NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 559, 14 July 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

~ It was a fine hubbub of words to which the Hon. A. T. Ngata treated the luncfc oon club yostorday. Thepublic will probably have a very empty and unsatisfied feeling when they have got to the end of the honourable gentleman's vaguo sonorities. "Fusion on the highest possible piano and. on a basis of mutual selfrespect," "the best physical- characteristics of the Maori race are worth preservi ing and transmitting," "education best adapted to a rapidly changing environment in a period of transition, ' ' the incorporation of Christian principles into the life of the people"—how well we know these phrases, so rotund, so big and swelling, and so utterly empty. We are really ! sorry to see this palceha trick adopted : by a leading Maori. But there is one statement in Mr. Noma's discourse which stands out like a rock amidst the'weltering foam of meaninglessncss—a fact of suprome value and significance: . It is recognised, naturally with some regret, that tho maintenance of the Maori as a distinct and separate race is impossible We,have for some time been saying the same thing with as much gcntlcnuss as possible', and we arc naturally glad to have the-endorsement of a prominent Maori who is also a member of the Government. The Maori cannot, bo maintained as a distinct: and separate race.' What good purpose, then, can bo j served by treating him politically as a distinctI and separate race? Thoonly excuse that has been put forward for the "special treatment" that regards tho Maori as a child in land matters—to the detriment of the nation—has been that the .Maori raco must ho' fostered as a Maori race. Tho only excuse that can be urged in defencic of the retention of separate Parliamentary representation is that as "a distinct and separate race" the Native has disi tinct and separate interests. Mn. Nqata has ; destroyed at a blow the one flimsy support of'those most pernicious tilings— the present Native, land policy and the Boparato representation of the Maori in Parliameut. Can wo look to Mb. Nqaxa

to back up his confession by action ? As an advocate of "fusion" of the races, he cannot logically avoid striving for the obliteration of the noxious political differentiation between the Maori and the pakeha, ' •

The terriblo story of the prevalence of 'sorcery and cannibalism in' New Guinea, which' wo publish in another column, quite upsets the "happy savage"; theory which many people still cling to. Not very long ago it was quite .common to hear people protest against any-outside interference with the pleasant, sunny life of blissful ignorance which the noble eavage was supposed to enjoy. Of ; course those who have been at close quarters with those untaught, races, and have actually lived among them, have a very different tale-to toll, and know nothing of that ideal, and altogether enviable, existence, free from care and trouble, with which the vivid imagination of the man at. a distance has so often endowed uncivilised man. Fifty years ago the missionaries had to apologise for their very existence,: but the testimony to the value of their work given by such competent and im- ' partiaiobserycrs as Charles Darwin, the great scientist, and Empire-builders like Sir Chahles Elliott, Sib;;; Andrew-. Fraser, and Sir Harry Johnston has changed all , that, It is true mistakes have been made, and-the missionaries may have devoted too much attention in the past to Europeanising their converts and clothing them in trousers or petticoats; but now, different methods prevail. The aim is not to'destroy the nationality or national customs of the people, but whore possible! to build upon them, only • eliminating those things which are absolutely incompatible with Christian morality. A distinguished missionary recently declared that missions conducted on the denationalising line must fail, but there Wore cus-, toms which could not be tolerated because they were subversive of justice and right. These included human sacrifices, infanticide, cannibalismi ordeal for witchcraft, and cruel punishments, which made savage life a constant terror. Work on these sano, scientific lines must have the sympathy of all right-thinking people. ■ ■•"

, JtrsT at present there is "a sudden passion for economy,",as the New York Post, calls it, in the various State Administrations; and the Federal Administration ; of Amorica, and the Post discusses i the politicians' '•"lip-tributes",to. the "'.virtues • of; retrenchment very instructively, "The great trouble," it says, "isjthat economy, is air abstract and , rather"; barren-virtue, while an appropriation' is a very concrete and;pleasant indulgence.". Our; American: contemporary thinks that "no abatement in the demands on the public purse is to be expected," and that "the really deter-, mined economist will have to look elsewhere* to make 1m savings"':' ....■;

These may, however, be effected) if administrators only have clear; eyes to Seewhere, waste may be stopped, and courageous hearts to move them ,to the work. They should, set themselves, first of all, to remove the old reproach'that the Svork of' government is always expensively done." Tin's comes about, in part, from having too many and too-pam-pered and top, inefficient , employees,-who'-got their jobs, not , in the interest' of tho service, but ill that of politicians.. A thorough weed-: ing out and toning up of the force would.re-, suit both in lower cost and higher efficiency. Similarly ■economies could bo made by centralising •tho purchasing departments, ; and ending tho scandal of having ;- tho . Govornment.so often pay much more than the.market: price. Vigorous chiefs of departments, with good heads for: system, could accomplish imtch in these ways, if they were given afreeliand. ; '■■• ;; -;•'' .-■;.■-■; -;' v,

The trouble in New! Zealand is that the clamour for public money has' been iCncouraged by the Government../ As. Sir Joseph Wahd said in . New-York: ! "We find out what the people want; and we give it to them." \Vc greatly doubt whether,: with.thi return , ;of good , : times'," tho : Gbvemnient will so behave as to discourage tho popular inclination to treat the State asia milch..cow.,'. For the/present the Government is profiisc in its protestations of virtuous intentions. But wo cannot.recall that any Minister has ever said, bluntly and briefly, : that what is wanted;-from cellar,to garret of the adminißtration, is a sweeping out of .the plague-spots. More; important, almost— certainly,. not less important—than : the. elimination of direct waste in the Departmentsis the discouragement of the seeker after-indefensible grants and benefits.

~. The Acting-Minister for Finahco to-day makes reply to the statement of the President of : the Auckland' Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Kent, as.to the financial results of last year's operations;: Mr..Kent contended that the, expenditure for the year had exceeded the. revenue by £584,328, whereas Sir Joseph .Ward had claimed that there was a surplus' over expenditure of £184,321.: Mr. MiLUß'has how ccme forward to demonstrate that Mr. Kent 'is wrong.and that the Prime MINISTER-. was right. As wo pointed out yesterday, tbo parties to the dispute viewing the position from/ different ■- standpoints., Neither dispute the accuracy of .the-fig-ures presented, $ut they disagree on the point as to what should be included in the actual revenue and expenditure for the year. Mr. Millar is quite correct in stating that the credit', balance at, the end of the , year was £184,321;. it is equally correct that at the, end of the year the Consolidated Fund tyas : £sS4,32B worse off than it was at the beginning.of the.year. The year began with a credit of £767,849j it ended with a credit of £184,321, -or £584,328 less. Both disputants are in agreement on this point, 1 and. the public will probably seize on it as the outstanding feature of the position, as it most cortainly is. . ;'■.■•■. ■ ■ : •■•>■ '.:.'.■•< ■'■'■■ '■-.

We hope—indeed, we do not doubt— that the workers are paying.attention' to the behaviour of some of the paid secretaries of the trades unions. In Christchurch the-noisy and voluble Socialists on the Trades 'and Labour Council have sucJ cecded in, driving some of the 'nibre sensible, unions into dissociating, ■themselves from the Council. In this city, and in other parts, trades-union secretaries arc not only doing little or nothing to, assist in dealing with' ; the unemployed., difficulty, but are ,even,'as Dr. Gibd pointed out yesterday, and as everybody, knows, seriously;checking the movements of private benevolence by their intolerable demand that full award rates : 'must be paid on any relief.works that are established. The trades-unionists aro only a small 'fraction.'of "the.'workers'!' and "the agitators who appear to have obtained tho upper hand in the labour organisations assurodly do not reflect the general feeling even of the trades-unionists. . Tho name "trades-unionist" has! already taken on an unpleasant significance which, does not attach to it. in other countries., .The public's niental dictionary, holds the, do-: finition of a unionist as a. conscienceless; and rapacious man with no sense of, jus-' tice or fair play whatever. Nothing could be more inaccurate and unjust than that estimate of the average union, worker. He suffers from his folly in allowing lm affairs to remain in the hands of leaders whose chief concern is to shape "the labour movement" ■to their personal: advantage, to stir up strife, and to make.; ii show of intellectual business by uttering' wild absurdities upon every sort of political question., Organised labour is in very bad hands, and) it cannot hope ever to obtain sympathetic consideration from tho public, or to break down the hostil-, itv of the public to .-trades-unionism, until it* secures wiser, more devoted, and more unßclfisti mon to lead it.