TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 105, 30 October 1912, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Remarkable dash is in the movements of the Serbs and Bulgars, The War. who are keen to bring the war to a close before the mantle of winter falls on the Balkans. The Turks did not expect such irresistible onsets. To-day's messages, even if only moderately trustworthy, show the plight of the defenders becoming more and more desperate. It is evident that the Turks hoped to make a long stand in and about the strongholds of Kirk Kihsseh and Adrianople. They hftd a store of provisions— said to be enough to maintain 100,000 men for three months —at Kirk Kilisseh, and this food, will nourish Bulgars. The attackers have cut Constantinople's connection with Adrianople and Salonika. Baba Eski, en the main route to the capital, has fallen to the Bulgars, and this success gives them control of an important strip of railway as a great aid in ' the final inarch to the ground wh«re Nazim Pasha must make Ins principal stand for the Crescent. The Greeltß have pushed within forty miles of Salonika, and the Serbs and a division of Bulgars are quickly moving to that locality. Tho Moslem Macedonian army is isolated from its brethren in the East, and it is in a country where the harvest has failed. No help can come from the sea, because the Greeks command the 2eki Pasha's work was to save Salonika if possible, and to prevent or protract the march of the allies' Western forces to help the Bulgars in their sweeping campaign in Roumelia. The news shows that the allies are outflanking the Turkish troops in Macedonia, and simultaneously descending in strength upon Salonika. On present appearances it looks as if only a. miracle could save the Turk, a miracle for the Crescent against the Cross. Nothing was further from the mind of the Hon. W. H. HerA Sidelight ries in the House of on Representatives last Political Control, night than a wish to reflect on the inconsistency of his chief on the commissioner principle, as applied to the management of public service*. Sir Joseph Ward had recommended that the heads of the traffic, maintenance, and engineering divisions of the Railway Department should be associated with the Minister as a Board of Control. Mr Herries argued that such a proposal might be unfair to a Minister, who was rather a political than an expert head. A man might be a Minister by chance or by merit, he Ba-id. A man might be Minister of Railways, not because he w&« well versed in the subject, but because he Was a good speaker or because he was personally popular. He delicately hinted that political exigencies might bring ah utterly unqualified man to be a head-- the political head— of a department in which a sum of £32.000,000 is invested. Yet the Prime Minister, by a remarkable inconsistency, strongly believes in commissioner's for the ordinary public service, and simultaneously tninks that the public* interest demands a cohtinuance of political control" for the largest department of all, the one that figures mcfct in the political arena. The Minister has very large powers; he can set himself above the departmental experts if he chooses— and yet, as Mr. Herrieß confesses, his principal qualification may be a knack of useful phrasemaking for his party or some other asset not connected with railway management. It is impossible to reconcile this doctrine with the Government's decision to bar the door to commissioners for railways, but to admit them, with a flourish of trumpets, to less important departments. Dunedin's Yacht and Motor Association has incurred the ire A Sunday Trip of certain clergymen at Dunedin. because it took the Canadian Cadets for a trip on the harbour last Sunday. Unless it can be proved that the behaviour of the boys' hosts was n6t exemplary on grounds other than the alleged desecration df the Sabbath, by the mere fact of an excursion, the complainants cannot hope for the sympathy of' the vast majority of New Zealanders. We give the shocked ones all due credit for worthy motives in voicing their protest but it is our belief that their attitude is unfortunate. Such an ihddent incites persons who call themselves " sports " to raise the strident and much-abused cry of " wowser." ' We have heartily acknowledged that New Zealand owes much to many so-called " wowsers," but the work of solid improvement of the people is hindered rather than helped by narrowness regarding the observance of Sunday. It is well not to give opponents of reasonable reform a chance to gird at earnest workers by a clamour about such remonstrances as those reported from Dunedin. We cannot imagine how a healthy breathing of Gocra air, on blue water, flanked by; verdant hills, in the glad, inspiring spring time, can be a wicked misuse of a part of Sunday. Surely there can be uplifting sermohs in the bright sun, the shining sea, the green trees, and the flowers.

To-day our publisher (Mr. Beck) handed cW to the Rev. W. S. Potter the sum of £39 3s 6d, an amount collected from the master butchers, city abattoirs Btaff, and merchants doing business with the butchers generally, by Mr. James Farley, butcher, of Majoribanks-street, in ' aid of Mrs. Stewart Leckie, whose husband was accidentally killed recently. The local office of the South Taranaki , Shipping Company has received no further word in reference to the coastal steamer Hawera, which is ashore on the Patea beach. ( The task of saving the vessel is considered practically hopeless, and it is extremely doubtful whether any of the cargo will be salvaged. Probably an attempt will be made immediately to take the engines out of the ship, and to remove other parts. It appears to Mr. Fisher, Federal Premier, that many infants lose their lives through lack of knowledge on the pai't of then^ttlotheKi, He has directed the Commissioner to prepare some concise information as to what they should do before and after the infants are born (reports the Sydney Telegraph). Mr. Allen, who is a bachelor, protested that he really didn't know how. He has accordingly asked the British Medical Association in Victoria whether it would mind drafting a circular. Skeleton keys, a file, a table knife, chamois-leather gloves, and a chisel were in .evidence at the Magistrate's Court this morning, when George Lee, alias Baxter, alias Wilson, alias Jones, a man 74 years of age, appeared to answer a charge of house-breaking. The keys were ordinary large door-keys, but the middle wards had been filed out, and according to the evidence of the arresting constable they would open almost any lock of the right size. The gloves were commonly used as a guard against the leaving of tell-tale finger-prints. A table-knife served tO ( open window catches. Lee pleaded guilty to the charge of breaking and entering the house of Captain Blaokburne in Hawker-street and guilty to a second charge of having house-breaking tools in his possession. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. ' Five months ago the Victorian Cabinet decided to instruct the Railway Commissioners that, in the purchase of railway material, they should give substantial preference to British as against foreign firms, and that imported goods should be tested at the place of manufacture, instead of at Newport, as hitherto. The Commissioners' have so far taken no notice of the instruction, and they are still inviting tenders bt the old way, nnder discredited conditions, which the Cabinet and Parliament have denounced. The State Premier (Mr. Watt) said last week that he understood that the Cabinet's wishes had been conveyed to the Railway Commissioners. The Minister for Railways, on the other hand, says that the instructions as to the ordering of railway goods have not been passed on to the Commissioners. News was received in Sydney last week that the P. and O. Company had placed orders for four new passenger and cargo liners. They are to be practically sister ships, and each will be of about 9000 tons gross. Two of the vessels are to be boilt by Messrs. Cammell, Laird, and Co., of Birkenhead, and the other two by Messrs. Caird.arid Co. of Greenock. The latter firm, of course, have long been known as builders of P. and O. steamers, but it is a new departure for the firm to place orders with Messrs. Camtnell, Laird, and Co. Many fine passenger and cargo vessels have in the past been built at the Birkenhead yard, and the new P. and O. ships which are to be constructed there will doubtless , prove admirable additions to the company's fleet. On aIJ four vessels the passenger accommodation will be somewhat, limited, and they will, therefore, specially appeal to 'those who desire to travel on an uncrdwded vessel. The new liners will not conform to any type of vessels now Hying the P. and O. flag, but will practically be » new class of ship. A progressive tournament was held on the Petoiie Bowling Green on Monday, twelve pairs competing. Rennie and Fowler, Whitcher and Stephens, Cooper and Cate tied for first place, winning five games. , This week the semi-flnala will be concluded, when Cooler and Cate ' -will play Fowkr and Rennie, the winners to play off with Whitcher and Stephens. ,