CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8129, 24 May 1912, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

LOCAL GOVERNMENT. The Local Government Conference conchided its deliberations at 10.30 last night, after throe days of strenuous work. Perhaps never before has a conference of such magnitude—there were sixty-two delegates from every part of the Dominion —got through a big order paper, embracing such diverse questions in so short a period. The outcome of the conference was a foregone conclusion. The Local Government Bill was killed, but out of the ruins there is reason to believe a new structure will arise which will put local government on a sounder and more scientific footing than it is at present. The Government has now in its possession the collective views of the local governing bodies throughout New Zealand. This should be of great value in f ram ini- new legislation. FORWARD TO ANARCHY! "The Maoriland Worker" organ of the syndicalists is still sounding the loud timbrel on Egypt's dark sea. Its latest, editorial outbreak contains these phrases: —"lt may be that the Waihi strike will expand, and in this event, it will be the solemn duty and grand privilege of every Pederationist to ‘down tools' if officially asked to do so; and’ it will certainly be the equally hounden duty of each and every unionist to refuse to condone individual or organised scabbery. Whenever a strike is on, wherever it is and whatever for, it is the duty of the workers to be for that strike; . The predicament of one union becomes the concern of all. In a strike the working-class says and .'does only that which aids the strike. The strike is supreme. Whatever else be or be not at stake, unionism is all the time at strike. This is the first and last word upon the matter. It is classconsciousness. It is solidarity. Forward to victory!” . AN EMBARRASSMENT OF BOSSES. A gentleman named James Connolly is appropriately awarded a special line of black type for the following sentence in the "Maoriland Worker” (syndicalist) "Let us organise as a class to meet our masters and destroy their mastership; organise to drive them from their hold on public life through their political power; organise to wrench from their robberclutch the land and workshops on and in which they enslave us !’* In other words get a hammer and break things; disobey inconvenient laws; and "toss agreements to hell." The individuals who preach this insane gospel are always on full strike pay and never go short of a meal. When their victims grow restive they terrorise them into acquiescence by .raising the cry of "scab." "The Maoriland Worker" is trying to gloren over the fact that the half-dozen fanatics who precipitated the Waihi strike, and brought want and misery into a prosperous and happy community, committed a blazing indiscretion for which they deserve to be hauled over the coals. The worst of, syndicalism is that every fluent jackass on the job reckons it is his peculiar perquisite to shake out the-strings and fly the flag of revolt. Capital ear-marks its bosses and knows them when it sees them. The Federation of Labour, like the old woman of legend, has so many bosses that it doesn't know what to do. . JAPANESE ENTERPRISE. Hardly a week passes that does not bring to the secretary of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce documentary evidence of the enterprise and business activity' of Japanese merchants and manufacturers. Inquiries of . all sorts respecting trade openings are continually being, received, with numerous requests for information and advice. The last mail brought an intere&ting communication from the director of, the Kyoto commercial museum. It gave details of the work and aims of the institution, and asked in return that New Zealand, manufacturers should send catalogues, and where possible, samples of their goods for display purposes. One of the objects of the museum is the collection of sample?, and specimens, domestic and foreign! and another is the investigation of ways and means for widening the markets for Japanese products. It not only displays samples of locallymade goods, but, so says the director’s letter,, "in order that our manufacturers may improve their goods by comparison, the museum collects and exhibits samples of articles made in other quarters of the globe." The information department of the museum is prepared to answer all inquiries regarding the products, merchants and manufacturers of Kyoto and also’ to open correspondence with commercial bodies all over the world with a view to introducing local products to their notice and enabling foreigners to get into close relationship with Japanese business men. < * BENCH AND BAB. It one of the traditions of British jurisprudence that our lawyers shall at all times, aird under the greatest provocation if necessary, maintain a respectful and deferential demeanour towards the judge upon the bench, and that the judge, on his part, shall not allow any personal consideration to disturb his sternly judicial demeanour and grave imperturbable serenity while in the discharge of his important functions. , Occasionally these deep waters are strangely stirred by that perturbing element called human nature, and we are brought with a. shock to the realisation that these grave and reverend seignors are not immune from the weaknesses and frailties which beset their fellow mortals. Experience demonstrates tnat a K.C. may occasionally become captious, and • judge irascible, like the mildest mannered man amongst us. Journalism ha* 1 at times been indebted to the idiosyncracies of both Bench and Bar for som* excellent copy, and, provided that acrl-i mony is not untinged with humor, these 1 little interchanges are apt to minister to i the mirth of nations. But when wit is banished, acerbity prevails, and controversy becomes in the language of ourj modem statutes, "a continuous —when infirmity comes in at the door aud urbanity flies ruffled through the. window —when sharp-pointed retort andj badinage develops into a curtain lecture,!

and the incontinent throwing tip of briefs—then the justice hall becomes a place of woe and lamentation, and cheap "■ynicism is invited. And really after all there is no need!

ETHICAL INSTRUCTION WANTED. Yesterday the Secondary Schools' Assistants' Association passed a resolution that in their opinion it was advisable to give direct ethical training in secondary schools. An instructive paper on the subject was read by Mr R. M. Laang, headmaster of the Boys' High School, Christchurch. He said the meaning and consequences of the old truism—that the chief object of school life was the building up of character —had seldom been recognised in any adequate way. In maintaining school tone, the characters of the masters and the general surroundings of the school were important factors. Knowledge of ethical principles without the motive power of will andemotion was valueless. Far too little in a systematic way had been done to provide this instruction. Ethical training should be broadly based on data met with in after life. "We can and ought to do more to put before our boys ideals of sympathy and service than they now appear to be receiving; ideas that would enable them to form more just • moral judgments when they go into the outer world.” PRIME MINISTER EXPLAINS. Referring to Sir Joseph Ward’s speech in Svdney in which he said "there are difficulties to be overcome (in New Zealand) and if those who are there cannot overcome them I will help them to’ do so ,by-an-bye,” the Prime Minister has issued the following statement; —"I think the press has got the wrong hang of what Sir Joseph Ward said, or at any rate the spirit of it. I might add, apropos of the suggestion that has been made that. Sir Joseph is ‘the power behind the throne.' it is now two months since 1 was. entrusted with the control of the affaire of this country, and with the exception .of one letter from him, which was not advisory, and one from me to him yesterday, asking him to use his good offices in Australia for the admission of our potatoes under conditions which, while safeguarding the people there from any fear of disease from- that source, will help our agriculturists to place, large quantities of their splendid crop this year in the Commonwealth, 1 have had no communication from him. lam pleased to bo able to add that we are getting along splendidly in the country, as the public could easily discover were they able to learn, how things are faring with us.”