NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1035, 26 January 1911, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The comments of the Oamaru Mail lipon the five million loan havo been brought to our notice by a correspondent who "supposes"—and his supposition is doubtless well founded —"that all the little Government papers are writing the same, sort of thing." The Mail has one original idea of its own, however. It says that the loan has been eminently successful from the point of view of the "undertakers." "We were a.little puzzled to know how the loan could affect the embalmers more tha.n, say, the furniture polishers, and were considering whether wo had not neglected to consult an important class of financial critics, when it occurred to us that the Mail had probably heard some mention of "underwriters." That, however, is only a. minor point in the Mail's article. Its chief points seem to be: (l) That the critics of the loan, have declared that "no loan should bo issued for any purpose whatever," and (2) that "tho best .financial ..journals have pronounced the loan successful' enough." Wo should not dream.of saying that the Oamaru:.-paper knows that. both, of its assertions, are quite untrue. On the contrary, we are sure that it knows nothing whatever about the subject or about the criticisms of the London financial writers. It is simply a victim of its trust in the Pmiie Minister's statements. We have shown, by textual quotations, that the British press was practically unanimous in .declaring tho loan a failure and a fiasco. The Prime Minister, without the slightest attempt to support his words, said that "nearly all" tho financial critics of any consequence had said the loan was very satisfactory! That may b.e enough for tho Mail and other Ministerialist papers; but it is not.enough for the public'.. . ... .

We gladly second the endeavours of the Mayor and the city officials to direct the attention of citizens to their duty in regard to enrolment on the register of municipal electors. Wellington people have of late years shown a keener and more general interest in municipal affairs than most of the other cities of the Dominion,'and we should not like to sec tho old-time apathy, which is not yet entirely shaken off,' resume its sway. The new municipal franchise, as enacted by Parliament last session, allows: a .vote to everyone, male or female, who is over twentyone years of age and has lived in New Zealand; one year and in the city three months. This, has at least ono advantage over the old municipal franchise. It is definite and unmistakablo; nobody, once informed of the change in the law, can have any doubt as to whether he or she is entitled to assist in tho choice of a Mayor and.Councillors next April. At the same time it increases the existing dangers to sound adminis: tration, for, it gives representation to thousands who will not be called .upon to pay for any bad results of their influence in municipal.affairs. We would ask all friends of sound municipal administration, therefore, not to overlook the simple duty of enrolment. Their vote's will be needed. The Wellington City Council has important business undertakings on its' hands, and it has to carry great financial, responsibilities. . Our ablest men and those of the soundest views as to the proper scopc_ and' limitations of municipal activities should be elected to the Council. There will be important work for them during their two years of office. They may be called upon to initiate a new policy of town-planning, and they will perhaps have to fight now battles for civic freedom against the authors of the Tramways Act. . But their first and most important duty will be to make a careful examination of the Corporation's trading concerns and financial administration with a view to the consistent and ' conscientious application of sound business principles. '..'.'. ■'...'.;'. .: ~',. '

It seems to have. been generally taken for granted that the . general election at the end of this year will be preceded by the regular readjustment of electoral boundaries, but there appears to he ground for doubting whether the work of the Representation Commissioners can be completed in time. They cannot begin until they are notified of tho results of the census, which is to be taken on April 2. The Otago Daily Times, in. drawing attention to this matter, states that the census of 1906 was talcen on April 29, and the Registrar-General presented a preliminary, ret'urti on August. 24, and.-.a final return on October 17. Tho Representation ■ • Commission • formulated their proposals' on December 14, and these were gazetted on December 19. Objections were received until January 16,.and the proclamation finally fixing the new electorates was made on February 8, 1907, and gazetted on February 14. The whole of this procedure y> laid down in the Act, without any limitations as- to time, except that the Registrar-General is required to inform the Commissions of the results of the census "as.early as possible," and that they must hold their first meeting within three months, after receiving -his report. If the work is done no faster this year than it was five years.ago, it will'be the middle of January, 1912, before an effective beginning can be made with the compilation of the electoral rolls, and in the meantime the general election would necessarily have been held with tho present boundaries unaltered. That would be unfortunate, and it would be particularly' unfair to the North Island, for it has already been shown that in all probability this island will be entitled to two more seats than it now has, while tho other island will lose two. And if the present trend of settlement- continues (as it probably will), an allotment of seats based, on the census of this'year will be out of date by the end of another triennium. Consequently a general election next November, without change of boundaries would mean that equitable representation as between the two islands would be indefinitely postponed. Doubtless the task of the Representation Commissions, and possibly that of taking the census, can be done more quickly than in when there was no spe-

cial reason for urgency, but the position is one in-which some uneasiness is natural. We 'hope the necessaiy work will be expedited by every legitimate means.

In another column.we. give the text of a letter which tho Commandant has sent to a correspondent who wrote him expressing anxiety as to the moral tone of military camps. This subject was first raised in a letter to us from a correspondent, "Viator," who a week or two later wrote a similar letter to a Christchurch paper, so that the matter has provoked a good deal of discussion in both islands. Like the Commandant, we are disposed, to think that the public has been given an exaggerated idea of the undesirable features of the Palmerston camp, but that there was some basis for "Viator's" complaints tho Commandant does not appear to deny.. General Godley, in the concluding sentence of his letter, seems to betray an anxiety,, which every thoughtful person will share, that there shall not spread any belief that military camps cannot be good for very young men. The assurance of strict discipline, and .' of great care in selecting what we may call the tent prefects, which the Commandant gives the public, should be accepted as the very most that can be expected. .We have not the smallest doubt that the Commandant will be able to keep camp life quite sweet, nor that the public will not heartily approve any order—or any legislation, if it be necessary—that will provide for the sharpest possible means of enforcing that discipline and good behaviour at camps which soma of our young men will be all the better for submitting to.