TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 134, 3 December 1909, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

In his speech to the proprietors of the Banlo of New Zealand, the Brighter chairman (Mr. Harold Prospects. Beauchamp), -while hymning the rosy-tinted dawn of the coming produce-season, also strikes a note ot caution. To the policy pursued by the banks as a whole during the past twelve months or so, the chair- • man attributes the present improved monetary position. He defends the attitude of the banks in not lending, so freely as many people would have liked, " against all and every kind of security." The position is certainly improved, for, while for the September quarter of last year deposits amounted to £20,310,007, they were exceeded by advances and discounts by the sum of £907,952. The case to-day, or rather as on 30th September, is much better, the deposits amounting to £20,979,120, and the advances to £18,170,707— a difference on the right side of £2,808,413. This is a lot of money for a population of under a million to " pull up " ; but it has been done. Mr. Beauchamp shows how the new New Zealand wool clip is larger, and how the market has improved, and |he estimates these facts to add two millions sterling to the pockets of tlje people from wool; he roughly estimates dairy produce to bring in a quarter of a" million more than last year ; increased output should, he thinks, somewhat mitigate the low prices for frozen meat; hemp is expanding in output, and is selling at most satisfactory prices ; and the whe,at and oat crops are expected to be both much more abundant and quite as profitable as" last season. Excellent as the prospects are, there is, in Mr. Beauchamp's judgment, the utmost need for careful trading and a modification (in the direction of reduction) of land values — " ridiculously high land values," Mr. Beauehamp calls them. The tide has turned, but there is still need of careful navigation v — ~ •For very many month's battles have been fought on Che water — the State or rivers and other waterSyndicate? ways, which are expected to surrender some of their power for men's benefit. The rivers are ■"eating their heads off," spoiling for the .bridle and .bit, but the question of tho hire still keeps the myriad horsepower, away from the wheels. The Premier announced last year that the Government had no mind to develop the -water-power for the present, and certainly he could give good , reasons for that decision ; but it would not be so easy to 'find excuses for the resolution, ■approved by Parliament in the helterskelter at the close of the 1908 session, to allow the Goyernor-in-Council to delegate to private hands, in perpetuity, the control of natural, national forces. After making one mistake, by which the public interest might suffer, the Government seems determined to make amends by insisting on regulations to prevent speculators from getting something for nothing. There has been much clamour against the conditions gazetted (the charge of 3s a year per horse-power generated, the stipulations for deposits, and othtr incidentals), but the Minister of Minss has Gaid again and again that he has no desire to block legitimate enterprise. It is not fair to assume that the Hon. R. M'Kenzie is opposed, purely ' for fun, to the granting of undue concessions. He is surely shrewd enough to know that it will redound to his credit to get bona fide mining ventures flourishing as soon as possible, tout he seems, rightly, firmly set against yielding facilities to the speculative middleman to cheaply secure concessions and farm them out to companies promoted abroad? Probably the conditions can bear amending in some respects — the Minister some weeks ago expressed his willingness to deal reasonably with genuine customers — but in the meantime, till the whole question has 'been fairly argued out, Mr. M'Kenzio's firmness in refusing to surrender forthwith, at the call of West Coast "indignation meetings," deserves praise. In the Legislative Council on Wednesday the Hon. H. F. Wigram A Fair asked for a return showing Request, details of the 1 revenue and •expenditure on the Christ-church-Lyttelton, Dunedin-Port Chalmers, and Invercargill-Bluff railways, for the twelve months ended 31st March last. As far as the Christchurch-Lyt-telton line was concerned,, he explained that the people of Canterbury wished to have the information, because it had been stated that the traffic was unduly handicapped, and he wished to know whether the Government, in case it was unwilling, on the score of expense, to get out the figures, would agree to have them prepa-red at the cost of those interested inHhe compilation. The Attor-ney-General (the Hon. Dr. Findlay) seemed to think that Mr. Wigram wa6 jesting, till he was assured that the member had 'not moved his question for the entertainment of his brethren. The Minister then became more serious, and quoted the opinion of the General- Manager of Railways to the effect .that the adoption of a system of sectional accounts would involve a large increase in the staffs at stations as well as at the accounting offices. .This answer is rather beside the question. Mr. Wigram did not ask for the perpetual adoption of the sectional system. He asked for a l-eport on the working of certain lines for a, certain period. The Minister's reply is almost as irrelevant as if he had said, in response to a request for a return of births, marriages, and deaths for twelve months : "The Government cannot afford to appoint officers to follow every man and woman about to see when they marry and when they, die." Possibly it may not be worth the Government's while to exactly inform itself iind the public about the working of the lines in question, ! but it should be a different matter when ! there is an offer to defray the cost of the researches. What is the railway sysi tern of accounting? Doubts have been I thrown upon the efficiency of the system before this, and the doubts have not been removed. Long ago we commented on the City Council's policy of The drift in regard to Unhappy the Zoological Gar"Zoo." dens in Newtowp Park. We pointed to the accumulation of a- menagerie around "King Dick." The citizens had the spectacle of a king and subjects, and even a Parliament (the City Council), but no constitution. Hence an element of chaos was inevitable under such a haphazard regime. _ We have no wish at the moment to discuss the merits of the personal quarrel of Mr. Bertling (the superintendent) and his late assistant (Mr. Arthur^ for the cas« m&y

come again before the court, but it is proper now to refer to the general state of the "Zoo." Whether the libel action ultimately ends for or against Mr. Bertling, this patent fact will remain — the City Council should take stock of the "Zoo." There has been much confusion of authority. In one way and another there has been some clashing between the Reserves Committee, tho superintendent, and the Citizens 'SBoological Committee, and the animals and birds have necessarily suffered for it. The death-rate has been high, and the reasons have not yet been satisfactorily 'explained to the public. Possibly one cause was the hurrying of various creatures into the institution before there was adequate provision of accommodation and attendance. The whole matter of control and scope of the enterprise has been left in a vague, faulty condition. We are not satisfied that the council has sufficiently exercised itseli to check the vandalism by which birds and animals have been either maimed or killed. The authorities have now had enough reminder that if the "Zoo" is to fulfil the hopes of its founders, by furnishing a place of healthy and instructive entertainment for children and adults — or even if it is to survive a definite policy must be framed and intelligently carried out.