CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 28, 23 June 1914, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

EXCLUSION OP HINDUS. Nothing less than total exclusion of Hindus and other race aliens will satisfy Now Zealand, and the Prime' Minister is to be congratulated on his decisive and determined presentment of the national view. There can ibe no disposition to make a party issue of this question. The promised legislation will doubtless be submitted to the Royal assent, and if all parties in the House unite to support Mr Massey in his statesmanlike course, the Royal assent cannot be withheld. The British communities in the Pacific cannot exist unless they exclude Asiatics, and sooner or later this must b« recogniesd by the Imperial Govern ment. —Auckland Herald.

A STATE ART UNION. Some caustic observations with reference to the Land Ballot Act were made by Mr. H. E. Yaile to an Auckland 'Star represents tive the other day. The Government was at the present time fathering a lottery, a sort of State art union, he said, and tho man who drew the prizes in the lucky bag sold it, and probably made a huge profit. "The problem that beat me," continued Mr. Vail®, "is why those profits should not go to the Government, instead of to the private speculator. There is no earthly sense in the 'Government selling the land at ridiculously low prices and allowing the buyers to make the profit. They should themselves reap that (benefit and road tho land witih the proceeds. This would put a whole lot of iand on the market, vhicli would have a steadying influence." .-s

NO BACKING OR FILLING. Should the next election restore the Liberals to power, Sir Joseph Ward will have to take up a more decided and decisive position on the land question than he has done yet. There must he no backing or filling, no trimming or trucking for votes to any political section. Thte future of the' Dominion depends upon wise land administration. The present suicidal ineffectiveness of our land laws, that enable a handful of people to own so much of th ecountry while thousands vainly clamour for a chance of enough to make a homestead, must be radically altered. —Greymouth Star.

CHEAPER LAND. "Cheaper lwid is essential for the well-being of the country, and the way to obtain it is too swiftly open up all native lands at reasonable figures. By that two things would be accomplished," said the president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Mr Bart Kent on Saturday. "It would steady the prices of existing cultivated lands by casing the demand somewhat, and it" would encourage the profitable occupation of much excellent country now practically laid open." Mr. Kent proceeded to suggest that in opening up native lallds the ballot should be retained, for lie could not see anything fairer than that system. Swift and resolute action on the part of the Government was required. In selling the land through the ballot the Government could fix an upset price if necessary. Speculation had to a certain extent influenced land vaiucs, and a number of cases 'had come under his notice in which farms had been paid for over and over again, not for the purpose of farming tihe land, but simply for speculative eiuis.

SECOND CHAMBERS. New Zealand's Prime Minister, the Ilex.. Mr. Massey, is light-heartedly and (letti mjinedly fording along) 'iris Jitective Upper House Bill. He refuses to take winning by Australian happenings. lie faila to recognise that a' very large section of ilus warmest political supporters doubt the wisdom of bis action, Ho knows that some of his own supporters in the Council are entirely out of sympathy with his ideus oil the question. He cannot fail to recognise tli.t by his action he is throwing the control of the Upper House into the hands of organisations, cliques, and tickets. The country is tired of tho party squabbles of one House, and yet we have a strong party of politicians trying to create a second elective chamber, thus duplicating all the present party evils and further splitting the country into schisms and creating party bitterness of the most intense description. We hold that it is i.ccessary for the political welfare of the country that there should be one House of Parliament free from political pressure. To create a second House where members, m order to secure election, liave to give pledges of various descriptions, is not statesmanship, and is not in the best interests of the people of New Zealand.—liltlnuii; Argus.

"A GLORIOUS OPENING." "It is a glorious opening for the New Zealand farmer." With these words, a Diinedin gentleman, who has just returned from a trip through America and Europe, prefaced his remarks when speaking to an ''Otago Daily Times" reporter of the intention of the GermanAustralian company to run a direct line of steamers from the continent to the Dominion. lie said that while he was in America ho had paid particular attention to the conditions of the meal trade, and had found that the world's supply of meat was very limited, but that, 011 the other hand, many new markets for wheat were opening up. The demand for horseflesh was so great in Germany and .franco that they were "eating up all their horses," and the peoples of these countries would have to supplement these supplies of meat from outside sources. The new trade now being entered upon with New Zealand was going to have very far reaching effects on the future moat export trade, lie touched on another, and even more important, effect which he considered would probably follow the opening of this direct communication with Germany. Though the service is to be opened with cargo boats, a greater knowledge of the conditions of life ill New Zealand must 'become known in many of the European countries as the Continental trade grows. This increased knowledge must tend to bring about a stream of immigration from the European lands facing on the seaboard where the German steamers call, and perhaps further inland. "If we could get young German women, for instance, to oome out here, it would be a fine thing for the. Dominion. They are frugal, and if it should come to pass in splendid , housewives, industrious and the near future that what I forcast be verified, these young German women will he able to show an example to the young Xew Zealand woman in domestic life. Some such example is needed, and domestic life is not by any means tho 'long suit' of the average young- New •Zaalsni) tnmimii;'? ■. J. iV- - •