NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 601, 1 September 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Complunt,3 havo been mado concerning tho handling of tho English mail which arrived at Auckland from Sydney on Sunday evening. This mail did not connect with tho express train that evening, although it was Btated that the steamer ailived in port three-quarters of an hour before the Main Trunk express loft. The explanation seems to be that tho vossol arrived in tho stream at 9 p.m.. but did not arri,vo at the wharf until 10 p.m.—threc-quarlers of. an hour after_ the express left. Business men here and in tho south are not concerned with tho time the vessel was berthed, but reasonably argue that in the case' of a steamer aruvmg in the stream any appreciable time lieforo the mail train leaves tho station—which is only two minutes from tho wharf—every effort should bo made to connect. In another column Me. John Duthie makes complcint on the general question of our ovirseas mail services, and points out thftt wo havo now reached the position of boing "dopondent beneficiaries" on tho Australian Government's, mail contracts. Truly tho days when New Zealand "led tho world" aro departing. Possibly this important subject may receive some attention during the coming session, but thoro is so much to be done in the short time the Houso may bo expected to sit that it is moro likely to be thrown over into that abyss "for futun consideration."

At'tho annual meeting of tho Canterbury Chamber of Commerce last week the Hon. H. F. Wiqeam gave a very interesting account of his long and fruitless endeavour to obtain some satisfaction from the Government in the matter of the high freight rates on the Christ-church-Lyttelton railway line. Beyond noting that Me. Wioeam was able to toll a 'remarkable story of Ministerial evasion, inconsistency, and deception, we do not intend to go further into the actual grievanco of the Canterbury public in this matter. Our purpose is to call attention to tho comments of the Government organ in Christchurch upon Me. Wioeam's speech This is the journal which defends tho Government through thick and thin against all cnticibm' of its ( general policy, and that was lately very furious with Tub Dominion for showing the heavy loss on tho railway 'lines in the South Island. It declares that "the Lyttclton line is made to earn a heavy profit to make up for losses on other lines." That is true, but it sounds very, odd coming from a journal which wishes its readers to believe that the Southern lines do vory well, and which grows very angry when it is reminded that the people of this Island are denied concessions, and made to pay pretty stiffly, in order to make np for tho losses on the lines in .the South. Our contemporary concludes with an indignant declaration that "even now, after years of agitation, tho public aro still denied the information to which, as shareholders in the railway system, they are unquestionably entitjcd" Wo wish we could count on the support of our contemporary in the future when we ask for cortain information respecting the railwajs which the Government has for years concealed. But wo aro afraid that, that would bo to expect too much. Its demand for information docs not mean much more than that it regards it as more important to plcaso its local public than to defend the Government .when the two duties aro in conflic,.

It has become alrfist a truism to say that Canada is a country with an interesting historic past and a wonderful present, whilo as regards its future nothing is impossible. It is a land of striking giowth, and an excellent illustration of this is provided by tho city of Winnipeg, whero tho British Association for the Advancement of Science is at present holding its annual session Thib city givos an indication of the great future that ib in store for Canada's western prairies Forty years ago it was incrrly a trading post of tho Hudson Bay ComBWj to-day. It 1b tha third lAfgtut ciitf

in the wholo of Canada, with a population of about 120,000 people. It was not till 1879 that the building of the railway brought it into communication with tho outside world; but now up-to-date electric trams run ; through tho city in all directions, and Winnipeg proudly claims to be the greatest grain market of tho British Empire. It is the outlet for the wheat harvest of tho vast area's of NorthWost Canada. Although every patriotic New Zealander .is- confident, and not without good grounde, that in' proportion' to its sizo our own country has a future socond to none,' yet it must be ad' mittod that as far as rapid growth is concerned neither Now/Zealand nor Australia has anything to show that will bear comparison with the city of Winnipeg . •.;;.;:

The Ipsa fortunate parts of New Zealand will join with Mb. Justice Williams in congratulating tho people of Invcrcargill on the fact that .no criminal case was set down for hearing at the pre-' sent, sitting of the Supremo Court in that city. While readily admitting that Southland can lay claim to an "exceptionally honest population one cannot so oasily follow his Honour in'his remarks regarding the effect of climate on character. Ho points out that Southland is not blessed with such a soft and luxurious climate as the' north,■, and goes on to say that the further north.one goes the greater the amount'of crime. No ono will deny that climatic; condition's have ■some influence on the character of! a people, but when we get beyond this general statement we arc at once on very uncertain ground._ A warm' climate may possibly emphasise a tendency, to a certain class of crime, and a cold climato to crime of another description; but it would bo rash, to declare that-warm weather makes for vice and: cold weather for virtue. If such,were'tho caso. the Eskimos should be the most, virtuous race on earth—whioh they certainly are not—and Heaven help the tropics | If the theory propounded by Hit.' Justice Vfnium is correct, indeterminate sentence prisoners should be, located in Southland, for .tho climate there might.help tbem to regain their lost characters. •■ In criminal cases, wa'rm weather may como to' be regarded as an ■ extenuating circumstance, and climate: may bo officially.; recognised as the chief factor'in /the handß: of destiny, in whose cluteh; according to some people, man is a inero puppet. A wrongdoer might possibly adopt the attitude taken up by the Blavo of a certain Greek philosopher on being; caught in, the: act of robbing his master. The philosopher, •in question wag a believer in tho gospel of an inevitable destiny, and the slavo thought he would put him in a corner by asking: "Was I not destined to rob V. The wise'man was, however,, equal' to .the occasion, and he promptly rophed: "Yes, and to be punished also." . ,