TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue LXXVI, 1 July 1908, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

One of the most keenly canvassed statements in the GoverThe Manawatu nor's Speech is the Kailway. reference to the possibility of legislation becoming necessary Io overcome the legal difficulties that may delay the acquisition of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway by the State. As the terms of the bargain and the piocedure are already prescribed by statute, this reference has, at first sight, an unpleasant look. Yet :f the intentions of the Government are as suggested by us yesterday, it seems tp us that they are both business-like and honourable. We have ■always advocated the equitable treatment of the Manawatu Company, and deprecated the devices for depreciating its venture, which seemed to us unworthy of the State; but there are equities also on the other side. If we protested against the company being tieated by tho State as one American trust would treat a weaker rival, >/c have also to protest against the other extreme of a soft bargain which would be unjust to the taxpayers. What the Government fears is, apparently, that the proceedings may be prolonged with a view to securing for the company the added value which its property would derive from the completion of the- Main Trunk line. The value of the company's line as it stands to-day is one thing ; what it will be when State enterprise has made it a link of an undivided chain connecting Auckland and Wellington, is quite another. Should the company be allowed -to protract the proceedings for purchase in order to get the benefit of the big profits which the completion of the chain would produce? We see no injustice in the proposal to put the State in possession immediately on the closing of the present gap between the raifheads, subject, of course, to the reservation of the company's full legal rights as to the assessment and payment of compensation. Several delegates at the Waterside Workers' ConWaterside Workers ference yesterand Ship Firo3. day ridiculed the theory thai matches, introduced by toilers, were responsible for fires which have attacked flax and wool in the holds of ships, and they have protested against the proposal that workers should be obliged to leave their coats above deck before they went below. Amusingly ifc was argued that if the men were not allowed to take their coats below they would be exposed to the risk of catching a cold when they came up again, if a southerly happened to bo blowing. The match and smoking theory, however, cannot be dismissed so airily as thosa delegates wish. In any case, it is far better to be sure than sorry when precious lives and valuable cargo are at stake. It should surely be possible to minimise the danger of fire m the holds without giving the workers the fear of a chill. A man could leave his coat and vest in a safe place above deck, and go down with a jersey to shield him for the return trip. One of the delegates remarked yesterday that "some of the cargo labourers employed during th© busy summer season were not altogether desirable." He did not, :of course, cast any reflection on the I general body of waterside workers, but quite rightly directed attention to the irresponsible "birds of passage" who may take a turn on the wharf, for a few days, when hard pressed. The shipping companies havo every right to insist upon all reasonable precautions without leaving themselves open to a charge of "insulting the integrity" of the average worker. Lord Charles Beresford "showed his , , . hand" in a remark"Admirals All." able way at a, levee, . attended by Cabinet Ministers and foreign Amßassadors, according to a cable message from London to-day. Sir John Fisher, First Lord of tho Admiralty, extended his hand to the Commander of the, Channel Squadron, but Lord Charles ostentatiously ignored the proffer of fellowship, puty his hand out of harm's way behind his back. The Chronicle, reporting the very regrettable incident, does not say that a duel was the sequel, but that Lord Charles is likely to desert the sea in favour of politics after thus setting himself up as a "Dreadnought" in such distinguished company. It is hard to credit such a well-tried "sea-dog" as Lord Beresford with the discourtesy alleged against him. One looks in vain, at tjiis distance, for the justification of conduct calculated to highly interest the representatives of foreign nations. Possibly the incident may hark back to the manoeuvres in the North Sea when Lord Bex-esford's signal of "paint ship" was so little to the liking qf RearAdmiral Sir Percy Scott, who then had his squadrons at gun practice. He was so disconcerted by his chief's order that he signalled a sarcastic direction to his subordinates, hinting that it was deemed more important to look pretty than to learn to shoot straight. Possibly Sir John Fisher did not, subsequently, reprimand the "Hotspur" Sir Percy as severely as £ord Charles desired, and thus got himself disliked by the high and mighty commander. It is hoped that fuller details of the admirals' difference will put Lord Charles in a better light. Every day we have to abandon old notions of "the East," Persian Revolt, where life meandered on a drowsy current among lotos-blossoms, and the sleeper never turned in his dreams to watch the Western legions thundering past. Wheu revolt conies to old Persia, the historic garden of roses, where Omar Khayyom drowned tho quarrels of philosophy in wine, it is time to think seriously where "the Eastern movement"— which will presently be a phrase as common as "the Labour movement" or "the Temperance movement" — is going to stop. Is it going to stop? Persia, answers emphatically No. The Persian revolt is a Tevolt against the absolute power of the Shah, acquiesced in for centuries. In a weak moment, or perhaps because he couldn't help it, the fc!hah gave his Persians a quasi-democra-tic Constitution with all the Parliamentary trimmings; and now the new Persian democracy, which has just discovered its own cxi stance, is giving so much, troubla that th* Shah is sorry for his waakness, and is limiting the effect of concessions as far as h© ca». But the Persians will not permit their Parliament to remain a make-believe, «. sham vesture clothing tho monarchial will. All kinds of European ideas ar« seething in their heads; and the yeast is new and virulent. Newspapers a»A reviews preach the doctrine of popular rights ; and j Persia is exhorted definitely to wake up and take her place among progressive nations. Half tne people,' apparently, has gone on strike against the Shah — j ,l«it its hereditary job and defied the-j

Arbitration Court of the ages. The Shah has an army, however, and an exceedingly summary method of doing justice or tyranny. The result is Been weekly in our cable messages.

"Conscience makes meek men of ns all," practically say some Conscience and Christadelphians in Military Service, a petition to Parliament for exemption, from compulsory military or naval service. They refer to the prospect of "a time of trouble such, as never was before," and request respect for their faith that it is wrong to take up wea^ pons designed for the destruction of life an,d property. The Government cannot, of course, exempt any section of men from tne responsibility of doing their part in defending their country. There is a point at which religious principle, however much people's religion is entitled to respect, cannot be allowed to interfere with arrangements for national safety and public convenience. As well might a wealthy landowner petition for exemption from taxation on the ground that his faith teaches him that it is wrong to give tithes or fractions of tithes to the Government. Some day it may bo wrong for auy man to be seen withi deadly weapons, but that tiiee is f-ar away. The nation which, gives all its time to money-changing and none to rine-shootmg courts a risk of being rifleshot, and its money-bags may go to folk whose belief is that it is better to kill than to be killed. If any man considers that if is unlawful, from the religious point of view, for him to bear arms for his country, then he should consider it unlawful for him to eat bread in a country whose peace is secured by force of arms.