PRESS OPINIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 142, 10 March 1908, Page 11

PRESS OPINIONS.

V iCOLONIAL DEFENCE. . Wo are afraid .it .must be-conic-ssc:! that th 6 (lot'eiicf),'sys't'ciiv ; iii .Now .Zcalaiicl' rests at'tho; prescni.'T tnno upon . a : satisfactory : basis. - No one .cloiibts thiiu, as Sir Jbsbph.-AVarcl said, last week.-in 0110 ol' Lis ; specchris 'in tlio- North;' the .'mule population would fisllt; r to tho last man in.'^order,to.repel; an! invading;aruiy: ! if our naval'.dcfenco should . profoto bo incifeetivq.' .But, a .stubborn,! '. uii'vicldiiig''dotcrminati6ii, oil thb. part ."of., tho- .'. " defendiiijs'.forces-.'wigfit"■ lj'ot'bo,; very . service-' . able if thay wcro untrained and .undisciplined.- ; 'While pluck and marlcsinariship:..irb;, : iipt: : t6'; ■. "bo ..undorrated, it 'cani;ot..;bo pretended : that- ■ ■; thoy arb'sullicjeht;tb. If .■ they."were,"wo liiight •' as Veil' 'disband .• our •••• •.Volunteers >it:.once anditrlist to;the.national, i' v.spint'of tho coniniunifcy to protect itif a tiiho of. cmergeiic.V. should arise, as- it quito con-; . ceiVably" iiiay in :tho' near;.future.' '*■ it 'is .re"cosiiisedj jhoiveyc'r, ..that' any-such policy, of' : ' 'laissSz-fairo . would liia 'piucidal." .. ; . ;\\o/ai^.:iiotvincl|ned ; ;to.;agre'o. with tho' opinion which''Ui;.\' Mackchzie .oxpressed jthat ' theVfuoveiiieht' in favour ■ of iuriivei'sal inilitary ; .;; ' . training (and arming of. tho peoplo .is cxceed-.. .;';'ingiy :'pbliu!aK / Hut a-.patribtic 'duty is :ini-. posiJd l ;upon- tho place/tho v; dofeiices Of such' a'l'obting ' ■ os may reasonably bo expected 'to cflect the security; 6f,-;thp : ; . .'lf tho per-: '.. 'of, such- a duty' should,!ba'popular, f ... so much tho bitter. for tho Government; but, though it should bo an unpopular step,, '.;aiti'uly/Statesnianliko Government would not; shrink [from .it.'; ■ ; There is, "however;-'lio'rea-;. ' .. . son "to siipposp that a proposal for. tho ' in-\ 1 stitiitioii* of va" system' of /universal training, though-it .'might .not bo', popular,,, would bo . " violently ressnted. • <Mr. : l3eakin, at 'a_)iyratG;' has.';ndt {found in\ : Australia .that his ' .the land defences of the.; ■ Cbminpnivealtli .by-,,tlip ! adoption ' of-. a plan.. : fpr;tlio,''forfiiation of a .national corps of de-i' ,'. 'fenc^'. iii: : ;whicli ; : every young : man' 'ia tho v, ■■ country .would ' Jiavb to serve . during . his ■fj ninpteei^thV.tWentieth; and tweiityrfirst years," has.- excited , any fprmidalile' opposition.;' Tho; /..j.;intelligehco; of.-.tho- ; 'public 'must;*• coilviuce it ; .•^•'.that'VanjrV.selfTsacrificb' ywWck" may bo'-en- • '.ivlMi-iWW'.-. ; :i>ldivis('Ußlß'iythrpjigh :tho: in-, • 'Btitutiofu- ofr- •• of; .universal, .national. .■training''will•, be'::amply//repaid: through • tho ■k increased; protection;,;that.; will thereby,bo ensiired tov-uh«S : lives, .and.J: property: of; tho: ' colonics:lt IST impossible, indeed, ,to believo that ' onco' .the' public : of -..New r Zealand 1 isy. . arousid; from the state" of "apathy iiito'which ' it' seems"'to : -Isavo falleu/ antl' onco it is, if nfced;be;;: assured that; the;. only' real safe'-" • ~ gukrd'it;./:aii "possess against "tho possibility of •theVpcbupation i'of tho."land-' by -'aVforeignj; probably,')by.,:a:,cplo'ure4y' army;;'lies:in the .iri-.j - "stitiltion' of 1 to'mpulsory; iiiihfary;' - , : trairiingj.it' will not 1 welcpme'.with'' enthusiasm ■ prop6sitiohVfor'-'thd ;.;ad6ptipn. ';6f 'suclii a " V:.;i' scheme*"A'iid■ failing>",bptt'cr .'Support;' botli f ;irtsideVand;bt(tside'th'e'.seryicei for;.the Voluiimust;..cpnto ; .... tii a. system";of uuiversartraining,' if shfc" i'sj: to luivo iii her ability to resist successfully any 'atteiiipt to invado her' shores —' ■ ."Otigo Dally Times." ' ' . ......c-I'l,' ' : '," > ' :NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL 01? MUSIC. " '.; V /"Wllethor, it -is; or. i is; no t desirable'to 'estab- . lish -'a 'NoWi'Zealand music-schoor or con- i : servatoire is a question now under . , oh'.ywhich'! professipnal seems'greatly'; divided.;;/ It.' is;':amatter'; in'; which' personal ■; interests' are 'necessarily,;-'closely--'involved, . ■ andAth'iis: one. which it-Us, difficult for,., profes-; : j sipildl '. . and '' nius'ic-teachers—the' v: terms .are, -not.' necessarily. synonymous—to : ' / approach .without suspicion of bias. . All .our .local physical-conditions ■aro favour- " ablej and'nci doubt;th'ero':is;a wealth .ofymusi-;; cal talent ill New. Zealand, which,' it., had . ; oppprtuniticbyof - culture .'-"up.' : to'! vthe ' very" ''high'est point/ w'ould' enablb' its 'pdssessors' to ' ;;; . ; vmake; names ;.for'; : themselve(S| as '- vocalists''or'' ' -'instrumentalists,-.ibut, the : ! 'present;; closed, to ,bf;gpin.g;,either:^;tJti. ; Khglaiid' or;,fchcj . ;;.VContinent, .-...and themselves j in'.'r. thohands, of .(master, .trainers;:;. :: ;A : ,Nev/i;Z.ea!and'y ■i> : ' School .'of -Music:. would .;'meet.. ; ./:their''iiecds. Vi ■.I . iri'Jconhectibn ,: ( w;ith, : o'tio; ..of, • our. 'university:: ;; cPliegesjg:.';; ;: ; it;.wero ;. sirablb 'to icakd; the,;Cpuservatbirb independ;ent; -of i^University;.;bdiitikjl,''' v;hy should not. the'Covernment establish; a; Central. National ; ~School: of Music ? :". Technical. schools» of 0110 sort andanother' abound.; ....Great...encouragbmenii .is :given to driiwing and diplomns •' rccbgnis'ed by. the South; Kensington authbri-;.' ..tics ar'o giveu;for proficiency, in tho.art.-'V,:hy ;; ; should not . somethiiVg:;a'nalbgbu's bo doho for ni.usic?. j,'Under the influence of a well-stalfed*- ; ; copservatoiro musical -. iristructibn -would, bo-.raised,--and 'ai'deniand ; fbr - better music would . he : created; , Tho ■ ; /general public would soon bo sufficiently edu- ;-. cated'.tp .rcquiro^/.frohi' teacher' tho : pos- ■ sessioii;- of-a; diploma or; other'-.certificate' of ; competency, aud'/gradually Hhoso ,who,'hay,o. ;i ■ !;. neither, thbi'scientilio knowledge nbr practibal- , skill to.;teach',Would;'ißo- iyeeded, out,', to,tho" . 'Herald.'.';, ~ U h ■ V.v,./-.. •:,> . SCARCITY OP BOY LABOUR ' So. far as these colohies aro concerned, ,we : v should . lilidv to see public directed; - \to/'the'ldeep-seated; caused. which' lie at ,: tho 'root of thb : dilficulty : n'ow coniphinbd'of. First of all there is tho.diminishifig birthrate,- . ing: Jlke'. a vhie'nacihg shadow' over /the; futuro '. - ' prospects 'of thpso..y.ojing ( -countries, ,\vi)ich, iritli .;their,ilargb,' : area bf 'fruitful land' and -, thejrrpronijsing ■;iridtistricsi'. »ro : -simply''try-; ! iiig! oufcj foij 'labour- tb' deyeiop, thenii S\o .should prefer to .seo this want 'su])plicd by;' y / increasp.,of-, tho'.population,' .But,:-'. ; failing thjs, .recourse mii'st .bo had to judicicu3 , i immi'gratipli,■ unless .. development'v i 3, to ho : ' . brought to a standstill, and we'are to be left :■ , practically,-.defencbless;;; before'.; tho - inter-; national dangers Another "point, to .which, attention..has been' ■ ; ... drawn: is,.,tho Restriction'-.iimpbscd ihy .bur.: lab-: our. legislation on the - employment of boy ' - ■ labour v This''-has.': a Uloubly pernicious of- -. : - • feet:'v In. tho fireplace, it prevents many ; . boys 'from learnin'g-a; trade; and practically ' ' forces theni'into the ranks; of unskilled iah-' V our, .whilo, at .tho 'sanip. ti.mo the industries ' ;; themselves,:, iu.'.soma instances,' are crippled ' . : .and: so Vgivo less' employment . to, adult work- ; ers than ..would otherwise bo tho ease. Tlio' /'.great lesson -.which - tho LabeurrSoc:alist3:. ,have- to learn is - that - the way to benefit - .. .. tho:workers is to .enco.urago'the "expansion : of, - industries, not to aim .'at theiiv reot-riction.— . Christ-ehurcli ;.','Press."...; J .''>'■;. : v' I ';' 1 ELECTRICAL PO^ER . On 1 tho principlo of . " Better : late than never," ive-are glad to learn that, the Gov-, ernuient havo at length managed -to: view tlio question of utilising the water power, of: tho r colony from' a co'innlonsenso standpoiiit. "Wo; • cordially -approved tho action, cf the-Ministry ; ; in' r tho first instance in getting' expert re- : • "porto on,; tho water/power .resources of tho . colony. ; . Then, howevor,-. .they,,, appeared.. . . 'cither' to. loso. their', heads,altogether,; or else they .'determined, at .whatever ..cost' to use : tho water: power question merely as an elcc- -; tioneering stalking horse. ~To talk of keep- ' ing - the production ;of. hydro-electric power' as'a-; Stato monopoly was no doiibt calculat-ed,: to plea3o the Socialistic party, but .a more, ' elfectivo' means of stopping'- all- progress in, -' this direction could scarcely "havo been de- - vised. ' Tho' W'ailii^- Goldinining Company, w'ero prevented from installing s 'a very largo-hydro-electric ' plant, although they "offered thd|most fair and reasonable terms for the purpose of conserving the, public rights... It ; may ; have been that - the -interests of tho Shareholders hhvo been better served by tho ..decision the directors: to' use producer: gas,/but-the Dominion lost tho benefit of a most valuable object lesson,.illustratingV,'hat could,-ho done in; tho direction of utilising' ' : shine- of the 'hydraulic .power at present' ruii- . . niilg to waste' among our •' niountains.' Sir . Joseph'\Vard'is now convinced'that tho colony .cannot raise tlio -money nccessary for parrying out tho large electrical schemes • at 7 ono tiino held up-.befuro the-admiring eyes of the public, and that'it'will bo far better: to ••'leave.' such'' work to private enterprise, due earo being taken that tlio right 3 • ' of the public are safeguarded. Wo heartily, oongratulato tho Primo Minister 'on having ; come to this.commonsense, business-like eon-: elusion;- - It is. a pity-that it was not arrived at much ehrlier, when • valtmblo timo might . have been; saved. - Moreover, privato enter-' prise, once daunted, often needs a good deal . of encouragement before it can be induced to • . make.a fresh start.—Christchurch "Press."