TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 140, 13 June 1912, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY

The short-dated loan of £4,500,000 happened opportunely for The Political Mr. Massey. If has Swirl. replenished his ammunition client, enabling him to fire an effective round at Taihape on Tuesday night. Discussing the general outlook in politics, he said "he hoped that tho llelorm T?arty would secure the co-operation of a number of members of the Government Party in forming a Government which would be in the best interests of the country. "_ This statement is in line with his similar profession of confidence prior to the Opposition caucus. Mr. Massey has assured the public that he has made no overtures for a coalition, but he plainly hints that a combination of some kind' will occur. Is it that Mr. Maesev "knows something" ? Ho leaves the public to deduce from his remarks that he feels sure of sufficient recruits from the Government side to enable him lo form an enduring Ministry, but in the meantime the party is actively .preparing for a posbible appeal to 'the countiy. Mr. Millar is still much wooed by both parties. There was a latent challenge to the Government in his speech at Dunedin last month, but the Government has gently declined to be drawn into any controversy or to show any resentment of the ex-Minister's declaration of an intention to vote against the Mackenzie Ministry. Instead, the Premier, the ex-Premier, the Hon. G. Laurenson, and others l,iave given glowing praiao to Mr. Millar for his record of public service. Shutting their eyes and ears to the Dunedin episode, they count on My. Millar to act in the f utura as he liae done in the past. They are very careful not. to increase any irritation which he nmy feet against those ilifflnbers who dragged away tha *>tepladder when tho plane of the Premier- , **"£•*£• ft^csat.. JVbjlg Mr., pillar is

resting at Rotorua, Sir Joseph Ward, the Hon. T. Mackenzie, and Mr. Massey will bo very busy with arrangements for strategic moves. The eye does not see much, but it requires no Rougemont imagination to perceive something. Mr. Massey, by the vray ; has been reported by the Press Association as Baling at Taihape that the High Commissioner appointment should have been made "at .tlie earliest moment." T3y "earliest moment" did he mean a point of time during the Mackenzie Administ ration? If not, there has surely been some mistake in the transmission of .the telegram. In the early days of tlie Mackenzie Government the Opposition was very emphati<j — properly so, we believe— in warning the Ministry not to make important appointments till it had proved that it held the confidence of the House of Representatives. 'It seems that the new Government was doomed to be accused of impropriety in. this matter, whether it did or did not choose a successor to Sir William Hall-Jones.

Tongue Point, ever hungry for ships, may be tipped with A Light a warning light, acfor cording to a stateTongue Point, ment made by tho Hon. G. Laurenson at Christchurch yesterday. He says that the Government is considering a proposal to erect a light at that dangerous point, where the Penguin crashed to rum. A letter by Captain Wat' eon, secretary of the Merchant Service Guild, in yesterday's Post offered strong argument in favour of such a. proposal. Criticising the Government's apparent determination to persevere with the Hon. J. A. Millar's determination to eet up a light on Caetlepoant,, our correspondent remarked :—"ln: — "In stating that the erection of a light on Castlepoint is a scandalous waste of public money, I am voicing the opinions of shipmasters who, year in and year out, navigate the east coast of the North Island. It is not yet too late to arrango .that the, light tower now being built should bo placed on Tongue Point, where it would be of the utmost service to tho shipping coEimunity." This subject was Keenly debated la«t year. It was an interesting caso of coastal navigators against departmental experts, aad tho departmental officers prevailed. It is not too lato to have the question reopened, aod we truat that the new Minister will bo vnaro willing than hie predecessor tc hatrn to those master mariners whose knowledge of the coast, gained bj frequent trips up snd dowa in all vvoathore, muat command respects Net. Zealand haa_ too 'much need of monoy to light various dangerous parts of tbo coast to be able to spare any for work alleged to be "a waste of monay." Of course, trife"d and trusted departmental experts cannot bo ligh'lly waived or brushed aside, but wo submit that this is a special caso } in which tho übited testimony of navigators must bo either convincingly disproved or accepted. Tho Guild still awaits a satisfactory refutation of its arguments. Although the public support of the municipal orchestral concert* Music in has been such as to call Wellington, forth come exceedingly plain speech from the conductor (Mr. Maughan Batfnett), the same authority has also said, " We have a permanent audionce." In other words, the excellent programmes presented Are Buificwntly attractive to induce the same people to go again and again to listen to the works of Beethoven, Bach, Grieg. Wagner, • Chopin, Tschaikoweky, and other masters, and obviou&ly to enjoy them. It does not follow that all who so to these concerts have had the advantage of hearing Br. Richter's or Sir Henry Wood's orchestras. The chances are that vexy few indeed have had the opportunity. How, then, did these others acquire a taste for them? Generally, speaking, musical discernment comes only after long and patient intimacy with the works of the masters— not necessarily in an active or performing sense, but by intelligent listening ako. Wellington has recently shown that it is not so artless a city as, in despair, it almost believed' itself to be, and, looking back over the past, it is seen that it has made really great strides in the formation of musical taste. Some one, then, has done pioneering work in forming public musical taste, in moulding public musical opinion, and at once tho name of Robert Parker is called to mind. Time has dealt kindly with that gentleman, and he has years of useful work in front of him in the natural course of events. But he has found that the time has now come when he can retire from some of his active work. Since 1878, when he first came to Wellington, Mr. Parker has devoted all hi» timeto hold up the standard of musical art in this city. His life history here has been long and valuable. He has been ever faithful to his first love—^ music — and has taught thousands to revere her. The performance of "The Golden Legend" at the Towa Hall tomorrow evening has been specially arranged by Mr. Parker's old associates in musical work in Wellington to do him honour. The gathering should have the spirit of a. musical " at home," at which Mr. Parker is the most honoured guest, and it will qnable the mute but larger circle of admirers who can do no more than listen with intelligence to show their appreciation of one who ha* done so much to elevate and dignify the art of music in this* city.