TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 79, 5 April 1910, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Cheerfully risking a charge of "parochialism," the AuckTho hind Star has made Parliamentary some peculiar suggesLibrary. lions concerning the Parliamentary Library. A telegram in The Post to-day shows that the Star has been perturbed about the use of the general taxpayers' money on books which may be circulated among certain sections of the Wellington public during the recess. The Star also declares that an undue proportion of fiction is introduced into the library, and alleges that novels, "on the cheap," are the chief objective of Wellington's privileged few. The amount of truth in these assertions will be tested by enquiry, but in the meantime one may join issue with the Northern paper on the chief point of its expostulation — that the restrictions on the Wellington public for access to the books should be intensified rather than relaxed. The Star practically contends that it is not fair to New Zealand in general to allow the books to go abroad, and argues that those who hop© to benefit by looking into the volumes should do all their reading in the library. That contention is contrary to the spirit of modern library enterprise. Tho aim in older conn tries is to give facilities to the public for the free study of master works in their own homes, with proper safeguards to ensure due care of the books. If it is seriously submitted that Wellington people, at tho New Zealand public's expense, may enjoy advantages denied to other communities, it is surely not the duty of the Government to constitute itself a pitiable dog in the literary manger. Rather it is the function of the authorities to do all in their power to remove, as far as possible, any cause for grievances expressed by Auckland or any other section of ,New Zealand. Deference to the Auckland Star's opinion would merely involve a retrograde movement at a time when it is strongly urged— the recent Libraries Conference can be called to witness — that the Government should be going forward to assist tho people to get access to helpful books. Mr. J. W. Joynt, Registrar of the NewZealand University, Scholar and who is to succeed Mr. Good Citizen. H. W. Eve as the university's representative in London, has male himself solidly respectpd here. Ho has been a busy man since he settled in this country, but has never been too absorbed in his private interests to have no timo left for altruistic work. Ho has done excellent service for the university, for which the governing bodies and the governed — the successive armies of students — will gratefully remember him. By his wise counsel ho has been a valued helper in the educational sphere, and his activity has ranged far beyond the walls of the university colleges. The Shakespeare Society owes him much for his tireless enthusiasm in banding and holding together the ardent, admirers of the great gpnins of the drama ; and those citizens who are aiming to increase the public appetite for good music have received much vigorous encouragement from Mr. Joynt. Thus, out of the public eye except when his official duties brought him into the open, Mr. Joynt has always been an earnest, useful worker for the public. He has that serious student temperament which seeks not public adulation and congratulation as the reward for services rendered. He has found his satisfaction in the joy of doing his work well, and has set up un admirable standard for others to observe. New Zealanders will heartily wish nim happy and prosperous days in London, ana they will have the comfort that, though be will be far away, he will still be giving his best energies to New Zealand. The Arnst-Whelch sculling match for tho championship of Arnst the world has resulted Still as those who knew both Champion. contestants anticipated. The challenger' 6 pluck did not make up for his lack of pulling power, despite the wild rumours that no would set out at a 45 to the minute bat, and sustain it to the end of a bitter three miles and more. Only for a very short distance did the Akaroa challenger hold his doughty opponent, and then the latter went away to win completely. It is clear that even the great Arnst can row and learn, and though not yet a first-class waterman, he negotiated the "jobble" at Akaroa in a fashion that suggested he is yet improving and will probably continue so for some time. The result of this latest contest bears out the old saying of the good big man as against the good little fellow. Whelch is probably a good man —in his class, but that is a grade or two below Arnst's. Physically gifted with abnormal endurance and a developed confidence and skill, Arnst seems destined to retain his honours (other things being equal) for years to come. His next serious opponent is the Englishman, E. Barry, who has been matched to row the New Zealander on the Zambesi on 18th August next. The Englishman is getting every chance, thanks to his patriotic supporters, to show the best that is in him, and his compatriots are hopeful. His admirers consider him a worthy aspirant to world's championship honours, but to achieve these he will need to be something out of the ordinary. This, on perfoimanre. lie is not, and he is at an ago when it may reasonably be doubted that he will improve. Both men lit and well at the post in August next, Iheic can hardly be any doubt as to the result of the contest. For Arnst is, probably, a second Beach, or that type

of oarsman, and though Barry were a Hanlan it would seem that that would avail him but little. Considering Arnst's meteoric career on the river, and the fact that every successive match teaches him something, it does not appear likely that New Zealand will be forced to hand over the world's sculling honours for some time yet. Th© official reports from the opiumgrowing districts in China China afford, we think, sufficient in Earnest, proof to any impartial reader of the inaccuracy of the statement so confidently made by interested parties, that tho Chinese Government is not sincere in its avowed determination to suppress the opium evil. Yesterday our cable news reported a pitched battle between the troops and certain opium-growers in the province of Shan-si who resisted the attempts of the officials to uproot the prohibited crop of poppies, in which conflict sixty lives were lost and many persons wounded. In our latest Home files we read, on the authority of Mr. Rose, Acting-British Consul, who made a journey of enquiry through the province of Yunnan, that "in the districts which are under the direct rule of the Chinese authorities not a field of poppy was to be found, but amongst the semiindependent Shan tribes the diminution in cultivation was naturally much less. This result had not been attained without resort to drastic measures on the part of the Chinese authorities. Riots had been suppressed by military force, and in one instance the decapitation of fourteen persons had been nececsary to convince the farmers that the authorities were in earnest." In some provinces the local officials are 6upine, and the prohibition is disregarded; but tho Chinese Government sometimes has a short way with such. Shan-si, where the military have just been called out, was formerly, we are told, one of the most opiumcursed regions in China. In the capital, Tai-Yuan Fu, half the adult population of both sexes were opium-smokers, and the proportion in the country districts was higher still. Mr. Max Mueller, of the consular service, lately reported : "Not a stalk of poppy was to be seen this spring over large areas which in former years were covered with the plant ; the price of the drug has gone up enormously, and were Shan-si a selfcontained State instead of being a unit in a large Empire, opium-smoking would soon be a thing of the past." Sir Alexander Hosie's testimony, published in yesterday's Post, is emphatic as to China's sincerity in the crusade she has undertaken; and it is a grave reproach to Britain that her insistence on commercial treaty rights is an obstacle in the way of reform.

There is a difficulty in coping with the rush of sheep and lambs at the freezinti works in the .South Island. Tho Daily Times on Monday reported : There jre now about 10,000 waiting to be killed and f rozen at the Oainaru [ works, and the works of other places have the samo difficulty. One fortunate potato grower in the Oamaru district took £56 worth of potatoes off a single acre. Fortunately I for the potato growers here, states a local paper, blight is not so bad as ia other places where there has been a greater rainfall. The good crops here will ha\e to make good the devastation caused further north by tho diseiue. Evidence taken at the preliminary enquiry held by the Collector of Customs at Nel.-on into the capsizing of the steamer Koi has been considered by tho Marine Department, and it has been decided to held a magisterial enquiry into the occurrence. This will take place at Nelson, and the nautical assessors appointed are Captains Samuel Clark and Henry Mac Nab. Captain Claik, of Wellington, was formerly master of the coastal steamer Opawa, and has had consNerable experience of the port of Nelson. Captain Mac Nab is a retired master m«riner, now resident at. Nelson. Trouble is reported to be brewing between the City Council and the Education Board over a storm-water drain under the Newtown school, whicb collapsed during the recent wet weather. The. board considers the council to be liable, and the council returns the compliment with a "ti> quoque" that the board is responsible. At present matters seem to be at a. deadlock and legal proceedings are mentioned. The question gains additional interest from the allegation that a case of diphtheria in the school is attributed to the offending drain. Several complaints have been made recently against the savageness of one of the deer which are loos© on the property of the Feilding Jockey Club. The other da>, says the Star, two ladies who were visiting the- grounds were attacked by the deer, one of the ladies, a visitor from Taranaki, being charged three times. These ladies have not yet recovered from the shock and fright they received. Yesterday afternoon, at 5 o'clock, three youug children of Mr. Win. Gower were on the grounds, when the deer so savagely gored a nine-year-old girl that she is now under the doctor's care, having received several nasty wounds. Had it not been for the courago and presence of mind of her eleven-year-old sister, who succeeded in getting the little one out and shutting the gate, a fatality would probably have resulted. When the gate was closed, the deer made for two boys, who succeeded in climbing out of the grounds in time. Speaking in regard to the necessity of all fruitgrowers being compelled to spray their trees as a cure for codlin moth*. Mr. F. Sisson, at the meeting of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association on Saturday night, said (reports the Press) that orchardtsts living adjacent to those who neglected to spray had to treat their trees several time* a veai , but if everybody sprayed, then, after a couple of years, one spraying per season would ba enough, and that would save a great deal of expense. Mr. Rae said he had to spray four times with lead this year, and it was heartbreaking for a grower to find peopje round about him doing nothing. Another member present suggested that, as in the case of laying poison for rabbits, if a grower gave a neighbouring grower notice that he was. going to spror, then the neighbouring grower should be compelled to spray also. The suggestion found favour with the meeting. Mr. Taylor related how he had offered to spray a neighbouring lady's orchard, but she -had declined the offer, remarking that tome one had told her spraying would not kill the moths already in the apple. He had then informed her that that was so, but it would kill the others, and so save future apples. The way he looked at it was that by spraying a neighbour's trees he would be spraying his own, as the object of spraying one's own trees was defeated if the moth from over the fence was allowed fire play. Speaking at the luncheon at Balclutha on Thursday, reports the Dunedin Star, Lord Plunket said : "I wish to erpress my thanks for the trouble you nave taken io make my visit so agreeable. Ths last time I came here you gave mo a violent snowstorm. But one has to bo prepared for all sorts of experiences on a tour of this sort. I remember that when in Nelson on one occasion we had risen from dinner, and I had gone out into the garden to smokf a cigarette, when from the darkness and the bushes emerged a man cloaked about the head, his arms folded after the fashion of the tragedian. Stalking up to me, he said in hollow tones : "Are you an Irishman and a landlord? I replied : 'I am an Irishman and I was a landlord" ; and then he ' whispered : "It may be interesting to you to know that my father shot one of the first landlords in Ireland.' Then ho disappeared. I also call to mind an unconscious humorist whom I met at Boss. I went to see a gold mine, and had been lowered ever so many hundred feet, the water pouring over us, when the man in charge said to me: *I hope the pumps will stand it.' It was quite unnecessary to say wnat ould have happened if they nadn't. However, things nave everywhere come out well for me. The kindness sh^vn to me as the King's representativ/, and the car© taken to leave no douDt as, to the character of the receptions, is obviously but an echo of what is in the people's hearts right through »Jiis Joy«ii Dominion." -V