NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 687, 11 December 1909, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Vlt is .with some pleasure that we find ourselves in ;with the" Attorney: General's views on 'a,'. matter of some pub,: lie concern. • A word of encouragement is, certainly due to him in respect of a promise ' whiclv ho made in' tho courso of the Legislative: Council's discussion of the Reformatory Institutions Bill—a Bill, by the way, 'that ■■'is -in principle good beyond .discussion. "He had been asked whether he would make provision for privacy in; 1 connection with' certain cases that.come .before;the Courts,'and in :: reply , he hinted that ; ho, would in a separate Bill deal with what, if wo understand him correctly, we may; call tho necessity to-protect the public from the'dissemination of news' in its'nature foul and improper to be-published.; The libo< , 'y of the press'is as important as: the'liberty of the-subject, but both must be limited by the requirements of the public, interest,. Licence, is not; liberty, but tho negation of liberty. The better kind of newspapers aim at being readable, interesting and correct in their presentation of news,, while 'excluding everything that is improper or suggestive. Sometimes; of course, there are high .interests that: require the publica-. tion of unpleasant and . oven offensive facts; but this is!, not often ; the; case. It : is at any- rate; obvious that there is no defence for publications the: whole point;of which is their Offonsivoness. Wo shall ■welcome, any" serious; measurer of suppression such as' tho Attorney-Goncral' has in contemplation.■'■ : Thorc is a real risk, * of course,' that ; the' translation of this good, object into, a statute may remove one evil-only to create a now'oho of another kind. But. no prohibition

imposed upon newspapers -which .is immediately, or, which becomes, opposed to thei public interest can possibly survivo in any..enlightened country. 'The Government is, therefore, to be congratulated on the stop proposed. ... :.'..: "German competition with Britain in the markets of the world," observed tho Economist, recently, "ia a topic ffrequontly used by ignorant writers to inflame the- animosities of ignorant, readers." Within the past few dayß we have had some illustrations of this fact. Here Delbruck, for example, has declared, in what is called "a boastful speech,"' that "Germany's fiscal policy has conquered the markets throughout the world." There is also some talk in. some quarters in Britain to tho, effect that ''Germany's trade statistics show that she has transferred her buying to a considerable extent from Great Britain to the United States. The latter," it is added, "now stands first as purveyor to Gormany, but Great Britain heads the list of consumers of German products.',' We are to assume, we suppose, that this is an evidence _of Britain's decadence.' "Britain , is losing -.Germany's', custom," so', the. argumont will run,, "and yet she has to take more German-stuff than anybody." Nothing could be more misleading. _' It, is not news in any sense-that America "now stands first as purveyor to Germany." Here are the German import figures f0r.1906 and 1907: .'!''.'. : ,. . -.-'; ; ' moo "■■-'■ 1907; C '~ .-'"■•-. '■ . Marks, 'Marks ■ Britain. :...;.;■.......'...' 824.359,000 970.558.000 U.S.A. .....,...'.,........ 1,230,851,000 -1,319,208,000' It is not news that Britain heads' the list of: consumers of German: products. Here are the figures, of her chief customers for 1906 and 1907:, .",'.' ' '■'•''• 1906' '■';' 1907 ' Marks Marks ■ Britain , ;.-■'1,087,230,000 1,060,370,000 Austria , 049,338,000 710,507,000 U.S.A. 63G,231,000 -.; G52,2G6,000 Germany, ; in fact, depends for her life on Britain. Wo arc therefore given an ancient fact.as a' new argument-in 'the cable message quoted. -That British trade is bearing up is obvious from the recent monthly roturns of British exports and imports. They have shown increases of millions every month for -some timebetter increases than can be shown, by Germany.' .Germany's readiness to renew the "favoured nation" arrangement is easily intelligible. - ■/■ j'.

;,' They British;authors-'■',. who have :■ ob ; jected '_ ta the action of the Circulating libraries' Association, in deciding not to circulate "scandalous, libellous >r,; immoral.books,"; and those likely to prove offensive to any considerable section of subscribers,, may. turn ;out to have a better' case_ than is discernible at present. Indeed, it is inconceivable to beliovo that it can be a poor' case which is backed by such names as H. G, Wells, u John .Galsworthy.,;'"■ William ■-> Looks,-'- Eden PpiLPorrs, "Luoas Malei" and' William de Morgan..,. 'Moreover, their..: protest against the Association's decision-has the moro weight in that they'are inv-no way likely personally to suffer from the now arrangement, although, no'doubt, "Lucas Malet's'.' preoccupation With-un-' pleasant themes may expose' her'.to in-, justice. For our part, however, we have very little sympathy; with those '.who,complain, as _ these distinguished authors are complaining;,v against. ; .their;.liberty.;, to dr'jve tho public through a sewer in order to'arrive at Truth.' ''Urgent social problems" will not bo solved by writing nasty novels. .None: of the signatories,of the protest against the Libraries' Associa--tion's decision .wpujd dream of defending the ralrik stuff "that is ' supplied .by" such writers as Elenoe Glyn, ;Dolf"Wyllarde or ii Htlbi*T i WAS's. , '- a WhaVHhiJy;"'p'r6bably fear. is_ 'that'-art';in: fiction will "bo killed if Puritanism is allowed to invade-thbir world -and 'issue: or.dors;. They;'are'-too enthusiastic ;to -remember 'that'-'art is already in danger of, disappearing from fiction along with morality,', arid-this without any; set-off. Some such rational censorship as'.is,proposed is .wanted.alniost, more iri.the interests of art than in .the. interests' of morality;.; .'.•;','.'

tho; Prime Minister;is one of the latest converts in Parliament to compulsory military/ training,'• he must bo ■• given : credit for the , Whole-souled manner ;in which he is now; endeavourlngvto;: give, effect to his new ideas. >Tho Bill which;is to provide: for the establishment of the new .system was'only presented -to Parliament a few days "ago, but: it was, promptly sent to a committee and as promptly returned; to the House.' This latter event occurred' yesterday, afternoon : and .provoked 'a brief, but. at times .warm,;' debate;. -Those members who'protested 'againstihe'haste with which the important,issues involved in, the:,; measure wore being dealt .with.wore, of course, _ quite correct in' tlioir: contentions.. It is marii festly absurd' to argue that a Bill of this nature embodying oyer 100 clauses could be weighed and dealt:with by; a Committee of the; House in ibiir ;or : five -hours, and no member would seriously -pretend otherwise..: But the end of. the session rushV has set- in, and the/majority of members, are in favour of the Bill, so. the details will have to look 'after..; themsolycs. 'While these slipshod and dangorous methodsof legislation cannot; be too strongly ..condemned,; wo must; at the same time, : again compliment Sir: Joseph Ward on tho advance 1 which his proposals mark; in = the matter: of national defence. It would' :bo expecting: too much to anticipate'; that .so' hurriedly concoived a scheme 'would ..be free from serious weaknesses, but, as- Mr. ;HEnniES:iemarked yesterday,, the legislative millennium is hot .with : us. yet and we .must be thankful for that; which -is goodthat does; come'our way. :;■