NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 683, 7 December 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The indignation aroused amongst the strikers in _ New South Wales at the. arrest of their leaders on a chargo of conspiracy was only, to bo expected. The Wade Government will no doubt come in for a good deal of abuse.for its action.in this respect, but there can be no doubt that the bulk of public opinion will be with the Government. The men arrested were promptly released again on bailj • and with equal' promptitude ,-again joined in the - fray. Those

who may be inclined to think that the extreme step taken by the Government was uncalled, for must bear in mind first of all the'seriousness of the strike to the whole community, and secondly the special provision of the law against a conspiracy such as the men-ar-rested are charged with. The coal-miners'' strike, whatever the merits of the men's claims may be, necessarily brings in its train heavy losses and severe hardships to many innocent people. The stoppage of coal supplies is already closing down industries, ■ checking the means of transport, and causing inconvenience and loss to the community: at large. . The law having provided means for the protection of the community in such cases, it was the bounden. duty of the Government to see that the law was carried out. It will be quite time enough to extend sympathy to the men arrested when they prove their innocence of the charges laid against them. The Wade Government have acted with firmness and courage in a difficult situation, and appear quite determined to exercise such power as the law ,permits to defend the interests of the public against both parties to the dispute. ■

Mr. Richard Cherry, who is to bucoeed the late Lord Fitzqibbon as a Lord Justice of Appeal for Ireland, appears to have caught the infection of political recklessness, which is ravaging the Liberal party in Britain. He is reported to-day as having said that "Ireland would never be loyal to the Empire until she was placed in complete control of her internal affairs." A more extravagant thing than this has not been uttered by a responsible British; publicist' for many years, and we are sure that all gooa Irishmen will resent the implication that, treachery and disaffection are the only alternative to Home Rule. With the Homo Rule movement we have nothing to do here—it would be improper to -say more 'than that there is a great body of opinion in New Zealand favourable, and a great body of opinion unfavourable, to it. But if there is one thing that is certain, it is that the best leaders of . Irish opinion on the Home Rule side do not allow their discontent with the present system to interfere with their loyalty'to the; Crown. They may deplore the maintenance of the Union, but they are as little inclined to hate the Crown or the Empire as are the people of New Zealand., Throughout the long Home Rule controversy, Irish nationalism has con-, tinued to furnish great men whose desire for Home Rule has not prevented their rendering fine service to the Kingdom and the Empire of >hich Ireland is ; a part. Every true friend of Ireland, whether he' is in favour of, or opposed to, Home Rule, but especially if he is in favour of it, will deplore and resent the imputation of Mr. Cherry.

. A contemporary directs attention to an anomaly in the railway , charges' which is prejudicial to the interests of the fruitpreserving .industry. It appears that fresh fruit is carried on. fcKe railways at £l per ton, : whereas preserved . fruit, is charged at ..tho ■ ra,tb of £2 14s, 3d. per, ton. As an illustration of what this means, .the experience of: the Frimley Company, which has its orchards and preserving works at; Hastings, is quoted:. ■A recent consignment of goods from Frimley' went to Wellington. Had it consisted of fresh fruit it. would have cost 10s. ; for railway freight. As it was preserved fruit and vego-' •tables the schedule charges came tp 18s. 5d., the consignment consisting of 155 cases, weighing. 5 tons 6cwt., chargeable at £2 14s.' 3d. per ton. This ,charge being practically prohibitive, the goods,were sent by boat, the charges being as follow:— . . , '-- - '<' '■ : ■£ S. d.' Cartage ...*... 012 0 Bail to breakwater ....;.. » .. 2 10 11 Freight- and''charges,' briakwater..'toV: ; Wellington .414 Wellington wharfage " 0 12 G Total ...v.:....'.::.; X 7 16 '9 .Tliero was thus .a saving;, of .over half .' the oharges payable if the consignment had gone to Wellington by train. V ■ Here it will bo seen the railways actually lost ..revenuo from .an : inland" town through the scale of : charges levied. The point, however, is : ' ''VVhy ' should / the, railways discriminate ■ in this way between fresh and canned fruit, both, the product of local .industry 1

In conncction with the trouble in the Land and Inoome Tax Department there appears to have been some confusion between charges made andinvestigated by the, two Supreme Court Judges,, ana charges made which have not yet been investigated'at all. For instance, the member ior Wellington South referred to certain transactions in the Advances to Settlers and the .Valuation Departments, both of which are distinct from the Land and Income Tax Department, although under the control of . the. one head. \Ve would suggest 'that an early opportunity should b<i,taken to enable the Peime Minister to make it, perfectly clear whether all the charges made were submitted to the Judges for investigation. The particular- charges inquired . into appear to rela.te to the/Land and Income Tax Department, and apparently were made bj an officer of that, Department. .F.irstof, all, -then,; the House' should insist on knowing whether all. the allegations made by this officer were submitted to the Judges for inquiry, -or whether the Government took it on itself to Omit - any of the charges from the order of reference under which the Judges acted. If any were omitted, why were the, investigations of the Judges so restricted ? Then the head of the Government might also stato: whether any " charges . have been made outside the Land and' Income Ta;x Department,: and wHether these have been inquired .into. An attempt has been mado to keep the public in ignorance of the: position on _the ground .that the charges are sub; judice.s Wo have already, pointed out the absurdity of this contention, in face of the fact, that'the. Judges have presented their report. But even if the matter wore sub judice, the merits of the case could not be prejudiced by a statement as tq the rinfwrc of the charges made. Seeing that a small band of sixteen leaseholders can "hold up" the Government on a' policy measure like.' the Land Bill, it must be quite ovident that equal determination on the part of. a similar number of members could force Ministers to clear up tho mystery with which they_ havo for somo reason .surrounded this troublo in the Land aud Iricorao Tax Department. It is surprising that this has not already been done.

; Our suggestion that "the House of Lords is really taking' a democratic step because it has insisted on an appeal to the people" does hot find favour with a contemporary, which is extremely warm in its support of the British Budget. Yet nothing could be more strictly-' democratic than that, action of; the Peers.. Our contemporary goes, on to oay: "The Houso of Lords does not think: it necessary to consult the people when the Conservatives are in power, but t-hoy arc very jealous in their regard for ' democracy when, there is a chance of using it to the confusion of a Liberal; Government,"; If it wishcß by this to lead „ its readers to understand that our bond fidei'iß vitiated by our neglect to mention this partiality: of the. Lords in exercising its highest function; wo would direct its attention to our issue of Friday last, in which we said: "There is perfect truth in the charge that the Beers often. leave their functions unexercised- when a Unionist Government'is in office. That they do so, however; is not a reason- why they.; should. equalise matters by doing so when the Liberals are in power-: it is not an argu-'. men t ■ for the abolition of fcho House of

I Lords, but only a strong argument for its reform; but : such reform as ' will not: restrict the Lords' power to amend and revise." It is rather out of placo to grow heated at this side, of tho world concerning party politics in Great Britain, however intorestedwo may be. Somo of our contemporaries, nevertheless,' appear eager to take part in the fray, and are solemnly tendering advice_ to the disputants sixteen thousand miles away, and inciting them on with almost violent language..