NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 626, 1 October 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

« — ■ Even thoso who disagree' with the Prime Minister's political methods,. and with his latest , public action in forcing! Parliament to closo its doors : to suit his pleasure, will bo ready to congratulate' Sir''Joseph -oh his, safe, return and' in the best of . healths The ; noisy peoplo who at Auckland yesterday' interrupted the harmony of the proceedings. ; might'well have'placed . some restraint upon themselves; Unfortunately Sir. Joseph's friends appear io have .•'lit-' . tempted a littlo too much in the way'of a public demonstration, aind although the reception' was not made a party onej it seems to havo aroused the_hostility of a section of irreconcilables,! without stimu-lating-any real public' enthusiasm. It .is rathor a pity in the circumstances that, a less pretentious and more personal recoption. had. not been arranged.;

;?he Wellington : Board has joined in the chorus of protest against too withdrawal, of the, free passes, on the railways hitherto issued to school teachers travelling to the cities at week-ends • to attend classes of instruction. • . One can never tell what the Minister .for Education will .do; or what, is the real effect when he has done it, but it is to be hoped that the Government will reconsider its decision in the light, of the very strong arguments advanced, especially, by • the Aorth .Canterbury Board, against .the proposed 'oconomy. No : reason, ; apparently, has been stated by, the Government in support, of its action, and they must be; very jst'rbng arguments that will, • out- ; weigh the for the concession. ; .Not' : only do .the , free passes-give the teachers opportunities to improve their status and increase.thoir efficiencythey" are qvon an important factor,' as ;Mn. Opie, of ; tho: Canterbury Board, pointed out,; in indue-' ,ing good teachers to take positions in tho country districts." We should be the last to object to anything'like an effort by tho Governmenfc to practice/the novel virtue of economy, but;, thor'e faro suph things as unwise economies; -The public wbula like to feel suro i that this' is not' ono of them. In taking, the matter "into consideration' again,, the Government woilld do a useful tiling, if it went into the whole question of the granting of . free passes or partial passes X>n; the; railways ';with'.;tho' object; of discovering. a general principle •to \vprk upon., "'i'here is nothing like a-gen-oral. principle behind - tho multitudinous issUe of free passes under 'existing 'cobidi-: tiens; 'Ministers,. no dohbt, 1 might reply that every case should be considered on its merits;.. Even', in the .case of the'passes granted to members of Parliament there is need for; some' clear doctrine to be laid down. Who can state the principle upon 'which-members are given the run of .tho railways; not only in their own: district, but over tho whole country? Tho questionl is .one which nobody wishes, to i. ; bo settled cither on a basis of extreme: niggardliness or on a basis of equally 'extreme generosity,;and .Mn. Millak ought 10 give it his attention.

.The troublesome question of mail services was touched pn t by tho Prime Minister at Auckland yesterday. New Zealand not only does not lead the world in the matter of its mail services, but it is l dependent at tho present time almost entirely on: the Australian services,with'the Mother Country. Not only that, but after tho. mails arrive in Australia' tho connection .with this country is far from satisfactory/)- Sir Joseph' ..Waiid, we are pleased to see, lias given the matter sonio little attention on his travels, but unless he is.keeping something back for Parliament his review of the situation does not held; out promise of an early improve mcnt.' When tho House meets, no'doubt, an effort,'will bo press home this question on Ministers. ■

: A : coeeespondent: in this issue. makes complaint concerning, his dismissal from the Wpreroa Training Farm. The matter would not have attracted very much'al> tcntion but for tho rather remarkable list ho publishes of employees said to have been. dismissed from the training farm 'and school during the past two ana a half years.' As ihe institution at Wereroa is a -State one,' our correspondent's complaint appears to call for inquiry by, tho Department which controls it—the Education . Department.. We know / nothing of the merits,of. the/matter, but we would commend the letter—which ,is. openly signed by the' writer—to the attention "pfi the head of the Education,' Department. ...... . ''..; •;

Some time back the Minister for Bailways, Me. Millar, whetted the appetite of the public by hinting at some remarkable - announcement that' would be made -by Sir Joseph Ward on his return. Two years ago Sir Joseph, on his return from ; England, it will bo remembered, intimated that he had something extremely ' gratifying to announce, and later staggered the public by informing them that , New. Zealand would no longer bo known u a colony, biit would *take the titlo of Dominion- It would almost seem that this year's "surprise packet" has fizzled out in the same disappointing way.' Wo have looked for it in vain in Sin Joseph's speech, and the nearest, approach to anything of the kind is his statement in* timating that ho has borrowed a: million and arranged for moro. Borrowing, is ! hardly a'novel experience for New Zealand, and so far as wo understand Sin Joseph's announcement under-this head, what he has done is to afford tho Domin-' ion greater facilities thali over for increasing its public debt. It is just possible, of course, that this is not the surv .prise ; ' packot at all, and : that Sir Joseph is saving up his; startling announcement until his arrival in Welling-; ton—a graceful tribute to the ■ Empiro Gity. Sir Joseph is due hero'to-morrow. Meanwhile the country must strive to boar up undor. the: furthor period -of bus-, pen Mb....