NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 600, 31 August 1909, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Me. J. M. Twomet, formerly a: member of the Legislative Council, has been anything- but kindly, disposed towards the Government Bince < his retirement. That is a fact, however, which in nowise tells against his indignation at the action of the Hon. J. A. Millae in allowing Me. Craigie, M.P., to drag him_ off to inspect "the furniture and sanitation of a .couple of rooms" at the Timaru railway- station." As Me. Twomey very justly puts it in his paper, the Temuka Leader y"The country pays Mr. Craiqie £300 a year to assist m making our laws, and Mr.'J. A.' Millar £1350 a year, be J sides £200 a year house allowance, and £l 10s.; per day travelling allowance. Besides this his ,private secretary gets £300 a year salary, and 15s. per day expenses." And Me. Twomey very pertinently asks -whether all this money is paid to enable the sanitary arrangements at railway statibns to be inspected. "Has Me. Ceaigib,"' he continues, "any sense-of proportion? Can he not see the incongruity of men occupying the positions of Ministers being subjected to attend to what really is witnin the functions of the junior porter of the station? Does He. Ceaigie really think he, has been sent to Parliament to attend to these matters?". Me. Craiqie, 'of course, orrs through ignorance. But we certainly had thought that Mr. Millae .was above this sort of thing, whatever some of his colleagues might, descend to. I

The of . the Wellington Board of Education (Mr. Lee) deserves the thanks of the community for once more directing notice to the fact that greater attention should be given to the .teaching of'reading, writing, and arithmetic in our primary schools. It is quite; clear that our system of education must be regarded as far from satisfactory unless boys and girls who pass through it can read well, write clearly, and have an accurate and intelligent knowledge of arithmetic. It is worso than useless to' a.dd subject after subject to tho syllabus, as long as these fundamentals of cdnca- : tion are not thoroughly taught. Many complaints have been made from time to time as to the' slipshod, way in which tttoy of oUf jNiimg pfonoujQoa tho'.

English language, and the community has a right to look to our schools to remedy this defect. The great opportunity for this is the reading lesson.' We cannot perhaps learn much from bygone ages in the matter of education gonerally, but in regard to the proper use of the languago \vo ! might well take a lesson from tho educational methods of the Roman Empire. Most olaborato care was taken in tho grammar schools and schools of rhetoric to givo the pupils a thorough mastery of thoir own language. Tne pupils, we are told, were "required to read aloud clearly, correctly,, and with proper dramatic expression, to scan the verses,. to learn by heart and repeat from memory, to paraphrase selected passages in their own words, to amplify/and elaborate traits which .seemed capable of expansion." After passing through the grammar school the young Roman was finished off by tho rhetorician, who taught him those excellent qualities of self-possession and oasy command of speech; for in the Senate, at the Bar, at the banquot table, or at any of those deputations which'the provincials wero continually sending up to Rome, a man was expected to be able to talk, and to talk well. Roman education was in many respects artificial and almost, worse than useless, but as; regards reading and speaking it has lessons that modern educationists need not bo too, proud to learn.

Probably the most contemptibly petty thing that has been said during the discussions which havey taken place on; the naval defence question is credited to the Acting-Minister for Defence, the, Hon. G. Fowlds. In the course of an'interview with a press representative .yesterday this Minister is reported to have referred to Mr. Massey s published opinions on' the Naval Conference as follows:—

"It was voir significant that in the columns of the 'New Zealand, Times' thiß morning Mr. Massoy's views should come next to the German view,-wherein. the i'Berliner Tageblatt' predicts that the ; debates in the overseas Parliaments regarding: the'proposals of the Dof ence Conference will be ex-cited-and lengthy, and that objections will be raised to v the new programme. The Leader of the Opposition, follows: this up by saying that he has no doubt tliat Parliament will consider 'the matter very carefully • before agreeing to what is now, proposed. I sincerely tnist," continued Mr. Fowlds, "that this is riot an" indication that Mr; Massey 'is beginning to develop German sympathies." Could any person other than the Hon; of. "significance" in the fact that a political opponent's views on a subject ore published next to tho views of newspapers of a foreign nation ? Would any . Minister other than .V the Hon>, G. • Fowlds have attempted to connect two separate and distinct statements by making it appear that the Leader of the Opposition "followed up" the views, of .the German paper, when Mb. Massey could not possibly have known anything of tho views referred to, or that such views had been expressed, or that ' they 'would appear in the same issue' in which his own views were to ; be'published? Could any other person than a Minister of the Crown cast such a slur upon a political opponent' as ib contained in the last paragraph; quoted merely because that opponent slates that Parliament will have to carefully consider certain proposals of vital importance to the nation before agreeing' to them 1 "I sincerely trust," said this immaculate .Minister, 'that this is hot an : indication', that Mil. Massey is beginning to 'develop German sympathies." Will anybody believe; for. one moment that 'Mr. Fowlds "sincerely trusted' 1 anything' of thekind 1 Will they not instoad; believe that: 'Mr.;;. Edwifis'; :Kiiß#'-pl!tlibtly'V#.ell;'that ; Mb., just as loyal and just'as.! sincere in lifs desire to do what is. best in the matter of national defence.as the Acting-Minister, for- Defence or; any of* his colleagues? Will they not indeed look- upon the 'remark of the Minister as* quite ; insincere, contemptibly petty, and calculated to cast a slur upon a political opponent by means of an innuendo as unwarranted as it is unjust?

According to a country contemporary the fight for the Rangitikei seat liC3 between Mr. Hockly, Opposition candidate, and Me. Meldiium, a supporter of the Government'. Mr. Meldeum is stated, to have ; held a successful meeting,' at Hunterville last week, and to have declared himself an out-and-out supporter of: the Government on, all'questions except the freehold. On the freehold alone ,he would vote against the Government on a no-confidence/issue. We remarked ona previous occasion that all; the candidates in tho.present contest were pledged freeholders, which may. be taken as-' an indication of. tho feeling existing in country constituencies. ! Past experience, however, has taught us that even pledged freeholders, on the Government side of the House are , amenable to the influence of the party whip, and pledges are forgotten or ignored in times of party stress. Electors who" have! tho freehold interest at heart should, therefore, bo wary of| promises which can be evaded. Me. Meldrum, however, has pledged' himself to stand or fall by the Government's administration. "When polling-day comes," he is- reported to have said, : "the electors would be called upon to consider whethbr they were satisfied with the Government's administration., And he promised in, the course of his. speeches to satisfy them on that point. Mb. MeLdeum is either, very ignorant, of political matters or he is very courageous. If. there is one point more than another, on which, the weakness of the Government has been fully exposed it has been its administrative ' We shall await with interest'his explanation of the railways administration, with its heavy annual losses; tho administration of the public service with its huge, annual increase in post,' culminating in the necessity for the present drastic retrenchment; the administration of the labour lawß, which resulted in the. farcical situation reached last year whim strikes were of almost. daily occurrence, and the Government shirked its obvious responsibilities; the administration of'the dairy regulations, which caused such an' outcry amongst the farming community ' twelve months 1 ago. And when he has converted the electors on theso points; he might'explain to the farmers in the electorate what they have to expect from a Government which has Bhown itself consistently neglectful of the interests of the farming community. Mr. Meldrum. states: that ho will vote against the Government on the freehold issue, but what of the hundred and one issues which concern the farmer almost equally with tho question of tenure?'