PASSING EVENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1696, 31 August 1904, Page 57

PASSING EVENTS.

History is philosophy teachine by examples. —Thucydides. Lord Rosebery lias been called upon to explain his statement that the entente cordial© between France and Great Britain was likely to lead •© disastrous results in the relations of both nations. We clo not see what Lord Rosebery sees. No man haw exactly the same view of any public question as his neighbour, because his standpoint may be different.; and even if two men see exactly the same tiling their character, their ability to draw intelligence from what they see, may enable them to express different opinions on the same subject. Carlyle used to say that, although all men may see, only a few can tell what they see." Now Lord Rosebery may be a seer, and none will deny his possession of the power to declare what he sees. It is quite possible that Lord Rosebery’s prognostications with respect to the French and British people may come true. Lord Rosebery may have discovered a cloud no bigger than a man’s hand on the horizon of the nation;'/ history, and m it lie sees a-gathering storm. If, however,-. we are to regard the spirit that animates these peoples in their social and commercial intercourse, the cloud that may be visible to the eye of Lord Rosebery may bo dispelled by the sunshine of mutual understanding. Both nations now seek peace and would pursue it. The popular hatred of the British during tho Beer-war was dissipated m tlie French capital when the Parisian people discovered that the withdrawal of British visitors from tlie great exhibition seriously affected its success. “We cannot do without British trade, and to get it we must he agreeable,” was the common talk of the French merchant. The King’s recent visit to France strengthened tho nations’ good feeJin* towards each other. Then the visit last month of the British trades union delegates to France has created an excellent impression. Diplomatically the difficulties concerning dual control have been overcome; and M. Paul Cambon, the French Ambassador, claimed that in laying the other day tlie last stone of the new Folks tone pier, lie was in cementing that stone cementing the good fellowship and friendship that existed between the two peoples. Lord Rosebery ought to say what is calculated to cause a rupture, for then the" good sense and feeling of these peoples would be directed to satisfactorily adjusting it. If anyone were m search of evidence for establishing the truth of New Zealand’s prosperity ho nimbi bod ; --oc to tlie annual report of the Labour Department. When a country is progressive and private and pubi c enterprise is active, th© demand for labour increases, and the employ.men: of mo:© labour is in itself an assurance of a country’s progress. So rapuily has development been proceeding m New Zealand that w© have absorbed as many as eighteen thousand of Australia’s popu-

lation during th© pa,sfc 'two years. What may happen when private, municipal and state undertakings have been completed it is not possible to say; but at present there is no appearance of a cessation of a spirited development of the country’s recources. Settlement must progress, roads have to be made to open up new lands, rivers have to be bridged, railways constructed, tramways laid in cities and growing towns; and while all these works are incompieted and ao long as capital is found at reasonable rates to execute them, the demand for labour will be unabated. The working classes have found the Labour Department of great service to them in providing employment, and industrial workers have reason to be grateful for the watchful care th© Department has shown in their interests. Yet it is reported that discontent has been expressed with the administration of the Department, and the other day members of the Labour Bills Committee had to listen to some adverse criticism of its conduct. The gravamen of the charge was undue interference and inattention to complaints, but tho story of th© Department is that more tact and less foroaf illness has L*eo*a exercised and that complaints are actuated by personal rather than general motives. Nevertheless, the Department reveals a satisfactory state of labour. The workers have largely shared in tho prosperity of the country, and they have refbutted the charge of intemperance and extravagance by adding enormously to their capital accounts in the Government savings Bank.

The laying of the foundation stone, of Victoria College by Lord Plunket was the most important ft motion the Governor has taken part inland it was made the occasion of much seasonable speech". The chairman, Dr Frendergast-Knight, narrated tlie history of the College, spoke of the difficulties under which the work of the professors was being carried on because of their having no recognised place ©f abode, find of th© determination of the masters and .students even under adverse conditions to earn honours for themselves and their alma mater. It was an encourag. ng and hopeful speech, and it afforded a text fox- the Attorney-General and His Worship the Mayor to revert to “the battle of the site” and its final issue. There was certainly a touch of humour in the claim of Colonel Put that the Premier had saved the Victoria College from the Meant Cook site, a matter for which the public wight to be thankful, and in the Mayor claiming that there was a larger measure of praise and thankfulness due to Die City of "Wellington. inasmuch as the Victoria college was given its present site by the city corporation. This was coming dangerously near to party politics, which on all occasions of this kind should he carefully avoided; but the audience enjoyed the sally and the compliment, to the citizens of Wellington was appreciated. His Excellency delivered a happy and agreeable address. Having laid the stone ‘Veil and truly,” Lord Plunket spoke of the usefulness of higher education, and trusted that the efforts being mad© to adequately endow the college would be abundantly rewarded. That a university course should have for its aim tho equipment of the student for the battle of life was emphasised by Mr Ait-ken, supported by Professor Easterfield and Sir Robert Stout, who is thoroughly at ho,me in discoursing upon any educational theme. All will agree with the Chief Justice that Wellington ought to have had a University college, thoroughly equipped and adequately endowed long ere this, but now that wo have a college let tlie people of the Middle District ee& to it that it is properly furnished eo as to enable it to become more useful in its operation and moire successful im its results.

There are 6oes<e parts of the education report that command attention. Perhaps the moat gratifying and the most outstanding feature of the deliverance this year is that dealing with the large increase of pupils at the secondary schools of .the eolony. The special facilities offered by the Secondary Schools Act of last year have been taken advantage of, and it must be pleasing to all who desire the benefits of a superior education to be as widely spread as possiblo that the provisions of that Act have enabled over sixteeu hundred young people to attend our secondary schools. We all remember what a hue and cry was raised throughout the colony against the proposal to liberalise the secondary schools. It was said that the building accommodation was not adequate m several instances to tlie number of pupils then attending, social distinctions would have to be made as between paying and free pupils, and the work of carrying on tli© schools would bo considerably hampered. In two or three schools the accommodation bad to be increased, and in most cases th© advent of free pupils from th© primary schools has been the means of imparting a new lease- of life to several high schools that were languishing for lack of pupils. Oil the whole w© are gratified vyith the result, the more >;<> b-ocaus© w© urged that th© country was not obtaining all the return it ought fo get in educational results from its well-endowed secondary schools. 80-ides this reform has enabled

these schools to divide nearly niner thousand pounds in the way of grants in aid. Another feature of the report is that pertaining to the average attendance. This is not increasing, and from that point of view our primary education is unsatisfactory. In a young country like this the children fit to attend school ought to exhibit a proportionate increase to that of the population. In respect to average attendance we have concluded that where the parents most value the advantages of education there the percentage is highest, and that is in Otago. The Tourist Department has justified its existence. Every year it is giving fresh evidence of its usefulness. Many of its critics formerly adverse to its creation, regarding it as a useless excrescence of the Railway Department, have been silenced, while otters have been forced to admit that as a means of adequately advertising tins country the Tourist Department is fulfilling an important and necessary function. New Zealand is now fairly well known politically throughout the Empire, but as “the Wonderland of the South Pacific” it is not nearly so extensively known as it ought to be. Its mild and genial climate, in almost all seasons of the year, renders it agreeable and attractive to all classes of tourists, while its numerous scenic beauties have become the delight of the world’s sightseers. The number of persons who visit this country for the sake of health and recreation is incredible to those who have hitherto paid no attention to the development of the traffic under the direction of the Tourist Department. It; is calculated that this country derives directly and indirectly as much as one quarter of a million sterling annually from the tourist traffic. Most departments of the State, especially the railways, are Denefited, while hotels and accommodation houses are taxed to their utmost capacity in the height of the season. But there is ah indirect advantage to the country that cannot be measured, As an advertising medium the Tourist Department is doing good service. While it is proclaiming the attractions of New Zealand to- the tourist it is not forgetting to announce that this country offers peculiar advantages to the right kind of settler. Certainly many tourists will induce some of their friends / to make a tour of New Zealand, and of these it may reasonably be expected that a few will he induced to take up their r sidenoe in this goodly land. New Zealand is not as well known in India and throughout the British possessions in the Far Bast as it might be. Ibut the Tourist Department is alive to the work it has- been created to aoqomplish, and it is deserving of the consideration and encouragment of both Parliament and people. In tihjQ report of the Industries and Commerce Department just presented to Parliament reference is made to the attempted establishment of a meat import monopoly to South Africa, the extraordinary thing about it being that the attempt is being by British capitalists interested in the Argentine, whose object is to shut out all meat except that from Argentina. Natal has taken the lead in legislating with a view to defeat the unpatriotic intention, and it is to be hoped that the other South African States will adopt similar measures. There is another matter in connection with South African trade which shows the necessity for preferential trading agreements be>ing entered into, for the purpose of protecting British commerce against the competitive methods of English capitalists. The London “Daily Express” recently referred to • the subject in these terms: —'“Some remarkable details have just come to light which do little credit to British patriotism, showing the manner in which American trade with South Africa is fostered at the expense of English trade. The principal steamship lines running between this country and South Africa, and America and South Africa, are owned by the same British firms, yet the freight rates charged from the United Kingdom are from twice to three times as much as they are from American ports. . . . It is not a question of competition between English and American steamship-lines. In that case the difference in the rates would be easy to understand. But the extraordinary spectacle is-presented of vessels owned by the same British firm carrying American goods to South Africa for one-half the price at which they carry similar British goods. In the opinion of leading merchants, the advantage the Americans are now gaining is such that British trade may never bo able to recover what it is losing at a most critical period. The matter should be fiber subject of a searching inquiry by the Board of Trade.” The statements r .are backed up by quotations of rates of freight to South African ports from London* and New York respectively. It is palpable that there is need for questions of this kind being considered - by an Imperial Conference, with ar view to protecting British trade not only aganst the methods of foreign competitors, hut also against the unpatriotic tactics of British people.

Mr Blomfield, of Auckland, has resigned his appointment as Stipendiary Magistrate, as he intends to resume practice in law.