TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 23, 28 January 1911, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

+ Wellington has the good news that manufacturers oukFor New Zealand side the capital Industries. are enquiring for space at the local exhibition, and there is a promise of sum© stimulating healthy rivalry. The signs of both local and outside interest have led the secretary (Mr. H. F. Mien) to anticipate that the Wellington Industrial Association's enterprise will cealiee expectations. The first object t» to get the goods, and the uecond is toget the people to come and see th©m. The fair will be a failure if the goods, of winning quality, are abundant, and the attendance is poor. Conversely it will be a failure if the people aseemblei in large numbers to see a mediocre display. On the goods side. Mr. Allen ia confident of a satisfactory show. The problem, then, is to catch -the people. The exhibition will be in midwinter, which will give it the advantage of relief from counter attractions, but involves a difficulty with incidental entertainments. The space, too, in the harhour board's sheds, though large enough to permit the manufacturers to set oub their waves, may leave scant room for aide-shows. Already an Auckland syndicate has volunteered to put in all manner of side-shoAvs if reasonable terms can be secured, but it is doubtful whether the necessary space can be granted. No doubt the committee is well aware of the needs of "saucing" the goods with entertainment, and a good plan may be found to help the New Zealand brand to call the people to the sheds. Mucfh < hard work lies in front of the committee, and the members will ba «•• quired to toil with might and main during the next few months to ensure success for the fair. Some of the older journalists, who ha.ye achieved success by The Profession native shrewdness, of Journalism, alertness, and com-mon-sense, may smile grimly at the formidabla university course prescribed for journalists. Tho syllabus is indeed calculated to enlarge the forehead, but it is not quite so terrible as it looks. It, may be necessary to modify such lines as these:—"English language and literature as for B.A. pass," "Economics as for B.A. pass," "Psychology and logic as for I B.A. pass,' r and so on. The B.A. papers in these and other subjects contain a good deal mone than an aspirant for journalism need bother about. Of course, t it is easy to see that the report just adopted by the Senate is on lines to facilitate examination. It means that the journalistic students will sit on equal terms with other candidates in all subjects except one— ."a paper on the practical work of journalism ' — and this special paper ia only one out of eight. No doubt the Senate has been in touch with various journalists, but we are not aware that it has taken the trouble to consult the Journalists' Institute, and the report, for all its merits, could have been improved by such a consultation. We expect to see it' amended before piactice follows theory, but in the meantime one can well approve the proposal, ivhich, generally, is on right lines. Mauy freshmen— good scholars from the secondary schools^ — vaguely take an Arts course at a university college. Various causes may shut out law, medicine, engineering, and other professions. They may have a notion of taking Honours .to qualify for teaching in secondary schools. Very few nowadays have journalism in mind, but with a special 1 course available in that subject some bright minds would be attracted to the newspaper offices, and tho profession would be beneiited. Because they love their country well enough to learn how to Nonsensical march and shoot, the Niggardliness, schoolboys are condemned to blistered necks and peeled noses. In the sultry dog-days they take martial field in heavy tweed and absurdly inadequate Glengarry caps, little better than forage caps, to safeguard the young troops against sunstrokef The dangers of this ridiculous summer headgear were j emphasised to the Minister of Education | (the Hon. G. Fowlds) during last session, and he practically replied that the Government could not afford an improvement. The Prime Minister has been proudly pointing to a record revenue of £7,149,000 for the pa-st njno months. Surely a fsw pounds of this large sum could have been spared to convert those terrible Glengarries into something reasonably protective against the scorching sun. The Government has money to burn for many things, as the rising expenditure shows. The voteful adults do not cry out to the paternal Government in vain, but the voteless boys can go and be roasted and flayed. Complaints against the callous treatment of the juvenile soldiers were voiced by " Mother" in The Post yesterday, and the same- cold comfort is again offered by the authorities. The Government, keen for a record surplus, has no funds to spare for tho boys who swelter on the fields of mimic battle. Perhaps it is the State's notion of a "baptism of fire." Parents have good cause to be indignant. They ore well entitled to declino to accept the official excuses for the sun-burning and blistering. The Post repeats the suggestion which it made in a previous comment— a largo representative deputation of the scorched to the Minister and a convincing exhibition of rosy, j#tsosfld. ap,o6g, ' " ~ t