TOPICS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1726, 29 March 1905, Page 45

TOPICS OF THE WEEK.

A NOTABLE VISITOR. Judge Bell, of Ontario, Canada, who is now on a visit to New Zealand has been expressing his views upon the relation of tlie Dominion to Great Britain and to the Empire as a whole. On matters of trade and commerce on Wiucii, perhaps, great political issues hang, a judge of the Supreme Court of any portion of His Majesty’s dominions may he expected to display but little if any poltical bias. Judge Bell in the interviews lie has granted to press representatives- lets us know that t"ade in Canada is generally in a prosperous and wholesome condition. In a sentence lie explained the attitude of the Dominion towards Great Britain and America. Formerly Canada deshed a reciorocal treaty with tlie United States, who were then indifferent. C-nada ox messed preference towards British trade, sought out markets of her own and made strenuous efforts to. develop and people her own territory. Now, the States would willingly reciprocate, but Canada, confident of her own future and satisfied with existing arrangements, is indifferent respecting closer commercial relations with the United States. She would, of course, be glad to secure closer trade relations with Die Mother Country: but being loyal, the Dominion i'= not offended that Great Britain has not yet seen fit to respond to tire preference Canada has offered British goods by showing some favour to the products of the Dominion. It is. however, probable that Great Britain will sooner or later discover that relationships established on sentiment are not as lasting as those set up upon a basis of mutual advantage. In tlie opinion of far-seeing colonial statesmen, colonial preference is the first step to a stroiiff Imperial Union. Liberals at Home comnlain that the Mother Country has done too much for the colonies, but. even yet initial sacrifices must be made to ensure future gain. It is not uncommon for corpo-ations to grant concessions to induce the establishment of certain industries within their boundaries in the hope that such enterprises will increase the taxing value of the community, and so it may he argued +hat for future advantage Great Britain would do well to show reciprocal preference to the colonies. Canada’s attitude is worthy of imitation, and Judge Boll’s views will me helpful to our people. AN UNFORTUNATE SETTLEMENT. Tlie story of the Pomahaka settlement is being revived. While it was scarcely necessary to do so, the facts connected w'+h have served as an obiect-lesson to Hie Land Purchase Board and to the Minister of Lands ever since this unfortunate purchase was made. It has demonstrated three things: First, that in buying estates for purposes of closer settlement, it is essential that the land should be of first-class quality: second, that the holdings diouhl not be of too small an R’-ea : and thirdly, that the land should not be purchased at a price that will prove too Uodi for profitable occupation when subdivided f or settlement. Now. it is regret table that the Pomahaka estate did no i fiulfil any one of these requisites. The evidence given before the Land ■Commission by Pomahaka settlers themselves chows that the land was too dear and the sections, too small. Two thousand acres —nearly one-third of the whole estate—are unoccupied, and the Advances to Settlers Department has refused to make advances to Pomahaka seHU-s. .stn+i'ng it is said, , --’ i the land, even with improvements added, was not worth the rents settlers were paying. A serious charge is preferred against oncers in Wellington bv one wi+ness. w-Lioh will doubtless be made matter of official inquiry, and concerning which it is not. pending such inquiry, witlv’n our province to criticise. The impression given to Commissioners bv the visit to the settlement is that "Pomahaka. is a. failure, and the sooner the Government reduces the rents by two-thirds and allows larger holdings the better it will be for all concerned.” TMh is probably the host solu+ion of the Pomahaka estate problem that has yet been offered The End was originally i-ented as a, whole at from Gd to Is 6d per acre. Present rentals run from 3s to ss. and their reduction by the amount mentioned by the Land Commissioners seems reason able. We would that Pomahaka. had been a success, but that it is a failure does not affect the land settlement, policy of the Government; and that a mistake was made in its purchase for State purposes might as well he admitted. What must now be done is to make the best of a bad bargain. and avoid in the future similar 1 blunders. WOOL. Yve publish this week an encouraging cablegram from London. "The wool market is bsisk,” reals the m-e.-sage, ‘•and all classes are firm at improved rates Then follows a list of prices io; . Xow Zealand clips that cannot fail 0 bo grot i tying to all concerned. There has been continuous dry weather

in tihi© North. Island for a month to the detriment of the dairyman’s yield, and some complaints are heard from some of our country correspondents at the prolonged dryness of the weather. These are, however, the only murmurings that are being uttered by those engaged in rural pursuits. It is regarded as the privilege of the farmer to complain at the conditions under which he carries on his avocations; but the highly satisfactory prioes ruling for his stock' and products, and tor ns «ereal and root crops has made the farmer and sheepowner happy and contented. The people of New Zealand hardly realise lmw much the prosperity of this country depends upon the success of the farming community. Woolgrowers are widely scatteiod, &11 mers have hut rare opportunities of meeting to talk of their present condition and future prospects. We seldom hear townspeople say anything ot the state of the wool or mutton markets, although it is upon the profitable prices ruling in tlies<3 tliat tlie prosperity of all classes of traders depends. Individual success is seldom hidden under a bushel. The whole of our farmers have been enjoying an unqualified era of prosperity, and for sheep-farmers to clear several thousands of pounds out of wool is not an uncommon experience. To show to the average reader what our wool product means in money it. is only necessary to state tliat probably we will have produced this year—l9o4OS—as many as 175,000 bales of wool, and as each bale’s value at current rates is £l4 10s, the total value of our wool just exceeds two and a half millions sterling. We are too ready to take our prosperity as a matter of course, and. to deplore on every occasion the hardness of our luck when adversity overtakes us. In the present condition and future outlook of the wool producers of New Zealand, all classes of the community should be ready to rejoice and be thankful. PARTY REFORMATION. A split is announced in the ranks of the Conservatives. As Mr Gladstone s Home Rule proposals divided _ the Liberals, throwing those who objected into the ranks of the Opposition as Unionists, so Mr Chamberlain’s fiscal proposals have created estranged numbers of Conservatives and Unionists from the Government Party. While the Liberals are at sixes and sevens, the Unionists are divided, and Mr Chamberlain has been appealed to to discover a settlement of the difficulty that has arisen in connection with the selection of a a candidate to oppose* Lord Hugh Cecil for Greenwich. There is a tariff reform section of the Conservative Association, and it claims the right to put forward a candidate fin favour of fiscal reform, other members of the association being ranged on the side of freetrade under all circumstances. Mr Chamberlain's reply is tactful yet firm. The question obtruded to the Conservatives was not a new one. True, it ha.l just recently entered into the arena of practical politics. Lord Salisbury had pointed out defects in the present fiscal system. He had indicated some form of retaliation as the only remedy, and liryd actually 'advocated a policy of" establishing closer commercial relations with the colonies. The name of the late Premier of England is still one to conjure with, and Mr Chamberlain utilises tbe name of his late political chief with rare diplomatic ability. He goes further and he shows that both the Liberal Unionist Federation and the Conservative Association of England are committed to fiscal reform, and points out that the Conservative branch at Greenwich is scarcely true to its policy when it refuses to endorse the nomination of a candidate favourable to tariff reform. This is admittedly dexterous, and must have the effect of solidifying Conservatives and Unionists in England. It is quite possible, however, that from out of the ranks of the more advanced Liberals favourable to tariff reform and Imperial designs, and from among Hie Liberal Unionists and progressive Conservatives, a new political party may be formed that will forsake the rotten planks of abstract ideals and adopting a policy of constructive and businesslike statesmanship bring to its service anu support the highest intelligence of the nation. RUSS SI A IN EVOLUTION. The Russian rising is the subject of much speculation and discussion. Every week brings fresh evidence of disaffection among the poorer classes in towns, the peasantry throughout the villages of Central Russia, and the educated classes in Poland. Some regard the movement towards revolution with cho utmost scepticism. i)r A. S. Rappoport in the ‘“Fori nightly” denies that Russia, is on the eve of a revolution. He finds the people patient under war losses, submissive to grinding taxation and enduring under famine. What would lead to a revolution in any other European country will end in smoke in Russia, on account of the pussi vencss and indifference of the people as a whole. Centuries will yet. elapse- before Russia recks with blood as did France in 1789. There are at most- but

ten thousand agitators in Russia among one hundred and thirty millions of peaceful people. According to this speculator the Czar would be a traitor to his country did he recognise the revolutionists so far as to grant a measure of self-government to the Nation. This week we receive quite another picture of the condition of Russia. It is known that the bureaucracy is made up of officials and grand . dukes who seek by plunder to acquire greater power. Corruption is everywhere. The love of money in Russia is certainly the root of the evil. The granting of Constitutional Government, the reduction of taxation, the stopping of the war and the reorganisation of the country’s finances might even now avert more bloodshed and bring about a practically peaceful revolution in Russia with the Czar still enthroned in the hearts of his people. Landlords throughout Russia are declaring that the forceful suppression of the agrarian movement is impossible, and that the only cure for the existing trouble is the institution of representative government. Meantime the fires of revolution are spreading. When once a desire for freedom fills the blood. much criminality may be perpetrated in the name of liberty. No paliative is required for Russia. Representative government is doubtless the only cure for the deep-seated disease of oppression and corruption. HEATH OF SIR A. J. OAUMAN. Young in years for a politician, but rich in experience and high in the public esteem, Sir Alfred Jerome Cadman, K.C.M.G., Speaker of the Legislative Council. lias passed to well-earned rest. The bearer of an ancient name —for “ Cadman ” is, of cour.se, identical with Caedmon, the name of an early Anglo-Slaxon poet—the deceased gentleman acted fully up to the best traditions of English public life throughout the whole of his career. That career, as sketched in another column, was one of strenuous and conscientious effort for the good of the people; and the people showed their appreciation of his character and aims by unfailingly expressing confidence in him when he sought their suffrages, and by triumphantly vindicating him when his reputation was publicly aspersed. “True of principle, firm in conviction, and one who acted irrespective of consequences ” —in these words, forming part of a generous “ appreciation ” spoken by the Premier at Huntly on Thursday, we have the publio character of the deceased fairly summarised. Whether as representative or as Minister, Sir Alfred Cadman was most zealous and conscientious in the discharge of his duties, and earned the respect of men of all shades of political belief. It is but two years since he received the honour of knighthood, and he only filled the position of Speaker of the Legislative Council for one session. In private as in public life, the deceased was a model of courtesy and consideration, and his death will be sincerely mourned by a wide circle. He fully deserved the distinction of a State funeral, in recognition of hie long, arduous, and unselfish public labours; but, in deference to the wishes of his family, the intention to pay that last mark of respect to his memory has been abandoned. By Sir Alfred Cadman’s death the Legislative Council is further weakened, and the Government will doubtless nominate several new members before the opening of the Parliamentary session. It is too early to speculate as to Sir Alfred Cadman’s successor in the chair of the Upper House; there are, fortunately, several members well qualified for the position. The Speakership of the Council seems likely to acquire an unenviable reputation, owing to the deaths of occupants of the position. Sir Harry Atkinson’s tragically sudden demise, after a brief tenure of the office, thirteen years ago is still fresh in the public memory, and the late Hon W. C. W T olker lived only a short time after his election as Sneaker. When it is remembered that there have been only nine Speakers of the Legislative Council since the formation of that body in 1854, the fact that three vacancies have been caused by death since 1892 is somewhat ominous. THE JURY SYSTEM. Those interested in the reform of the jury system will have perused with interest the able and exhaustive article on the subject, from the pen of Hr McArthur, S.M., which appeared in our columns this week. The question engaged the attention of the Governmeni and Parliament some years ago; but the Supreme Court Judges, whose views on the matter were invited. were so far from being unanimous 1 hat no legislative action was taken. It might very well be argued, however, that the question is not one that should be decided by the Judges, who are in the position of interested parties. These gentlemen, like the grand and petty juries, form part of the judicial machinery. It would probably impose additional responsibilities upon the Judges it the Grand Jury were abolished; and Judges being but mortal, this consideration may have swayed the judgment of those who declared in favour of the re ten 1 , ion of Grand Juries. Parliament,

as representing the whole community, is the proper tribunal to decide whether a change in the jury system is desirable; and if the Legislature desires information and advice to help it in arriving at a sound conclusion, it ought to include in its advisers those who have served or are liable to serve on juries. There is a good deal in Dr McArthur’s arguments for the abolition of the Grand Jury and the substitution for it of a discretionary power vested in the Supreme Court Judges. . Also, with regard to the petty jury, his contention in favour of a majority verdict has something to recommend it. The suggestion that the number of jurors necessary ■to try a criminal case might be reduced is worthy of consideration. Jury service is generally recognised as an irksome duty, and anything that would minimise tins feeling, without impairing the efficient administration of justice, would he welcome. In our opinion, the time is ripe for the abolition of Grand Juries; and, unless in the trial of the gravest crimes, the jury panel might well be reduced in numbers and a majority verdict made valid. It is to be hoped that the Government will be induced to bring down proposals on the subject during the coming session of Parliament. AMATEUR ATHLETICS: The success of the amateur athletio meeting at Newtown on Saturday last is a gratifying testimony to the popularity of that form of sport. No doubt the presence of celebrated Engl’sh, American, and Australian athletes conduced in no small degree to the large attendance of the public; but, even so, the excellent performances of our local men. even when pitted against world’s champions, ought to. give a fillip to athletics and insure popular support to future meetings. It was unfortunate that Shrubb, the English long-distance runner, was not in his best form. Had he been, the three-mile race would not have resulted in the easy win for Prendeville, and the Australasian “record” might have been lowered. Huffey, the American sprinter, has a fine style: but, despite his quickness in getting off the mark, he secured only one win. On the whole, our local athletes have reason to be well satisfied with the show they made on this occasion, and their success should encourage them to continued exertion. Athletic exercises, so long as they are not immoderately indulged in, are conducive to health and vigour and to the cultivation of manly qualities among our young men, and they are, therefore, deserving of the generous support accorded them. Finally, the organisers of the gathering are to be complimented upon the completeness of their arrangements and the business-like way in which the meeting was conducted ; and the tramway management is deserving of a word of praise for the safe and .expeditious way in which the heavy traffic to and from Athletic Park was controlled.