TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 75, 29 March 1926, Page 8

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Whoever was inspired with the idea that the new Bishop-elect of Canterbury should travel to the Cathedral City by road conceived a "wonderful way of linking him with the pioneers of tho Church of England. The first bishop, Bishop Harper, arrived at Lyttelton seventy years ago, when the tunnel through the hills was only a proposal and even the road to Sumner was not complete. There was one way to Christchurch, over the hills by a bridle-path. It was up this path that Bishop Selwyn conducted the new prelate. Goods at that time were sent round by boat to Sumner, but transport was slow and uncertain; so the personal luggage of the Bishop and his family was loaded into two handcarts, which were hauled up the track by sailors, with the two coatless bishops pushing behind. It was a day's journey then from Lyttelton to Christchurch, with vehicular transport only part of tho way from Heathcote Valley. So Bishop Harper walked into his diocese, and, literally, put his shoulder to the wheel. In seventy years there have been many changes, and Bishop West-Watson when he reached the summit of the track last week saw spread before him a city made and prepare* Bishop Harper had no cathedral. Yet the new Bishop follows very closely in the steps of the first of his line; for the Church can maintain its vitality only by constant "pioneering." The circumstances now are changejd, but the faith remains the same, and a complex, civilisation has brought new problems in place of the old. • * * There is a more settled tone about the wool market, going by contemporary London reports and the results of the sales in New Zealand now at an end for the season. Anything may.1 happen, as it did on the opening of the sales in Wellington in November, 1923, to force prices up, away beyond present levels. The unexpected has always to' be taken into account in regard to wool. Looking back over the -past eighteen months, the extraordinary vise in the price at the end of 1925. seems to have been due to miscalculations at Bradford, but upon what conclusions those were made has never been cleared up. The losses made by buyers wore heavy, in some cases embarrassing. But the financial leeway then lost has been made up or is being recovered, with the result that if fancy prices for wool are not obtainable reasonable prices! are. Australia and South Africa combined have to be taken into account, and the "'boom" of November, 1925, affected those wool-growing countries as it did our own. It has been estimated that the wool sold in New Zealand during 1925-26 will average a roturn of Is 2d per Ib, as against Is 8d last season and Is 3-Jd the season before that., There will bo les3 received from wool,- but probably fully £12,000,----000 when everything is accounted for. * * * From a collector's point of view the leader of tho Whitney Expedition lias presented' a good ease in defence of the Museum. But there is another side to the case. If permission to colle.t specimens of native; birds were froely given it is certain that the scientific, collector would be followed by the commercial exploiter. Where is the lino to bo drawn? Even if the collection is strictly limited to expeditions bearing credentials from museums, we cannot expect these overseas people to have tho same interest as we ourselves skould have in preserving our birds alive. Rarity is an additional inducement to tho. foreign collector to 'take what remains, if we allow it. In these circumstances .there appears to us to be full warrant,for discouraging collection by foreign expeditions and alao by private individuals in our own land. If other countries desire specimens and they can bo spared, let the transactions be made though our Museum authorities, under such public safeguards as will prevent extravagant trading. Other countries refuse to permit foreign collection of dead relics of antiquity. There is every reason for application of tho same principle to our living possessions.

Recent experience of New South Wales on the London money market has not been happy, and for this various explanations are offered, including

paucity of. information in prospeetusos. The underwriters were left with 70 per cent, of the issue; it is at a discount of 16s 3d in the £100, and the issue was made at £98. The amount —£4,000,----000—was relatively small for so gn at a State as New South Wales and one with such huge resources. But the debt of the State is over £230,000,000—a rise from, £101,000;000 in three years. The London Press comments are many and various on the failure of the issue. There is something in this reception of the New South Wales loan by the British investor that should provide material for thought on the part of the Dominion Government when considering any proposal to immediately try to raise a loan for developmental purposes. The market does not ook propitious at the moment, although the circumstances of New Zealand differ in some important respects from those of New South Wales. # * • It would be regrettable indeed if anything were to break the harmonious association of the Mother Country and the Dominions in the control, of War cemeteries. The "Morning Post" suggests that such a breach may be the outcome of placing the British contribution under Treasury control. The purpose and effect of the British Bill referred to has not been explained, so we cannot even guess whether it is likely to have the result feared. But hitherto the associatkm of all concerned in this sacred duty of preserving and beautifying those little plots that are "for ever England" has been marked by a spirit in keeping with the task. Eemarkably good work has been done by the War Graves Commission, on which the Dominions have had representation. It is the desire of the relatives of the fallen, mo are sure, that no dispute or semblance of a difference should mar the record. The Dominions aro grateful for the opportunity of contributing to the cost of the permanent maintenance of the cemeteries. If any difficulty should unfortunately arise as to the method of making that contribution, it would be best, as the ''Morning Post" suggests, to leave the question open until the Imperial Conference can settle it.