TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 109, 4 November 1910, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Though there has been a loss on the tramways for the past Tramway six months, the City Administration. Council has agreed to widen the scope of me half-rate concessions by allowing children to ride for those fares up to the ago ot fourteen years. The council's tramway policy is perhaps more definite than the "Zoo" policy, but the corporation does need to be much more vigilant about the welfare of a great municipal enterprise. The Mayor has tried to explain away the deficit by referring to sundry items of unusual expenditure, but the people have to look a little further than" the miscellaneous articles that have been thrown at them. It looks as if the people will be called upon to pay indirectly for the benefit of direct concessions. The council has been piessed to increase the expenditure, and worried to reduce the revenue, and last year, in spite of the recommendations of the executive officers, it weakly yielded to, the popular clamour for concessions. Prior to the Mayoral election. Mr. Wilford undertook to look closely into the tramways. He has not been able, apparently, io fulfil his promise, for the good reason that other municipal work has kept him busy. However, here is an important field awaiting him j here is an opportunity for him to do excellent service. There is an urgent need for a tramway stocktaking. The council does not seem to know any better than the outside public how the enterprise as a whole really stands. The council has not lately shown that it understands the tramways. Last night, just when all was peace in the House of RepreA Government sentatives, and GovabovetheLaw. ernment and Opposition had all hatchets well buried for the moment, somebody enquired about the Municipal Corporations Bill, which had. a rough handling m committee recently. "You don't want it," replied Sir Joseph, who has lately been keeping the buffeted Bill well down on the order paper. He was obviously alluding to a clause carried against the Ministry, stipulating that the Government must be amenable to local bylaws. Sir Jos&ph declared last night that he was not going to get the Government in the position of being governed by local bodies. Practically, the Government is hostile to a rival power, Governor-in-City-Council. It can be readily agreed that it is not desirable to have the general public of New Zealand always at the mercy of an Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch section, but it is equally unreasonable to expect the particular publics of Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch to be always at the mercy of the general public of New Zealand, per the Government, the Govemor-in-Council, or even one obstinate Minister. If the New Zealand public was always perfectly represented, the cities might be content even with the present imperfect law, but Ministerial perfection is yet to be witnessed. There was not Ministerial perfection noticeable in the muddle about Government House, where local bylaws were ignored in a manner which the general public of New Zealand cannot admire. Some statesmanship is needed to devise a reasonable modus viveridi between the Government of the day and local bodies. With'a strong etroke, and a long stroke, breast and side, "trudThe Swimmers geon" and "crawl," Prevail. the swimmers, have prevailed over the City Council. The Canadian costume, recently decreed by the City Council, has been torn to tatters at various swimmers' meetings, and a boycott of Lyall Bay was once threatened if the corporation insisted on "Canadian" against the oldfashioned "neck-to-knee." The council was duly awed, and surrendered. Yet it saved a portion of its face, after most of the features had been disfigured. The caretaker at the beach is to be sworn in as a special constable, and a pitiless campaign is to be waged against indecency. We believe that the Canadian outfit has been far too harshly assailed by the swimmers, and it may yet be accessary for the authorities to insist, on that raiment if the caretaker-constable proves unequal to the task of controlling the promenaders. The swimmers have their own welfare largely in their own hands. The shadow of the "Canadian" fell upon them because an unrespectable minority abused the beach and made it an impossible place for people who dislike exhibitions of vulgarity and lewdness. We are aware that the better class of swimmers did not offend, but offence was flagrantly given by some indecent individuals. The Mayor has promised severe treatment for transgressors, and it is hoped that he will act up to his words.

s During the month of September 2591 people arrived in New Zealand and 2259 left these shores. Of the arrivals 1199 came from New South Wades, 757 from the United Kingdom, and 243 from Victoria. Wellington was the port of arrival of 1383, Auckland of 882, and Inveroargill of 324. New South Wales was the objective of 1609 of those outward bound, Victoria of 289, United Kingdom of 73, and Tasmania of 111. Wellington was the point of departure of 1028) Auckland of 851, and Invercargill of 375. Eleven Chinese arrived during the month — two at Auckland and nine at weMlngtoft— .and 13 ■departed, all from Wellingtatt'