Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1910. EXIT 1910.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10157, 31 December 1910, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1910. EXIT 1910.

The year 1910, .which, in a few fleeting hours, will have passed into oblivion, has produced many historymaking events. It has been a period of industrial unrest, national anxiety and momentous change. So far as the British Empire is concerned, the most important incident of the year was the death of King Edward VIT., the illustrious monarch whose name will figure always in the pages of history as "Edward the Peacemaker." The mourning ceremonies in the great metropolis, the funeral obsequies, and, the subsequent Proclamation of King.George V. arc still fresh in the memory of the people. The national calamity, following a strenuous election in which the politics of Great Britain were bitterly contested, had the effect of producing a political armistice and the setting up of a Conference to review the Constitution. The abortive outcome of this,, Conference resulted in a, deadlock, which culminated in another appeal to the electors. The fight is over, but the results have proved so unsatisfactory as to leave the political situation almost unchanged. The holding of two British elections in one year is an event almost without parallel in modern times. The rela-

tions of the British Empire with other Powers has been of an amicable character, and although the feverish j haste with which Germany has been constructing her navy lias been vieweel with alarm in naval circles, there lias been no disturbance of the cordiality which has existed between the great Powers. From an Imperialistic point of view, the great event of the year ha's been the opening of the Union Parliament in South Africa by the Duke of Connaught. The uniting of the various self-governing colonies of South Africa under a Federal banner is a magnificent consummation of a colonising policy which will have a marked effect upon the future of the Empire. The unrest in industrial circles at Home has caused grave anxiety, and the riotous scenes in connection with the Welsh strike has been painful evidence' of the violence to which people in civilised countries wm resort to secure what they consider be be their rights. Fortunately, at the time of writing, most of the labour disputes are at an end. There have been innumerable disasters in England and other parts of the Empire, the most appalling of which was probably the colliery explosion of this month, in which over three hundred lives were lost. Of floods and shipwrecks there have been the usual record, but none have been of a very disastrous character. Death has removed several .notable personages"other than the British Sovereign, and in the world of letters none has gone who is more lamented than the philosophic Leo Tolstoi..

So far as the foreign nations are concerned, the most striking incident of the year has been the revolution in Portugal, which culminated in the overthrow of the monarchy and the setihg up of" a Republican form of government. The great strikes in France created an immense disorganization of trade while they lasted. The Moroccan trouble has loomed large before the public) while .the events in Mexico have been of an exciting character. The aggression of the Young Turkish Party is causing apprehension in Turkey, whilst the awakening of China and the »movements of Japan in the East have been viewed with national' interest. The elections in the United States, in which the Republicans were ousted by the Democrats, were of absorbing interest, whilst the result of the reciprocal conference between the States and. Canada are being keenly awaited. 'Coming to Australasia, the most momentous event of the year was undoubtedly the . Federal election, %i which the Liberal Party was ousted by the Labourites. In New Zealand, we have had a strenuous session of Parliament, marked chiefly by acrimony and personal recrimination, and ending in a Commission which investigated charges of "Tammanyism" against certain members of Parliament. The finding of this Commission was practically a vindication of the member who made the charges. Commercially, New Zealand has shown a marvellous recovery from the period of depression through which it had passed. Although confidence , is not yet completely restored, the high prices ruling for produce, and the favourable seasons experienced, have\gone a long way towards bringing the country back to that condition of prosperity which it enjoyed for so many years. The Man with the Scythe*has been at work in this Dominion as in other parts of the world, and .several leading colonists have been transferred to other spheres. There have been scores of accidents and fatalities, but the Dominion has been from plagues, ' shipwreck and disasters of any magnitude. The health of the community is.generally good, and the conditions' throughout have been favourable. So much for the past, a retrospect of which can necessarily be only of a brief character. The future, so far as the British Empire is concerned, is full of anxiety. What will be the end of the political crisis? What will be the change, if any, in the Constitution? Will Home Rule be granted to Ireland ? These, ■ arid a score of other questions, are of vital importance. The Coronation of King George and the holding of the Imperial Conference, together with the visit of the King to India, will- be among the most interesting events of the coining year. From a Dominion point of view, the future may be regarded with optimism. The markets for our primary products are being well maintained, the -settlement of the country is slowly proceeding, and the population is steadily increasing. If we could only economise in our administra-

tion, liberalise our land laws, stimulate our industries, improve our social conditions, encourage immigration of the.right sort, and'create a greater feeling of .security among those with capital to invest, the Dominion would progress by leaps and bounds and the prospects for the future would be more assured.