NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 640, 18 October 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The delegates -from ;th<:. Chambers of Cbmmerci! in the various parts of the Empire have arrived','in''Wellington, and it'is almost unnecessary -to say'that tho.v are hcaitily wclcbinc-i ''They-' q,ro ■ not travelling,' of : course,. to be lionisc.d,' biit we a.ro sure that keeping their eyes open to the commercial aspect of the Pominiori they will not'be unappreciativp of-the general' wish that they \y}ll mako their observations, in /pleasant, : circumstance. Their stay here must bo a short Olio,-but it-will bo surprising if they'do not ca.rry-.away with: them' 6, new idea of the vigour and the potentialities of, tho country: afc , 'a whole-and:'of its , capital in particular, Moat of them' aro strangers t</-this.part: of -the world,: and; it Would not- bis doing: them", en ■ injustice to'siippose that thoyhad in all probability littlo idea that Wclljngtpn.was'quite so modern and flourishing a dity ii-s it.is, •They will loam morp of.the condition of -Now-'Zea* land a& a'trading .community .from their own observations the .'statistics that aro:certain , 'to:bp.'pros£e'dupbn v them as to' the growth'of our.tradasarid ihdtietrici 'They'will have , Ecc'n 'great rich plains, fine forests, activo cities, and/ : .'are' better than any. statistics to .the. commercial eye,, so far, ac anyrate,. as. the. possibilities are concerned.'-, \yhat.is.chiefly desired ie that tho delegates;may-realiso- tho• opportunities that, aro being missed ipr tho Consolidation; of .British' trado- with' . Now Zealand, and"tho-reasons why they are being missed,.: There is one set of:statistics in- which they 'cannot'fail to be. deeply inforestod, namely.'. the [figures'relating tb the' woiking/ of , . , the-.'preiorontial-\ tariff. These arc'given: in'.tho; letter which Mr". John DvTiiiE addresses to us this morning. Mn Duraißshows that-tho surtax on : foreign gobdslhas'utWi'ly^failed in- its professed, object, .[tho;.foreign goods still come in; and they not only comfi-in in increasing quantiticsj but .increase faster than the British imports. . The only, result of the. Preferential -and- Reciprocal Tfftde Act appears to be the exaction of Customs dues from the''confitlrneft ■'•'• Wo should like tb hea.r the , Government's.;reply to' tho charge ,s6 'forcibly- tnado . by Mr.; l)uTiniij-,that.''"we "strut, under- borrowed plumes whilo ; 'affeoting to-; bo genbrou'tly bearing : taxation , ,tb ensure • thlt tradi, tnay be diverted to British factor--ics."..Thq; point; is ono ; which; is 'bcrtain to 'receive,'the close , attention of diir/yisfctors.' : ': ''■<■ ■ ■ ■■ ■'•'■ .-■•'. ■• :'' :.-' : '-.-'■'•-

The most interesting incident: of the, past week in Parliament undoubtedly tfas Mfei HOQG's'oxplanationiof his'eonnocti*>tt withj. and resignation from, the Cabinet, and' the,l , rime Minister's.version. in con- ;, ; Mr. HoGGi::in'cpn6luding'thb incident; Baid:' ;: that; 'me.mbera'i.'and■ tho country'-would ■•.have', to :decido , between '■'himself 'and . Silt Joseph Ward as to which story' Was the' c'brfeot 'one, but unlesß wo are much mistaken the public goticrally will, fcfoublfe Very,littld ab out.;tlie matter. There car. bo nudoubt that Mr. Hoarij 'who' ha'i'-bedri.'' a- follower, of. tho ..■Government for eo .long, had a very fair idea when hs joined, tho Cabinet 'of ~what the attitude : of the Ministry, was on tho/load; .ing 'questions ,of"the tlay^6vcn f ori '•" tnp" land.-'quistiori lio m.us't'.have'.khow.h their attitude ,- iipi.might hot have, known who•ther they would stand or. fall; by any given lint ■ of : 'policy^-ho^may >Well -have had doubts on , this "point—but ■ ho ■ must havd , 'knoWh'; that thoywdri for.'.the tima tiding cohimitted; to the ; lcaseliold. And tho UovMiimont; on■ tho othor hatld, know perfectly-'well what , Mr. Hooa'a viows wore.' ! The;'trouble was 'that Mr: Hooa proved too outsliokcn. Had liesUppressad his opinions, as -Mr.: FbwLDs; docs his vifiWß O'i single tax and prOhibitiort, he would of coUreo' have bedh. iri tho Cabinfit to:day. 'Respite his virtues,-Sir Joseph Ward, from a party standpoint, acted wisely iu calling on Mr. Hogg to resign. Whore tho Puliiß Minister, erred ' in judgment was in calling him to-the Cabinet at all. .The point of real ititorost .in the controversy .is; tho fact that Mr. HOgq'B lato. colleagues,do hot find fault .With his utterances on tho land qilfistion, but mertly, with hie ideas:oh' a>.Stato «apeV cuitency. ' Oertainly Mr; Hbpfi afcnies this, but his own UMorittices at;th-3 time of his. Msignation bear but .thjj Prime Minister s' assertions under , this head. AVhat.the member for Mastertjo said on the '■ land .question, ' thbrofore, bocomea of special intorest just how, \)».- causo Sir Joseph Ward has declared that the land question'is" to,bo settled during the,'.present'session. Mr. Hogq in June last; , said that "tho land question was going tobfl brought up in a more formidable -forhi'thaii. it had,ever before assumed"; • thatV/there; mvist bo> further ia'nd taxation"; arid that "those.who, Were advocating the universal freehold were going W nave a tax-imposed that would ! mako'theni wbi'k their properties, Spcou- ' late less' , and ■ >help. labour more; Since Cabinot did not ■ objqdfc. to Mr. Hood's 'utterances ■' On . the land, qucstion t it is'' to he assumed 'that hn views as the main; in .cqnformatice' \vith:t'io. ftiten- ! .tiona. oi-the 'Qnvftrnmßrit..'.Tlifi..f rpi<linlrloro

it would scorn, have not only to figKt for tho' freehold, but to Bavo tho ',■ freoholcbr from penal taxation. ■ '; .■ ; ■.''.7 .••

Tnu annual report of the local Society for tho Protection, of Women , , 'and Children, a summary, of which we publish this morning,. discloßos tho fact.that during the past year, in a quiet and unobtrusivo way, the society has carried on a uscful.and commendablei work. It will bo. soon ;.that the. list of cases dealt'with moro than jusfcinoß tho oxistenqo of this society. Over toven. hundred cases have come under Its notice since thft inception ofthe organisation,Und.:during tho pant twelve months (he energetic lady who acts asite secretary has. paid 132-vieits, addition to receiving ovor 400 at tho office and carrying on , a , yoluminoua corro-sp6ndence.'.'-One of tho most pleasing features oiLthc-socioty'swork istho.fact that : it is cairie4 out with a tact and judgment which makes intervention : in ■ tho dqmostb'affaii'B of ; otlwrs possible with tt' minimuni of friction.' An aggressive policy would .caUse'-untold trouble—.l woak orio i would make the society n laughing;stock. A lt has managed.in thepast to steer' a happy, medium between yiOEo two, extremes, andiin. consqquenco has won' public confidence and increased its"opportunities , {or useful work, Necessarily k> bo fully successful it is compelled to carry out its undertakings hi privately as possible, and the world at ! large knows nothing of tho individuals j assisted,' savp'on tlipso few opcasions when, as a last resort, appeal is made to tho courts,of law. It ie pleasant to think, however, that all the timo this good work is being carried on quietly and unobtrusively—that no suffering woman in need of sound advice concerning, herself or her children, or wanting the: assistance of the moral influence of, or direct recourse to, thclaw to redrese her wrongs, fails to moot with sympathetic consideration from the society; that no case of cruelty''or neglect of little children will ,be ignored if brought under, the notice of the ladies,.who, backed by a strong arrav of honorary legal -talent,-are so well equipped to deal .with it. .'With-the comparatively small means at their disposal they havo in this way done a great deal of , valuable workj and should be encouraged oven if merely as affording some form of rcfujjo to which ■ wbmen and children in distress may bo directed in their'time of trouble. The funds of the society 'could'be materially strengthened with'advantage for ita work is deserving of. the assistance, of all who.sympathise with tlw weak and the helpless. ; .