WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

Evening Star, Issue 14186, 11 October 1909, Page 1

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

THE MINISTRY. The natural and obvious course would be to appoint the Hon. T. Mackenzie to the vacant portfolio, and from the point of view of Ministerial efficiency this would be sound policy. Mr Mackenzie has shown hnnself to ho energetic as well as capable, and it is clear that his heart is in his work. It is more than a little anomalous that a Minister who is charged with important administrative duties should be ! occupying an honorary position, and the public certainly have no wish that a member of Parliament who is doing the full work of a Minister should be without the appropriate remuneration. The North Islanders are doubtless arguing that one of themselves should be selected to fill th>. Cabinet vacancy, to diminish the preponderence of Southern representation. The solution of the difficulty rests with the Liberal party as a whole, but if Sir Joseph Ward were to adopt the obvious course boldly he probably would find any little Northern irritation spending itself harmkssly and quickly.—' Lyttelton Times.* I AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. , The that the agricultural production of. New Zealand is an increasing quantity has been a strong factor against entnusiasni for extreme efficiency. “We are growing. Look at the statistics. What more do you a . n U ? ! This is a very common attitude, but u it could only become generally understood that improved methods and more intense cultivation would send our agricultural product km up still higher, and thus benefit everybody in the country, there would be little further delay in establishing a scheme that would enable fanners to take the fullest advantage of Nature’s lavish generosity.—The • Dominion.’ THE LOCAL NAVY THEORY. The local navy man is at the present moment chiefly distinguished by the fact that ue has no plan of procedure, and is also an advocate of universal military service. It is no use introducing an irrational jingo- ’ the domain of practical politics, but if “the local navy” theory and the universal service movement are’to become entangled in this way, the whole question of defence will become chaotic. Ws would ask those members of Parliament who contemplate making speeches about local naval • defence to reflect on the possible consequences of their utterances upon the military movement in this Dominion. To our mind it is clear that every advocate of Zealand starting a navy “of her own” is equivalent to an active and successful opponent of universal service. The proposals to be submitted by the Prime Minister will be quite enough for one session, and we hope they will be cordially agreed to.—Wellington ‘ Times.’ j * HANSARD.’ "* I Some record of Parliament there must 4L* t* 1 possible it should be a record that the people will read, and the people will never read verbatim reports six, eight, and ten pages in length, nor will they read Hansard ’ so long as the report of two or three days’ work fills 250 pages. ‘Han,sard will be nothing better than useless lumber, cumbering the shelves of libraries and the odd corners of offices and store rooms, until it is reduced in size and endued with a more attractive dress. Furthermore, until ‘ Hansard ’ is reformed, it will represent not only a colossal waste of time,'skill, and labor, but a total loss of £o,ooo or £6,000 per annum.—‘Southland Tunes.’ THE DOMINION’S DETRACTORS. No one will deny that criticism is necessary, or assert that the Administration is the ideal of perfection ; but the constantlyrepeated that the country is being ruined by “reckless extravagance,” that the finances are rotten, the railways not paying, the public debt overwhelmmg, and that “ honest administration ” is an urgent necessity, are altogether mischievous. So far from serving the purpose aimed at—the ousting of the Wardites and the installation of the Masseyites in their place—there are evidences that such wholesale and unwarranted attacks will defeat themselves, and cause a violent reaction in favor of the Ministry which is so vehemently vilified.—Wairarapa ‘ News.’ NAVAL DEFENCE. New Zealand’s attachment to the China station may be the best or the only possible course under present conditions, but et ns not delude ourselves with the belief that such an arrangement is an ideal one or can possibly be a permanent one.’ m hethfir with the Commonwealth or bv ourselves, we must school ourselves fo*r something better in the near future Wellington ‘Post.’ BORROWING. ~ * The one legitimate purpose of borrowing is to improve and develop the country! and the members of local bodies are the best judges as to what is required for this purpose.— 1 ‘ Rangitikei Advocate.’