TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8299, 30 November 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

Lord Minto is showing an unexpected tarn for happy speechmaking. The Mohammedans are loud in their praise of the tone and substanca of his remarks on the question of an Indian Parliament reaently. Their effect will be felt in the Congress when it meets in December. The other dav the Viceroy seized the opportunity of the Durbar of Baluchi chiefs lu point out the changes which have come over the frontier and the significance attaching to the visit of the Ameer to India. tiorder raids have been reduoed to h minimum by the 00-operation between British and Afghan officers, and Lord Minto has no doubt that the Ameer's visit will render the work of both easier, while it shttuld increase the facilities for trans-frontier trade. It really looks as though at last the relations of India and Afghanistan have been placed on a stable and mutually satisfactory footing.

It seems incredible that by n special dispensation from the Government a band of gypsies have been allowed to land in the colony without complying with the law in regard to undesirable immigrants, any the Feilding Star. They proved their claitn to be considoiably uu : desirable by loafing from one town to another, living on their wits and behaving in such a manner as to cause the police to peremptorily move them on. A great fuss was made some time ago of the undesirability of allowing Austrians who had come out to work on the goldflelda to land unless tney complied with the law, and yot these dirty, loafing gypsies, whose occupation consists of a speuies of begging, are given free admission and allowed to roam the country during their own swoet will, lfc is about time the Minister responsible for this breach of the law looked into the matter, and took steps to prevent the contlnuanoe of an unpleasant nuisance.

The exposure of wholesale corruption in the munioioal administration of San Francisco Is but auotuer exhibition oi what must happen in democratic countries whenever reputable citizens leave politics to professionals. 1 Theoretically demccraoy is the ideal political system, but St requires, a vigilant interest on the part of'tlie beat elements in society, which unfortunately is-not usually forthcoming. The "Labour" ndniniatration of 'Frisoo and the "Tammany" administration of New York are but incidents io an endless series of similar scandals. That is tho depressing aspect of the business. If one party only were guilty, if iu one or two places only corruption and blackmail were tD be found, we could look for a prompt and effective exterminaton of the evil. tor in America, as* everywhere else, the average mau is honest and lawabidiua and desirous of honest and impartial government. But the trouble is that in democracies politics slowly but surely estrange those who constitute the most reliable part of a people. Thus it has been siMce the dawn of history, driving States into tyrannies, oligarchic?, aristocracies, monarchies, dictatorates, into every conceivablo form by which the average citizen nan shoulder off on to an other his duty of toking a keen and active interest iu i<oliiioal affairs. r lbe 3esson to be learned ia that democratic communities ought to do all iu their power to induce the'r best citizens to accept public office and that' every man and woman ought to vote and vote a intelligently as thoy are able.