TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 103, 2 May 1914, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Sir Joseph Ward's speeches are tending to become sad reA Sorrowful citals of grievances, Song. of _ which some may exist only in his misunderstanding of facts or statements of facts. Of course, it is admitted that an Opposition leader is entitled to exhibit a gloom which he does not necessarily feel; he lias to be a sort of professional mourner of the alleged decease of decent government. Sir Joseph is not temperamentally disposed to melancholy' 'and moroseness, but, politically, at pre. sent, life appears to be most unhappy, If the prospects for his party are as rosy as Messrs. Witty, Russell, Forbes, and others assert, why does not Sii Joseph reduce his grievances? Does ho believe that a doleful or rueful voico will appeal best to the people? What are his precedents for any such faith! Last night at Mosgiel Sir Joseph had another opportunity to exercise a right. of free speech, but he preferred to keep his policy in pickle, and to complain about sundry sorrows. " Tho Liberal Party," he said, "has about 80 pei f cent, of the press against it. . . The Liberals are not receiving fair play from their opponents from the point of view of the" dissemination of their views." Recently the Reform Party's magazine, Light and Liberty, gave statistics to disprove the allegations about a huge preponderance of Ministerial journals. How did Sir Joseph reach the estimate of 80 per cent. ? As for the " dissemination of views," the Opposition leader has chosen to be silent on large affairs of policy, iest his panaceas may be stolen by the Government. What aro his views for dissemination on the land, for example? "The policy of the Liber.il Party has been to burst up the large estates," declared Sir Joseph— and Hawkes Bay is the monument after twenty years of Liberal Administration. The Press' Association report of Sir Joseph's- words makes two columns and a-third of the New Zealand Times today, but 111 all the mass of print there is not one stirring call to the people, not one moving message—at the end of a pilgrimage which has covered the two islands. For tho sake of himself and his party the Opposition leader should change his tune, and give the people a song of policy. Usually . householders' meetings for the . election of School Tickets" for Committees are School Elections. not well attended, . , and that is why it is sometimes possible for a clique to assure success for a "ticket." This year the "ticket" method is likely to have an increase of practitioners, not duly qualified. The Bible-in-Schools League has been keenly alert and active for many months, and ils members will make strenuous efforts to capture the committees next Tlniihday evening. Perhaps other " tickets " may be run, but it is certain that the opponents of the national unsectarian , system of education will-bo strongly in the field. If friends of the undenominational system do not take the trouble to vote, they may soon regret their laziness. The schools' defenders should bear in mind that their opponents will muster in force at the school-rooms next Thursday. The heads of the Bible League are shrewd organisers ,• they leave nothing to chance. Tho advocates of religious instruction at tho State schools will not act on any assumption that the other side is likely to stay at home on polling night. The Bible Leaguers have probably completed their plans for large rallies at each school. The executive of the Schools Defence Association should make effective use of the next few days. The danger or indolence or slackne'&s must be impressed on the folk who are apt to leavo to others the hard fighting for a, good cauße s

Some weeks ago the members of the Wellington Furniture Union No Right decided to black-list, practo Work ! tica.lly, one who had dared to work on the wharves (during the Btrike) at a time when he had failed to find employment at his trade. The marked man was obliged to leave more than one factory, where the other hands threatened to strike unless he was put off. That case has not yet been lought to finality. Meanwhile there is a similar "solidarity" set against a_ carpenter who exercised a fair and free right to work on tho wharves when the unionist watersiders had broken their agreement and had struck. On a city contract yesterday carpenters and builders labourers announced that, they would down tools unless the foreman discharged the worker to whom they objected. Tho victimisation aspect of this case is like the other one, but in this latest example it is not so easy to fix the responsibility ior the exclusion. The Furniture Union was clearly proved guilty of black-list-ing; indeed, the secretary impudently addressed the victim as an "ex-cabinet-maker, thus grimly indicating that the doors of the workshops would b& closed aganißt him for evermore. So far, the victory seems to be with the autocratic unionists who have constituted themselves a "master-class" in this instance, but time may bring a change. Employers and the public generally have to recognise that if a tradesman is to be denied employment at the whim of other workers, society would soon have a very serious problem. The Citizens' Defence Committee should promptly gather all necessary evidence in regard to these cases. Certain men have apparently arrogated to themselves a power to inflict injustice. If tyranny can be proved, then a move must be made to check the offenders. "Buffeted, blown and broken before „_ . , me," can be the apos."J'W trophe of the Hutt the Milk.' 1 Valley dairyman to the' „ „ battered can, after the Railway Department has manhandled it. Iherefore a Magistrate was justly sympathetic yesterday with suppliers .who were charged that they had used cans with rusty or rough surfaces for the carrying of milk. The principal good purpose served by the prosecution was to again disclose the Railway Department's indifference to the importance of milk in the diet of children and invalids and also to remind the public about the need of a clearing-house for this food. Long years ago the City Corporation began a reform movement, and eventually a council got so close to Hie goal that it was intensely surprised or scared at its success, and dropped the ball, which the opposition promptly kicked out of touch. Successive councils and Governments have played hide-and-seek with the milk problem. The people look in vain for the courage without which no great reform will be accomplished. Perhaps this civic inertness is partly responsible for the Railway Department's refusal to regayd milk •as a substance which can quickly deteriorate by rough usage. If the people's elected representatives do not bother about the quality of the milk, what can be _ expected from a department which is sometimes the pitiable slave of its own cast-iron regulations? Possibly the > milk-suppliers, who have nearly despaired of shifting the depart* ment from its cold, hard, conservative ground, would prevail by subtlety. Why not try a ruse with the regulations themselves? Is it not written somewhere in the formidable _ code that some things have to be carried with care, by order? Is it feasible to give the wholesale milk another name for the railway journey? Many citizens know that so far as the retailed article is concerned another name would be appropriate, at times, by reason of tricks for which the local vendors alone are to blame. Such punishments as Mr. Fra?.er, $.M., inflicted at Auckland (a fine of £20, with £4 costs and abundant publicity, at the charge of the faker) Vould help to change the habits of such fraudulent persons.