PASSING EVENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1664, 20 January 1904, Page 13

PASSING EVENTS.

1 History is philosophy teaching by ample*. —.Thucydides-

After a fortnight’s lull daring the holiday season, the great fiscal campaign is once more the leading subject in ° our English cable news.. Several important speeches have been, delivered, including one by Mr Chambcllai.ll at a banquet given by the jewellers ana. silversmiths of Birmingham. In this the apostle of preferential trade ua%» ' cry effective in his appeals to the Imperial is tic sentiment. The British Empire, lie claimed, had in it the elements of strength and permanence, but it was at present in solution, and it was the duty of. all patriots to crystalise and solidify it. The process of solidification, to Ills mind, could host be accomplished by the Home authorities abandoning some of their antiquated prejudices, consulting the colonies more frequently and meeting the viovvs of the people !in the outlying parts of the Empire. He inferontiaMy denounced the pro-fesse-d! Imperialistic lions who are lying down with the Little Englander lambs, denying the influence of the colonies and refusing t-heCr consent to any arrangement by which Britons at Home and abroad might treat each other differently than as foreign rivals. By this attitude the opponents of his policy wiero trying to wrest a verdict from the people which would threaten not only the consolidation, but even the existence of the Empire and the future of f.he British race.” These are bold words, hut their boldness is justified by their . truth. The British people are. we believe, nearing the parting of the ways, unless an effort is successfully made to keep them unitedly marching on the road to greatness. Me one, of course, supposes that the colonies will violently resent the.rejection of Mr Chamberlain’s policy of fiscal .preference by'the peopleof the Mother Country; hut it is absolutely certain that if Mr Chamberlain is defeated', a, process of gradual disintegration will set in and will rapidly gather strength, so that in a, decade or so we may find the Empire’s different parts alienated in sympathy and interest and Britain’s export trade irredeemably lost. Mr Chamberlain was very effective in his treatment of his opponents who, while declaring him to be the evil genius of his countrymen, were yet comling nearer to his views. The Radicals were, jie said, beginning to admit that there were cracks and crevices in the edifice of Britain’s prosperity ; and, finding that the common sense of the country rej eeted their wornout remedies, they had begun to whisper "Retaliation.” Not only are Mr Chamberlain’s opponents beginning to '"v recognise the need for British statesmen .having the power to- reTaliate on foreign countries that erect hostile tariff walls against our trade, hut they are also seeing the futility of their ory that foreign reprisals would ruin our commerce with alien nations. High authorities in France have given the assurance that no resentment would be felt in that country against the adopstion of preferential tariffs within the British cial notification from the German: Federal Council that it will .‘no longea^raise objections to preferential concetssiions between British colonies, or between the colonies and the Motherland.” Instead of talking ■of reprisals, Germany is in a mood to sue for a modification of thei hostile attitude of . Canada towards hea'. Our other chief trading rival, the United States, is also show-

ing a .most friendly- disposition, diplomatically, on the fiscal question. On every hand the path of fiscal reform is being made clear, and nothing now stands between Mr Chamberlain and success except the prejudices of the British people against tariff protection in any shape. There are signs that these prejudices are being blown away by the strong breath of reason, and by an awakened and patriotic self-interest.

Other notable speeches of the fiscal campaign are those of the Premier, the Hon. A. J. Balfour and Sir Henry Fowler. Mr Balfour seems to have been eloquent and convincing in his address to liis constituents. He demolished one stronghold of the Free traders by declaring that the fiscal controversy of 1845 was now “as dead as mutton,” showing that whereas the resemblances between the situations then and now were entirely superficial, the differences were fundamental. This is so profoundly true that the British people must see it. Mr Balfour said ho had been called a Protectionist; but if a Protectionist was "a man who thought the old laissez faire school of political economy was out of date, who thought a Government. could not wholly stand inside while every other Government intervened in industrial affairs, who regarded with contempt the maxim that wo must JOO k after the consumer but the producer must he left to look after himself, then he was proud to be a Protectionist.” This puts the matter ia a nutshell and shows that the British Prime Minister has fully grasped the principles for which colonial statesmen have acted when dealing with tariff questions. _Mr B-adour was not so happy or forceful it hen explaining liift own somewhat half-hearted attitude on the subject of reciprocal relations with the colonies. He was subtle and persuasive; but while there was hardly a flaw in his logic, bis remarks lacked the patriotic ring and the thoroughness that characterise those of Mr Chamberlain on this, aspect of the question. Sir Henry Fowler’s address at Wolverhampton was meant as a counterblast to the Premiers speech, but it cannot he described as a. successful effort. It Its impossible to follow the reasoning by whicn ho arrives at the conclusion that reciprocity between Britain and the colonics would cause the Mother Country to lose control of her taxation and would, produce friction between several eolcuic-s and between them and the Motherland. As for Ins argument that it would be dangerous Ministers' the power to negotiate fiscal treaties without Parliamentary consent. Sir Henry seems to forget that the Prime Minister is seeking this very power through Parliament, upon the mandate of the masters of Parliament the sovereign people. .The decision really rests with the j3ritisli cleccOi'.*>j and if the process of educating them goes on as successfully a® hitneito, th-y will in a, few months he ready to give that decision in an enlightened and patriotic manner.

The People’s Public House movementin Great Britain bids fair to supply the solution - of the licensing problem. Phenomenal success has attended it. "I believe I am correct in saying that never in the history or soriaf reform has. any movement fixed! its root so firmly in so wide an area in so short a time.” In these words, Earl Grey, in a recent letter to tho Lpndon " Times,” sums up the. remarkable- progress of tho puhlichouiTiO trust move-Mue-nb since its 'inauguration some two years ago. The Central Pub I i chouse Trust Association was formed in August. 1901, to promote, the establishment of separate county trust companies, which might take over and manage, in the interest of the community, every now license created in any part of the United Kingdom. Since then the. association has managed to oovcu* nearly the whole of England with trust companies. Scotland, Wales and Ireland are fallowing suit, and the movement is spreading over-seas. A trust company lias been formed in Durban; leg is! at too power to vest now licenses in. such couipaviicG has been given to the inhabitants of any district in the Transvaal; and active agencies, Eairl Grey states, are abo at work in Canada and! elsewhere, while the indefatigable German Emperor is also studying the subject. Altogether, in the course of its brief career, the association in -tho Mother Country lias brought 114 publ-icliouses under trust management, a nd 100 more Mill on the expiration, or existing leases pass under similar control. This is but a minute fraction of -the total publichouse pro-- ■ party in the Kingdom, but the idea is ■ to "build a. ring-fence” round the £19,400,000 worth! that is in private hands, by -ensuring, the application o-f trust principles to- future licenses. And what are trust principles? They are based o-n a recognition of the axiom that the publichouse ais a social institution Is a public necessity. Thi-s is what the temperance or prohibition: leagues will never admit, although the* experience of mankind in all ages points to this conclusion. The trust movement aims at the " higher ” temperance. It eliminates the publican’s _ incentive to push the sale of stray drink; it encourage® the sale of food and nomalhoholic 1 liquors; it ensures purity of Ulitouior, transforms -drinking-bars unto well-conducted social clubs, and secuies foir the public the profits from the

monopoly they have created. The key to the success of the movement appear© to be the encouragement of the sale of food and 1 non-alcoholic drinks, and the elimination of the incentive to push the sale of alcoholic liquors. Earl Grey; quotes some interesting extracts from a report prepared by Colonel Crawford, who recently inspected the houses under trust management. One hotel,; which in former times was very dis-j orderly, is now under a manager w'ho- ; tolerates no swearing or coarse behaviour. If a main transgresses., his drink is taken away, his money is returned, and he is sent out. of the house. " Undesirables ” are turned away at the doors. The place is completely reformed, and grows more popular every day. The following report on a trust house at Po.it Sunlight may also he taken as wpioal:—."The Bridge Inn is an ideal trust house on a splendid scale. Nothing could he better planned. The taproom is a kind of cafe with small tables, having a bar at the end', with food, teaurns, etc. Large meat pies and a dish; of pudding, all steaming hot, were he-: ing served to workmen who thronged the room, and the tariff of prices is- very - low. The refreshment room for a better class was also thronged., clerks, young lady typists, and commercial travellers all enjoying an excellent and cheap meal on admirably clean tables in a charming room.” Doe?, not the picture appeal to real temperance reformers in New Zealand!

It is by no means certain that the signal defeat inflicted upon a body of 5000 dervishes in Somali'.! and by Briga-dier-General Manning will have the effect of breaking the power of the Mad! Mullah. The Mullah, by the way, has a method in his madness, for he keeps carefully out, cf the way, and was not present at the recently-report-ed engagement. If. however, it was the Mu flail’s main force that suffered the heavy loss of a thousand killed, there may be room for hoping that the back of his resistance has been broken at last. It is noted, as presumptive proof of its having been bis principal force, that a number of the dervishes were armed with, rifles. In this connection- it is rather disquieting to learn, on the authority of the London ‘‘Daily Express,” than an English syndicate is engaged in the business- of supplying their country’s enemies with fire-arms. This syndicate, which did a considerable trade with tho Boers during the late war', is said! to he at present engaged in despatching from the Thames large quantities of arms and ammunition to the Persian Gulf, en route to- Somaliland. The headquarters of the syndicate are stated by the London journal to be situated in the centre of the Metropolis. Some of the guns and rifles are manufactured in England, but the majority are first imported from the Continent or the United States, "lie "Dally Express’’ gives a circumstantial account of the experiences of a gentleman who wanted 25,000 rifles and "no questions asked.” By appointment ho presented himself at an apparently respectable city office, and was.shown a large assortment of sample weapons, produced from handy cupboards. He chose a rifle, and arranged for l the 25,000 to be shipped within a month. The representative of the syndicate laughed at"the idea of there being any difficulty about getting the rifles out of England without inconvenient questions-. He said that he could provide field guns and machine guns at low rates and get them delivered as easily as he could! the rifles. If this story he not the invention of an enterprising exponent of "yellow journalism,” the. facts display a criminal laxity on the- part of the British authorities. It 'is to he hoped that the matter will be inquired into, the reprehensible traffic suppressed, and tho offenders punished.

Among other pending changes at the office of tho Wellington Board of Education it -is understood that at nextmeeting of that body Mr F. Bracley ask for six or seven months’ leave of absence, practically covering the whole of the remaining portion of his term, as member and chairman of the- Board. Mr Bradey’-s -intention was indicated soma tune aeo; and while it is to be regretted that lie cannot sec- his way to continue in the position, it is evident that, his decision is unalterable. It, therefore, becomes necessary to consider who is to he his successor. In all probability, Mr A. W Hogg will! he chosen as temporary chairman; hut, while not deny- , ing that gentleman’s ability, zeal, experience and fitne-ss, it is evident that he cannot be- expected to permanently do justice to the position, on account of bis _ many, public duties, not ■ to mention his prospect of entering the Ministry. The chairman of the Board of Education should reside in or near Wellington in order that he may exercise that constant attention to the work which The office demands. In these d-r cum stances we venture to suggest, that Mr J. R. Blau a former chairman of the Board, snould he asked to offer himself for election as a member, with a. view to resuming the chairmanship. Mr Blair has a knowledge of Educational work and ot the Wellington educational district that is perfectly unique; he has shown great enthusiasm in the work; and his long tenure of the position of chaiiman was marked by careful and comnetcnt ad-

ministration. For example, when h-9 resigned some two years ago to go to South Africa, the Board’s overdraft WM only £800; when he returned in about a year it had mounted up to £15,000* My Blair has been a leading membejf of the Wellington Board since the ink tro duet-ion of the national system of education; he has the intimate knoWn ledge that is, needed to rehabilitate the Board’s affair's; he has leisure and suffi-* cient energy, if he lias the will, to once more serve the public in this useful and honourable capacity. It is to he hoped the school committees that know h(i@ worth will induce him to. be a candidiatei at next Education Board election:.