WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

Evening Star, Issue 14035, 16 April 1909, Page 1

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

LAWRENCE-ROXBURGH RAILWAY. Mr • Janms .-\llen cannot e prove that there is any prospect of the LawrenceRoxburgh Railway being profitable, nor can he deny that there is every picspect that it will cost the Country l-t----t-.voen f;L(),J'JU ar.ri £.ii,ooo a year. His ,>ro3';nt position is utterly untenable, ijithor he trust cease to be a critic of the New Zealand railways and an opponent of wasteful expenditure on public works or he must cease to champion the Lawrence-Roxburgh Railway. If he attempts'to pose both as a supporter of the railway and as an advocate of railway and public works reform lie will Jose the respect of a large section of the community. It is certain that no agitation on the part of Dunedin will induce the Government to icsumc work on the lino immediately, and there will probably be a fight* on the question in Parliament. If the Government effectively use the information which is available there can be only one result to a parliamentary contest in respect to the line—viz., the rout of its supporters. Southland 'Times.'

A "BRITISH RESIDENT." The Cook Islands are a dependency of New Zealand. We have no objection to the Resident saving the best he can in regard to the work of the London Missionary Society's religious school. But we are desirous of knowing if one of the official duties of the British Resident of the Cook Islands is to institute "odorous comparisons" between creed and creed, to dub as "sects" the other faiths that are laboring zealously in the group, to sneer at their "doctrinal teaching," by implication to pronounce as more or less futile their " attempts" to save the souls of the natives, and to make ati official Government publication (to the cost ot which, as to the Resident's salary and perquisites, members of all creeds contribute) the medium of disseminating this slight among both whites and Maoris? . . . Even in the minor field of the Cook Islands it-behoves the head of the local Government to maintain in his official capacity a decent measure of neutrality, and not to embroil himself in the rivalries of creed and creed.—N.Z. ' Tablet '

HOLIDAY-MAKING. We are not among those who believe that there are so many holidays it would be a good thing if there were •? or u u lt woulcl be inn »itelv better it all the holidays of a twelvemonth were 'pooled" into one great unanimously popular abandonment of work and worry: There could then be an annual festival, and men and women who wanted rest or change or exercise could have it according to their desire m good large measure, instead of in homteopathic allowances at odd times during the year. On a given day in the summer the offices, shops, and warehouses would put up their shutters, pull down the blinds, lockup the doors and everybody would betake himself to a brief enjoyment of life.—Wellington ' Times.' a

THE WHEAT PROBLEM. The population of the world is "rowing, largely in the cities; that population must have food, and can look onlv to the farmer to produce its food. As a result we have an upward movement in food prices, which, though irregular aiur spasmodic and punctuated by occasional relapses, is sure and unmistakable. To the whole world this means very much. To New Zealand it means, if the Government would onlv open all Crown and Native Lands and provide adequate means of transportation, a rapid and steady increase in population prosperity, and progress. Auckland Herald.

THE VOLUNTEER BUNGLE. H »tf-?tarved soldiers would be of verv little value as a fighting force, and hungry volunteers would not be in a mood to learn the most valuable lessons from the manoeuvres. If the Government really expect the volunteers to become an efficient defence force they must show that, they appreciate the sacrifice the men are prepared to make in the defence of their-countrv. Better transport arrangements and a commissariat which will provide sufficient supplies for hard-worlied, hungry men are absolutely necessary. If the volunteers are to do. their part needless obstacles must not be thrown in their wav, and they should not be handicapped bv bad transport arrangements and insufficient tood supplies.—Timaru ' Post ''

THE GAMING ACT. The public have already had experience or the Gaining Act sufficient to show that it has been the means of stopping a large volume of street betting, and has indirectly reduced the number ot regular bettors in the Domuiiou by robbing the newspaper reports of practically all their interest as iar as betting is concerned. For these two ■ virtues alone the Act wi'l be -retained upon the Statute Book. But if the clubs do not intend to administer it in the spirit in which it was passed, it will be necessary to amend it in the direction of makiii" it compulsory to exercise more discretion m the granting of licenses to bookmakers.—Chnstchureh ' Star '

PRISON REFORM. There are men who always meet any scheme for the amelioration of the unhapmv prisoner with the objection that his labor must not be allowed to compete with the labor of free men. This is Iharisaical nonsense; . Every care should be taken, of course, to prevent the competition from becoming disastrous. But nothing whatever should avail to prevent the work of prison reiorm from being carried out to its extremest point and limits. Reform of bad characters is from the point of view of even the laboring populati6n the highest benefit that can be conferred on the State.-' Southland News '