TOPICS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5558, 8 April 1905, Page 16

TOPICS OF THE WEEK.

(From Uio "Now Zeal-iml Mail ”i FIGHTING A COMMON K'NFM V. Tlio Health Department of New Zealand is continuously giving evidence of its vitality ami -whole-souled interest in tile well-being of the people. Doctors generally have objects beyond the more collection of fees for services rendered. iOvcry medical man is, nr should bo, a philanthropist at heart; and vuiy few of them arc incapable of inducing others to make some sacrifices for the good of all. The agitation for Uio creation of facilities at Dio V, ollineton Ito-pilal for combating the ravages of consumption in the city is virtually the work of the Health Department, the medical profession ami tho local author.tics. There arc hundreds of peupio dying every year in Now Zealand of a disease of winch they might hiivo been cured had proper treatment been extended to them in time. The indigent consumptive is a living menace to the community. Common humanity ,and common interest demand that his ease? 'Should be taken in hand am! treated in a way that is either calculated to induco recovery, or to prevent bis 'Spreading tho disease with which he is unhappily afflicted. When two such motives are made to appeal to the hearts and minds of men, action is usually prompt and vigorous. This accounts for the success .of tho meeting of citizens called last week under tho uiispioeis of tho Wellington Mosnital Trustees to consider tho establishment, of annexes to. tho hospital whore poor consumptive patients might ho properly treated. Hr Martin showed how destructive consumption is. ebmning as it does. six hundred of Now Zealand’s inhabitants every year, and ho demonstrated the necessity for .having the iml’gont consumptive attended to. Both Archbishop Redwood and Dr Gibb aroused tho sympathies of their audience, and Dr Mason, as head of (ho Health Department, brought conviction to tho commercial man hv bis business-like speech. Truly, as Dr 'Valintino declares, consumption is a national foe, and the citizens of Wellington arc evincing, by their liberal support to this project, their . lively sense of the importance of fighting the disease with vigour and determination.

A TEMPERANCE QUESTION’. Aro wo becoming more temperate in tho us© of alcoholic liquors as beverages? This is a question that naturally arises when one considers tho great efforts that are being put forth by our prohibition friends for capturing constituencies for prohibition advocates and carrying no-license in every electorate. It seems that there is still much truth in the saying that the washing of the outside of th© platter does not make for cleanliness within, and the making of a great-show of moral reform does not necessarily mean that there is any abatement of general degradation. Now, supposing that the consumption of alcoholic liquors as beverages is in itself vicious (which w© do not beliove), it would follow that with tin increased consumntion there would bo a greater amount of degradation ; but when tho consumption is increased and viciousnoss doclines there must be other factors in operation to account for tho apparent moral improvement. For ten years the consumption of beer and wine and spirits has steadily increased; but during the previous decade, beginning with 1883, there was a gradual diminution till 1894. What is the cause of this change in tho people’s habits? Their prosperity, has had something to do with it* but it should bo .observed that during l tho past ten years the prohibitionists have been strenuous

I in their efforts to abate the drinking 1 customs of tho poo-ole. Nevertheless tho consumption per head has increased. During tho previous decade tho atritaI tion vas not so pronounced and tho | consumption strangely declined. Wholo i districts have in the meantime declared for noiicen.-e. hat is the explanation of this strange condition of affairs? Tt seems to us that prohibition, being a political mutation, docs not touch tho moral life of the people at | all, whereas durin" the years its adI vo cates were less in evidence, a great I deal of honourable, unostentatious temI pcranco work was accomplished by I earnest unselfish, moral reformers. Tho I prohibition movement lias, however, induced.tho latter to abandon moral .suasion for forceful legislation, and there ! has been no rcducl ion, but a considerable ! increase in tho consumption of liquor, ’ll* drinking is an evil, then tho people arc not to be reformed in the* mass. All moral reform hovins with the individual but with tho prohibitionists ho is tho last consideration. This condition of affairs must give pause and no little concern to all true temperance workers. ,

THE, CHEAT CHURCH CASE. Thoro is reason for believing that the turmoil into wlrch the people of Scotland were thrown by the decision of the House of Lords that the protesting minority constituted the Free Church of Scotland and as such was entitled to all the lands ami emoluments thereof, is likolv to be satisfactorily abated. It may be remembered that the whole uuostion was brought before Parliament, and a Key a I Commission was set up to endeavour to adjust the difficulty in tho light of the Lords' decision. The protesting minority has found that it is impossible for it to either occupy or adnvnister the churches and trusts of thef original Free Church, and being' burdened with properties it could not eidicr dispose of or use. a more reasonable spirit has taken possession of tho lending clergymen in the ‘Sveo fro?” s'dc. The eminent divines in tho cause of union have also expressed a desire to meet the successful claimants. They can, of course, mo longer flout their claims. They realise now that it would have been far better to have conceded the initial demands of the minority than force them to fight the issue at the highest bar in the land. Prudence is forced upon most men by tho lessons of experience: and in this case the majority have become wise after the fact. One leading witness on the United Free Church side declared that the majority of that church was now willing to make large concessions in order to effect a settlement. jVlany of tho Uniteds arc, however, contending for the rights of minorities in. places where they thornselves were in a minority; but it is d'fiicult to discover on what basis their claim is made. Meantime, arrangements arc being made for the members of each church to occupy at different hours the same churches, and that in itself is a step towards conciliation and a peaceful solution of the whole trouble. If the church members themselves come to terms, the work of the Royal Commission will be comparatively light. - ,