SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9582, 6 August 1894, Page 4

SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.

Thk University of New Zealand—like tbosl of Scotland— is essentially a poor man'i University. Glance down the list of graduates of the three Colleges, and it will be found that an overwhelming majority of them belong to the humbler spheres of'life, and- it is only the liberal opportunities offered by our Universities that has enabled them to cultivate their talents. ,It is true we are at present in a transition stage and have not yet learnt to appraise a University education at its proper value. There is a fallacy abroad that a University man must necessarily attach himself to- the learned professions. But this will cure itself in. time in New Zealand as it has done in Germany and Scotland, and we shall come to recognise that not merely lawyers and doctors and school* masters, • but farmers and mechanics are better for the opportunities of University training. At the present juncture no doubt the graduate article is something of a drug in the market. But when graduates come to recognise how hopelessly overcrowded the learned _ professions are, they will in the natural order of things drift into other spheres of activity. The same objections were urged years ago against our primary system of education, and are urged now against . the secondary. But things here have already righted themselves, and sixth standard boys and high school scholars have got over their passion for high collars and clerkships, and! no longer disdain the counter or the trowel, if these offer better promise of remuneration. ,— Christchurcb 'Press;::'-:. ■■->.. ; --v:":v\-\c; ; ,^V','-'-'-v..:

■'■ One of the most ridiculous proposals in the Financial Statement is the proposed bonus on coal exported to a foreign market. Coal; can be exported from Newcastle cheaper than from New Zealand, and there is no superlative merit in the New Zealand coal which should cause it to bring higher prices. Our mine-owners would nave to compete on level terms after > the bonus ceased, and ■ ; it !■ they ;cannot do that in markets now open to New South Wales coal, they certainly could not make sales in markets where Newcastle coal is undersold. We have no doubt the bonus will be earned. It will enable the coal to ■be put cheaply on the market. But there is not the remotest chance ot. a trade continuing after ; the bonus i ceases. a:.; The proposal amounts, in short,; to , the !, taxation of the people of New V Zealand as a whole, in order that India or China merchants maj get ' a few shiploads of rf coal at a cheap rate.—Hawke's Bay Herald.

Farmers who are called on to pay their land tax in one:' instalment, four -< months before it -should be payable, will no doubb fail? to i";- discern '% the • fitness of ; the; Seddon Ministry to hold office. V Although Government boasts that it has a. surplus of nearly

faa quarter of million \it also { shows - the, holfowness ofhis boasb by declaring thab the money d«ved from land tax is at once required to |oeb ihberesb due. If this is so then itdposes extremely bad manage-' ment of thejountry's affairs, and coupled with the allffttion that a surplus remained in the Treajry, after the year's operations convicts Gcsrnment of arrant hypocrisy and misrejWentation. If the House is not utterl/egraded, and does 5 nob contain too many'ho are dependent on their " honorarifl" it will certainly eject these political clrlatans from the positions they now hold.'Manawatu Daily Times. .

The apaintment of a commission to in quire inttfhe dispute between the AuditorGeneral sd the Public Trustee is objected to in sine quarters, for . the ostensible reason tbt such procedure will belittle the Auditor-eneral. We are bold further that the Pubb Trustee is an especial favourite of the Givernnient, and that the reporb will be a biased one. Such assertions are totally unwarranted, and quite unsupported by factor Terence. The one opinion amongst prpiiineib Oppositionists and Government nidi is hat, for the credit of the departmils concerned, ib is high time action was tJen to put an end to the annually recurring dispite between the two gentlemen Manawatu Standard.

t is a fortunate thing for Ministers that pr Conservative institution valued by our fojfathers has been swepb away by the tide of 'modern Liberalism. We allude to th ducking-stool, on which common scolds v.-re punished. Had there been a parish dijeting-stool the Minister of Lands would }a\4 narrowly escaped its discipline on Tutiday night, whilo the Premier would mo* certainly have been subjected to its corection last night. No Billingsgate fishwfe could have exceeded him in his voluble vipperation.—Wellington Post.

To do Mr. Ward justice, ib is generally xognised that in regard to matters which :Ine under his control opponents have ine chance of getting fair play. With totters which come under Mr. Seddon's or jr. McKenzie control it is quite otherwise. [either an opponent nor an independent iember has any chance of success with iem in making any request, however ?asonable ; yet these are the men who are recently to have millions at their disposal. -Wellington Press.

'■ You may theorise till you are black in the face about opening up trade and protecting Industry, but there is nothing like taking a ;rop of something saleable and eatable or wearable out of the land. In other words, waking wealth is better than turning over the wealth made by other people. The more people there are engaged in making wealth, and the fewer there are engaged in turning i; over the bettor.—Marlborough Daily Times.

The result of the time limit all round will •we have no hesitation in declaring emphatically, be to vastly improve the character of Parliamentary debating. Members as they (jet more accustomed to it will shorten their remarks, avoid irrelevancies, stick to tho point, eschew personalities, and bring out their points with force. Terseness will replace the diffuse, and those who have nothing to say willnotsay it.—New Zealand Times.

Fixity of contract is an essential in sheep-shearing, and we fear that weekly payments would practically amount to weekly engagements unless shearers' unions were willing io give substantial security for •.he fulfilment of contracts entered into by heir members.—Lyttelton Times.

The past year has shown a falling off in business ail round, but there is at present no cause for uneasiness, while there are indications of a brighter future.—The Colonist.