CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11226, 25 March 1897, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

A very good prima facii case for the granting of a Government subsidy to the members of volunteer fire

STATE AID TO FIRE BRIGADES.

brigades was made out in a paper read on the opening day of the United Fire Brigades’ Conference at Port Chalmers. Mr A. Martin, of Gore, one of the vice-presidents of the Association, took for the subject -of his paper the question, “ Have we a claim on the State?” In replying to this query he claimed that there were about 2000 firemen in-the colony, of whom 1990 were practically volunteers; that these men “ render as great a service to the State as do the military volunteer forces:” that they encounter greater risks and dangers than usually fall to the lot of the ordinary soldier; and that “if the worst came to the worst they could handle a rifle with as much effect as those who make greater pretensions in that respect.” What ha asks as a reasonable contribution from the Government is equivalent to a capitation grant of 5s per member, Mr Martin’s summary of the matter is as follows; ‘‘ (1) The fire service of this colony is composed of 2000 men devoted to the protection of life and the property of the individual and the State; (2) that it is scattered all over the colony in something like seventy different branches or brigades; (3) that an important factor in such a service is technical education; (4) that this education is best brought about by practical work;' (5) that this practical work can only be given effect to by our annual conferences and demonstrations; (6) that such annual conferences and demonstrations cannot be held in order to give that education and practical training which is necessary to the better development of the service unless assisted by the Government of the day; (7) that, judging from the experience of the p4st, a sum of -2250 and free passes annually would sufficient to meet our present demands.” Mr Martin calculates that these two concessions together would not come to more than .£SOO in all, or five shillings per fireman. It is doubtless true that these claims are “ modest in comparison to the services rendered;” but many people mil demur to their soundness who do not deny their modesty. Were the State the sole fire insurer, the case would be different. As things are, however, the Government could not well subsidise the brigades when the fire insurance companies refuse to do SO.

Quite the most important book of the new year is the “Forty-one Years in India” of Lord Roberts." The book is, of course, autobiographi-

FORTY-ONE TEAKS IN INDIA.

cal, bub it is by no means in this respect that it commands most attention. It is true that, we have an account of the steps by whicn the writer climbed, rung by rung, the ladder of success, till he reached the proud position which he occupies to- , day; but it is also true that we read still-* more of the maimer iu which our Indian Empire was built, and of the means by which the mutiny was crushed and the country once more placed in the hands of a Government of peace. It is by no means unusual for soldiers to write fine English, bub it is unusual for any man not trained to the pen to write so vividly, so powerfully and yet so gracefully as does this wielder of the sword. The author’s remarkable literary power is particularly conspicuous in the description of the siege of Delhi and the

fights arotmd that town, and in the graphic and modest account of the manner in which ha gained his Victoria Cross. At the end Of the volume there is an exhaustive examination of the causes of the mutiny and of the likelihood of a recurrence of the disaster. Lord Eoberts shows that the men in command at that time were hopelessly incompetent, and he takes occasion to deplore the number of officials at the present day who are absolutely lacking in all knowledge of human nature and sympathy with the native race. He is not strong in praise of the high English education of native Princes, nor yet of the socalled progressive ideas rampant in India. He has much to say on this important point, and he says it well. He draws attention also to a growing discontent arising from forest laws and sanitary regulations, and from the judicial systems in vogue, which are all foreign to native ideas; and he insists that greater care should be exercised in their administration. Then in a series of really masterly paragraphs he passes in review all the evils that have grown up since the jhutiny, touching on the origin of each In turn with a firm and experienced hand. We wish that we could follow the writer through his various campaigns in Africa and Asia, campaigns which added materially to the glory of . the British army and the magnitude of the British Empire. There is throughout the book a modesty, a determination not to withhold praise from others, which must inevitably invite comparison with the memoirs of pmaller men which would certainly not be to their advantage.

Now that women are in convention in Christchurch, it may he useful to note the

woman’s EEOGBESS.

( advances being made by other lands than our own towards the goal of sex equality. The United States of America are progressing, though but slowly, in the matter of conferring political rights, on women. The State of Idaho, "which recently adopted woman’s franchise, mates the fourth State of the Union in which women enjoy the suffrage. It is in the sparsely settled West that this reform makes most headway. In the populous Eastern States the movement is in a very backward condition. Thera are, however, several organisations devoted to the promotion of women’s suffrage. At a recent meeting of one of these bodies, designated “ the Pilgrim Mothers,” Mrs Lillie Devereux Blake reminded her hearers that the designer of the American flag was a woman. Another lady, Mrs Charlotte Perkins Stetsan, recited two original poems, the quality of which may be gauged by the following sample stanza from one, entitled “ Feminine Vanity ”: —

Feminine vanity! oh, ye goiis, hear to these men. Vanity’s wide as the world is wide; Look at the peacock in his pride, Is he a hen ?

It is a sign that the franchise agitation is still in the elementary stage when women apply themselves to proving the obvious fact that men have not a monopoly of the virtues and graces. In England, in addition to keeping the franchise movement alive, women are pressing their way into occupations which have hitherto been filled by men only. It is, for instance, pointed out that there are now 155 women commercial travellers in England. This tendency to economic independence is even more marked in France, where, according to, Mrs prawford, the London Daily News correspondent, a , critical condition of things is likely to arise in consequence. Mis Crawford' comments upon the growing keenness of industrial competition owing to women taking part in it, and adds that “ every increase in the army withdraws men from other employment, and tends to push women into the vacancies. If the folly of armaments should continue for many years the result will be in France, owing to her stationary ’ population, a nation of women-supported men. Thus, with all appearances of civilisation, we shall have reverted to the state of African tribes.” There is, fortunately, no reason to apprehend any such disastrous results in New Zealand; and if equal pay for equal work is insisted upon by both sexes, women may pursue the “ economic independence ” ideal without any risk of having the whole burden of labour placed upon them.