NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1628, 20 December 1912, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Nfav Zealand, or such part of it as Lord and Lady Liverpool have oome into touch with, lias we trust been able-to ' convince their Excellencies that they have the very heartiest good wishes of the people of the Dominion for a pleasant sojourn 'here. New Zealand crowds are not as a rule demonstrative, but their feelings are none the less deep and sincere on that account, and the | presentative of the Sos'ereign can always be certain of the loyalty and devotion of New Zealanders to the. 1 Crown. The people of this country have been fortunate enough in most cases to have found, in those who have filled the vice-regal office not only an admirable conception of what is required of them in their purely official capacity, but also qualities which have won them respect and esteem'.on grounds of a more personal kind., Lord and Ladv Liverpool .have already made _it clear that 'they have come to New Zealand ready to take the keenest interest in its people arid in its. fortunes, and anxious dbove all else to do their share in strengthening' the ties which bind the Empire. At Auckland his Excellency eaict: "Ideals were not easy to live up to, but to do something for the Empire, no matter how small, was sometning worth while to achieve. That,would be his watchword, and to have it said that one had accomplished something of the kind would indeed bo an" epitaph worth having when one had passed away." This is the spirit which has made the Empire what it is, and which will carry it forward to the still greater aud grander future that awaits it. It is not necessary to assure Lord and Lady Liverpool.of the hearty goodwill of the people of the Dominion towards them: brief us has been their stay with us, they have already witnessed sufficient to enable them to realise that New Zealand will not be lacking in its desire to make their tsfey here all that they could wish it to be.

Exaotly what t)ie Sydney ■ Morning HcrjiU means in ' the article quoted in one of to-day'G cable messages is not easy ,to understand. Itappears to see in -''the growing mutual attitude" between Australia and New Zealand—it is referring, no doubt, to Mi:. Allen's ■ sensible encouragement of the idea of naval co-operation, and also, perhaps, to the general feeling that commercial 'reciprocity is desirable—signs that New Zealand is"bc£rinning to recognise that'the .difficulties and responsibilities of its lot are greater than, appeared at the first flush of enthusiasm."' If there is any'idea'in Australia that Nc\y Zealand is anxious to become the seventh State of a Federated Australasia, it will lie useful for Australia to get rid of the idea a.e soon as possible. New Zealand's observation of the epursq of Australian Federal government, and especially the last few years of it, has not exactly encouraged Federal feeling here j as a fact, we all thank our -stars that we are only lookers-on at the mess the Labqur Caucus is making of a fine continent. It is a mistake, to think that' New Zealand is panically eager for Australian aid as a result of the international situation. Me. Allen has been advocating coTppcration in dofence simply as a matter of commonsense and mutually good business, and wo'do not think he has said a word—any more than Tun Dominion has since it advocated a long time ago that a free business co-operation between Australia and New Zealand is possible and dosirable-r-to suggest that New Zealand need, or would, part with an atom of its independence. The Herald has evidently not entirely overlooked this fact, for it says that "in order to further our joint destinies, there is nob any necessity for New Zealand to .sacrifice a vestign of her individuality." That is, as we have always believed, quite true; and it will be far better for Australian publicists to remeinbsr that in aav case New Zealand

will decline to nnoMm hnr indopcii' (lorioo l.fmn to trouble their heads with Urn kl<;(i thai, this country is \n Mm loftii), (10/{K« dimatWiod with its itUl.us in liio .IC/npire or its position in Australasia.

Omk of l.ho Now York I'od'i articles upon tlifi [{real, defeat of the lU:ptilili<:arni h interesting to Now Zealandors for itfi meditations upon tlio posiibilitioii of resurrection in a Hlmtlmol political party. 'J'lic J'nnl rejoices over the result of the election, but it warns tho Democrats to Ire v/iwy, uniUidj and sincere. We can commend this counsel to tho ]lcforiri party here. "The truth is that, (in oHlftblishcd political party is a particularly toii|;h organism, very liard to kill." J' or one thing, names and banner/!, however completely they have been morally forfeited, continue to compel a good deal of mechanical allegiance. Of course, there is no complete parallel between America'B blow at the Jtcpublicftno and New Zealand's deotruction of the Spoils Party: that has masqueraded under tho Liberal flag. The .Republicans did, and do, stand, for a policy actually different from the policy of the .Democrats. The New Zealand Spoils Party, in its later years at least, stoou for nothing definite excepting spoils, and hunger for spoils docs not make a policy. The Republican party will remain, while our old Spoils party will quickly dissolve. Some of the opponents of reform, reflecting upon the general fact that-established parties do not easily die, but forgetting that this applies only to established parties possessed of a real positive creed, ere wasting a great deal of Bpace in sniping feebly at the Reform Government. In America, as the Post points out, the Republicans "will eagerly watch for opportunity to grasp the skirts of circumstance, and to be carried back into power." Our own disappointed opponents of Reform aro gradually drifting from this' old party allegiance. They have had their eyes opened, and they see that the future lies between Labour and Reform. The honeat people who supported the /old Government because it called itself Liberal will of necessity range themselves behind the Reform leaders; and they will the more effectively become a powerful factor for good Government if the Parliamentary representatives of the Reform voters, and especially the Reform Ministry, go straight alonp; the path of honest reform withoutearing for anybody or anything, but the -public interest.