WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

Evening Star, Issue 14001, 6 March 1909, Page 1

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

PRISON REFORM. rhex-qßfißtrcm-of pnsan;refoniL:.is .notion® that can be approached along axxnmes: flaidsed by red-tape. Originality ami corav age are necessary, for thoogh tt» <xpßa-ences-of other countries -are vnlmhlp XJ»ct-; can only bo-accepted genetal gtride tow wards the ultimate goal—that of malffiw th» prison -a pfctoQ where refonn -of toeite dividual is actually possible and & houM( of detention from udacb the reully tive criminal shall never bo aflowod. 4k* emerge. Hi© first duty of society fa- jh* protect- itself, to purge 9Ky<xarniHinSly-<i| anti-social forces. Its next-duty is tovzo> form thooffender-against fic order. It may be beyond 12» wifcof man to devise a jneans-of skiing flat the other hand, it may not. In. any'-case,; d is worth, -while Tmdrmjr the auonpt. 1 be- Attorney-General is- jfbfupfrqi - re mrt going to follow a policy of IriU. bound, adherence to -estabßtood pradScWfe,; regard to the New Zealand priams. Hb-i^s; prepared to adopt new methods, and is| happily enlightened enough to see flat! sosnoe may possffily be applied resnits to tfao prnntenjs- ■oa,-criminabsfoaafc« roeot.—WeJ&gtan ‘’Times/ THEiESSMEBS’ BNBON, ITiero is very good the country meanbcas of the party, freed from. toe-oblig-atom of meekly, following a leader of Radical sympathies, vnU prove bettor friends of the fanaectoan; they were -during the last Patbament. Nothing, however, would be more foolishrtoaai nn abandonment by the -Union of tfae aggressnre advocacy of the principles for', which they have been contending in the P 3s *- & will not-do to-trust to the- better representation of ratal interests in Parliumenfc to secure, without being pressed, the interests of toe agricultural community. The union mast make up their mind to keep tocir policy prominently before the irahlic and Parliament. The addition of Air Hogg to the Cabinet is a further warning that the Radicals and the Socialists of various degrees of virulence are not, yet done with, nor yet out of .favor with the Prime Minister,—The ‘ Dominion.’ DOMESTIC SERVICE. In spite of toe vast social changes of tlu last fifty years, too many mistresses, even in our democratic community, persist in the traditional treatment of servants as beings necessarily inferior, indeed of a quite different order to themselves. Now, girls with character and capacity enough to be worth employment will not consent to bo treated from this point of view. It would indeed be hard to show just reason why the domestic worker should be regarded as ' a social inferior, since the adequate fulfilment of Ifor duties calls for quite as much intelligence as is demanded by most other. feminine callings, whilst godd character j and good manners should be pre-eminently j desirable in a worker who is an inmate -of i the homo. The domestic servico problem j resolves itself into toe need for bettor; training for girls of all classes in domestic i duties, raising the status of domestic ser-1 vice, and improving its conditions. When ’ radical improvement- on these- lines is made I there will be no difficulty in. securing a , sufficiency of competent household assist- i ants. Even now, many cap;ihle young wo- j men would prefer domestic work, under I reasonable conditions, l-o the confinement <is'r factory, shop, or office,—Clntha ‘ Leader.’ EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE. Whether the educational facilities 4* he ) had in this country lead to a lower csti- 1 mate-of the dignity of work cannot bo said, r but true it is that- a smattering of the threo | E s is generally considered to i»o a passport ; to a toilless job. Tin? danger of the cdu- j rational system of New Zealand lies not so much in the fact that the average New J Zealander is taught too much, bnt that he j is insufficiently educated. Specialisation j and the disco very of the natural aptitude of ' individuals are- toe poinlers of any modem system. If a boy is to become a sheep- i farmer, why fill him full of knowledge of \ no use to him ? It is much better to teach 1 him all there is to know about a sheep tick j than tin? heights of all th© mountains in tlie world.—Taranaki ’ Her aid.’ FROZEN MUTTON. There are some countries in the world i which appear to possess everything necessary for the production of mutton of the highest quality, but wiiich Lav© failed in the attempt, and Argentine and Australia, so .far, appear to be iu this category. If there is anything that New- Zealand is adapted for it is for the ]moducliou of mutton which cannot be surpassed bv even the l>est of the United Kingdom's product. Then there Ls no need to lose heart because prices are down. What else could have been expected as the result of world-wide , depression V The condition of industries at i Homo docs not admit of the consumption of meat in any liberal measure. But toe trouble is passing away, and pccseniiypcos-. i perity will be as prevalent as ever. In- j the meantime we draw the attention of 3 pessimists to the difference in tlio-pricee-of 1 Argentine am] Australian mutton and that ■’ from New Zealand, and to the fact toatV of Old Work] . comrtriesrare/l it!creasing oikT will become-enstanKTs;—3 ' Oamarn Mail,’ ? SERVANT GIRL PROBLEM. 'id bring out yojmg women on ;tho-,jnlf q chance of securing employment -ssotfld- lb® 1 heartless and cruel in tlio extreme, mid would pave toe way to a perpetuation. -of' £ the worst evils. This must be staidly i guarded against. Further, as has- been oh- | ready suggested, tlio girls must be well j cared for on shipboard. Trustworthy 5 matrons should be provided, a particular 1 portion of the ship should be -set-apart for | the girls, and an ©Sort should be mads to s provide them with I toe voyage Immigration under such oon- W ditions and safeguards would bo of groat -7 benefit' to ail concerned, and; would mate-1 rially assist in toe solnQon., for too -time ,1 being, of the domestic help problem. R ■ would depend upon mistresses whethertoe- • girls would remain in domestic service; -if it was-not- as attractive as other avenues of ; employment, then the girls could not be blamed if they so-trghfaother-work,—Wan- , ganui ‘Herald.’ TELEPHONE CHARGES. { The only basis upon wJSch- Ibe ehargßs J can bB properly made is ono which wili se- J cure a return eqni valent to the cost of \ maintenance and canstrucrina, and this the I department has striven to do. Now Zea- ; land already compares very favorably with \ Australia in too matter of her telephone -j system, and there are many other direc- i lions in which toe public hard cm can he * legitimately eased before too question- «f V tdepteme charges can bo exploited for r»- I form.—Christefanrch ‘ >3tar/ , CONCILIATION CXIMJQSSBONERS. ) We outaeLves expressed surprise at the Qasennnent’js selection of Air Giles, but, ! toe appointment having once been made, - the paEtkas ccnoomed in industrial matter* should have-adopted toe British method of j allowing a man fair play and a Arial before I he is to the utmost penalty in f their power to inflict. This is the idea , underlying too attitude of toe Otago Trades and Labor Uouncil, who-read their Northern brethren a lesson in-oourtesy and I genrosity that wo hope wfll he iafcen to t heart and ■in Auckland.—’ Gore V Star*«-t<' w