AFTER THE REVOLUTION.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14404, 11 July 1912, Page 6

AFTER THE REVOLUTION.

China seems in process of furnishing another proof that the circle from desl potism through revolution back to despotism mpy ho covered quickly. Tho rejiorts in our cable newe to-day of tho chaos into which tho country has fallon will surprise no ono except those* who think revolutions aro bound to succoed because they deserve to. People who bore in mind tha peculiar circumstances of tho situation—tho old civilisation of China, the innate conservatism of tho people, tho poverty and ignorance of the masses, and their indifference to public affairs, tho differences of race and language, tho great area of the Empire, and tho lack of means of communication, were dubious about the success of tho astonishing movement planned by I>r. Sun-yqt-sen. Thoso who planned the revolution wero actuated by tho loftiest aims, and tho state of China was such that all AVestern people wished them -well. But a revolution started on its way is liable out of hand, and bo lost in the jungles of human selfishness. Dr, Sun-yat-sen and his colleagues ssem to havo faded "from the stage, and we havo in plnco of 'their ideals a welter of bloodshed, financial chaos, ! nnd corruption.. V Tho second state of China is worse than tho first, and it may continue to be for somo time. The revolutionaries attempted to do what history shows cannot bo done, to make a nation run beforo it can walk. They ■sought to imposo at once on China a Constitution Non tho AVestorn model with an entirely new head to tho Empire, rije old Dowager Empress was wiser. She resolved that the transition must bo slow, so sho decreed a gradual adoption of AA'estern institutions, leading up to tho summoning of a national Parliament in 1917. But, unfortunately, few of tho great reform* sho planned as preliminaries got beyond tho paper stage, the Government continued to bo selfish and corrupt, and tho revolutionaries,, who belioved that national regeneration would follow automatically on the overthrow of the dynasty, produced an upheaval. The result is that China has lost tho old oentral authority, which, bad as it was, had a groat centripetal force, and has nothing adequate to put in its placo. Of tho many factors thnt aro producing tho present chaos, two are specially powerful. Tho crcat , naBS of tne people take no intelligent interest in public affairs; they have all they can do to make a living. Thero is a great dearth of men who are both capablo and honest in the conduct of such affairs. The old curso of China, tho disposition of so many men to givo and tako bribes, or to divert money from its proper channels, operates even more disastrously under present conditions .than it did in tho days of the Empire. "Tho imperious need for "China," says a Japanese authority, "is the establishment of a strong ccn- " tral Government, whether Republican "or Monarchical, -which will, if need "ho, -with ruthless-hand, givo peace, "order and unity to the distracted "country." Disorder will continue until somo strong man is thrown up who will hammer it into order.

The absence of any evidence at the i Cost of Living Commission as to the . increas, or otherwise of the chemist's ' bill led a representative of tho "New Zealand Herald" to mako some en--1 quiries on his own account. His mii vestigations did not throw much light [ on tho question whether there has been , any rise in the price of physic, but he picked up some interesting information. Ono chemist, for instance, told him that a surprising number of 1 people doctor themselves nowadays. ''They know what things cost, and they know pretty well what they're for. AYe often have proscriptions brought in. written by the custodier, who saves tho doctor's fee. By-and-by tho man goes further, and buys his materials by weight, three-penn'orth at a time, and does his .own dispensing. And, of course, we can't blame him." Well, | hardly—especially as what tho chemist ; described as the "increase of medical j knowledge" is good for tho chemist's • trade, because it means an increased turnover. Oue gathers that the man

who saves.in doctor's fees spends more with the chemist, which is what might be expected. And as in the end he probably has to go to the doctor, tho latter does not lose much. Indeed, amateur doctors are like amateur lawyers—they both help to keep the professionals busy. The Auckland chemists who were interviewed were, not unnaturally, reticent as to their profits on various lines, except that they were too small. One, however, put tho profit on proprietary medicines in tho original packages as "perhaps less than 20 per cent.," which strikes ono as a fair thing for the retailer. But if the chemist likes to forego tho benefit of the world-wido advertisement that is given to many popular proprietary medicines, ho can do ix littlo better. If tho goods are bought unpacked, as they can be, by any chemist, and put up in his own packages, they leave a far larger margin. There is, for instance, a famous liver pill which sells at Is, and is purchased by the chemist for IOJd. with the maker's name upon it. Uought in bulk for disposal under the chemist's own label, it can be obtained for 3d, and still sold for ls. A patent ointment, sold for Is 6d, is bought with its trademark for ls 3d; without "tho brand that sellV' it costs 6'd. Thero is also a reference to soaps which "cost 4d a cake and sell readily for ls." The enquirer was given to understand that if medicine is moro expensive than formerly, it is due to the rise in tho cost of drugs. But on that point a wholesale drug merchant had something to say. "People who complain about the cost of medicine don't know anything about the matter," he said. "When a man pays for medicine, it's not tho drugs he pays for. There may be only two-penn'orth of drugs in tho proscription ; it's the skill of tho doctor he pays for." It is generally understood that that is what the patient pays for when he pays the doctor's foe. Apparently, in somo cases in Auckland, he docs it again when he pays the chemist for the medicine. The chemist himself, of course, is in business purely as a philanthropist. Perhaps tho most piquant development of tho Presidential campaign is the petition from Republican officeholders, asking Mr Taft to withdraw his candidature. Seeing that many of these peoplo were appointed by Mr Taft or members of his Cabinet, ono might cspoct gratitude to come into play at such a time, but fear of losing their livelihood is a much moro potent force than that. If a Democrat i 3 elected President, many of theso officials will go out; for such is tho vicious system under which a considerable proportion of public offices are filled in America. It is true that "tho spoils to tho victors" principle is not worshipped so much as it was. There was a time when every minor official in tho country was dismissed when thero was a change of party at tho White House, but happily the number of people whoso livelihood stands in this peril has been considerably reduced. In 1902 thero wero 230,C00 Federal Civil Servants in the country, and there must be about 300,000 by now. In time, no tho whole of the Civil Service will J>e put on a sound footing, but it is a slow process, for patronage is very sweet.

Tho humble necessary hen appears to becoming into. her.owp at last. Tho other day the Now South AVales Minister for Agriculture spoke of this useful fowl in terms approaching adulation, and now the British Board of Agriculture is going to patronise her. The Now Zealand Utility Poultry Club, which has for years been running an annual egg-laying competition, with very moderate Government assistance, will hear with enyy that tho British Utility Club is to receive a grant of £500 for a twelve months' competition for a hundred birds. This should encourage tho hens to do thair best. Hitherto tho club has been able to conduct winter-laying contests only. There will be some curiosity on this side of the world to sco how tho results of this well-subsidised test compare with thoso of tho competitions at Hawkesbury and Papanui.