TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 27, 31 July 1907, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Dating as it does from Vcgelian tinißS, tho Midland schemu now Piercing stands out as our most conthe Alps, spicuous example of unrealised railway ambition. Completion of the great trunk lin<s of tho Korth Island is well within sight, but, taking the most favourable view, more than half a deeado. must elapse before oven tho Christchurch-Greymouth portion of the Midland is an accomplished fact. Before this time the lino will also be down to Inangahua, from Reeften. Beyond Inangahua, whichever wsy tho railway rocs, thoro in tho gorga to negotiate ; and whatever concessions may in the course of years bo squeezed from this or Gucceeding Governments as *.o ths Weßtport connection, tho upper gorge may bo relegated to '-omoto futurity. At present, despite the WestpovtRopft&n leaning towards a CulverdenLewis Saddle-Recfton-Wcstport line, the eyes of the colony are en the trunk scheme via Arthur's Pass, which is to pierce the divide* (3oooft high) with a 5\ miles tunnel, thus creating what has not existed heretofore — an overland freight road between the East and the West Coahts, oompeting with sea carra ige. Without any railway at all, the traffic of the tourist, who comes to see the I'ass and not the tunnel, could have gone on, but the 1 in 6 grade of the coach road from Otira has made overland goods transit practically impossible. Whether the Roods that will come by the railway will be sufficient to pay for its working expenses is a question on which no finality can be hoped for at tho prosent stage, because of the existence of so many unknown factors This and other phases of the Midland undertaking are discussed, without prejudico, in a sciies of articles from notes gather-. cd on the spot ; the first of which appears in to-day"s issue. Whatever may be jts commercial possibilities, the conquest_ of the Southern Alps appeals to tho imagination, and details of the great tunnel to which the Government has committal itself will no doubt be read with interest.

The child slavfe of the dairy, the tender human offering sacrificed Child on the altar of Cow, is again Slavc6. brought before tho public by v paragraph in th"c Labour Department's annual rep6rt. "The result of careful enquiries rhowed thnt the tendency to employ children of tender years in the daiwing industry is decreasing, but GufHcient evidence was found to justify restrictive legislation," wrote Mr. J. Mackay, Chief Inspertor of factories. What has become of the official reports that the Minister set out to secure? It has been admitted, in a general way, by the head of the department that children's welfare has been regarded- as a f econclary matter compared with the cows', and the people desire to hoar something about remedial measures. Thore seems to bo a conejiinicy of silence among those most responsible for the settlement of a gross evil. The Farmem' Union, at the ' annual conference, carefully avoided the subject, though it xpent much time oil otljera of vastly less importance. Will the same apathy characterine the representatives of the agricultural and pastoral associations now sitting in general conference? There has been a shamefaced tendency among a certain class to condone the cruel sweating ,of , young children. The "sacred rights of property" have been held in higher esteem than tho humane treatment of human beings. Some apologists for the taskmaster have been disposed to scout ths idea that the little ones have suffered hardship, but there is much irrefutable evidence to tliow that young children have had their ph.yGica) and mental development impaired by their long hours of attendance on Cow. Within the limits of a brief note the cry of the afflicted for justice cannot be fully expressed, but sufficient has been &aid to remind the GovernmAit that a duty which should have been dene long ago is still awaiting execution.

It is a noteworthy coincidence that simultaneously with tb* reFederal adjustment of parties in Politics. Queensland, an almost parallel change is reported in Commonwealth politics, where the same three-party difficulty has so long made continuity and. consistency of policy almost impossible. The^Tesignation of tho Treasurer, Sir John Forrest, one of the most distinguished members of the Cabinet, can scarcely fail to simplify tho position by widening tha line of cleavage between the Conservative party and the Liberal Ministry, and to bring about a better understanding between Liberalism and Labour. Himself a Conservative, Sir John Forrest could nob consistently remain a member of a Government which, to usa his own phrase, "relied for support on the Labour paxty," and a reconstruction of the Ministry has followed his resignation. No one can reasonably find fault with the course lie has taken — least of all the Prime Minister, who should now feel more in freedom than when working with an unsympathetic colleague. Any change which will reduce the pressing problems of the hour to clear issues on which an affirmative or negative may be taken ia to be welcomed. The attitude of the extreme Labour party has gone far to check effectual progress. There seem to be signs that some of its leaders are realising the fact, and the sooner they abandon their policy of isolation, and give a tess grudging support to the only party that ia in sympathy with their practicable ideals, the better it will bo for all concomed. We. shall not be surprised if the resignation of Sir John Forrest proves the first forward step towards the inclusion of Mr. Watson in the Denkin Cabinet after the reform of the tariff has been nccomplished.

After two months of political deadlock, tho position in Qut*nsParties in land lias definitely Queensland, changed. Efforts appear to have been made to effect a coalition between Mr. Kidston, the Premier, and Mt. Philp, the Opposition leader, neither party having a majority in Parliament,, and Mr. Philp's being numerically the stronger ; but no arrangement having been made, tho Premier asked for time to consider the situation, and it was suggested that he would resign and ask that Mr. Philp be sent for. Behind thia suggestion apparently lay Eome scheme, if nob of ultimata coalition, of on understanding to mako

common cause against the Labour-Social-ists, who, numbering only eighteen out of seventy-two, would have been hopelessly outnumbered. Such a result would also have still further widened the broach between the Socialist section and the Liberal party, which includes many sound Labour men who have worked hard for the cause during many years. In the circumstances, the Labour-Social-)sts have apparently ssen the necessity ot abandoning their policy of haughty aloofness, and have promised the Premier that "general support" wlfich 'the Opposition could not see its way to giv*, and -"-b:clx -nrill enable him to" TOtain Office, though not with a wholly free hand. Mr. Bowman, the leader of the extreme Labour party, naturally did nofc dilate upon the concessions it had been deemed expedient to make. As Mr. Kidston himself is in sympathy with the general aspirations of th* Labour piirty, there might not seem at first sight to*be muck significance in Mr. Bowman's reservations—freedom to criticise Government measures, and to jppose "anything con* flirting with the Labour plitform ; but Mr. Bowman's "Labour platform" is not that of Mr. Kidston. It is probable, howover, that even the caucus may rwlise the expediency of compromise, m which case we may expect some measure of continuity of policy, and possibly the break-up of tht three-partj positiort with the recurrent deadlocks and general instability which are among its ine\itable consequences.

Wellington's face has been altered greatly during tho past Wellington's few years, and the feaExpansion. tures that have been improved a-re a reminder that others are scdly in need of a touch from the beauty culturist. Noble buildings here arise beside shabby, mean structures. The haughty monarch and the pauper are arrayed side by side ; and everywhere the streets prove the I adage that a cat may look at a king. Gradually,- howoyor, eyesores which disfigure valuable sites are being cut away by the builder's surgeons, and month by month sec 3 the town more and more justifying its title of city. At tho conference of representatives 'of the Harbour Board and City Council tha other day tho Hon. T. R. MaedonaJd remarked that it wns "deplorable tbat lands in the centre of the city had been alldvred for so long to be occupied by old iron and tumble-down sheds and timboryards, instead of by fine buildings," but the substitution of palaces for hovels is coming, ' though the pace is not nearly rapid enough to satisfy impatient folk. At tho rate at which Wellington is altering its geography it will indeed be difficult 6oon for old pioneers to reconcile the picturo with their early impressions of Ponekc Peaks have bean torn down and hurled inio valleys to make levols in the place of hill and dale, and daily tne domain of the sea hero is being restricted. Tho latest scheme is to place houses :.n.l j shops and factories at Iho head of Evans Bay in a place where the fish still Hit about. Sir. Macdonald states that i wtenty or thirty acres could bo reclaimed at a cost which would not be appalling. In the meantime hospital and educational authorities are asking for more space, and hint that some day the MtJunt View Reserve wi^l be \vk6lly required for the public needs of the district.

Belfast policemen bave decided to be in the fashion, and have. therePolice fore, struck for "higher ivoges on and better pensions." Some Strike, five hundred of them peacefully went out on d.uty, and then, after giving the public an impression that the ordinary machinery for the preservation of law and. ovder was -in motion, they determined to beat the streets no more till their grievances were adjusted. The commissioner has deferred his reply till Saturday, and in the meantime the reveller -will be free to cut eights and other figures on the footpath and embrace' the lamp-poste with an affection that will nob be disturbed. While tho cats of constables aro away, tho mice of burglar will no doubt be at play. Sikes will furbish up his lantern and take down bis jemmy from the wall, "and timid spinsters will be disposed to have an extra careful peep tinder the bed before retiring into tho oblivion of nleep. In this strike, which makes for great public inconvenience, the constables place themselves ou a par with ,the Russian -workers who paralysed the railway service, and the Parisian mechanics who threw the capital of Prance iiito total darkness. Wellington citizens will be fondly hoping that the example act in Belfast will not be copied here, at least till tho present burglar boom has been burst. It lias, been written that the* constables here feel justly entitled to an extra sixpence or shilling a day, and there can be no question that the cavalier steps taken by Irish men in blue will greatly interest their fellow toilers hero. The constable can have no recourse to the Arbitration Court to regulate the pattern of his shako, the length of his beit. the weight of his baton. He is reduced usually to suffering in silence. It is prayed that he will not los.e thi> spirit of patience till' some of ' the expert cracksmen who have been opciating here have found more arduous and less remunerativo work than plundering houses and offices.