TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 94, 18 October 1909, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

It is pleasant to have the Premier's assurance that "the Easy to Say, but Government is the Logs will Roll, not making and will not make any^political rail-svays," but it is very questionable whether the Government will have the hardihood to act consistently and persistently on that policy under a system by which Parliament is a species of magnified Board of Works, a huge Road and Bridge Board. The tide of political influence, under the attraction of a majority in the Board of Works, rolls at the Premier, and the "white horses" charge at him. Canutelike — according to his latest utterance — he sits and says : "Avast, avaunt ! Got thee hence." Will the tide recede at his invitation? • Will the "white horses"' return to their stables in the vasty deep? Yet even if the Premier and his colleagues can survive all the onslaughts of the deputations and jemain adamant against the forcible whispe,rs of faithful Parliamentarians for railway extensions and branches, there will still be political railways. If not another mile of metalled way is made through political territory, the railways will be political under the present system. This political management will continue to involve waste of time, waste of money, waste of material. Par^y influence will inevitably be a factor, and the interests of the vast majority of taxpapers will be secondary considerations when it is a question of pleasing somebody of the "right colour." This influence has operated in the past as a contributing cause of the huge annual loss on the working railways, and it cannot be prevented from operating as long as the running of the railways is entrusted solely to the Government of the day and its nominees. This is a city of Parliaments, and in the course of the year all Baptists manner of institutions, re- ' in Council, ligious and, secular, meet in council in Wellington, review the work of the preceding twelve months, compare notes, and arrange their programme for the immediate iuture. Last week saw the openipg of the conference of the Ba.ptist Church of New Zealand, the proceedings of which are now drawing to H close. The Baptist body is known among the churches as one of the most active and energetic, and with very definite ideals, notably in the direction of social reforms ; and its characteristics are impressed on the reports presented ; though it must be remarked that, occupied as they are almost exclusively with the domestic management and progress of the body, there is little of startling interest. Identified from the first with missions, the Indian missions in particular, it was only to be expected that the subject would be prominent in the conference ; and the fact that the president was a greatgrandson of one of the pioneer Baptist missionaries in India, and bore the same honoured name, gave a- certain interest to the gathering. In missions nearer at horne — our own backblocks work-^-the church has recognised its responsibilities, and seem& to. have undertaken a fair share of a very important duty. Its statistics, in a time when religious bodies j mostly find it hard to hold their ground, show encouraging progress. One matter of importance considered was the more efficient training of Sunday-school teachers. The church balance-sheets afford always a subject of practical interest; and it need hardly be noted that finance was recognised as a vital Soint in the church's policy. A* one of . v force* working jiersWefttiy. for. right-*

eousness, and for the elevation of the general ideals, the Baptist Church has an important place in modern life and activity. Mr. John Foster Fraser had a sort of triumphal re-entry of A Welcome Wellington yesterday. Visitor. When he stepped ashore here a fortmght ago, although he had only a little time to stay, he did not escape a Mayoral reception and other honours, and he graciously said something nice about Wellington. He gazed around at the hacked hills and thereclamations, and saw there a monument to British enterprise and perseverance. It is well that he did not see the alleged art gallery, and we trust that his cicerones will have discretion enough to continue to head him off from Whitmore-street. However, the tribute to the energy of Wellington people in things material was well deserved, for man here has fought' nobly against odds. Mr Fraser's return to the capital, with the Prime Minister and a band to meet him on the wharf, has been impres sive; he has been treated with a distinction granted to very few visitors. He is one of the Empire builders, the solid builders who prop up their structure with the pen. He is a popular educator, and he travels far for the lessons which he conveys to Britishspeaking people in both hemispheres. At a time when the wisest heads of the Empire are realising that rryutual knowledge is a very essential element in the cement that holds the Red earth together, such men as Mr. Fraser have a very important, very valuable mission. He has that shrewd ripened judgment to enable him to give a fair presentment of the peoples' with whom he has associated, and_ thus serve to correct any wrong impressions given by less competent critics. He has various messages for the people here, and his lectures are of a character which thoroughly blends unfailing interest with informa- j [ tion gleaned, by hard labour, in some of the most perilous parts of the earth. He is a familiar figure now— the boy scout. * Almost any day Help from he may be seen in his neat the Boys, uniform of light mustardcolour twill, proud under his magnificent sombrero, and stepping out jauntily with his long staff. He has marched, to the hills with bags and baggage, he has camped out, he has noticed the tricks of creeks, and the points of | the country round-about. These excursions give full play to all the romance ■that romps in a boy's heart and brain. His stick can be a marshal's baton, aad he can lead the forlorn hopes down the lonely road of Happy Valley or across the sand dunes of the Miramar isthmus. All the "Dead wood Dick" and "Buffalo Bill" elements in him can be usefully transmuted to ecout, to the good of his health of body and mind. The boys, too, are proving that they are sharpening their wits for their country's benefit. A report from Christchurch, mentions that during the recent military manoeuvres in Canterbury the youthful ' scoute did very good service for the adult troops to which they were attached. Major Richardson states that some of his best information was brought by tho boy scouts; their reports were concise, intelligent, and accurate.. That neWs should be reassuring for the Imperial War Office, which has decided to experiment with boy scouts in connection with the regular army manoeuvres. The boys are evidently taking them6«lves with admirable seriousness in all parts of the Empire. The scout movement has advanced at- the gallop, with such good results for boys that the girls are now being considered by some enthusiasts. It is proposed to send the girls out into the fields to study topography and strengthen themselves by sturdy tramps abroad.