NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13055, 21 December 1905, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

PAN-ANGLICAN. CONGRESS. ' To think of organising a Congress for the whole of the Anglican communion, to include not Bishops only, but clergy and laymen also, was bold indeed' (says the Guardian). That- communion at the present'time comprises 246 dioceses scattered all over the world. To attempt to gather an •assembly which ; should in : any real degree represent the members of each and all lof , them is as great an undertaking as could well -be proposed. Apart, moreover-, from its boldness and , bigness, the conception is 8 'novel one. So long ago as December, 1902, a letter was sent to the Archbishops and Bishops throughout the world who belong to the Church of England, and the Churches in communion with her, explaining the idea of the Congress and inviting expressions of opinion in regard to it. Some 70 replies have been received or a widely representative character. They are almost unanimous in approval, and, as a rule, enthusiastically so. The next step iaken was tc find out what it was considered that the Congress, if summoned, might be able to' effect. To- . wards the end of 1903 questions were frimed for the puqiosr of ascertaining what problems affecting the life and work of the Church were held to be the most ur- - gent, and what likelihood there was that a common discussion of them would lead to any useful results. To these inquiries 42 sets of answers, have already come in, and no province of.the Church is unrepresented among them. Among the topic; proposed for consideration are such as these: —"Unity-'as distinct from uniformity," "The guidance of democracy into Christian channels," " Loyalty to the Prayerbook," "The Sacredness of Marriage," "The duo recognition by the Church at homo of faithful service abroad,", "Cooperation in work -among missionary, societies," "The appointment of some Anglican equivalent for the College of the Propaganda, or of the Methodist Missionary Committee, to deal with strategic problems which affect the whole seat of war, the general finance, the supply of men." As to the time of meeting, all will agree that the suggestion that has been to ado is the right one. It is proposed that the Congress shall meet just-before the assembling of the Bishops from every quarter of the globe far the Lambeth Conference. , The Bishops would thus be enabled to participate in the discussions, if they desired to dc so ; and those discussions, it is thought, would be a means of showing in who/ directions the authoritative guidance of the rulers of the' Church was especially needed,, and to what extent the matters in debate were actually ready for settlement. At all events, it is plain that such an occasion would be eminently favourable for united action upon a considerable scale. 'Tc ; say that the progress to be reported is as great as could have been expected is really to understate the position. All : things considered, .it may! fairly.be held that the amount of sympathy .and encouragement which lias been evoked is remarkable, and that those : who have done what they could to commend what they truly 'describe- as a "gigantic scheme" to the judgment and imagination of their fellow-Churchmen have good cause to take heart and go forward.

WHY NOT COLONIAL CONSULS? The question is asked by . the Shipping World. The machinery ~ for gaining information with a: vew to extending our markets and* increasing our trade with the colonies is, it says, most unsatisfactory. It is . deemed advantageous in many respects to have consular officers at the principal ports and manufacturing centres of those, parts of the world which come within the description of "foreign countries" and we are quite unable to understand why consuls should not be appointed, to do corresponding work in the interests of our manufacturers and exporters everywhere beyond the confines, of Great Britain and Ireland. We do not know a single valid argument against: the extension of the consular system to British colonies. If it if. deemed desirable that British commerce should be represented in Buffalo,- then why not in Toronto? If in San Francisco and Portland (Oregon), why not at Sydney and. other ports of countries holdiag allegiance to King Edward? Many years ago the Heeai.d suggested that New Zealand should appoint commercial consuls in the chief cities at Home. We would again urge the Government to consider the idea. The.time is now ripe for such a change. :,

• DISTRESS IN THE TRANSVAAL. The tales of distress in the Northern districts of the Transvaal recently became so persistent thai; a direct investigation on the part of the Government seemed imperative, and Sir Arthur and Lady Lawley undertook a long iour through this least familiar portion of the colony. The impressions formed by His Excellency have an interesting bearing on the economic problems of the Transvaal. The Zoutpansberg has always been more or less inaccessible, but befo::e. the- ravages of cattle disease it was able, as a good stock country, to make both ends meet with a minimum amount of doles from the Government. Now cattle and, donkeys are being swept off by disease, and the old inhabitants are brought face to face with a situation with which they seem powerless' to cope. Actual distress, as the word is understood in England with an implied need of pauper relief, hardly exists, but some of the inhabitants are in a very pool way while others are living in hopeless squalor. Dominating everything is the terrible apathy, which makes them prefer things as they are to a sustained effort with the ject of improving their condition. Side by side with these people are the new settlers and others of a more energetic temperament, win; are doing satisfactorily or exceedingly well. These ask for little more than a railway to enable them to reach the best markets for their produce. Pending the construction of a railway it is possible that the Government may see its way to assist the district in the matter of transport. The tobacco experimental farm established two years ago in these parts is already stimulating industry to a considerable extent. Last year the (k>vernment gave' 8d a} pound for tobacco,! and it is stated that with improved methods of cultivation it will pay , farmers} to receive ;. an all-round price of 5d and even, in some cases, 3d a pound. But the pro-j blem of dealing with- people who will not' help themselves ; s likely to confront every Government of the Transvaal until such folk finally go under before the march of progress.

, : The fine special Christmas issue of the Auckland Weekly News has already met Vith wide appreciation, and all those desirous of securing copies . should send :in their orders at once, as owing to the approaching holidays-only a limited number can be pub° lished. ; -/.,-v '; ' :'■■'."'{.: '