the wort!, out fi!>'itr,N for last year ibeiii" nriO.OTThe export of butter and <lnv-„ f r , m Zealand tliis season will lie (ho ,>a reoord, and there is every prospect of our dairy farmers exporiewing a very satisfactory period.