CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIII, Issue 13689, 4 March 1905, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS.

Esperanto, the new esperaxto. universal language, is, according to its professors, making wonderful progress. A lorrespondent of the "Times,” however, attended the second annual meeting of the London Esperanto Club (dua Esperantista Jarkunveno) in January, and makes rather merry over it. He admits that it is "perhaps the most reasonable ” of the universal languages, but it certainly does lend itself to humour. This, for example, is stanza of " God Save the King.” Sinjor’ Di’ starigu, Malamikojn pclu. | Kaj falign! Pistil politikon, Yenku friponajon, A 1 d •ni konfidu; Dio pin savu! The j of “friponajon” (knavish tricks) a thing like a circumflex accent. The correspondent of the “ Times ” complains especially that there are no " exceptions ” Esperanto. Every self-respecting language has exceptions, and a language without them is a prig, like a human being without faults. All the terminations, too, are standardised, and all the accents are on the penultimate syllable. In fact, it is too easy. Half the beauty of a language is in its idiotisms. English would not be nearly such kn interesting language to study if we could not trace the stages by which' nu became now, and if there were no parasitic d in thunder. There is a charm, too, in the difference of pronunciation between bough and tough. Esperanto has no sort of respect for philology. The correspondent instances the word " orfo,” for orphan,. The inventor cannot say " orfano,” because it would seem, on his principles, a member x>fthe sect .of the " Orfs,” or something like that, so he throws philology overboard. He makes his word for boat, " boato ” (pronounced "boahto”), and his word for boot, "boto.” - One is inclined to doubt his thorough knowledge of English, though he has paid our language the compliment of utilising a very large number of its roots, or, rather, fragments of its” roots. The ‘correspondent says,“ne estas dubio do la ontusiasmo de tui ci Esperantistoj, kai ni esperas ke ili keepos it up,” by which he means that there is no doubt about the enthusiasm of the Espcrantists, and he hopes they will keep it‘ up.

‘ i MUNICIPAL LAW, -

Mr T. F. Martin, solicitor to the Municipal Association of New Zealand, has collected into

a volume the opinions and interpretations which he has given during the last twelve years concerning the local government law of the colony. The handbook, which • is published . by Messrs TVhitcombo and Tombs, will bo invaluable to the responsible officers of local bodies, since it covers practically every j point - on which there is likely to be any doubt. It is the sort of compilation that is useful to public contractors, too, ■ and. indeed, to everyone interested in

the local administration of the country. Mr Martin has some brief notes on the historical side of municipal law. Ho tells us that the first measure constituting boroughs in the colony was an Ordinance of the Legislative Council passed in 1842. The Ordinance was very short-lived, since it was disallowed by the Imperial Government in September, 1843, but under it Wellington was constituted a borough on May 27, 1842. The Ordinance set out that the inhabitants of towns wore best qualified “ as well by their more intimate knowledge of local affairs, as by their more direct interest therein,” effectually to provide for the good order of towns and their neighbourhoods, and that “ the habit of self-government in such cases hath been found to keep alive a spirit of selfa respect for the laws, and to prepare men for the due exercise of other political privileges.” It is interesting to learn that under this Ordinance a ratepayer had but one vote. The measure was disallowed because it invaded the rights of the Crown, especially in respect to unsold borough lands. The second borough to be. constituted in New Zealand was Dunedin, which dates from July 4, 1865. Port Chalmers followed a year later, botli being established under a Provincial Ordinance of Otago. A general Municipal Corporations Act was passed in 1867, and Christchurch and Lyttelton were constituted boroughs under its provisions on May 28, 1868. Ivaiapoi, Timaru, Greymouth, Hokitika and Blenheim were also founded about the same time. Auckland did not become a borough until 1871, and, indeed, it is worthy of comment that ( municipally the South Island has always been more progressive than the North,

THE AUTOMOBILE AGE.

The timid in the community notwithstanding, it is obvious that

the automobile lias come to stay. Already over eighty machines are in commission in Christchurch, and a spectcle which not very long ago caused the pedestrian to halt in his track and turn" to gaze, ■ now no longer disturbs oven the placidity of a wayside courtship or a street corner conversation. One of the chief obstacles to the popularity and general use of the automobile has been the prevailing ignorance as to its mechanism, and the impression that the operation of a- machine requires a specially high degree of skill. This difficulty is being overcome in America, where the automobile is making enormous headway, by the establishment of automobile schools, having for their objects the induction of prospective purchasers and owners into all the mysteries of electric, steam and gasoiine cars, and the training of young men to become’ chauffeurs. A model school of this •'kind has several courses. One instructs the owners and operators of automobiles in the mechanism of various machines, and in the art of running and caring for them. Another, shows draftsmen and mehanies how automobiles are built. With the rapid increase of the vehciles in'our midst something of the sort will soon be really necessary in Christchurch. No argument has been employed against the automobile that has not been used times without number against every new device designed to revolutionise existing methods and customs. It is the old story in a new form of the possible bull on the track which aroused the apprehensions of some timid folk when first the steam railway was projected. The progress of science and civilisation. may produce some new dangers to human life, but this possibility cannot drive the world back to the days of the stage-coach and the sedan-chair. Still every care should be taken to minimise what risk there is, and it will probably be necessary, before very long, to demand, in the public interest, that the drivers of motor-cars shall at least be certificated as competent in the same manner as the drivers of locomotives. Even the motor-car has responsibilities which must not be lightly estimated.

THE ANGLOAMERICAN ALLIANCE.

The suggestion that Great Britain and the United States should enter into *a defensive alliance with Japan,

with a view to maintaining a balance of parties in the event of any one member of this new triple alliance being assailed by more than one other naval power, has met with a certain amount of favour from the American Press. St Petersburg, Berlin and other continental centres eyed it with something more than diffidence, but this was only to be expected, for such an alliance would certainly tend to weaken the power of every European nation. "Harper’s Weekly,” in discussing the question in a spirit of warm approbation, says that under such an alliance it would only bo necessary for the United States to keep her navy on the saihe level as Germany’s, because Great Britain’s naval force would always be able to cope with that of Franco and Russia combined. The utmost that would have to bo feared would be a hostile coalition of the three Continental Powers who look with most suspicion upon the suggested alliance, that is to sav, the very co'alition to which Japan yielded when, after her war with China, she was called upon surrender the Liaotung Peninsula. The United States, by neutralising Germany would' render the British Isles inviolate. With regard to the United Slates standing alone, "Harper’s” considers that if they are to rely upon themselves in all future contingencies they cannot stop short with a navy just equal to that of Germany. It points to a possible combination between Germany, Bussia and France, or Germany, Austria and Italy, which an alliance with great Britain' and Japan would completely frustrate. If America persists in its traditional isolation. it means an annual increase of its naval expenditure, until it is at least as strong upon the seas as France. Even then, a Continental combination might compel her to abandon the Philplnes and renounce the protection of South America from European aggression, as her war vessels would be required for the defence of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. According to "Harper’s,” America, by the acquisition of the Philippines and Hawaii gave hostages to fortune, which necessitated its making itself a great power among naval countries or allying itself with friendly nations. Looking at the suggested alliance from this point of view, the great New York weekly agrees with other representative Ameri-

can journals that it would prove a great blessing and a great saving to all the parties concerned.