ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu Journal. Conducted by E. D. HOBEN. Published Every Morning. SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1910. SATURDAY MORNING.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 955, 5 March 1910, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu Journal. Conducted by E. D. HOBEN. Published Every Morning. SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1910. SATURDAY MORNING.

Watchman, what of the Week ? The Kitchener oxoitemeut is over for the moment until the FieldMarshal's report, now being pernaed by Ministers, is pblibhed. The promptitude with which Lord Kitchener handed that report in has astonished folk accustomed to "Royal Commission" reports wliioh take months of investigation and

then months of inoubation. But it was .characteristic of K. of K. to luinil it in complete on the last day of his inspection. K. of K. knows his business, aud as the Premier has pointed out. lie came here to advise, not to inspect. The fact that the tioops weie brought together to s;;e and to be seen by him was at once that he might have an opportunity of judging our volunteer material and that the}, aud especially Hie youuger branches, might find inspiration from rue great military organiser and fighter. # « # Lord Kitchener has baeu organising amies for so loug that he ha* the business reduced to a science, aud lie had not only what he could see for himself of tlio material in tliß Colonies but what he knew of it in Son'th Africa, and further, Colonel Kirkpatriok's visit here in 1004 turns out, to have been as a speoial Intelligence officer to report to the Intelligence Department on our affairs, so that with his Canadian experience supplementing his Australasiau investigations he was peculiarly fitted to aot as aide to his distinguished chief.

< • • With regard to Lord Kitoheuer's New Zealand report, I believe that it will recommend that oompalsory training shooH continue till 20 years of age. That is ntost desirable, but I don't think it is praotioabla at the outset. The Defence Aot does keep men in the reserve till thou and there will also be the Territorials after 21 years of age, but wo will do fairly well to get a practical start through cadet training aud then from 18 to 21 years compulsory induing. Other features of the report will be capable of being worked in to the regulations that will now have to be prepared and will probably necessitate some amendment of the Defence Act nexi session. ♦ « * Regarding the''Affaire Kuyvott,'' which resulted in a demonstration against Colonel Kobin and the Dafence Couuoil at the Auckland reception, the public outside of Auckland is getting rather tired of it. No one appears to know who made Hie request'to the Auoklaud committee to hold a meeting here, but I doubt whether it would havo ranch support and the further south the meetings went the cooler headed people would bo found on the subject. Aucklanders are very clannish aud they have a special jealousy of Wellington. It is muoh like the Melbourne-Sydney jealousy, only there it is the Southern town feels the most resentful and "as bad as Sydney" whether it refers to weather or to oharacter is the hardest phrase a Melbourne man can use.

* * t Personally, I have always found inoio keenness against Wellington iu Auckland than against Auckland in Wellington. Auckland has never quite got over the capital being shifted and every time it trounces Wellington at anything it esteems the act as patriotic. The isolation of the two towns befoie the opening of the Main Trunk line tended to foster the feeling though the constant interchange of MelbourneSydney and Sydney-Melbourne visits lias not lessened it there.

# * # Whether it is the climate, or the volcanic nature of the oouutry, there is undoubtedly a dift'erenoe in typa in Aucklauders. A friend wiio lias seen much of the world in writing to mo notes the same tiling, He says, apropos Knyvett:"Tlie Auckland people have lost their iieads over it, but this does not surprise me, as I have always regarded the people of that city as being somehow different from the rest of tiio population of this country, I had every ..sympathy with poor Knyvett, but haviug been guilty of an infraction of'military law, lie must accept the penalty." tit On another phase of the question my friend continues, in serious tone :- "The worst feature of the question is the attempt whioh lias boeu made by a large seetiou of the public to interfere with the regulations and discipline of our military body, and iu this connection the head had tho Government acted in any way differently they would have established a most dangerous and intolerable precedent. As a matter of fact, the general publio of New Zealand have not as yet any real knowledge of what discipline means, but they may know something more a little later on, as we appear to be standing upon the very threshold of great events."

There is an interesting letter re gardiug this very questiou of disoip line in this issue.

* * * The writer of the above, by the way, is a prominent member of the Opposition, but the matter is one that should be. above party. He goes on to reflect how, when he was younger, "the world generally regarded Russia and America as the two invincible Powers, vet the Runsiau giant lias been throttled at close grips by a power not thon known aud to-day wo find au American General writing au able book pointing out how the Japanese could easily conquer and annex the Pacific States."

Apropos of the compulsory training soheme, there are many inquiries as to whon the training will begin. I believe that the firßt drafts oanuot well be taken into the permanent

training catnp before the end of the year. Thore are the reflations to make and bring into force, the camp sites to dbcide upon and prepare' and various other things to do, aud meantime there are the "Territorials" to bo got going out of the late volunteer foroe. The old officers as ws 11 as the old members are being retained, and ic is expected that the improved status will also bring exeelleut men who havo dropped out for various reasons back to active service. * .* » I understand that the North Islaud. camp will before very long iuolude a horse breeding station, and that oue result of Lord Kitchener's visit may be the Imperial establishment of a great horse breeding station in the Northern Territory of New South Wales. Another suggestion of Lord Kitohener's already referred to in this paper that is going to te adopted in the utilisation of the Commonwealth Military College by Now Zealand. *' • «

A tiling that is rather notable about Palmerston is the singnlar absence of poets, I know some communities with more poets to the acre thau Palraerstou has to the Equare league. Bat if we havn't the Rose' we can come near the. rose. The brother of one notable poet liveg here, and at Linton is Mr Maokay, father of Miss Jessie Mackay, wnose new volume of poems is just now being most favourably reviewed throughout Australasia; MissMaokay is a singular example of atavism, for she might have ridden with the' Border raiders or fought at Oulioden, so fully is she possessed of the old Scotch spirit that sometimes one feels chat he is reading an oldtime Scottish poet—and keenly relishing the vigour aud spirit aud swing of it—aud the next there is a fppern redolent of Maurilaud aud the spirit aud legend of the Maoti. In this Will Ogilvie is recalled, Though he made his name as an Australian writer of bush ballads Ogilvie back in Scotland is a Scotohman of the T Scotch, and his verse might b« written by one of Prince 'Charlie'ii gallant followers. Miss Maokav is to be heartily congratulated >ou her volume.

* * * 3 There is no doubt about tlia hiapiriting effeot of a good band,, and. au interesting letter ou page 5 from the pen of the veteran, Mr Jas. Skerman, sets this feeling out well. Mr Sberinau makes' a very good proposition, and "one whioh no doubt the new mauagement of the baud will follow up, viz,, that' annual subscribers should bo canvassed for. Her himself offers practical evidence of sympathy in a ■' annual gniuea, aud another guinea ' towards a fund for.. procuring fifes aud drums for a oadet and scout band. Mr Snap. Dixon had similarly expressed his determination to help at the meeting on Thursday

nighc and I have no doubt that.au instrument fund would be very (speedily filled in spite of the many calls upon the ready givers in Palmerston. Mr Skerniau is quite right as to the effeot of a fife and drum band for marohiug. Even the drum taps are . a great help. Curiously enough in some armiesthe Russian for instance, the band is one of vooalißts, the troops joining in song on fche march. It would really seem as if a new era is dawning for Palmeratou 'in the matter of band music which of late has been left to the Salvation Army's effective baud. Mr Oonway appears to be the right mau in the right place, so far as first impressions may be relied upon. THE WATCHMAN.