PASSING EVENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1715, 11 January 1905, Page 50

PASSING EVENTS.

History is philosophy teaching by examples. —Thucydides. THE LAND QUESTION. The correspondence upon the land question which has been running in the columns of the “New Zealand Times” has not shed much fresh light upon the subject. It cannot be expected that any now phase of so well-worn a topic could be presented. There was the reiteration of the single taxers’ notions and the re-assertion of the idea that all private property in land is a crime against the Commonwealth. But these declarations are as stale as they are .unsound. They have been the stock in trade ;of the inqxperienoed and irresponsible in land holding and culture for many years, and as soon as those avowing these theories have obtained a piece of land of their own they have abandoned in practice the ideals by which they were captivated, and would have enthralled others. The statement of the case from the freeholders’ side, by Mr A. McDonald, of Shannon, whose letter we take the liberty of publishing in another column of this issue, is admirably put. It is, of course, a matter for debate whether it would have been better for the country had not one acre of its lands been parted' with as freeholds. Fawcett, the political economist, seems to favour the notion that in the founding of new countries, the State should have retained the fee-simple of all lands, leasing them under revaluation terms; but, haring parted with the feesimple the State, as Mr McDonald observes, is hound to maintain its “good faith” with the purchaser, otherwise national honour would be aspersed and confidence destroyed. Freeholders do not question the right of the State to re-acquire lands formerly parted with in large areas for closer settlement, and with the land policy of the Seddon Administration in this respect, the vast majority of colonists are in agreement. What many desire to see established in this country is the right that exists in Ireland to leaseholders to become freeholders, and limiting the area to be held, there is really no valid argument against this right being accorded to New Zealand farmers. From our London correspondent’s letter it will be noted that the chairman of the New Zealand and Australian Land Co. considers this country no place now for the large estate. As pioneers the company lias served its day and generation, and he who controls its affairs has no word of blame for the people of this country when they determine to re-purchase large estates for closer settlement. Thus even by largo landed proprietors naturally opposed to the Government, is our closer settlement policy approved. “THE PRODIGAL SON.” Mr Hall Caine is one of the foremost novelists. He is also a successful dramatist, as those who have had the privilege and opportunity of seeing the performance by Mr J. C. Williamson’s Company now appearing at the Wellington Opera House of the novelist’s own dramatisation of “The Eternal City” will readily allow. Here and there the dra-

matic critic perceives that concessions have been made to popular taste in lurid scenes and purple patches. He may also discover that the drama abounds in crucial scenes, and all theatre-goers may note that the production runs extensively upon conventional lines. It may take an artist to find its occasional artifices, but every one who has read the work or witnessed the play will agree that it possesses a loftiness in conception and a power in narration that is characteristic of its author. Mr Hall Caine- has seized upon a strong and arresting theme, and he has given it a forceful and 1 vigorous expression. “The Prodigal Son” has some resemblance to “The Eternal City*’ in point of conception, dignity of feeling, and power of narration- But it ha® more. It deals with many questions that have given homilists and preachers in all ages subjects -on which they have delighted to dilate. Mr Hall Caine gives the hallowed parable of the gospel a modern touch, and the questions the perusal of the story raises are—Can men and women escape the consequences of evil-doing-? Why man’s regard for his neighbour has such narrow limitations ? The novelist does not retail the narrative of the gospel, with which everyone is familiar. In Mr Hall Caine’s romance the younger son is I'eally vicious, not wanton. He forges his father’s name to a bill, and is sent penniless into a far country. The elder brother is a hero of renunciation. Mir Caine’s prodigal having no “portion” to spend in riotous living, settles down, makes his fortune and, returning home, seeks to make reparation. His father is dead, and his elder brother does not know him, yet holds his early conduct in utter contempt and loathing. “Hie Prodigal Son” leaves his money as a stranger’s gift and goes out to die among the hills. Thus the novelist impresses the idea upon the reader that the gospel of forgiveness is well in theory, but past misconduct brings in its revenges. Mr Hall Caine- would seem to say that there is little justice in the distribution of earthly rewards and punishments, joys and sorrowings, and that Nature neither forgives nor forgets. The book, a copy of which reaches us through Messrs S. and W. Mackay, Wellington, will raise many searching issues to thoughtful men and women, while the majority of his readers will praise Mr Caine’s latest for its beautiful love story, and for the simplicity, directness and power of it-s narration. FLATTERY’S SIN CERES T FORM. Attention is being directed by Mr Rider Haggard, in the “Windsor Magazine,” to the success of small holdings in New Zealand; and this agriculturist and novelist commends the model set up by the Advances to Settlers Department to imitation by the Imperial authorities. Mr Haggard’s idea is to encourage closer settlement in Great Britain and the establishment by the State of a co-operative dairying industry. As in this country, he suggests the formation of butter factories contiguous to small settlements. But the idea of settlement on small areas has found practical •expression in some parts of England. Mr Chamberlain many years ago- put forward a scheme for the resettlement of depopulated rural districts on the somewhat impractical basis of “three acre® and a cow.” This was only commendable to the farm labourer, and he might work for a lifetime without being able to make a freehold even of that small are-a out of his savings. Still, in some parts closer settlement has been discovered as the result of private enterprise. Several estates have been cut up, and the settlers have attained so independent a position that they are virtually unaffected by the agricultural depression that has broken many large farmers on leasehold lands. Mr Haggard has discovered twenty-three settlers on an estate near Epworth, the birthplace of Wesley, who are farming from five: to one hundred and fifty acres -each. These men have risen from farm labourers to the position of freeholding farmers. The danger, however, in such settlements as this is that the farmer may be compelled to mortgage his land for so- large a sum that, he becomes in a Less favourable position than the tenant farmer. In the best interests of the kingdom, closer settlement ought to be promoted, and so Mr Haggard advocates the establishment of a Sftate institution similar to that in operation in New Zealand to assist and encourage settlement. The Rev. Dr Bussell regards closer settlement along these- lines not only as the way to stop the rural exodus, but to induce many town workers to get. back to the land. It must, indeed, begratifying to the Lands>Department of New Zealand that its methods are commended to the adoption of the English G overnment.

IS INSANITY INCREASING ? From the statistics presented every year by tlie Inspector-General of Asylums it would ajipear as if lunacy were on the increase in this country. If, a few years ago, we had only one insane person to- every five or -six ,hundred of the population, and now the ratio has increased to- one in every four hundred, then the publicist- and politician conclude that insanity is increasing. Indeed, some imagine- that lunacy is rushimz: upon this

country at an appalling rate. They go the length of finding excuses or explanations for this apparently alarming state of affairs, but these would rather intensify than minimise the allegation. The majority of people are said not to be as strong in body or as sound in mind as they were a generation or two ago; and this decadence is attributed to the strain and high pressure of modern life. Tlie waste of tissue and nerve force is so great in the general eagerness to attain commercial supremacy individually that the intensity of business is hurrying us all to the lunatic asylums. This view is indulged in mainly by those who have but taken a superficial view of this question. It is quite correct to say that the inmates of asylums have increased and may be increasing, but it does not follow that there is a greater increase in actual insanity proportionately to the population than formerly. There are reasons for the apparent increases. First, it may be observed, that we are becoming more- humane and considerate of the incurable and weak-minded. Many persons formerly left to the care of their relatives or friends are now placed in asylums. It is notorious also that up to the present some hundreds of harmless incurables have b-een drafted from hospitals and benevolent institutions into asylums, and the returns of asylum inmates denominated insane are greatly increased. It would be quite as unfair to take a sentence from its context and misconstrue therefrom the whole article as to say from a superficial study of the statistics of our lunatic asylums that insanity is increasing and that the race is decadent. A careful study of this matter induces us to the conclusion that the spread of alarming reports concerning the increase- in insanity is neither prudent nor justified by the whole of the facts available to Ihe discriminating. CORRUPTION IN AMERICA. Corruption in America is not of recent discovery. This week, however, it becomes a matter of public comment. The occasion is the presentation of the report of Mr J. R-. Garfield, Commissioner of Corporations, to President Roosevelt. This officer has made inquiries, and he deliberately affirms that “the present system of corporations is vicious and anarchical, -engendering unfairness and dishonesty.” As a. remedy Mr Garfield suggests that those engaged in inter-state: trade -should he organised or controlled, and licensed. This would certainly bring them under Government supervision and Federal law; blit it is extremely doubtful if the- remedy proposed would be effective. It is absurd to suppose that a deep-seated evil can be removed by other than a severe and radical remedy; and President Roosevelt, while denouncing openly the corporation and the trust has not so far exhibited a determination to crush the monster that- is destroying all honesty and nobility of purpose among American public men. -Some revelations.of an extraordinary character have just been made of the rottenness of political life in the United States. Taking the case of the State of Missouri as disclosed by the confessions of C. A. Gutke, a member recently of the State Parliament-, who has been sentenced to five years for bribery, implicated twenty of his fellow members, isom-e of whom have been similarly punished, it is stated that “scarcely a bill passed the House in the last twenty-five years unless it was paid for.” This professional bribe-taker says “that they never thought of passing a bill -out of which money could be obtained unless they were paid for their votes.” These legislators worked for fees, and having been paid, they “delivered” the legislation asked for within a stated period. The corruption of State has reached the Federal Parliament. Both parties are implicated and the depravity of public men is attributable to the temptations corporations thrust upon them ; hence Mr Garfield s declaration that their influence- is vicious. Betterment- can, however, only come by the cultivation of a loftier ideal of public life by the individual voter.