[ESTABLISHED 1875.] Manawatu Daily Times The Oldest Manawatu Journal. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, MARCH 24 1914.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 12750, 24 March 1914, Page 4

[ESTABLISHED 1875.] Manawatu Daily Times The Oldest Manawatu Journal. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, MARCH 24 1914.

THERE is scarcely an Act passed by our Legislature that does not require amendment in the following or a subsequent session. After our politicians have strained their mental organs in framing provisions to carry out the main principles they become too exhausted to. deal with details. The Shops and Offices Act affords a case in point. Though it has been amended on various occasions it is still defective, and attention has been directed to one of its weaknesses by the discussion of the vexed question of a holiday for the cricket match. It appears that while the Act provides that a half-holiday shall be observed on one day in each week, and for the substitution of a special day by proclamation, declaration or request by the Mayor, there is nothing to compel closing on the substituted days, nor is any penalty provided for failure to close. It is therefore optional whether a business man closes or not on the "special day," though of course he must close his premises on the statutory day if he does not close on the special day. Under these conditions it is quite possible that any business man may keep his shop open though all others in the same line are closed, and therefore, on the substituted day the position is no better than it was before the Act was passed, when any man could transact, his business whenever he chose. Moreover there is no power to compel closing on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, or Labour Day. For all practical purposes the clauses relating to special days might as i well have been omitted. The j situation shows the carelessness j with which legislative work is done by the gentlemen who are paid £6 per week, wet or dry, throughout the whole year.

THERE is probably truth in the allegation of Mr Philip Snowden, M.P., in the British Parliament, that, an international ring of armament firms are the organisers of war scares at home and abroad. It is the interest of these firms to encourage the demand for war material, and therefore to keep the nations in a ferment. This is a combine against the interests of humanity and civilisation and the more

widespread a knowledge of its nefarious methods becomes the less likely will they be to prove disturbing to the peace of the nations. Mr Snowden's remarks, coming so soon after the exposure of the Krupps' devices for creating friction between France and Germany, should have a great effect upon public opinion. As civilisation pi-o-gresses and men begin to know each other better it is becoming very evident that it is not the people of a nation who foment war. It is the few who make war a trade or profession who are answerable to humanity. It is the most injurious combine that has ever existed, as even if its work does not result in actual war it compels the nations to incur vast expenditure on armaments and the munitions of war, and to employ the energies and time of large numbers in military training, the cost of which has to be borne by the taxpayers and the workers. It, is also a combine that makes huge profits at little expense, for while other combines are dependent on the state of markets or the yield of the land this one creates its own market by the simple process of sowing seeds of dissension. Its heads are honoured with titles, but their shields and coronets are stained with the blood of the people. A combine for manufacturing war deserves the execrations of the human race.

THE shipping companies appear to have a keener eye to business than has the management of our Railway Department, and they are evidently more inclined to meet the wishes of their clients. It will be remembered that the Hon. Mr Herries failed to realise the importance of some representations made to him by the Manawatu flaxmillers and wool merchants, and the indifference is in striking contrast to the action of the shipping companies. The Flaxmillers' Association asked them to reduce the freight because of the decline in price. The companies being controlled by business men, realised that it was not desirable to lose paying freight, as they would do if the mills had to cease working, and they have therefore informed the flaxmillers, through Mr E. L. Broad, their president, that they will as from May Ist reduce the freight on flax, tow and stripper slips by 20s per ton. This concession will be of great assistance to the millers, and will enable them to continue operations unless there should, unfortunately, be a further decline in prices.

AS it is understood that the majority of those who advocate the laying down of expensive tramlines in Palmerston are not actual ratepayers, it may be useless to direct their attention to significant facts that tell strongly against their contentions. But as the actual ratepayers, whose properties will have to bear any burden created by borrowing and wasting, are vitally concerned it is interesting to note what has happened in Sydney. That city has a huge population, and it is a great centre of actii vity. But even there the tax- | payers have to make up a deficiency of over £61,000 on the year's working of the tramways. What would be likely to happen in Palmerston with its much smaller population? It is significant also that when a proposal was made to increase the charges it aroused a storm of indignation from those who are not concerned as to whether a municipal undertaking does or does not pay the cost of its working. The lesson from Sydney should be instructive to every ratepayer.