NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12760, 10 January 1905, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

■Mi!: r.vrn.i: ok <;iti i.k. I'liOM Oxford i'ue atl.tek upon ". <>i»i{)iilmii Creek" lias pas.-ed In Cambridge. It should be remembered, in watching the course of tin* fight. I lint at Cambridge lie anti-Greek parly (to use a convenient. though not ([into accurate phrase) goes much further than at Oxford. What Oxford rejected was a proposal to exempt from compulsory (sreek only (1) honour candidates in (2) science or mathematics. What is now proposed at Cambridge is to exempt all candidates from compulsory Creole. This is obviously a much more, radical reform, and it is interesting to lind that, some at least, of the pro-t srocks at Cambridge would be ready to vote for an anti-Creek motion on (lie Oxford lines. The decision at Cambridge is not to be taken till next term, but the debate was opened recently, when Professor .lebb made an eloquent and impassioned speech against ihe proposal, and drew a. pic!tit of what Kngland would be if ({reck were to go. almost as lurid as those, which Mr. Chamberlain draws of Kngland with her trades "going." On the other hand, the .Master of Trinity, who can hardly lie suspected of any indifference towards the humanities, warmly supported the anti-Greek resolution. lie obviously believes that Creek is quite strong enough to take, care of itself without, compulsion, and doubts whether the compulsory modicum of Creek (which is alone directly at stake) lias, in fact, any humanistic influence. In that opinion a good many people, we imagine, will concur. Meanwhile it rains fly-leaves at Cambridge. One of these gives 'lie result of a "symposium" (as Sir .lames Know Irs used to call it) of headmasters on the subject, On the whole they seem to be pro-Greeks. Lather a novel point is made by (he headmaster of Winchester. The proposal, if will be remembered, is to give students a choice between Latin and Creek; it is this which for convenience is called the proposal to abolish compulsory Greek: but Dr. 15urge "is not sure that in course of time Creek would not, become the more popular subject." This remark is quoted triumphantly to show that Creek after all is not in danger: but. the point is doubleedged, for if can only allay the fears of the Grecians by exciting those of the Latins. Til i: rNT.MI'I.OYKII. There, are always dangers (says Knginoering) in connection with the unemployed question -social, economical, and industrial - ~ when tie subject has to be dealt with on a large scale. The natural horror one feels when it is known that large numbers in a country famous for ii-; wealth are in deep distress, often verging upon starvation, by reason of lack of employment, tends to in-dis-.Ttm;.:,a: • <1 ; ty on the one hand, or to the creation of agencies and adoption of schemes on the other, all of which, while mitigating ilie suffering that exists, end in failure in so far as the problem itself is concerned. Temporary relief is provided, in a way, by the Poor Law Guardians, but it is generally felt that it. fails to answer national needs when the. applicants for relief are not of the pauper class; and ii fails even mere conspicuously in the case of families where the pride of poverty is felt", and who would rather sillier to the death than appeal to the Poor Law Guardians. A wellregulated system of outdoor relief would, continues Knginoet ing, partially meet the difficulty if it could be applied according to needs and personal merit ; but. the dangers of an outdoor system are such that the tendency lias long been to reduce the amount so expended rather than to increase it. The I'oor Law Commissioners, created under the. Poor Law Poard, by the New Poor .Law of nearly 70 years ago, set their faces against d. Put at that dale the system had degenerated into a wage-earning supplementary dole, the effect of which was to keep down wages at the expense of the. ratepayer. 1 here is no danger of a. revival in this respect. The one great thing is to render relief where really needed, but at the same time to preserve the self-respect of the recipient. 1 hat is done by the. unemployed benefit m trade unions; but. the time-limit j comes in when the weekly amount, comes to jan end. 'be test of efficiency is practical | work, useful and necessary. Reports from Devonshire slut.; that there is a. dearth of labour; m London theie is a plethora. IL,u" can we. best deal with such an anomaly? It is very easy, adds Engineering, to get. up processions of men " out of work," but, how malty of these, will accept", work when offered, even at decent wages? The need for employment could be largely met if those who demand it, would give a 'fair day's work lor ii fair day's wage.