A DISARMAMENT CHECK.

Evening Star, Issue 19520, 30 March 1927, Page 6

A DISARMAMENT CHECK.

The preparatory committee of tho League of Nations which is endeavor ing to work out a programme for the limitation of armaments to be con sidered by a later conference lias struck its first bad rock on the subject of military armaments. When tho Great War was at its beginning one of the commonest subjects of denunciation in British countries was tho Continental system of conscription, as it was called, which was held to have contributed to it in no small measure by tho production of armies on tho greatest scale. That system, it was taken for granted, would have to go when the war was over, both because of its dangers to peace and because, it was fondly hoped, there would be no more need for it. It was not really conscription at all, hut a system of compulsory military service, which is a different thing. There are three ways by which armed forces can be raised. The first way is voluntary enlistment, by which only small armies are produced. The most extreme and comprehensive method is that of compulsory military service, which requires that every able-bodied subject shall be able and liable to give military service to the State. Conscription, when tho term is properly used, is the halfway house between the ether two. It assumes the general liability, in what might he called a moral sense, to give service, hut it assumes also that all its able-bodied subjects are too many to bo needed in limes of pence as potential armies of the State. It does not attempt, therefore, to train them all, but provides ior a selection by lot, which involves generally substitution, for the training of a moro limited array. Conscription was (ho system of Franco and compulsory universal military service that of Prussia before the Franco-Prussian War. It was proved then that the French system bad resulted in an army of professional substitutes which was unequal to the German levies, and the Prussian system has since then been the general system of Europe. Tho only States in the world in which conscription, in tho true sense, maintains itself are Spain, Holland (where substitution is not permitted), Mexico, Brazil, and Peru. To speak of “universal conscription,” as our cables do in respect of tho League’s conference, is really a contradiction of berms.

Tho svstom which wo may call conscription, since that is the name by which it is popularly known, and which the delegates to the Arms Conference are content to give it, has not yet gone. Europe has as many fears, or almost as many fears, still as before the Great War, which make it cling to the system. There ar. not even tho faintest signs of its going. It appears that it is not even to bo limited. Lord Cecil had a plan for limiting it, which tho other States represented at the conference, excepting only Germany and Sweden, will not hear of. Lord Cecil had laid it down that the best way of restricting military armaments was by restricting tho number of tho men enrolled. He sought to do that by the plan of financial limitation, including the exchange of military budgetary information according to set forms, which he explained. Tho French and Belgian delegates insisted, however, that it was impossible to limit the numbers of their annual contingents called to the colors, and that it was necessary for them to tram their whole manhood. They were willing, with Japan, to reduce the period of service, but that was the furthest they or Japan would go. They would not think of restricting their trained reserves. Even the United States delegate supported the French rather than the British views. Limit.v tion of numbers should not be impracticable. apart from tho fears for their safety which some Continental nations may feel. In every system of conscription, or so-called conscription, as Lord Cecil pointed out, there is a standard by which certain numbers are rejected, and, if selection by lot were objected to, tho end could be simply achieved by raising the standard. The army of Germany had to be kept down, by continually increasing exemptions for educated men and others, before the war, or it ;would have been too largo for even the

most military Power. If that array has been compulsorily reduced now to 100.000 men, it is absurd to argue that voluntary reduction is in itself impossible for other nations. But the will is absent for one reason or another. and Lord Cecil has had to admit that his pleas have failed. Prance’s attitude seems to have been more opposed than was suggested by her " first draft convention, which provided! for limiting the number of effectives serving under the colors and the length of service, but did not affect reserves. Britain plainly was prescribing for others, and not for herself, when Lord Cecil’s plan was put forth, because, not having the same need for land armaments as her Continental neighbors, she has only the smallest voluntary army. That may have been a weakness of the ,plea. Its failure makes a bad presage, however, for the further discussions of the League’s committee,, in which some twenty nations are represented. There will ho reason for surprise if, when it comes to deal with naval armaments, it does not find equally formidable “ rocks ahead.”

Being desirous of affixing to the drinking fountain in tho Botanic Gardens a plate carrying a record of its being a gift by tho late Mr Wolf Harris, Mr Tannock has dug up some particulars that most of our people have probably forgotten. In July of 1889 tho secretary of the then newlyformed Amenities Society (Mr A. Bathgate) reported that £260 was lying to the credit of tho Macandrew memorial fund for. the purpose of erecting’ a monument, and that it had been suggested that possibly the trustees might bo induced to erect a drinking fountain. That appears to have been the first public mention of a fountain, but it quickly bore fruit, for in September of 1889 the big fountain that Mr Harris gave was landed, and the minutes of tho society contain tho entry in June, 1890, that the Mayor of Dunedin had accepted the gift on behalf of tho city, ft is satisfactory to know that this fountain, which is one of Dunedin’s art treasures, has stood the handling in its several removals—from tho foundry to New Zealand, from tho Triangle to the Exhibition, and now to the Gardens — without mutilation.

' Corporation workmen have completed the permanent making of the south side ot Rattray street from what was formerly known as Bullen’s corner (the Roslyn tram starting point), to the curve at Scoullar and Chisholm's, and the work is to be continued up Maclaggan street as far as Clarke street, not on the ascent towards the Catholic Cathedral. Being on ground that was notoriously unstable, originally the mouth of a ravine, the formation in Rattray street had to bo very firm. In parts the concrete bed is nearly a foot thick and reinforced. From the rise, approaching Maclaggan street, the bottom ;s better, so loss concrete was needed to bed the Trinidad asphalt. Though by measurement not a big job, this making in Rattray street a roadway that \vitl last for generations is really one of the very important improvements in Dunedin,

A charge of stealing £l3O, the property of Mary O’Gorman, was preferred against John Charles Woodley, aged twenty-seven, formerly an Auckland solicitor, in the Police Court there. Chief-detective Cummings said further charges were pending. Accused had arrived from Australia under escort only that morning. On his arrival he had informed the detectives m charge of the case that he intended to assist m their investigations. Accused was remanded until April 7. Bail was fixed at £IOO, accused being ordered to report to the police daily.—Frees Association.

The new white metal buttons for daytime use on the uniforms of members of tho New Zealand Police Force have arrived at Wellington headquarters (says the ‘Post’), and a start will be made shortly with the issue of tho lighter uniforms. The buttons take tho form of a crown surrounded by tho words “New Zealand Police.”

At the ordinary meeting of the St. Kilda Borough Council, held on Monday evening, tho Finance Committee recommended that tho payment of _uo per cent of the cost of electrification of the borough as decided on at a previous meeting bo increased by 25 per cent., thus reducing tho debt of £2,177 to £544. Under the original arrangement with the City Council payments of 25 per cent, were to be made annually, and interest at 6£ per cent, would have amounted to £212, so in deciding to liquidate the debt in tho manner indicated interest charges should be approximately £35, The report was adopted. Although this payment is being made, the financial position of the borough on March 31 should show an improvement of about £3OO on the previous year.

For the purpose of setting up a New Zealand Land Settlement and Development League, the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association is organising a large conl'ci'ence to bo held in Auckland on Wednesday, April 13. At th# conference held in Auckland last November it was decided to urge the Minister of Lands (Hon. A. _D. M'Leod) to set un a board to go into the question of land settlement, and this he agreed to do. Tho objects of the Development League will bo to organise evidence to place before tho hoard, and generally to aim for a definite land settlement policy. It is felt there is no definite land policy in tho dominion, and it is boned to secure one something on the lines followed in Canada and other agricultural countries. It is expected that the conference will bo attended by men from all parts of the dominion. _ Invitations have been sent out to presidents of all agricultural societies and chairmen of all chambers of commerce. Also a general invitation will be extended to all those who are interested. It is hoped that the Development League will comprise a large body of interested men from places in all parts of tho dominion , ■ who will get together to stimulate primary production and land settlement

“ At the present time New Zealand is living on its capital; there is hardly n farmer in the country who is not existing on his capital. It will be many years before they will find their feet, and there is going to be great unrest during the winter months.’* This view was expressed by Mr F. B. Logan at a Napier Hospital Board meeting. The same speaker at a later stage, when financial matters were being considered, stated: “Going roflnd the country you can see it is gradually going back into manuka; there are no cereals to sow, as all the farmer’s money has.gone into the towns in buildings and motor cars.” “What did these boys expect?” asked one dairy farmer the other day, when his attention was directed to the complaint of two lads in the Auckland district recently arrived in the dominion. “My experience so far is that they cannot earn their wages, lot alone their keep,” he said. “In fact some of the immigrant boys I have had are more worry than their worth, and 1 know cases where they have been responsible, through their ignorance, for serious losses. Give me the New Zealand lad every time for gumption," ho added. “Had those two lads up north been New Zealand born, instead of complaining _ they would nave got to work on their wharo themselves and in no time had everything clean and in order. These immigrants seem to want a servant or two chasing after them, and a carpet on their floor. They certainly seem to lack the grit that stood their forbears so well when Now Zealand was first colonised.”

! A fire late last night gutted an old wooden house of about five rooms in Newmarket, Auckland, owned by H Denton and occupied by Stanley Clark. There were three persons in the house. Two got out safely, but the third, Stanley Clark, was only rescued with difficulty by the firemen. No furniture was saved. Clark was later arrested on a charge of drunkenness.—Press I Association.

When the question of the abolition of homework was referred to the senior inspector of schools in Taranaki (Mr N. R. MTvcnziei he expressed himself as a firm believer in “ no compulsory homework.” Teachers nowadays were trying to eliminate waste, said Mr M'Kenzie, and the compulsion and wastefulness attached to homework were the chief objections to it. The tendency now was to encourage children. instead of doing set homework, to read or to engage in hobbies that pleased them. Tho effect of abolishing homework, as far as Joss of efficiency was concerned, was negligible. Work might often be set that the child could not do, especially in arithmetic. The child came next day with tho workdone, and one did not know w’ho had done it, perhaps father, mother, brother, or sister. The one thing certain was that the child had not done it.' from these objections, there was a nig chance that slovenly work would be done, and the work of correction forced upon the teacher was in the ease of a largo class very heavy. The secretary of tho Otago Expansion League has received the following letter from the Hon. O. Hawkcn, Minister of Agriculture:—” I beg to ackiiowledge receipt of your letter of Bth inst. in regard to tho display of wool at the High Commissioner’s office in London, a criticism of which has been made to your Executive Committee by Mr C. Todd. I quite agree that it is desirable that the wool display at the High Commissioner’s office should be worthy of tho industry represented, and I shall be glad to arrange for an exhibit to be prepared and forwarded to London, ft is, however, too late for any action to bo taken this season, and in the meantime a M-Ter is being sent to the High Commissioner asking whether ho considers that the exhibit should be sent as soon as possible or delayed until s;, h time as the offices are removed to the new building. The building which will eventually bo occupied by the High Commissioner’s department will have much better facilities for the display of a comprehensive exhibit and for the storage of tho ■wool when it not actually on show.” The Gisborne Harbor Board is engaged in a dispute with the New Zealand Shinping Company regarding charges in connection with salvage operations on the Northumberland. It is alleged that the company’s officials entered into an agreement whereby the board’s employees engaged in salvage work wero to be paid lUs an hour, and other charges were definitely fixed. The board’s account aggregated approximately £II,OOO, of which nearly £9,000 is said to bo on the basis of agreed charges, while £2,000 is claimed as compensation for loss of time in connection with tho board’s harbor construction work. The _ shipping company has disputed the claim, and the board has instructed its solicitors to proceed,— Press Association.

Owners of lawn mowers would be well advised to lock them up at night. Thieves about the Dunedin suburbs have taken some lately.

' Watching for a few minutes the work going on at the Oval this morning—a party of Reserves Committee’s men measuring and turf-cutting and generally setting nut the ground for football and other winter games—the thought arose that in these days things tire made easy for players at all field sports. Our grandfathers, and some of our fathers, used to get up early in summer mornings to cut and roll cricket pitches, and in the winter time they commonly formed “working bees” to give rough paddocks all the preparation they ever got for football. The young men of the present generation mostly walk on to tho grounds a few minutes before tho time appointed to play, and take no further responsibility about the ground than to comment in approving or disproving terms as to the_ way that hired men have done the job. _On the other hand, organising and administrative work is in these days of much greater importance, making heavy calls on members. But such duties mostly fall to the lot of matured men who have passed their period of greatest activity as players. The position is that the aspiring cricketer or footballer or tennis player of to-day has, relatively a smooth, or at any rate unlaborions. time of it, and alongside of that fact there is the other enr.-iderntion that as he earns twice as much in wages as tho young man of_ fifty years ago, his subscription and rig-out expenses arc as a fleabito. His subscription is. now limber, but his income is very much greater. At 't’e Lawrence Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Mr Dixon, S.M., an action was heard in which Dr Crawshaw, of Dunedin, claimed damages from E. Fahey, farmer, of Evans Flat, arising out of a collision between motor cars driven by the plaintiff and the defendant at Evans Flat on January 25 of this year. After lengthy evidence had been taken the magistrate found in favor of the plaintiff for tho sum of £23 4s as special damages. £7 as general damages, and costs, it being hold that Fahey had driven on the wrong side of the road, and failed to keep a proper lookout, with the result that his car crashed into that of Dr Crawshnw. At tho hearing Mr A. N. Haggitt appeared for the plaintiff and Mr Stewart Fletcher for the defendant. ‘ Tho Port Chalmers Council intends to get into touch with tho Mosgiol Council in regard to getting a reduction of toll fees for telephone subscribers. At present the subscriber pays tho same amount ns the non-subscriber.

At Wellington, Mr Page, S.M., gave three months, with hard labor, to James O’Brien, aged fifty, described by the police as a professional pickpocket, on a charge of being idle and disorderly. Accused has a long list in Australia.—Press Association.

A Hamilton Association message advises that tho Horsham Downs branch of the Farmers’ Union passed a resolution desiring to make known its feeling of intense disgust at the “ traitorous attitude of the Prime Minister and the Government 5n connection with control.”

An object of considerable interest at present at Port Chalmers is a working model of a new painting stage which is designed to take the place of ordinary scaffolding on buildings, and also to simplify the process of painting tho hulls of ships. The device, .which is simple and possesses many features of interest, is demonstrated at the band rotunda. It seems to be an adaptation of the principle embodied in tbo small outboard platforms to which ships’ gangway ladders are attached. It may be used on the outside of a vessel’s hull without the use of ropes, and its inventor, Mr A. Kelly, considers it will be a boon to ship painters. Present indications do no_ point to many Dunedin people travelling northwards at Easter time, according to the local Government tourist manager (Mr A. E. Wilson), who said this morning that ho thought Queenstown would draw a large number of Dunedin residents, accommodation there and nt Stewart Island being already heavily booked. The present spell of cold weather has had a detrimental effect upon the Central Otago round trips.

A young man was arrested this morning by Detective Roycroft on a charge of' the theft of an overcoat. He was later brought before the court and remanded to appear at Invercargill (where the theft is alleged to have boon committed) on April 1. Bail was fixed at £SO, with one surety of a like amour*.

At 3.22 yesterday afternoon the City Fire Brigade was called to a house at 37 Calder street, St. Kilda. An outhouse adjoining ‘the dwelling, which was owned and occupied by Mr R. D. M'Leod, was slightly damaged to the extent of about £5. The house and contents were insured in the State Office for £SOO and £250 respectively. Five shooting matches between a team from H.M.S. Veronica and the local Defence Department staff corps were arranged by the Defence Department for decision at tho Pelichet Bay riflo range this afternoon, hut they wero abandoned owing to the weather. However, a billiards tournament was substituted. The Veronica’s shooting team consister of Gunner C. F. Austin (captain), Able-seamen J. D. Roberts, A. Rudman, H. Simmonds, W. Taylor, J. Tasker, and E. Parton, Stoker Petty-offioer S. Woods and First Class Stoker G. Diggles, who comprised the vessel’s billiards team. Miss Wallace last night 'gave a dance in the Overseas Club Hall for tho men, and about twentv-livo sailors attended. This afternoon twenty-five petty officers and men left tho ship po enjoy an observation trip in a motor bus. Men in uniform are travelling free on the trams and being granted free access to Fullers’ vaudeville house. To-night Commander R. H. De Saris will have friends aboard at a dinner party, in connection with which the after part of the ship has been decorated. The sloop will sail at 4 p.m. to-morrow for Timaru and other northern ports. The Mornington School Committee last evening resolved—“ That this committee protests against the Otago Education Board’s action in not following the usual procedure and advertising the vacant headmastership oi tho Mornington School.”

The Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Port Chalmers Council states that the recent extension of he waor mains a the end of he Peninsula, and other recent improvements of the water service have ben eaid for by the sale of war bonds. The war bonds were purchased from the water account, when that account was in credit from the sale of water to shipping during the war period. There is still on hand the sum of £SOO from tho sale of those bands, and that amount will about meet tho cost of contracts recently made for further renewing and improving portions of the mater mains. The extra rates this year wero used to pay off the deficit on the gas works. A Christchurch Association message states that the Premier spent a busy day in Christchurch with deputations from the Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Governors of Canterbury College, the Canterbury members of Parliament, the unemployed, and the 1 wheat growers. He was also entertained at luncheon by the Chamber of Commerce and the Progress League.

For glasses guaranteed to suit eousult W. V. Stunner, G.A.0.C., D. 5.0.1., 2 Octagon. Dunedin; ’phone 7.s2s.—[Advt.] Mr W. G. Hooper, continuing his lectures in the Y.M.C.A. building last evening, took for his subject ‘Tho Conscious, the Subconscious, the Super-Conscious, and the Universal Mind. Ho illustrated the main points of his statements by means of charts, showing that the fundamental principle for all true achievement was to think in the universal mind. To-night’s subject will bo ‘A New Science: Power and Wisdom.’

Tho Railway Department advertises in this issue particulars of train arrangements in connection with the Ou tram sports on April 2 Port Chalmers.—J. Watson will address a meeting of ratepayers in Town Hall, 8 o’clock, on Wednesday, 30th.—[Advt.] The dancing public are reminded of tho reopening of the Danceland dance (above His Majesty’s Theatre) on Saturday nest, which is being run on the latest lines. A good floor and music should ensure an enjoyable evening.

Tho Wembley Club will hold its second mid-wcck dance to-night in the Art Gallery Hall. Tho Kapai Dance Rand is providing the music for the old and the new dances. £l4 in euchre orders will be given at the Waratah Tea Rooms to-night.

Attention is drawn to the annual meeting of the Dunedin Burns Club which is to bo held in the Returned Soldiers’ Club on Thursday nest, at 8 p.m.