MANHOOD AND PATRIOTISM

Tho conscientious objector to military training has received some attention and a little sympathy from the House of Representatives, and the general opinion will probably be that in both cases his receipts were in excess of his merits. The occasion was the presentation of a return which embodied the replies of the local authorities to a request by the Minister of Defence for suggestions as to the alternative service to be exacted from religious and conscientious objectors to compulsory training. The various local bodies were asked to advise as to the most suitable kind of work in .town and country, and the best means of providing, inspecting, and measuring it; and the replies contain some interesting reading. The least sympathetic of all came from the Westland County Council, which, with ruthless candour, prescribed imprisonment, loss of civil rights, or deportation. Mosgiel was almost equally severe, and other suggestions, though less drastic, displayed no touch of tenderness at all for the conscientious objector. Quarrying, road-making, townbeautifying, tree-planting, the eradication of noxious weeds, and cooking or "general rouseabout work" — these are among the tasks suggested as alternatives to the obligation at present imposed by the Defence Acts. The antimilitarists would be doing the State a good turn if they would apply their energies to the beautification of our towns or the destruction of noxious weeds; and their experiments in plain cookery — presumably under tho supervision of the local constable — would be watched with interest, if not with sympathy or respect. But how task-work of any of the kinds mentioned could be enforced upon -recalcitrant defaulters is not explained in any of the answers sent to the Minister, and the problem is practically insoluble. Imprisonment or detention, with a reduction of tho term if any prescribed work is done, seems to bo the most reasonable solution, and that is practically the present system. Some members, blamed tho Government for going to the local bodies for suggestions instead of working out a scheme themselves, but the critics were just ac barren of suggestions as those whom they attacked. The only profit in the discussion was tho evidence that it afforded of a more subdued tone on the part of the critics of the compulsory system and a more general recognition of the insignificance of the opposition which it has encountered in the country. Even Mr. G. W. Russell, who in matters of this kind is more disposed to follow than to lead public opinion, and as the representative of a Christchurch constituency has had to measure his words, spoke with no uncertain sound. He had discovered that tho froth, about anti-militarism has disappeared, and that a genuine spirit of manhood and I patriotism stands revealed. It is of course the war that has produced the remarkable difference. What is it that really protects our women and children, our homes and our properties, from the outrages to which Belgium and France have had to submit? It is not the resolutions Or the tracts of the Peace t Society or even of the Churches, but the armed forces of Britain, her dominions, and her allies. The blindest arid the least imaginative can realise the fact now. though a few weeks ago they were vapouring against militarism, and asking us to trust to "international solidarity" and <eoemopalitan benevolence as a sufficient protection. How foolish, how imbecile, these philanthropic sentiments appear in the light of the concrete facts which have been reported to us day by day during tho ia*t six jveekfit

LOCAL RAILWAY "FACILITIES" ■ — ■ —^» ■. . Year after year Wellington people have been obliged to Buffer much loss of time, money, and patience by the lack of a suitable railway station. Whenever the temper of the public has gone dangerously near to breaking point, soft speech has been given to soothe fretful deputationistj. The people have been invited to gaze upon a splendid railway station in the air, and when they have grown weary of that bootless business the vision has been brought a little nearer to solid ground. At last it has been put on paper ; a sketch plan of the proposed passenger and goods station, bounded by Thomdon-quay, Buruiy-streot (front), and Waterloo-quay, is in Mr. Hiley's special report, presented to Parliament recently. In the House of Representatives last jiight, tho Premier offered Wellington anothet helping of the old good cheer, which hat! been furnished cheaply by successive Governments, but this time the citizens have something with the appearance of definiteness. Mr. Massey, expressing the opinion held by the great majority of thoughtful observant New Zealanders, remarked that this country would recover very rapidly after tho war, and the Wellington station would be one of the first new works undertaken. Meanwhile, the Government is extensively occupied with other projects which required borrowed money, and the Wellington public will not b* so inconsiderate as to chide the Government for not raising a loan, during the next few months, to begi& the- long* promised building, While the Ministry is waiting for a comparatively favourable money market, useful work can be done with the planning. Does the Railway Department believe that it has reached perfection with the sketch shown in the General Manager's report? Of course Mr. Hiley, as; a new arrival, whose duties have necessitated much travelling, has not ha-d sufficient time to take personal charge of euch. a large, far-reach-ing enterprise as a central station for Wellington. His part, in co-operation with the Minister, is to take all possible care to have a station planned on the best possible lines for inward and outward traffic, passenger and goods, especially the goods, which help well to reduce the losses on many a 1 paseenger train. Citizens, who wish to take every reasonable precaution against mistakes, and members of local bodies and their engineers, should all secure copies of that plan, and study it earnestly, while there ia time. A station and yard well planned will be an economy; the present scheme of makeshift stations is exceedingly wasteful. By the way, politician* and others, who speak of branch lines of railway in various districts as a "more urgent need" than the provision of adequate station facilities, are displaying an ignorance of the very rudiments of railway business. It is foolish to increase inordinately the lines of traffic without correspondingly improving the means of handling it at terminal points. Making the new lines first and the necessary terminal accommodation a bad second is the old absurdity of putting the cart before the horse or trying to sqeeze a quart into a pint measure.