TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 32, 7 February 1908, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Has the Political Labour Party hearkened to the hint that a A Modern Napoleon might work Joan of Arc. wonders among the ranks of New Zealand •toilers? It is reported from Christchurch that 'Miss Powell, who has had | some two years' experience in New South Wales and Victoria in organising the> armies of labour, is to march through these islands, rallying the forces.

Will she be a Joan of Arc, who will lead the masses to victory over "Bloateu Capital?'' The other day, we mentioned that a big proposal had come from little Waihi. It was nothing less than a recommendation for the federation of all the unions, and copies of tho resolution are now meeting witu various fates among the Labour Councils. Miss Powell was in Waihi recently, and she says that ''she is well satisfied with the results of her efforts. ' Possibly the federation notion emanated from her brain. Tho people will be eager to see this feminine "Napoleon of Not Ling Hill." Is she pretty V Is her voice soothing i and captivating? Shall we bohold her on tho soap-box in Mercer-streot, swaying thd multitudes, and almost malting the populace forget, to get out of the way of the electric cars? It ib a quaint development. While tho demand for a municipal markel in Wellington remains Fish-oh ! active, fish — dear, precious fish — will be a live topic here. The interest is maintained also by various events. New Zealand's blue | cod, the bluo-blooded aristocrat of these waters, has had the honour and glory of a division all to itself in the Federal Senate. Australians love blue cod so I much that some Parliamentarians sought to make this delicacy free of duty, but they were defeated. New Zealanders themselves see too little of the treasure which is so much prized on the other stde of the Tasman Sea. In Auckland there is another fishy subject. The Sal. yation Army, which established a homo for inebriates on Bell's Island, thought that the inmates might profitably pass then- time in catching fish for sale, but v close corporation" of local fishormon has raised an outcry against the scheme, and the grumblers are, of course, supported by the Trades and Labour Council. The people of Auckland should prove tnat they are stronger than the cliques who aim at keeping a valuable article of diet perpetually dear. The nsning for tho inebriate patients would do good in two ways; it would be a very healthful pastime for the anglers and would help to bring f rea h fish within the means of the average housewife. So the Germans have resolved to spend _ the immense sum of Sea-Power, sixty-three millions sterling—not marks, mmd — on their navy and army tliis year. To this spurt the Bannerman Cabinet is responding. But hesitatingly and unwillingly. Accordingly the British naval estimates are to be substantially increased for the current year, and an oven larger outlay is hinted at for 1909. Ihis action of tho vi.-ibly reluctant Liberal Government- shows 'how seriously Germany's militant expenditure is regarded. Tho out-and-out supporters of Mr. W. T. Stead's proposal haw apparently won the day. Mr. Stead, who is a man of peace, says that the S roper answer to the new German laval Bill 'is for Britain to lay down promptly two battleships for ope. On this scale Britain would be required to, provide six Dreadnoughts, two Invincibks, four protected cruisers, and twenty-four destroyers this year. Even unto breaking-point apparently Britain's command of the waves must be maintained. The prcciso and judicial -Spectator ends a recent article on the two-power standard with the remark — "She (Germany) h.is, oi course, a perfect right to challenge our supremacy at sea if she so desires." Mr. Haldane, in his Hull speech, voiced his belief —was it irony ?— that there is r f o man who more genuinely loved the peace of the world than the German Emperor. This accounts indubitably for a gjeater expenditure on armaments following on the heels of every pacific utterance. So dearly does the Kaiser love peace that ! many astute public men believe that he would not feel much regret if, -as an outcome of tho enquiry demanded by the Maritime League^ — mentioned in today's cablese-Sir John Fisher, the acj tual head of Britain's lyavy, resign--|ed his responsible poEt. Mr. Hal- ! Dane, in his Hanley speech, reminded his audience that Britain has only forty- four millions of people — her great rival has sixty millions, which are also increasing in a much faster ratio than Britain's millions. Can Britain continue to shoulder the burden alone muofl longer? Can Britain's partners— her oversea branches as it wore — much longer avoid tho fair measure of responsibility which such a partnership entails? Every important branch of the Christian. Church has a Tolerance basic principle essentially and its own which constitutes Loyalty, its specific v quality as a , denomination and which is j its justification. On such occasions as eynods ( and annual convention? this principle naturally comes into prominence, and the meeting of the Congregational Union Council in Wellington supplies the Mest example. Eoligious freedom is one of the leading ideals of Congregationalism, and ths president, tho liev. D. Hird, 8.A., chose as the subject of his address, "Christian Freedom and Denominational Loyalty." The address, an outline of which appeared in yesterday's Post, was highly interesting and sugge&tive. Both the ideals indicated — freedom of conscience and denominational loyalty— are themselves good ; either may be pushed to irrational extremes so as not olny to lose their value but to come into violent collision. The lecturer, in endeavouring to indicate the "golden mean," himself furnished an example of tha principles he would inculcate. The man who holds and values any definite creed, faith, or social ideal believing it to be of importance, owes it to himself and his neighbour to bo loyal to his principles, but it is equally his duty to recognise his own fallibility, and the sincerity of those whoso ideals aro opposed to his own. Intolerance of others is no real test of true loyalty to one's own professed views. A man i 3 esteemed for defending his own principles exactly in proportion as he respecte those of others, and the "suspicions and unworthy rivalries" condemned by Mr. . Hird indicate defects in character quite independent of creed. It is, as he said, a bad sign when any outward indication of fellowship between different religious - bodies is exalted as "something very wonderful and specially creditable. It will be well when the association of ministers of diverse denominations to further any good work is regarded as so much * j matter of course as to provoke no com- 1 inent. Utility's fist threatens to strike Paritutu, the hoary armed sentinel Utility^ that has" stood guard by Destroying the port of New Plymouth Aim. for many genera/tions. Before Maori or pakoha came, Paritutu stood knee-deep in tho breakers, and was for ever fighting with the whita horses that kicked at his ribs. The brown man and the whito man swarmed along the shore, and Paritutu saw them at war, and; his name was woven into some pf the legends of tho3& turbulent days. ' Paritutu holds rich stores of history, but the New Plymouth Harbour Board sniffs at history, and asks for metal. To them Paritutu" represents so many cubic yards of rock or "spoii" at so much a yard. When the very boardy board decided to demolish the great rock a loud chorus of indignation was raised, and an appeal was made to a Government department. Mr. W. C. Kensington, Under-Seoretary for Crown Landßj has replied, mentioning that Pari-

tutu and other Tocks wer© vested in the board in 1886 "in trust for the construction and" maintenance of docks, piers, and such other works as may be deemed advisable by the Haibour Board." The board considers that Paritutu can be put to better purpose than serving to clease the eyes of the people and set them muung about the strenuous past. Therefore, Mr. Kensington gives an opinion that it "does not seem advisable" to interfere- with the Harbour Board in its vandalism. Siu-aly the board can get fragmonts of rock without dynamiting Paritutu, and so givin.cr Borrow to many New Zealanders in all the provinces. Paritutu is n very interesting scenic fea,tur© on the Egmont headland, but th« associations that cluster around it call fctill louder for its preservation against the blasts of the utilitarian." Wo tmst that it is not too late for tlje boa-rdi to be converted by moral suasion, if possible, or by other means, if necessary,