CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8184, 27 July 1912, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

A CONUNDRUM. "What,” asks the "Farmers’ Union Advocate,” "will the new Ministry do with the land question?” We give it up.

PEACE AND REST. The country wants, as we have often been told—by Sir Joseph Ward among others—a period of legislative rest. Its finances want careful husbanding. Progress with safety is the first requisite, and that we may hope to get at the hands of Mr Massey and his associates. —Napier "Herald.” ' - THE YES-NO POLICY. Mr Massey dares not bring down the policy he was returned to support, because if he does he will lose the support of the Liberal seceders. On the other hand, he dares not pick up advanced Liberal measures—such as bursting-up graduated land tax—for if he did so he would alienate .his own supporters. His game Is therefore to "mark time”—to do nothing but hang on to office, hoping that a by-election or two may float him into safe water. —Christchurch "Spectator."

NO SHELTER. A correspondent sends along- a doublebarrelled complaint prompted by tho atrocious weather. He says there are no verandahs in places where ordinary common-sense ought to suggest to tho authorities the necessity for shelter; and that in many instances where business premises are provided with verandahs the guttering and other conduits are so defective that to seek “protection” near them is to risk a worse deluge than to stand in the rain. It is suggested, for example, that there ought to be a wide verandah around tho General Post Office. As it is, the public have to stand out in tho rain to read the mail and shipping notices, and as they scan the reports of tho weather they also feel it trickling down their necks. Perhaps the Postmaster-General could get some private member to bring in a Bill. WANTED—RELIABLE INFORMATION. Settlers in some of tho low-lying portions of tho Manawatu district, liable to floods, complain that they do not get sufficient reliable information in regard to the rising of tho Oroua and Pohangina rivers. The matter, was brought under tho notice of the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. H. D. Bell) yesterday by a deputation of representatives of Drainage Boards. It was stated that at present information was received only from Woodville, but it was desirable that Feilding and Ashhurst should also advise the district as to tho state of the rivers. What information did come to hand from the postmasters was far from reliable. The Minister advised the erection of a gauge like tho one on the Nile. Then they would know exactly from the reading of the gauge what to expect lower down. Ho .would mention the matter to the Post-master-General. THE FREEHOLD. Tho ''Farmers' Union Advocate,” in an illuminating article on ‘‘The Freehold Question," asserts that the man who “wants to buy his land" is not one who wants to “make a good deal"—he ‘‘wants to bo sure that it is his, and that he e«n deal wiilh the future disposal of it, without Parliament or the authorities stepping in and dictating to him what ho shall do." Well, we are very much afraid that can never be, unless Parliament is to be abolished, and we do not suppose our contemporary is so violently anarchical as to suggest that course. No individual in any country under constitutional government may hold land which Parliament cannot "step in and "dictate to him" about. As a matter of fact, there appears in last week s "Gazette" a proclamation by the Governor that part of section 491, in tho city of Wellington, “is hereby taken for a public work/' If half the time wasted in futile wrangling about tenure was devoted to real discussion of the land question— THE ALBANIAN EXILE. Referring to the “Wanganui Chronicl»'e ” criticism of Prince Gustav Dikram. 8.A., M.D., of Albania (philosopher, scholar, soldier, and patriot), the “Manawatu Daily Times" says: "We ourselves noted the cosmopolitism and multiplicity of his Highness's projected medical courses, as shown in his press clippings when here, and also the ‘M.D/ on tne card. We fail to see with our friend, however, that to address the member for -the Hurt as ‘Tommy' is any evidence against Royal birth. We understood that on his recent European tour both George (at Windsor) and William (at Potsdam) asked to be allowed to call him ‘Tommy/ • » • Wanganui is clearly

jealous. As for the Prince and Loader of Kobtds, «s he is a graduate of a Presbyterian Mission College, and vouched lor by the Presbyterian Church hero and c-lscv.'horo in New Zealand, it no .doubt satisfied itself of his bona fides before ho viu, allowed to speak under its auspices. The Prince has some letters and autographed i>orlraits from men like Mr Hay, the American diplomat, that if genuine (and we have no personal reason io believe they are not) would establish a standing. The promiscuous publication of letters from Ilebel leaders through organs like the ‘Pahiatua Herald’ (which are naturally read by all crowned heads) is. however, not usually regarded as aa attribute of princes and conspirators."