TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 76, 29 March 1912, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Mr. Mafesey is having a buey* f ecees. He wa£ in vigorfiufe fight inrf "On the form at Stratffifd Jaei Sturtip." night, aiid epirttedly an* riotlnced ihe detefmihatioii 61 himself and his party to march on to victory. The personnel of th© new MiniAtjr^ tilubb give the* Leadef 6f the Opposition reason for rosy hope^ Be* tweeri the names h« cail perceive dißfienBions in the petuliar medley of poli' ticiaaie allied against him. He is at thd h«ad Of a Solid party of thirty-eight again*t a divided cohort 6f forty-one (ex' eluding Ml-. Wilford)/ The riew Gov* eminent cannot ccc happy days ahead fo* itfielf, aiid this pfbiptgttoe, ifliiefy i* naturally a joy to Mr. Ma6sey^ It wa* hie turn a little while ago to bo id pairi wll«n pledge-breakeite stepped be' tween him and the Treasury Benches, biit hft i» fedoVeflrig ffolfl Ilk dißappointment, afld he faces the { country cheerfully, confidently. He is under^ taking »n educative" mission in the North Island during thft next fortnight, and he i 6 assured of a good hearing in all parts. This he deserved. We have out difiereiicee with Mr* Mafieey, inytably oil land, but the point* 6fi which we die» agree with the OpJtofcHiofi liteAtf do not discount our admiration of his courage, his fifffi adherent to prifldpk He shows tig i-eihafkafely Well by contrast with opponents who managed to get the Speakers vot« da»t dgadnft hltai Th» country should, benefit by Mr. Mageey'* series of public meefingfc, because these should Btlmulat6 ptibUe' lfltere«t in large naftiotial questions. It is understood •that members. of the new Ministry intend touring the two islands, in an organising campaign. If thd two partk* thus appeal td the clectoffe the people ehoukl be shaken out of the apathy which has permitted politicians in the past to put pa.rty interest before thd public welfare. Dr". M'Arthiif's iftflictiofl Of a penalty of £100 on the Wellington Halting Tramway Union, which Justice, .pleaded guilty yesterday to the charge of striking, cannot be fairly termed vindictive. Th* Labour ' Department could have gon6 against the men individually, and th 6 fine could have been as h/gh as £10 per strikci-, but the authorities preferred .to be lenient. The lump sum, whiclt will probdb'ly conic oiit df an accumulated fund, will not bear hardly on the men who struck, lti faet f the" personal punishment does not amount to much more than the loss of a few days' wages. The unionists therefore can consider themselves lucky to be so well out of an awkwaTd. predicament. They defied the law ( and' the- law retaliated with comparative mildness. The uhloli has been punished, but we hitve not yet heard of any action to b# trfkeri against the autocratic "Strike Comhiitt**," which set itself up fUttfcttoy&ntly de'im aider and ab#tt6r. A few days before" thetramway men decided to" hold up the rttu'vie 11 © 1 thi* Ited F)ed#rata6fi of Labour Lilted a miaiffrtO lixSina the prtespeeln© stiikw.s to "Mand solid, ' aJid promieiiiK •Ttistancc. Later on the Trades Council and tho fcocialist Federation were associated on the "Strike Committee," rt-hich pomp6U9ly threatened to throw th« city into confusion, if the City Council declined tb change it* altitude. All-. W. T. YniiriJ, \Vae &peciallv (oni*|»rurj((s in thii lioiistfut t(aiiio r>f bluff.

cutod he hinted that ho might, fiubpeena ©ve/ry striker «» a witness for fclio dcfonce, and thus, stop Mio tramways till the case had been henrd. This declaration was mordy comical. If the nuthoiities had done their duty Mr. Young wonld havo discovered thai his powcv to interfere with tho public convenience was much below his generous estimate. Ifc would be rather a pity not to let Mi*. Yoiinc have an opportunity to hold up his JS(ap6leonic hand against the cars. Possibly tho old Government was awkwardly compromised with the aiders and abettor* of the strike, for at that lime thS Government's life was in grave peril. and_ could only bo saved by Latboitf'A aid. The no\\' Government is not securely established, but it, sholild hay© the courage to press a prosecution of ihe men who publicly backed the tramway .strike. Colonel Allen Bell, Officer Commanding the Waikato Regiment,, A Colonel's has railed agaiust the Candour. feathers mid colours of high military dress, and has constituted himself tho candid friend of camp chaplains. Colonel Bell has firbved himself a capable, zealous officer, but wb can imagine that his recent proclamation may dispose the Gomm.ittidtt.nt to murmur privily Othello's words :- - Silence that dreadful boll; it I'rJßlits the isle From lior propriety. The colonel meant well, in his feiorences both to ornamental apparel and chaplains,, but his. methods of criticism, are not in accord with the traditions of military law and order. If an officer feels that certain feature* of ceremonial military dress are ridiculous he may exert himself privately ift a campaign of reform. If ho delivers himfcelf from the housetops in a loud condemnation of lace, frills, and feathers ho may eiAily do more harm than good by inviting people to form a contemptuous opinion of the full dress now prede'ribed for officers on parade or for special occasions. Despite Colonel Bell's tirade against certain articles of attire. General Godley himself has to go abroad afc times in In plumed cocked hat, such headgear as his subordinate, has held up to ridioulo. It is Colonel Bell's duty to b* more discreet for the isnke of discipline. Many people may agree- with some of the colonel's strictures on chaplains', published in yefctefda/s issue, but they wilt not agree with his cavalier specification of a chaplain's dutie*. Ho' suggests that "cliabkiiis should not be officers, should not Jfold any military rflnk whatever, should be organised and tMilied in the work of running regimental institutes, camp entertainments and amusements of various kinds," This doctrine has (juickly exposed Colonel Bell to attack, for the Rev. W. E. Gillatn is out as a champion for the chaplain*. It wottid I have b&en better if the colonel had issued his memorandum solely to General Godley, and riot to the chaplains. Thef Commandant surely has enough, worries with timid politicians and noisy "antitnilitamts" without this extra complication 6f rash (Speech by {he 1 hfead" of ai regiment.