NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14009, 15 March 1909, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

SIMPLIFIED SPELLING." The .Simplified : Spelling Board, in .New York, 1 rejoicing in Government support, has issued a. third atrocious list of clipped words which will henceforth be used in American official documents and ■ taught to young Americans. This list includes general rules covering four classes of words. 1. Omit : the A in words having EA pronounced as short E, as in'.-"ne'drj"; "sted," "helth," "relmr" • • Omit the E in words having EA pronounced as A before R, such as "barken," 1 "hart," "harth." 2. Omit the Ein preterites and participles ending in ED, but pronounced D, with thoE silent, as in ; "armd, *. "burnd," "raind," "compeld," "repeald." This -simplification is parallel to that ready adopted in forms like .■ "dropt" - arid "dript." , 3. In words ending in the unstressed suffix "ice," pronounced "is," the C is changed to S and-the E is omitted, as in "cornis," "crevis," and "lattis," "notis,"; "servis," "artifis/'etc. . 4. In words ending, in "lve" or "rve," with the"E silent, the E should be omitted, as in "del V "twelv," "solv," "resolv," "cary," serv," "reserv,"' etc.

BUSINESS METHODS in JAPAN. A Consular report from Tokio contains a circular addressed by the Japanese Vice-; Minister for Agriculture and Commerce to ijciQ various chambers of commerce >n the country. The circular states : " Merchants and manufacturers are liable to sacrifice the interests of others for the sake of , their, own temporary gain— former merely excluding one, another, the latter indulging in the production of imitations and inferior articles. It is to be ; profoundly regretted for the future of our ! industries that not a few have imitated or j stolen mveitions, trade marks, and other industrial rights. Foreign trade marks and trade names have also been abused, and the victims have from time to : time applied to the authorities for redress. Any act resembling dishonesty or fraud is highly detrimental to our commercial credit. It is to be hoped that merchants and manufacturers will endeavour so to engage in their business as to win confidence* which is the fundamental principle of trade, and will try to Bring about prosperity by honourable means." . .

' THE COST OF WAR. . Riesser, who was formerly a leading figure in. the financial world of /"Germany, and who is now Professor of Political Economy at; the University of Berlin, has just published a small work entitled, " The Financial Question from a Military Standpoint." Herr Riesser discusses f the subject in great detail in an attempt to prove that the -real and only sinew of war is "a well-filled national treasury." To this end the professor points out that the Franco-Prussian war resulted in costing Germany £87,500,000, which were ';• spent in 305 days that in the Boer war, which lasted from October 11, - 1899. to May 31, 1902, England \- spent £215,350,000; and that. in the Russo-Japanese war, which lasted from February 20, 1904, to the end of August, 1905, the Russian expenditure was £143,650,000, :and- that of the Japanese was £121,200,000. > Professor Riesser claims that another .war. breaking out at present would cost Germany £900,000 a day, or £27,000,000 a month, and that only in the ordinary direct expenditure of warfare. the i professor, comes to the conclusion" before Germany can entertain the idea ,; of embarking upon « war the Fatherland ought to have a floating fund of at least £125,000,000 available for the v current 'cxpeases of warfare.