CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 174, 22 January 1914, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

A MISTAKEN- NOTION'. A reference to undisputed fads will at any time convict of misrepresentation tiie Opposition papers which from tune to time indulge, i„ vague si estions that till! legislation "and noTicy proposals of the Government are in some imoxplaiiied way, repugnant t<• tiie spirit of true Liberalism. Such Mlg.,estions are based up on a pretence asTiollow as it i\ sincere.-'-JJominion. TWO KLICCTJVIO KXKU TIVE. We are satisfied tiiat wherever Proportional licprcscntation is adopted tile Elective Executive must follow vumer or lafer in its wake. This is the solution for such dinicultics as the one existing in Tasmania, and we believe if the. system of Proportional lieprcscnla•tion were applied to Ihe Cabinet, as well as to the Assembly, will, ll„. „ u . m . burs, of course, as the electors, if would produce, the ideal form of government which .Air. Massey depicted in siieb ..lowing colors before he came under'"' dm malign inlluenee of (lie contaminating party system.—Utteßon Times. TttADE SCHOOLS IX A.MKItICA. The trade school is being actively developed and earnestly used j n ih,,'United States, parlicularlv in Massachusetts, Xew York, New' Jersey. Wisconsin and Connecticut. The. li'rst annual report on the Wisconsin svstem off rude schools reveals that the continual ion schools were taken advantage of by 12,1/.'H> pupils, (iOOl) of them being young workers aged from fourteen to sixleci", but attending the schools in the daylime, and liOOll being adults who alleiid tbo.school at night. The average cost is HHol. ]ier student. There is°a special Continuation School Hoard, consisting of two employers, two workmen, and the head of the city school. 'Tac-lon-(rained" teachers lire usually employed, so Hint they may give iiisl million in applied mathematics, business practice, typewriting, millinery, plumbing, dressmaking, and so forth. An employer must send his young employee to school live, hours: out of every fori v-oighl--tbat is, once a v.vck. ' if .the young emp'oyee he an apprentice ' tl-.e !ii:h''.t ii?ii_.L teach him his trade in'the

shop, and also allow him t. . •■■' v. hours out of working time : i v,-.. lit the trade school. Jn adu.lioii lo this practical technical hi.-lna-i.ioii the pupils study "English, cit.zuishq). -,. citation, hygiene, and use of s.icly devices." TJIE EICEXsiXt; QrESTIOW We cannot iinih-r-tninl why, il .he 5j per_ cent, majority is applied to the national prohibition issue, it is not similarly applied to Hie local no-license issue. We can only conclude that the Xo-license Tarty, which has forced the (lovernment to bring down a nieasui ■, is fearful lest the .m p.. r cent, majoril .', if applied to local no-liccnse, would result ill restoration in certain .iisi.-k-t i. What is sauce for the national prohibition goose, however, should he sauce for the local no-license gander. The Legislature cannot he allowed to blow hid and cold on this question, if it "rant the 55 per cent, majority in one'rase, it mu-t gram it in the other, lint there is another important issue involved. Why should not the people he altorded an opportunity of taking a middh. course'; Why should a-plebiscite not bo taUen on the question of Stale control? There, is a grout moderate section of the community that opposes the brewing monopoly and dislikes prohibition. Why should this section be disfranchised? We are persuaded that It is the duly of the Legislature, as a de moeralic institution, to give the puhli ,the privilege of voting on the .piestion ,of State control.-:Mastcrton Age.