TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 112, 17 November 1928, Page 8

TOPICS OF THE DAY

With the echoes yet ringing of the Unitod States and Now Zealand elections, one pauses to-day to remember that the Commonwealth electors are inprocess of choosing their triennial Parliament, whose recent history may or may not give a lead to that which is in store for New Zealand. In Australia two parties, the Nationalists and the Country Party, have been successfully in combination (in Cabinet as well as in Parliament) to keep Labour out of office; and they have co-ordinated their separate interests sufficiently to bo able to enjoy not only offlco but power. In Australia, of course, the co-operation of two separate parties is deemed to bo easier, because of prcfo.ront._al voting, than it would bo in a country that votes on the first-past-the-post system; the co-oporating parties in Australia having educated their votors up to tho point of transferring preferences whero clash of candidates is not to bo avoidod. Whether, in this rospoct, Australia's recent past provides any duo to New Zealand's immediate future remains to bo seen. Moanwhile, the greatest danger confronting tho Nationalist-Country Party combination to-day seems to bo j that most pooplo havo tipped it to win. Tho United States electors followed tho political prophets, but the I Now Zealand electors emphatically did I not. Still, their verdict is anything I but a Labour vordict., In thoir desiro j for chango they did not turn directly ,to Labour, and preferred an improvisod organisation for which both Labour and Reform had had no word savo of ' scorn and contempt. * * • * City Council and Harbour Board havo been much exercised in mind lately as to their respectivo degrees of responsibility for tho erection of boatshod shacks on tho foreshore. Now that the qnostion of authority appoars to be sottled, the two bodies will work together to prevent more disfiguring structures appearing. One may have somo sympathy with the buildors of packing-case sheds. Some of them aro probably youths with littlo money to spare,. and they must economise if they arc to havo thoir yachting sport, rt is something to their credit if, out of a few eases and old bits of timber, they can fashion a usable shed. ' But tho quostion cannot bo considered wholly from tho viowpoint of resourceful youth. Tho structure which would bo unobjectionable on an unfroqiieiiteel foreshore is an oyesoi'c to the many hundreds who take dolight in tho beautiful marine drive of Wellington. Tho wishes of the majority must bo considered. Tho foroshoro would bo bottor without buildings of any kind; but it would bo unreasonable to insist on this. It is, however, entirely roasonnblo to attach conditions as to the design and location of the sheds that aro permitted. This need not noccssarily involve great additionul oxpenso to tho buildors—perhaps a littlo nloro for timber and a pound or two for paint : and it is worth whilo in order to proserve tho greatost scenic asset of Wellington. »*•_•. Slowly but stoadily Wellington is adding to its recreation grounds. A roport placed bofore tho City Council on Thursday night showed that tho progress made last wintor would make i Western Park and Nairnvillo _?arlc

availablo for sports next year. Much work wns done also at Lyall liny, but how much of this area will bo avniUibUs for games will dopond on the development of the iiir-port plan. In addition the Council gave attention to the needs of those people who do not take part in organised games on public grounds. Thousands of trees were planted on the hills, anil in time tho whole city will reap the benefit. The carrying on of this work serves a doubly useful purpose. Tt adds to the beauty of tho town, and it provides work for the unemployed. To the strictly practical man bcnutillculion and recreation grounds may be less important than other works which aro waiting attention; but treo planting and park-mak-ing aro particularly suitable for the relief of unemployment inasmuch as they can bo put iii/hand as the neces sity arises, and discontinued without much loss when unemployment is loss prossing. Moreover, the proportion ate cost of plant and material is low. Most of tho money goes for labour. * * * English cricket coaches arriving in New Zealand have promised Australia a surprise in tho hidden resources of English bowlers. Bowling that can tame batsmen is so scarce nowadays everywhere that most cricketers will bo watching tho Australian play narrowly in order to discover whether the surprise packet is worthy of the label that has been attached to it. So far, tho results are indecisive. At Adelaide, the first important match of the tour, it was mostly a batsman's picnic, tho Oval "shirt-front" wicket being at its best, but at Melbourno the English bowlers certainly did show up Victoria's seasoned batting team, while tho j success of Larwood as a fast bowler on Australian wickets was hailed in England as the most notable event of the tour to date. (Exactly a similar claim was made on behalf of Lockwood many, many years ago.) Then came the New South Wales match, in which, faced with a terrific 734 runs for seven, Kippax (64), Bradman (87), and Kellcway (93 not out), held up the attack (Larwood, Tate, iTreeman, Hammond) in the first innings, while in the followon Kippax and Bradman banished English hopes of victory with a punishing not-out century apiece. Yesterday, however, "an Australian eleven" (Bradman 58 not out) had to "scratch" against Larwood, White, Tate, and Geary. This in-and-out running will give added interest to tho first Test, which begins on 30th November at Brisbane.