EVENTS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5804, 23 January 1906, Page 4

EVENTS OF THE DAY.

THE OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER. On tho very day that Mr Balfour relinquished his Premiership ho proved tho tact and modesty which is hia chief claim to our admiration by an exceedingly graceful act. That was to procure for Sir Henry Campbell-Banner-man the long-delayed official _ Recognition of tho ofhoo of Prime Minister. It was in the power of Mr Balfour, at any time while ho was in power, to have neeured that ofßcial recognition for himself; but he choso that momont to prefer his claim when tho honour would fall upon his successor. And, curiously enough, tho King's recognition that ho him such n person as a X’rimo Minister, tens conveyed to “C-B” by a Royal warrant, merely deciding the precedence of tho Prime Minister. Tho curious may bo interested in tho wording warrant. It is addressed to-—“ Our right trusty and right entirely beloved Cousin and Councillor Henry, Duke of Norfolk, Knight of Our Most Noblo Order of tho Garter, Knight Grand Crons of Our Royal Victorian Order, Marshal and Our Hereditary Marshal of England. Greeting I - ’ And his Majesty declares that “The Prime Minister of LTs. Our Heirs and Successors, shall Jiavo place and precedence next after tho Archbishop of York.” In concladon, “Henry. Duke of Norfolk, to whom the cognisance of matters of this nature doth properly belong; ■* is exhorted to too this order ob--erred and kept-

A MATTER OF PRECEDENCE. J l The precedence tints conferred upon i the Prime Minister is extremely high. ! ■'ir leery Campheil-Haniirnr.au stand.*, \ e!i".v :.;h in the table of pr.wdeuey. j !:i J.er 1I1..1; any jwv.ona;.’,* t l tin* realm > exi' [j; prince., of the Mood, the I’ri- I mate of all England. the Lord High I C'huueellor. and the i’rimai-, of t;ie ; Northern Province. In oilier woids. ! the Prime .Minister i.s now, next to the Lord. Chancellor .the highest dignitary ot the State, though ho takes rank alter the two great dignitaries of tko Chinch. Though tile Premierahip is thus recognised ;;s a separate oltice, overt- Prime Minister has hitherto held another important office, generally that of the First Lord cf the Treasury. Ami the • -nr -Prime Minister is no oscei*tien to this rule, since, according to the “Court Circular." iu> has “kissed I hands upon liis uppoinMnent as Prime 1 Minister and First lend of the Treasury.’’ The London “Times’’ propounds the conundrum whether there can now l» 11 Prime Minister who holds no other office? But thi* question is not likely to become a practical one, since the office of Prime Minister has no salary coached to itself as such—and there are so many other portfolios that have! Hitherto the First: Minister of the Crown has enjoyed no precedence by virtue of ins ofiuv>; end till this occasion the title lias found little or no formal recognition in public documents. Probably the first time it was used was in 187 S, when, at the instance cf Lore! Beaconsiieid, ft was recited in the preamble of the Treaty of Berlin. In tho same year Mr Gladstone wrote:—"Depiirtuiontally._ho is no more than the first-mimed o 7" five persons, by whom jonHy _ tho powers of tho Lord Trcasnrersiiip are taken to be oxerctecd. . . But, upon the whole, nowhere in the wide world dees so great a substance cast. .so ami:!! a shadow; nowhere is there a man who lias so much power, with iso little to show for it in formal title and nrerogative.” Sir Homy o.unpbel 1-Bannerrnan is tho first Prime Minister to hold his office on terms formally recognised. THE HOLIDAY. Favoured with excellent weather, Annivonsiry Day was yesterday cole, brated by the people of Wellington in a whole-hearted fashion that goo* far to show that under sunny Southern skies the British race ia losing its former characteristic of "taking its pleasures .sadly.” At a moderate estimate, between twenty and thirty thousand of our population travelled by train, tram-car, or steamer yesterday, and in all places of papular resort they wore found enjoying themselves with a gaiety of disposition and temperance of habit that were delightful to see. It npoaks well for those in charge of the transportation arrangements that this abnormal traffic was carried without the slightest accident occurring, and with no worse inconvenience than the overcrowding which is inseparable from gala occasions. Over ten thousand passengers were carried on the Government railway to and from the racecourse at Trcnthnm; some thousands of extra passengers travelled by the Wellfhglon-Manawatu Company’s line, and many thousands more patronised the ferry s team ere and Corporation tramways. Those who so cheerfully and faithfully performed extra, duty in order that others might enjoy tho holiday deserve unstinted praiso for the manner in which they performed their duties; and while it may appear to a few persons that some of tile arrangements could hare been improved upon, the most severe critic must, on reflection, admit that there was, on tho whole, more occasion for praiso than for censure. Wellington weather, which is proverbial for fickleness, has been on its best behaviour for tho popular holidays since Christmas, and tho people of tho city, as well as country and other visitors, aro to bo congratulated upon tho fact that no meteorological vagaries marred their enjoyment. THE BRITISH ELECTIONS. Tho intervention of Sunday has caused a partial cessation of cable news recording tho progress of tho elections now proceeding at Homo. The latest nows, however, shows that of the (#7O constituencies 455. or over two-thirds, have now made their choice, and this is tho strength of parties:— Liberals 353 Unionists 114 Nationalists 77 Labourites ... ... 41 Tins clearly establishes the Liberals in tho now Parliament with an uusually largo majority, supposing tho returns to come are in about tho name proportion. It is not unlikely, however, that tho wave of Liberalism now swooping over tho United Kingdom will increase in volume. Mr An-ton Chamberlain admits that it has become a deluge, for ho claims to have discovered a Mount Ararat at Birmingham. Bo that ns it may, Sir Henry Campbell-Banner-man’s present following exceeds by 21 nil other parties put together. It by any possible combination of circumstances the Unionists could induce the Nationalists and Labourites to oppose the Liberals the voting {taking tho 4BC members at present elected would be as under:— Liberals 253 Unionists 114 Nationalists ... 77 Labourites 41 Absolute Liberal majority 21 Such a combination as sot out here, however, is not only extremely improbable; it is almost, impossible. What is much more likely to happen is that Sir H. O. Banner man would he able on a crucial division to obtain the support of tho Nationalists and Labourites, and this would idiow the position of the Unionists (or Conservatives) to be a sorry one:— Liberals 253 Nationalists ... 77 Labourite* 41 Unionists ... ... 114 Unionist minority ... 257 Truly, when tho flood subsides, there will he plenty for the Unionists to do in “pooplemg tho country'’ (to use Mr Austen Chamberlain’s words) -with Unionist ideas."' A QUESTION OF CIVILISATION. Tito correspondence that has flooded our columns for the past fortnight upon tho points, raised by our correspondent. ‘’Omar,’’ as to tho fitness of women for public duties, has now concluded —not because our readers snowed any signs of exhausting tho innumerable aspects of tho question, but because considerations of space precluded us allowing thin topic to monopolize our correspondence columns. The controversy,'needless to say: has aroused great interest; the number of letterreceived was ample proof of the ’Tive-

rcsV of tho t-nbject. No fewer than fifty-eight letters appeared in tho “filin’.-,'’ while a eon-ider.ible number were re;. d as being unsuitable, or fur not e.mipiyim; mill the iu-ii.il condition,- tinder whieb corns-poadenco la admit:id into the mo-*. The lottera apl-eariug. though numbers were nece.— sarily eonden-od, occupied twenty-two columns of the paper, which shows that our correspondents, in their enthusiasm or thoir disdain, found it itnpiMuhle to la* brief, tho average length ol each letter being above a third of a column. Especially noticeable was the interest taken in the controversy throughout the country, a largo proportion of the letters coming from all parts of tho Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, anil Taranaki disl rict. It- were quite im-pos-ihlo to sum up tho oont-roveray by a judicial ooinparhv.n cf the argument* adduced; the verdict whether ’’Omar’s’' contentions were in some degree justi-fi.-d. or whether he had utterly failed in his ’'attack’’ upon the weaker sex. wo nm-t leave -o tho jury of our readers. The controversy, at, least, rained ail interesting question, and has erystalised the crgnmeiits pro and cou by allowing the disputants'of boOi shies and both sexes a free and full discussion ef an apparently vital topic. One feature of the eonwpoudene;* has boon the series of most capable and logical letters written by women, and. judging by this evidence alone, our readers will have little h'-sitali-n in declaring that women have proved tberr claim to at least- one of the attributes of civilisation. The gre.it-r question which was raised bv a mi miter of onr readers remains behind—Are men civilisedP—and to this query _ the controversy has brought, no satisfactory answer. LOCAL AND GENERAL. The concluding selection of letter* upon the question, “Are Women Civil-eed -’’ appears upon page 3 of this morning's issue. Members of the which has in hand tho banquet to Sir Joseph Ward are asked to meet at the Hotel Arcadia at 8 o'clock to-night. Tho executive committee is to moot at 7.30. Tho new post office at Palmerston North, which is to he opened by Sir Joseph Ward on Friday, will not ho quite completed by that time, but it is desired that the PoMtmaster-Oeucral should perform the ceremony before leaving for Europe. Alfred Mann escaped from Mount View yesterday afternoon. He wan committed to (he institution from Napier in March last. Following is Jm description ;— Fifty-one yearn of age, height. sft Din, medium build, grey hair, cropped beaid. Mann was wearing a grey tweed coat, moleskin trousers, a grey cap, and blucbcr bools. Tiie City Police Court rat at !) o'clock yesterday morning, Ur A. McArthur, S.M.. presiding. Four iirsl-oih juling inebriates were dealt with, two being convicted and discharged, one fined IDs, in default forty-eight hour.*,’ imprisonment. ami one (arrested on Sunday) fined 20s. Miclniel John Mulholland, a prohibited person, was charged with drunkenness and with procuring liquor. Ho was convicted and discharged tor the first offence, and convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon on the other. On the application of Detective Brolicig, V iiliam Johnson, charged with wife desertion, was remanded to appear at I olmeraton North on tho 24th inst. 1310 sailors in port, including a largo number of men from the warship Prometheus, were entertained by tho Missions to Seamen yesterday at a picnic. held by permission of Mrs Rhoden in her ground#- at Wadestown. Luncli and t<#a wore provided by friends of tho mission. In a tug-of-war tho navy men l»al the merchantmen. In tno ovoning a capital concert was given in tho Miftfious to Stamen Institute by Mr James Muir and party, when the following gave items:—The Misses Dave's, Steel, Fairelougb. and Honey (who also accompanied), and Messrs J. I’ ■ Makin (K.MS. Prometheus), S. C. Englmh (Prometheus.), Maqiiiro, Hadloigh (Rakanui), K. L. Burgess, and T. Norton. One of tho moist radical naval reforms announced in tho recent memorandum of Admiralty policy, aaya an exchange, .seem-s to have escaiKd a’.*#:■*’.lion. And yet there could scarcely bo anything which was a surer index to changes in the navy than tho bald statement: “No more contracts lor supply of salt beef have been catered into, as it has been decided to abolish thw article die!.Vlmcwt ever since Britain had a navy salt beef and hard tack or biscuit have been tint mainstay of eoa rations. Now that pretty nearly every war vessel, opart from torpedo boats and submarines, possesses odd storage, tiler.* is no longer any ncconsity for feeding Jack on preserved provisions. His menu has gradually been brought up to the level of that which j ommy Atkina enjoys ashore, and this last stop will complete the process. A report has obtained currency (re, marks the London correspondent of tho "Argus") that the French Government contemplates a revival of the recidivist system, which occasioned »t> much dkeatinfliction in Australia some yeans ago. It is staled that a French commission is about to make a lour of tho French poascssi’ons in the Pacific, with tho object ot fixing on a silo for a new convict station. It does not somn that New Caledonia is to bo further utilised, but that a suitable site for a penal settlement will Iks sought for among the smaller French possessions in the Eimtcm Pacific. The Loyalty Islands may, however, bo included in the area of march. No confirmation of this report lias been published, and it is not improbable that the idea is hi —d upon a uusfippre.hejmion cf the futic’ions of the French commission which, it is understood, is about to start for Australia and tho Pacific to investigate British methods of colonisation and government. While about n dozen believers in chemist! compounds have been struggling for the past twelve months lit Tot lira to prove that their composit ion will eradicate tho Canadian thistle, Mr Thomas Hedley, whoso farm is on tho Kakanni flat, has compassed tho dev traction of a large ami of the thistle by a very simple means. When tho thistle had ripened and the stalks were hollow, he put a back-delivery over them. The hollow stalks tilled with water, and tho water, following down the trend of the roots into the ground, rotted the plants out. At all events, Mr Hedley has now a splendid crop of turnips on tho hind that previously was a tnasa of Canadian thirties, and there are now no thistles. We mentioned several rears ago Lavs the "North Otago Timo#,") that Sir Crawford Aeuer’ion, of the Chitlin, had iicrompE"”cd the tame desirable end by the r.ia<j method. It is an inexpensive means of overcoming n grave menace to the fnr- ! ir.mtf coinmunit v, and although the tutting may net be followed by the necessary rainfall to^make it complete, Jt* it Is worth trying, tivn lo’.t,- or time-. It rr#.t* very little, ami l '*“ l iJ greatly in its favour.

A rf.TX‘ rpomb-nt. “ N;i‘:i‘:or," v. i.' r t'-,:iinla,ning of Urn rineing of the rev f V > 'ifnr:l 'l l- Aid nwtlninilig b:ui:-, at Id U.III, yest'-rday. I.fill-. '!! H t:T i/!.' e-on-. of people who bad 1 obi-d ioj.iard )<> a ta.dm. if tin- ian 'alter v.-.’s to b • I-rani.-d :i holiday, nor rorri.-pondent km:e/e-a,. that amain r man hoidd have hi.-n ol>‘ atm d for tin- flay. Mi-alie -I. A. K.een n-1 .Soil':! have hern Hppo: ii(eil mp'iiß} at .1 o!it.sonill" lor i.ie -New Zeal., ret Time.- au>l "Moil" froj)lea nf ivhi'li may he prcnma! i ( i their ‘.(lire, M l "*ein! vii 1 ue-i in handkerchief* mill apron-. am .-nlverti i-J In- K irlrealilie me! A new a-lvei lit eieent in refcrem-c tii Sylieii , ;i 11 .-e lie 1 1 wi J i Tie found in iiiiiither inlmnii. ) yniev. Me,.el, 1.11-1 C«. will relli nine, furniture ele. at the;r j-ii'iiir , ■ •o.da.v. On Tlmi- '• h-y will t-ll fnr-j Sppll'-altbn :,le 11. .i;e,| fur lee pod-' I o! eneilee,- „f v.-nthn. ledldin;; in-j i.jie. *.. r, i-t--. to 'h*' I lan ne 1r I e Buioiudi; 4 'miaei 1, The , lai \ ]r> 'pit Je-r .innund lien an inn-..-. rvi <1 ,-.iT.> i,f finil-ebiHH 1 h'ltr.aehnlil .I,mil lire ai f!e> i r.-idenee. No, j fd, Ihie.-tiin 1 1 - [ i . aT i Ji.in. 10-i lay. | Anion-rid lire ar'e-le; to la -nh-nitteil me I '■ i'll 111 uprl-.Tit • ml j-i. mu In- Cil.lie-i iiiann. re'lar 'lininjfneim £ , ll ;r,■. 1 1inj 11 ypi <~,111 I I,ref ! ,"d W" 111 liimi'tlle. Kin-hell Up'U,,ibi, i are, ainitia, . Tie fn, nil will he j I iilnriie; Hi" /n;-i mii:;. j MeeaA!m -T-iiiai.i. “ie-iin anil t'o, will ml; la-,! iy. at I Mr 1!e-l-,-,i van! ~ 1,-.!-., r Hull, an h'diaif n Mr ll.i .Matthew*, of 01.. en, I j.• A.VI lllile con.l anil In Here, anil one '.ear. i lin,; hull; alvj an iiei-mint. of Mr' Kil- ! Il|l!|..'.'l- ~|;;iii go.nl .•jinni;ii,R liej;e,- ; i. i < -it iioßiu-. ut (he iimhtiee , (j,,. Am-,-while Call [e an he anl en it ji j.l lea t 1 all. ,