NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 303, 16 September 1921, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

The Irish negotiations continue their chequered'course, and it seems that Sinn Fein is still wedded to the idea of severanc? from the Empire. Discussing Irish independence the other day, the "New Statesman,” a London weekly newspaper in close touch With the lAboun, Party, said that not one Englishman in ten would swallow the phrase. It proceeded tx> ask what a Labour Government could offer Sinn Fein, and its summary is interesting, as indicating the utmost that any large, section of the public in Britain would be prepared to concede. The first essential to bear in mind, it declares, is that Great Britain will never be willing to coerce Ulster, and Southern Ireland will nevenj bo able. To the "New Statesman” Ulstermen are not lovable people, but it is most emphatic that to recognise Ireland as "one nation” with Ulster a mere subordinate minority would be the emptiest of formal fictions, and Sinn Fein has no hope of bringing Britain to adopt an attitude so plainly at variance with the facts. In tho course of time it thinks that Ulster would accept a semi-autonomous position in a Dominion of Ireland such as Quebec holds in Canada, bnt that time is not yet. To Southern Ireland it says Labour would be prepared to give a "Dominion” status as full and complete as that of Australia. Ulster would have to bo allowed to go on as she is, with the "reserved, powers” under the present Homo ilule Act still in tho hands of Westminster, which would fix the Ulster income tax, and so forth, while Dublin would manage its own affairs. Whenever Ulster liked to ask for it, the reserved powers would be transferred to the Irish Dominion Parliament. No political party in Britain, would be prepared to offer more than this, and within the next few days we shall see how far away from it Sinn Fein still stands.

It was not to be expected that the Victoria College Council would display pleasure on being requested by the Government to inquire and report whether seditious literature was in circulation among the students or whether they had exceptional opportunity for coming into contact with persons of revolutionary tendencies. At the same time there does not appear to have been much occasion for its motion regretting that the Mimstcr had made a public statement to the Press "very prejudicial to the reputation of the college.” The reference, we take it, is to Mr. Parr’s statement published in the morning papers of September L In that statement Mr. Parr said he regarded it as serious when "a young teacher holding a B.A. degree” is found guilty of circulating literature encouraging violence, and ten or fifteen other young women students of the college attend the Court, “and, it is asserted, by they- interest’ and attitude showed sympathy.”

The Minister further observed, "Ifc is time for pretty drastic action.” We fail entirely to see what there was in Mr. Parr’s statement that deserves the censure of the College Council. It was the case itself, and not the comment, on it, that was prejudicial to the reputation of the college. The literature Miss Weitzel was charged with circulating advocated the Russian Communist policy of violence and illegal action for the attainment of political ends, a policy rejected and discarded by the national Labour movements in Western European countries. It is a policy which this country has not the slightest intention of hav ing propagated in an educational institution maintained by Government funds, and the plainer that fact is made the better for everybody.

Australia is still keeping her railway gauge problem steadily in view, and a commission set up some months back has reported in favour of conversion to the 4ft. Blin. gauge. There is precedent for this decision, as it concurs with that of a conference of railway engineers held in 1897, with a report presented to Parliament in 1911, with a conference in 1912, and with the conclusions reached at discussions on other occasions. Austral in has five different railway gauges in operation, ranging from sft. 3in. to 2ft. 6in., and the mixture of them is such that, although there is continuous rail connection from West Australia to Queensland, the traveller is compelled liy the variations in the gauge to change trains five times. If ever a military emergency arose, and it 'became necessary to move bodies of troops and supplies about the country, it is easy to imagine th© appalling difficulties that would arise in attempting rapitl movement. On each occasion on which the problem has been reviewed action has been deferred because of the expense, and with each delay the expense grows, for the different lines are continually being extended. In 1897 tho cost of conversion to a 4ft.

Bin. gauge was put at .£2,360,000. '1 he estimate made in 1912 ivas £37,164,000. ’Lilis morning’s message mentions . -£*10,000,000 as the estimated cost, but this must lie for tho partial conversion between the capitals, which it was expected the commission would recommend for a beginning, In 1912 the total mileage of tho Australian railways was 18,000 miles, today it is about 26,000 miles, and it is obvious that if for the smaller task .£37,000,000 was needed nine years ago much more than .£40,000,000 will bo required to-day in face of the gteat change in values. Each time it lias looked this undertaking in the face Australia has drawn back because of the expense, and the longer it puts the evil day off the greater the bill grows. * * * *

The scheme for the grouping of the Crown colonies under High Commissioners with a delegation of power by tho Colonial Office, as reported this morning, is no doubt iu part tho outcome of the federal movement in the West Indies. The numerous British Crown colonies there have long agitated for some form of federation, and delegations have visited London to push the lAattcr. In the Pacific tho principle is already established to a limited extent,' as tho Governor of Fiji is also High Commissioner of the Western Pacific, with control over various small groups. Tho change represents an application of the same principle of consolidation that resulted in the union of the various selfgoverning colonies into Hie present great Dominions. It should be useful in enabling many matters of importance to bo decided with much less delay than is involved in transmission of correspondence to' and from Downing Street—though exactly what is proposed is yet obscure. A great deal was written a little while ago about the possibilities of.lthe great tropical possessions Britain bolds in Africa, and the reorganisation will bo of service if it accelerates their development. In these territories the Empire has a trust of a dual nature. It is trustee not only for tho natives, but for civilisation at large, which cannot exist without the foodstuffs and raw materials Of the Tropics, and the fullest opening up of these areas is needed consistently with a duo regard for native rights—which rights, however, do not include that to hold idle rich tracts of the earth’s surface.