TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 27, 1 August 1911, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Sentiment and common-sense are as th« left and right hand Naval to the body of the Common-sense, naval agreement be. tween Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, of which a summary was given in The Post yesterday. The terms have been carefully adjusted to square with local and Imperial feeling. The training and discipline in the seas of the f sister countries are to be in uniformity with the British Navy's system, and the Admiralty will lend officers and men required during the development period. The naval service* of each of the Overseas Dominion* will be under the exclusive inspection ol the Government concerned, but in time of war any colonial ships put at the Imperial Govern* mtnt'fl disposal will form nn integral part of the British fleH. uhder the Admiralty's control. This is all splendidly logical. It is an arrangement to appeal to the people of Great Britain and their kinsmen beyond the seas. Here one may see some good that has accrued from the Imperial Conference. This is a valuable move in the work of co-opera-tion for s&fegnasddlig the Empifce. The agreement/ is a remind«r that Sir Joseph ward, with his rather flamboyant uttet&nce& in London about "One Fleet, one flag," was not fair to Australia,. Sir Joseph Msmed to irmtft Mft hearers to ml»v ib*t th 4 dwtapmftat'of m Am.

tralkn fleet rathe? marred the ideal of Imperial uni^ He eeemed to imagine that the Australian method had faults which no such ardent Imperialist as he could condone. Sir Joseph is not, of course, a naval expert, however interested he may be in ths Empire's naval defene*. Australia's fleet ft for Australia, but is also for the > Empire. The Commonwealth's policy is for the common good, below and above the equator. Wellington citizen* and many other New . Zealanders have definite K*piti good news fit>ffl the Hon. t» , j Pi Buddo ftb6Ufc Wapiti Week-end*. Wand. fie ha* an- ( fi6unced his decision to carry out his promise to make the bird and tree sanctuary accessible to the public, with reasonable comfort. Care will be taken to safeguard the fauna and flora and at the same time allow excursionists to gladden themselves with, the beauty of that island of many memories, and much fflti^e, of eea and tree and bird. Our hope is that thia admission of the people to the sanctuary will give them a. proper m«Macß fot the New Zealand thing* which call for caw>. Very many New Zealandere know little about the birde and trees of their own country, and this strangeness, where warm friendship should glow, is unfortunate for the birde, the tM«, and the people. They ea,ti all be better for close acquaintance, New Zealand has always had individual en« thusia-sts devoted to the birds and plants of these, nehly-bleseed island*, bub it cannot belaid that there ie a national public opinion, a national fervour for the fanna, and flora. Prohibitions and drastic" regulations, difficult to enforce in a country of scattered population, have not saved the birds from vandal hands, Pain* and penalties are a sort of neca« tive, though hecessary, method of gnftrding ( the birds, Simultaneously it ft eseenti&l to have the positive method, the creation of a hearty fellowship. Therefore, we have hopes that theKapfti experiment will work for ths good of human beings and the creattirai of the wild. The, people are te be put upon, their honour, for the advantage of themseive* and their country, and we like to believ* that tm* confidence is not misplaced. W«ek after week the Commission which ie enquiring about the Australia's labour shortage in AusOpen Aims, tralia is presented with evidence about the lack of men for rural development and industrial purposes. Simultaneouely there ate etfikes and rumotu* tA strikes enough among men discontented with present conditions, but those disputes do not eikt in tome industries which are ehort'hajKkd. Over all the seas Aus tr&ha's voice is calling for more population. The invitation has reverberated up and down N«w Zealand, and has drawn, a good number of this country* stalwart sons. Their departure has been cast as a reproach at the Government, and it has been half-hinted in come quarters that somehow, by legislation if neceeeary, or an export duty, the authorities should stop the excursionists. However, it will always be a matter of give-and-take between the two countries, according to the state of the tim«s in each. Australia has money for buying ; groat sums are unlocked for investment. The reiteration of the demand fto? men, the persistent emphasis on the advantages for people willing to work, will not be voiced in vain, Helping this call from Australia the Commonwealth's agencies in London ate intelligently advertising the Oontineivb, and ft steady tide of ( immigration has set in. Thia population will heTp Australia to grow s-icher, and will assist in the defence of the vast tefritoty. The Ctemmonwealth is getting two great advantages at the same time. The op*n»&rnw policy to healthy people of the white race ie an essential on© for AtteferaHnj and it is good to see thia policy so popular. The better men in the labour movement are no believers in ths old ring-fence notion.