TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1926, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Enrolment and training of Royal Fleet Reservists in New Zealand, as now , approved by the Admiralty, will be of benefit to this Dominion in two ways. It will strengthen the reserve of naval men available in case cf need; and it will remove a barrier which has hitherto hindered tho migration of some desirable settlers. Formerly Fleet Reservists could not settle in New Zealand without taking their discharge. For the present the enrolment in Now Zealand is limited to 100, but no doubt this number will be increased if the initial tricl is successful. .There is always room here for men of the splendid typo who man the Royal Navy, and particularly for those men recruited from the fishing po.-ts who would be inclined to help in the British development of our own fishing industry.

All seaside resorts may well take the advieo which Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., gave to Pulcerua to plant native trees. Trees givo shelter from wind and shade from tho sun, and they add the softening touches to beautiful views of hills and sea. Let any traveller compare his memories of pleasant days by tho

seaside, and he will discover that the most enjoyable associations are with places such as the Eastern Harbour bays which retain some of tho native bush. It is too late to save the bush in many places which are now coming into favour as holiday resorts, but it is not too late to begin replanting. Such small communities as Pukerua can often do this work better than the bigger centres. There is a greater pride in the locality and keener enthusiasm for its beautiflcation. Wellington, unfortunately, appears to be-all too apathetic. Recently a proposal was made by Sir Francis Bell that the schools should be invited to undertake the reafforestation and care of selected portions of the Town Belt. It was an excellent proposal which should have had the instant support of the schools and the citizens, but nothing has been done. Is it that we do not care, or that our chief interest in Wellington is in making good roads so that we may ge.t away from the place as quickly as possible?

According to a cable message raeeived to-day whaling operations in the Boss Sea are shortly to be extended by the addition of a whaling fleet based on Hobart. Eecently the Ross Sea Dependency was placed under New Zealand's jurisdiction, and it was understood at the time that one of the chief reasons for this was to enable whaling to be properly controlled. The industry so fa;- has not attracted British enterprise, though the Norwegian whalers appear to have done well. How will the extended operations affect New Zealand control? At one time the New Zealand coast was a centre of whaling operations, but uncontrolled oatching spoilt the industry. Is there not some risk of a similar occurrence in the Ross Sea, and how is this Dominion to supervise the operations of a foreign whaling fleet which makes its base at Hobart?