CURRENT TOPICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 247, 11 July 1908, Page 10

CURRENT TOPICS.

Bombast and Bombs. There is no minimising the seriousness of the Anarchist outbreak in India' (says the London "Express"). The Government, seems at last to have fully realised tho danger, Words have led to deeds, and bombast to bombs. .The mid and rcokless prating of political inqendiarics is now bearing its direct and. deadly :fruit., The bomb factory in Bengal has been organised with a Completeness and; thoroughness which iro most significant'to thoso"who "know"the repugnanco to personal danger usually, muni-, fested by tho Bengali.;', are of the most , deadly pattem, ;;and cpnstructed ;'with ;»•.diabolioal ; precision;which 1 ' it,;.takes sis months .to acliiovo.' . Arrangements, bad been .made. for : -t-h'eirv;circiilatibnl and'distriliution .throughoutrlridia. . The-bo'nibs>of <the Hindu Anarchisms;.ha, ving s been taken from ■ them— though;; some ijaro believed - to;; bo still in, circulation-ftheKare : reverting--hast, and we ;read-?,that they lay claims to ''heroic ; conduct" deagns:?Vj;We . hope the. Govern men tropin di a will see to,. it that these, wonld-Jj.e'; assassins have .full and effective'punishment jncted out to them, and that no legal or oth'or.-subtleties will.be-. permitted to make SatJway; of escapo. . ihe occurrence of, these:;.butrageß -in itself _ind,iBates' a.. certain -failvire ;in the Administra; : iion: It must" vindicate - itself from any suspicion by, tho- Resolute manner in whjcli it sets itself .to stainpiout'; the : sedition whioh it has allowed :t6 ispread.;v Let; it he, taken in future as an axiom of rule over Orientals that bombast, if not promptly; suppressed, iwill soon .be accompanied by bombs.

The House of Commons. , ■ The Speaker, of.-tho House..of,. Commons, cave a. most interesting address' in tho Royal Gallery of the Palace of "Westminster concerning' the : Houso over-which .ho- pre- ; sides. 'He had'heard the maiden speech' of every member of the present" Government. The Houso;;always: appeared to him. to be in certain "respects' a .'Veryvsingular'. assembly.:-. First of till. tlifiv must- never, forget that it was-- the electoral, chamber. 0 f the nation. Other countries such as America and Franco' had a • chamber > specially constituted for the purpose of choosing their President, .'the 'man who .was:.to;,rulo' them for. a;fixed or an: indeterminate number of years, and-when' they : had selected ■ • ' ■ their President their, function was' overJike, ' that of certain ephemeral insects; whose, whole 'object in life was to, lay' an, egg und: then die. Tho Houso of Commons was hot only the parent" of: tho Government,, hut also the critic of the Government, , and "might, in-. ' "Seed, become(its accuser, its judge,'rand .its "executioner; and.-'in thfitrespcot' it/dix- '•' fered widely from ;tho otiLGr; clGctdfal chains, bers lie had \ mentioned.....-. The Hou§e'-' of' Commons: was, above all: things,/ail ; educa- "" ting medium, the placo. where grievances Blight be discussed and a.remedy .found, or. ' pushed on 1 .. one '.sideas ■ not deserving.'::ai: remody, or,; as was usually rthe-case, afeomk promise arrived! atri HoYwas .'constantly • struck with "the extraordinary, continuity of. the body over which:-he. hod the honour/tb' preside. :»The King's consent vto: Acts":, of ' Parliament:was given in old Norman Prench, which sounded rather astounding consider-: ing that it; /waß.attvEnglish^King.addressing■' : English peers and commoners,.- and all formal communications between- the Honso.of. Commons. and tho '. Lords wero still earned on to this .diy ; (in : ;old 'Norman" French, maintaining the-'fonns^that-:wero..in use hundreds of' jears"! ago.: ?iHexV/ould..vary much regret if .tho Mldforms'Tv'ero'changed;. . thoy ■ conveyed , everything: ■ they, .wanted, ■ to. convey, and the. continuity, of tho | ancient assent. It. was often said that jt was. a wonder the ; House of -Commons did its work'as v well.;as . : it- did character ,of .:.thQ.": assembly,:; its i want 1 -"' of: homogeneity,:'67o members . drawn.-from vail- " parts of the .country,, representing : allclasses ? differing in , and in' the lives .they r.had led",. jand.lthe'-vi'ows:'that' ■ they, held.. upon .politics, <• and chosen - ally at a time of> great' electoral. excitement-.-Then let them , think of the stupendous task', v they . had to . carry , out.;in'governing :/-this/. .-.■■■ country,. tbe\dependencies abroad, and tho ■ ; Colonies, the clash of - interests t.'and v'; of ,:. classes,' and .the . differences of .creed in .'the- . millions over whom tho House of ' Commons. ruled, and; the marvel was that the House' 'was able to do it; at all. ... . .'v:;..'.

Women's Suffrage. . Writing -in -"The ■ Commonwealth"., on women's suffrage, .Mildred Ransom states'.—.. Those condemn the' clamour. of . suffraV gists and -who object to ; militant-,methods should at least consider 'anotherpoint' r of yiow. When women" who are by natureiawabiding and gentle lose'their' most prominent; characteristics, and engage in street fighting, ; clamour at meetings, and' indulge in exhibitions of like nature; the wise "man* :will t ask what has transformed .them.jV'.sfl '. m ay. bo content with platitudes on present'day. manners, but if so ho will, not get toof the matter.'"' Surely 'it is'not',unreasonable to assert that when hundred!'ot educated, gently nurtured women; containing-in-their ranks, do6tors, "University Women,- women .of title, and 'eTery-bther'typo'of'Jwonian To" whom 'appearances j'and' conventions ,aro; idear, brave the stinging, remarks 'of the mob, arid march in deep mud to protest-against, their exclusion from the franchise as thoy /did last June; they feel a real grievance ancl suffer under a- sense I 'of deep ; wrongi i.- Thd matter cannot be-'disiriissed by'platitudds, tibr can it bo settled, by,'the'- police. •' No agitation which is based on tho inalienable right of every, human r being to -have a direct voice in the government of' tho' country can'''be suppressed, more especially in so i healthy-' minded a'.- country y as- ours; - - The 'agitation will go on, and as each effort—constitutional or lawless •— fails, ; stronger efforts will .'bfc 1 made. Is it not timo that' our opponents abandoned their timid and illogical attitude; and acknowledged that our sox ought riot to bo dobarred from so lawful a claim?" :

Cost of Living at Oxford. Mr. G. R. Scott, Acting Principal; Oxford University, Day. Training College, .writes to, the " Toynbee Record " on the cost,of living at Oxford. .' He says:—"l find that many, individuals in London, and some important public bodies, think, :or did think,, that, it io not desirable for ariyono to matriculate hereunless ho:cau''command £140 or oven £150 a year during the whole period, of . his under-' graduate life. . If such a .sum <wero -neces-.' sary, the Training Collcgo for which I stand could not exist. As the result, of much careful inquiry from the officials of different Colleges in this University, and from students of our Training I have como to tho conclusion that the minimum sum por annum which a man ought to bo ablo; to command from all sources before-ono can safely tako the "'responsibility of advising him tovcome into residence is about £80 if ho is to be a non-collegiate student, and £110 if bo is to bo a member of. a carefully ■ chosen college. I mean: "those figures to include books, clothes,., and pocket-money for the ' whole ' year, only that' he 'can get his board i and lodging free at his parents' homo in vacations. For initial expenses in tho first year.porhaps £10 additional is needed by a non-collegiate student, and £20 at most colleges. Tho man who possesses this-mini-mum must, of course, not be ashamed to con-, fess himself a poor maii, ■ and .deny himself many things which his-moro well-to-do companions may rightly afford. But a man-of character can at this figure get all the main benefits which ought to be his object in coming to the University." • ' - ■ Byzantium's Golden Age. "M. Andreades, a professor at the-Uni-versity of Athens,, has been lcctunng in-tho Hellonic capital- on vthe Einperors of Byzan-r tium-and their profuso expenditure, _on the, construction of churches and.monasteries, -in the maintenance of their :; legions. of : mercenaries, and the cost of representing the Empire in foreign countries/* says, the -West-

minster! Gazetto." "Tho monasteries and churches wore as oxpensivo to keep up as fortresses. Tho", church of St. Sophia, Constantinople, cost to build tho" fabulous sum of 300,000- gold-lires, equal to 394,000,000fr., which in tho prosent day would bo equivalent to £60,000,0001 After the taking of Constantinople, tho Crusaders guaranteed their Emperor, "Biudouin," a: daily sum of 30,000 gpld pieces. .".The totgl annual revenue of tho Byzantino.-Empire was estimated by M. And-' reades at an amount .which would now bo of tho : value of not loss,;-than £140,000,000. Soinoof the Emperors-left, at their death, more than £40,000,000 each. It was tho goldon age of' Byzantium; but it camo to an end when, the. successors of Michael Paleologue deprived tho country of fleet and mmy,' , 'dndipav«l:'tlid , :wa'yVfoT''the Byza'ntino debacle."

M. Lb President. Pallieres/' tho President of the'Fren'bh Republic;-is sprung like his predecessor, M. Loubet, from tho bourgetisio," says B;' B. ' CSiapman ''in 1 "M.A.P;" "His greatgrandfather" ; and''.'grandfather were blacksmiths ;at' Villeneuvo 'do Mezin. Grandfather iFallieres^'was; a-.inan.with the physi-cal-strength pf- : a-'Samson"ancl tho determined spirit: and' -'Unconquerable will of tho hardheaded, .intelligent Gascon. In courso of time ho succeeded J to ; tho family forge, and became so prosperous that ho was able to remove .to' "a'--larger ;im'itKy at Mezin. Fprtune J "cont-inu6d' t6., sm'ilo"' r on the blacksmith. He mado'-Jnoneyr'and shved nearly all he made.?-His son r Pierre received a sound edu.cation—a rare thing in thoso days—and from 'this .Jiffifi -forwafd" tho"/ Fallieros family de-serted-'the- anfii for the Jaw. Pierre became a surveyor-and valuer/ arid afterwards was appointed.-.registrar- and - clerk to the local ..magistrate.-.; -Following 'in' his father's footsteps, -his'sbiv^Jmandy-also studied for the Jaw...,. Tho jjorag, man, who was destined .to '.become, Presulent ; of-'--the ; French Republic, took ,his,. degree,., practised,.at the Nerac Bar, 'and'wiis' 'elected' Mayor' of Nerac. His poll--ticil-oafwr-since:lß76:is r a : matter of histoid, .gave'andi excepting the.faot that, unlike Barkis, he has never'been'willing. Ho has himself said'that ho'neither,, sought nor desired .political advancement. Still, there he is, in-tstilled-'/at.iUo.illysoe, iand with philosophic Tgsignatibn making the best of a not very bad job.-L-iHis retiring, disposition and lovo of economy , are his strong, characteristics. He has:..reuucGdi tho;,numbor: of .horses in tho .;stablps;«f tho Elysee froni' thirty to three, or rthereabouts.. He'- has- cut down his Civil and 'Military ', Households, ".and has mergod tho : inj»l 0h0.,,; Ho.saw,,no. necossity for re,taining> General-iii-Commancl in the Elysee, -Vo.-gave.'; hima'-'week's "notice. '. No dis"tinguished 'ehef rules nowadays in tho Presi-dential,kitchen,'-"a woffian-eook from Gascony does'.-tlie; ■tv'ork, .;' No gorgeous fiunkoys fling 'open the; doors of the Stato apartments when the'-. President arrives or departs. There is no,.mpro ;cCTemony~bf',ostentation in the life | he,;loads; than„jn the.,lifp of the.humblest , senator." "- "...

University Extension. :In..;an! clC'iii',':" The . Commonwealth," "" Wychif Mr. E. B.V-^VlTeolwright'. .Oxford succeeds 'betwoen classes,' otner. . universiti.es; J .^ill,'probably follow' her lea'dr'/Perihanent ccntrb;.'of 'teaching with a TMident tutor .'may.,be/ established in tho'provincial'. - : .i}est. equipped, and successful scholars wilFtheri look forward as th : pir 'gr V.courso of study lfli.tho atmospherp";bf. _tft% v university .itself. ■In "the wiso worcls'.'of thp~Bishop of Hereford, "Thus will 'the ancient. University become 'more'truly', and, hidrV.i filly, a .pervading national influence,, .a of thoso ideal, aims'W'hicn;.'are'" ,'salt' of human •society." It is" easy to. sc'orri this movement '/as'..' Utopian'' y and Jdhtt Wyclif '.was... undoubtedly Utopian .even as More and Buskin' tto- men who havo •allowecli great reforms have usually beon 'of; neces'sary, expansion. They havo becil ,^en';of : i 'stjv[Bd''wigdbm and _ hardy manhoptl'; : hrfVq" ; i;ejecte'(i"all timorous and 'depressing estimates 6f3iuman progress; they .>Mjr6'."ft}swfittl;jr .iS6ked"!upon; human society .".'sub' jSpecie 'beni;"' iiiid'they 'havo preached tfip : .'-estehlishmont u 'ef l: tho ; ' ."'Kingdom " on Earth u ,-''thr"duglHenlarged ; 'and quickened- conceptiQn'3 The work of all 'seels r ' and ••'reformers,'from'lndia to Greece, ■ fronP-Palestine to'-'Amorica, : has been quick"'ejied''by .this/note of-'idealism; It is present amongst ills''to-day. It .'quickens the pulse of "■Christian ' Socialism " ,-i.it compels' men to as :4 against 'all the ■injustice,' "grde'd,- that are • bound "jip with the methods of the body ;It\/is workings with. -, the slow pro-'e'essos-of- ovolution: ; fof«the progress .of man.

in r'Russia.,,^ : ,Wo always Ithouglit; (says ; the "Guardian") ■ thafr the Itr.ue' pglicy'-of:Russian reformers was to get some-sort of-Legislature into working order* with.ltho least .possible delay, and not to troublo-. themselves overmuch about tho extent of the powers- conferred on it in the first thesowere morally certhin t'oigroW. ithe Duma's right of control-over.-.expenditure, limited though that, right mayrbev,/contains tho germ of an ;flfier(uit'^Parliamentary.:-systom, and, the assembly is. i ,airfeady.;.-sti'ong...enough to. have tlfe'.Minister fprjFinance into-exclaim-,.irig the otter ;da^^r' God wo havonot a/iParliariTeat-'.'; which.; was ' shiwdly taken by" his hear'erkv to ;.mean-.~that M. Kokovtsoff realised jthftt.' Russia'had,,at length-something : of -a; Parliament,^an.d,,.pne ( . which - would not !fefcov&-mer%»-wr|unctpry- view 9f its duty tpj reYisp >tie.r Estimates. Tho words wero resented,-and-the President of the Duma-- pronounced- .thorn-, "unfortunate," .'thougt refusing-, to,-allow- a discussion on .them,;, it-.- Stolypin, .ho.weverj stood by his colleaguo,.-and, threatened to resign,'if- the President .did -not retract his censure. This tlio. President managed to do with some appearance of. dignity, and,_tho incident camo to an end. But the Premier has unwittingly strengthened the ' infant Parliamentary insisting ori the " solidarity" of Ministers

Women Toachers..,,... " "In" the ipublio schools of all grades in tho United States," only twenty-three per cent, of all tho- teachers are-males," writes Mr, Stanley Hall/ in tho "World's Work." "In ■several' less than 10 por ccnt: J ; and-.this..p_rop,ortion;is steadily decreasing. ;.If iwe-eliminate; the high school, where 'th6 ? prop'ortion,.,of, malo;toachers is larger, and also" tho; principals ofjihe grammar schools, 'rto.stjy. tnony.-.-the.: proportion of women becomos . still-larger.-?ln . fact, most, and in maiiy. cities tnoarly: all, !of the grade teaching, of. children .from ; six to. fourteen, to say nothing of the kindergarten, is dono by women. Indeed,, a very largo proportion of , boy 3 , and ;girls:.who only satisfy tho requirements'.of the-law .in :their. attendance never comb' under tho influence-: of a male instructor^.'""Occasionally,' a boy oven graduates from."the liiglr school 'and is taught by a man for the first'time after ho enters college;'/'.This, army .•■ of women teachers is now the:main bulwark. in our'.Tepublic of citizenvoters, against all 'the evils of illiteracy and ignorance. " They- are . paid only a wretched average |wage of. 43d015., .and not infrequently loss than 30d015., ,'a'month. , Moro, than half of them have had no professional training whatever,- and-but relatively fow have taken full courses. One of tho most, ob.vious ".effep.ts of, this progressive femiiiisatioii of the pedagogic force is a chango in tho spirit" and method of- discipline: A few generations''ago,''when; men very commonly taught children, discipline ; was severe. Now, under, woman's influence, tho rod is banished by'sentimentr'ahd 'commonly by law, and cannot, bo resorted to oven in emergencies, for'tho methods of moral suasion, lovo, or at'wbrst a system of. marks and potty penal- •. ties?: Koto taken the placo of drubbings. I think r it; is impossible'riot to connect a eer'tain wildness- tho fo'minisation of. .the'.schools. For a long time I kept clip-pings-'on outbreaks Qf.,,hoodlumism, from wliich it is plain that tlibso aro increasing in this country in numbers and in gravity.' •