LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 165, 18 December 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

,We have to thank the local branch of the South British Insurance Company, ltd:, for a very handy office calendar for IWS.

The Bank of New Zealand, London, edvises that the, Loudon wool sales closed firm for crossbreds, merinos weaker.

At last night's gathering all the School, Mr Moyes, the principal, announced that the school cadets had that

afternoon shot for the Empire Schools Competition, and had pui, up the record score of 524 points, which was beyond the score made by Charterhouse,' last year's '.vinners, and considerably ahead of any school that had competed.

Present indications are that Eltham and Stratford people will be present in sumleds at tne Boxing Day picnic on the West End beach, and the promot. era are redoubling their efforts to "make the only Boxing Day seaside affairs a striking success.

In connection with the public meeting called for to-morrow night to consider laying down tennis courts at the '"West End, in Kawaroa Park, those who may be interested, but unable or disinclined to attend the meeting, are invited to hand in their names to any of the committee of the West End Foreshore Improvement Society, or at the Daily News Office. "Do New /toihindcrs really take politics seriously? asks "Mercutio" in the Auckjuilgc by what one heard and saw during land Herald," and adds: "If one were to the recent election campaigns there would be no difficulty in believing that our people were almost on the verge of a social revolution, or at any rate in deadly earnest over Parliamentary representation. And yet if all the noise and excitement were carefully analysed it would be found to be even less than the barracking at a football match. Most New Zeakuiders know the points of their favorite pastime, but it is doubtful if more than one in twenty know much or even care much for the'real points in a candidate's legislative platform. The bulk of voters like a combat of any kind, and a political campaign to them is a little more exciting than a dog fight, and certainly gives them more opportunity of joining in. This is what makes political meetings so noisy, and gives that air of earnestness to political arguments. But as soon as the elections are over how many people trouble their heads about political questions or even legisla tivc enactments? The London Financier states that "the year 1915 and the year following will bo marked in all probability by an increased cost of capital hire, indicated by stiff money rates. European nations must pay the cost of their enormous waste and extravagance, and as there is no possibility of raising" even a fraction of the principal in cash, heavy bond issues will be in order. This will divert from the usual channels of peaceful promotion an immense sum of the world's capital, although it will not lock it up permanently, for the Government will disburse it immediately on account of debts contracted, Europe will be forced, however, to pay interest on whatever money it borrows. This will come of increased taxation, and while the added burden to the people of the warring nations will be great, it will be so scattered as to affect harshly, even though the cost of living will be raised appreciably. One fact which the people of the United States should keep in mind is that for the present, and to some extent in the future, they cannot rely longer on Europe to furnish capital for domestic development. Not only will this be true, but there will' be a constant pressure on the part of European holders of our securities to sell them in this market, and the United States must therefore assume not only the task of doing all its own future pro. motion work, but of paying back some of the money borrowed from Europe for similar purposes in the past." A recent cablegram from Washington recorded the depial by the Belgian Legation of a German allegation that Belgium had surrendered her neutrality to England. The current issue of the Nation throws some light on this subject. It appears that early in October the North German Gazette announced that maps and documents were found in Antwerp which disclosed (according to the German mind) that military action by Belgium in contract with France and England had been planned as far back as 10(1(5. The Gazette stated that the map in the archives marked "Intervention Anglaise en Belique" gave the proposed dispositions, and was drawn up by the British military attache with the late General Grierson's approval. "It is difficult to understand why this discovery —if it is "a genuine one and correctly re. ported—should have pleased the Germans," comments the Nation. "It only shows that their long-advertised plans for a German invasion of France through 'Belgium were taken seriously by another guarantor of Belgian neutrality." The Nation points out that General Brielmont (of defensive siege work fame) wrote a whole book about these plans in 1882. The discovery of the German conqiierers of \Aiitwerp, is therefore, quite belated, and very much in the nature, of a mare's nest. The Tueton is making desperate efforts to convince neutrals of Britain's perfidy in making the protection of Belgium's neutrality a pretext for attacking Germany, but tho outside mind has already made up its mind on the matter, and German machinations are so much wasted effort.