NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 623, 28 September 1909, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

There seems to be little doubt that Sin Joseph Ward will receive quite a bustliug reception at Auckland, and we believe that there will be some genuine cordiality in it. .The address which is to .bo presented to him certainly leaves nothing to bo desjred so far as loyalty and fervency are concerned, whatever may bo said of the preamble's appeal to reason. There are few who will not hopo that "the citizens of Auckland" will ultimately, find that they have'not been over-sanguine in believing ib a ■ "fortunate" circumstance that they,will bo the first to welcome Sir Joseph home. Wo,are all glad, of , course,' that Sir Joseph is returning to us in good health. The address, we note, expresses "appreciation of : tho distinguished ability" with which the Prime Minister "represented the patriotic, aspirations of New Zealanders" at the Conlorenco. Knowing what he knows—and what wo all know—Sir Joseph is unlikely to raako the mistake of reading this most polite statement as _an exact reflection of New Zealand opinion upon a. situation, which is not, to put it mildly, flattoring to our , patriotic aspirations. There is a time and a place, however, for, considering the question , of Now Zealand's connection with tho naval defenco of the Empire. In tho meantime Auckland may b3 congratulated on finding itself in the happy position of. being ,able, through the committee which is equally happy in being able to speak for the whole Dominion, to give rein to its sentiment iwithqut being likely/to prejudice/its material in-, terests.; It is\quite fitting that Auckland should 1 be 'chosehva's' tho port of welcome, for , Wellington had the honour, of being the port of departure. It would really be asking too much to expect Wellington to make a second demonstration of its regard .for; tho Prime : Minister within bo short a space of time.. . • :..

; iN'-'its issue of August; 18 the ManChester Guardian prints a letter from a New Zealand correspondent who; com? plains of the slackness of British. com-, mcrcial methods. He is a farmer, : ;he says, and he declares that while German arid "American ■ commorcial travellers swarm iff. this country tho British firms db next to npthing. "There is," he says, "hardly sucti a thing as a British agricultural ■ implement in .use in tlie colony. My ploughs arc foreign; my drills are.all three foreign;,my drays;,my harrows, my chaffcuttcr, riiy'mower, my binders, my mill—all are' foreign. I could not buy an English-implement if. I wanted one ever s Vmuch, and I dare not, if I cbuld, for if I broke a part'i , could not get it replaced.". There is more than a grain of truth in this complaint; but tho fact remains that: Nowj Zealand imported over, ten millions' worth.of goods from Britain''in 1907.as against two millions odd from countries outside the Empire..- No. 1 doubt the preference given, to British goods is partly responsible for the superiority: of Britain as our supplier. Butis it not a significant circumstance : ,'that despito the , hightariff in this country the manufacture) , abroad is ablo to do so well here ? '.

:-If tho directors, of the Press Association arc really anxious to arrest the-de-cay of the Association's reputation for imfaartiality and trustworthiness ■ they will; be woll advised'io-pay some attention to the way in which some of their agents are doing their work. On Friday last most of larger Now ;• Zoaland newspapers printed a message dispatched by the Press.Associatiorj's night agent at Palmerston■■ North;/ .This! message . contained ,a; statement by Mn. : .T. Mackenzie. upon the result of: tho Rangitikei election, and of coursbit was. quite"; proper to 'circulate Mil. '■'. Mackenzie's ' opinion."; Tho message, however, .concluded 1 wiih a paragraph 6f ■ a sharply .'partisan ■ character' rci ferring. to Mr.. Geo, Hutchison, , ;This paragraph said that "one of the features of tho contest wae ; the. attacks made upon the,. Acting-Prime : Minister by; Mr. .Geoboe-Sbtchibon."■•:■ This paragraph was dispatched by' tho Press! Association agent as a statement by "the Mariawatu ■Times- reporter'.'—or •"a 'special correspondent of the ''MandioatH Timesl" : dor ■the . journals .■ publishing -.tho,, mcEsago varied in.trhcir.'way of ; ,"fllling ;, it in,',' Nqwi the paragraph to' was printed .in the, Manawatti Times hnd dispatched ■from*the -Manawatu: Times oßco merely : with the object of- injuring. Mr. Hotchison.': It must bo pretty obvious ti> everybody that even' if anybne , wished t6 know 'what "tho' Manawatu Times,: ; te ; porter" thinks—and wedo not think anyone doos—it is highly undesirable that an agent of the Press Association should use his position,., and ■ tho- namo of .the Assooiution, for the. circulation- of .partisan: statements about public ineh.! ; One of ; the local agents of. tho-Association, :as the! public will;remcmbciy has not-scrupled to send out. misleading, reports.. Gf course, if the Association doos not. aim I at being above working in the.interests of the Government;, that is the Association's , affair. 'But it ls'as well that'the; public I should know, what. is tho "position. ,\Wo need ..hardly ,' add' .that. ; the ';; Assbciation! will consult its true, interests by striving, Xx remain an, impartial and trustworthy niiws.agency. .Ifc : can only, do that by tak- : ing care to have -impartial -and '-trustI worthy,agents. ■'■ y- '•■■.■'■ . ■ . .■ -

. Dit; Findlav—who,'.' of ..late, '; has'had l charge of the Post and Telegraph Depart-. DientrMs, .wo honfi, an assiduous-riiader of the N.e'w Zealand Herald. ' If.;not, probably officials keep him supplied 'with,' cuttings from the northern journal. That 13, if the themes: dealt .with therein are hot too, unpleasant for the doctor's able and philosophic temperament;' Tho Herald recently, has. provided him with much material to .think, about. 1 For several'weeks, now, day; after day almost,' letters and paragraphs"have, appeared,every one'sotting out somo salient feature touching , , , the; postal or telegraphic section , : .:of,..'tne Department.-; At the ■■■■. .Auckland Chamber .-..' of ■: '■■;. Com-' , merce piquant things ,wero said abOuttho sad struggles: of "the Dopartment . towards efficiency, l ■ One member mentioned that while journeying , homewards, far downthe Main Trunk line, ho dispatched a ! telegram intimating the' hour when he would arrive. Ho reached' bis Homo 'at Oriehunga several hours in advance of the telegram. .'A correspondent sarcastically compliments tho Post Office on delivering his; parcel in Wellington fourteen- days after he had confided it to tho Auckland office. From tho Bay of Plenty pomes tho information that frequently it takes ten days for a. Herald to reach tho writer ■of the letter, though ho is only ten hours' distance from the place of publication. At times .papers disappear, altogcthor— where they go no ofhcial can tell. Tho Auckland Post Offico is dubbed "a veritable centre of confusion." And'so on. It would appear that .while Dr. Findmy has been eloquently preaching Socialism up and down the country—which lie is nor paid to do—a section of the Post and Telegraph Department; which he is paid tj administer, has. been permitted by him to reach a condition bordering on chaos. And this is no more than could be ! expected. Doubtless the doctor's mothods may bo quite ■; suited to his coming Utopia,,but in these plain, prosaic times they seem scarcely to nave reached a statb of ideal perfection. • \Vhile wd continuo to occupy a practical world wo should have, for a timo at least, practical ad- - ministration of our Stat'o Departments. Tho doctoi'tannot run the Post Office, or any other Department of State for tho matter of that,-by dovoting his timo to tho uttamnco of oxploded Socialistic platitudes.' ,

' Any. reasonable- economies by Ministers in connection with the Public- Service we are euro will meet with tho general approval of the public, and in the matter of travelling expenses, reported elsewhere, wo believe the Government have not acted without reason. There is no doubt that the regulations in regard to travelling expenses have been • seriously abused, but this abuse wo arc inclined to think has not been general. It has been very noticeable that in ** some Departments responsible officers have .found it necessary to even rival Ministers in the frequency of thoir absenco from Wellington, and it is all done at so'much per day out of the .taxpayers' monoy. Of course, a certain amount of travelling about by some officials is imperative, and this occurs in eomo Departments more than in others, but if a return wore prepared showing the actual amount of travelling done by each individual and the reasons' given therefor, there would probably bo staggering disclosures in certain cases. Therefore Ministers are acting With- wisdom in taking the ; matter in hand..'- But', their proposal to make special allowances in specialcases meroly means opening: the door to the old abuses; and to check this abuse it is desirable that all cases of such; exceptional 'treatment should bo made public by - means of an annual return.. '. Ministers -have retrenched public servants wholesale, and have cut down the travelling, allowances of the public servants—all done, we are told, for reasons, of economy; but .there, has been no sign yet 'that these-economics are to- extend to' Ministers themselves. They'might make 'a beginning- with their travelling expenses, which' at pijesehti'h'rc a heavy drain on the exchequer.; ' ' .'