HOME POLITICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18721, 27 November 1922, Page 6

HOME POLITICS.

Since the fall of the Coalition Government there have been four living exPrime Ministers in the Home Country. For the record of a similar circumstance it is necessary to go back between seventy and eighty years, When Lord John Russell came to the head of affairs in 1846 four of his, predecessors were alive, —Sir Robert Peel, Lord Melbourne, the Duke of Wellington, and Lord Ripon_ (who, as Lord Goderich, was Premier in 1827). Lord Melbourne died in 1848, and then there were three, and there have never since been more than three until a few weeks ago. The doyen of the present quartet, the Earl of Rosebery, now in his seventy-sixth year, recently announced (not without a shade of pose) his finql withdrawal into semi-cloistral seclusion. He has ceased to plough even 'a lonely furrow, and his public importance is of the past. Another ex-Prime Minister, the Earl of Balfour, is also well-advanced in the septuagenarian stage, and though he is young for his years it is not unlikely that the recent juncture in affairs will have marked the termination of his political prominence, though it may be hoped that he will still play a valuable part as a man of light and leading in the House of Lords and elsewhere. Next on the list comes Mr Asquith, who at seventy finds himself in no enviable position as chief of a scanty band of sixty adherents, —he who, on the death of Sir Henry CampbellBannerman, succeeded to the leadership of the largest parliamentary majority recorded in history. It is true that lie lacks thirteen years of the age which Gladstone had reached when he became Prime Minister for the fourth and last time; but he lacks also the Gladstone physique and vitality of spirit and temperament. It is morally impossible that any one of these three ex-Premiers should ever return to the head of affairs. Concerning Mr Lloyd George, the last of the quartet, it might not bo safe to predicate in similar terms. It is true that just at present his political position is as unpromising as Mr Asquith’s, but ho has on his side the inestimable advantages of comparative youth and abounding energy. He is in his sixtieth year,—just Gladstone’s age when he formed his first Government, —and in this instance' the Gladstonian analogy is not so liable ,to he promptly ruled out of court. There was nothing very illuminating iu Mr Lloyd George’s review (as summarised by cable) of the circumstances and results of the General Election; and, as regards the future, it may well' be that he has no prevision of his future role. Definitely separated from Conservatism and from Labour, he can only rest his hopes on the possibility of a. reunited, reinforced, reinspired Liberalism ; and, at present the possibility fails far short of probability.

A Sydney cable message states that a lioness recently brought from Now Zealand was being exhibited at a side-show at the Lismore Show Ground, when it attacked its lamer, Captain Lindo, badly bit him in the arm, and mauled him before he escaped.

A stoppage occurred in. the Rattray street cable line yesterday afternoon at a quarter to 2. The trouble, which ivas due to a strand in the rope coming loose, was quickly remedied, and the cars were in commission again at 2.15.

The sale of work which was held in the North-East Valley Town Hall to raise funds tor improving the local school playgrounds was brought to a satisfactory close on Saturday. There wore again good attendances during both afternoon and evening.

A Wellington Freas Association _ message states that Sir James Allen has informed the Government that the inscription “gift of Now Zealand” has been placed on tho two-group statuary forming part of tho memorial to Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace. Tho dominion’s contribution to tho memorial was £15,000.

The Arbitration Court will proceed to Invercargill this morning and return later in tho week. It is expected that tho engineers’ case will be taken here on Thursday.

The City Fire Brigade received a call at 9.21 p.iu. on Saturday to 568 a Cumberland street, where a fire had broken out m a three-roomed wooden dwelling owned by Mr A. Moore, late of Gemmell and Moore, and occupied by Mr W. Aitkon. Tho building, which was very old and uninsured, was well alight when the brigade received the call, and was gutted before tho fire could bo extinguished. There was practically no furniture in tho house. Tho weather is still unsettled, but is soft and mild (wires our Queenstown correspondent). A good deal of rain has fallen at night, and this will prove of immense advantage to the country. The gales seem to have passed over, no wind having been experienced for gome days.

Our Queenstown correspondent wires that at a special meeting of the Borough Council on Friday night it was decided to take a poll of ratepayers on the proposal to borrow £7OOO for a hydro-electrio scheme for Queenstown and improvements to the town water supply. The suggested source of the power is One Mile Creek. The Governor-General (Lord Jellicoe) will be installed Grand Master of the Masonic urand Lodge of New Zealand at a ceremony in the Colosseum here on Wednesday evening (wives our Christchurch correspondent). The ceremony will be part of lire Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge, lb will meet in the Masonic Hall on Wednesday. The present Grand Master, Mr T. Ross (Dunedin), will preside. It :s expected that several hundreds of rreemasons, including visitors from all parts rf New Zealand, and some from Australia, will attend. Tho visitors will bo taken for a motor drive on Thursday afternoon and will have tea at the kiosk on tho Metropolitan Trotting Grounds. Most of the visiting Masons ore expected on Tuesday. Amongst them will bo a party of Victorian Masons including Mr F. T. Hiokford, Grand Master of Victoria; Mr H. S. Stewart, Grand Secretary; Mr D. H. MaoDdfiald, Grand Director of Ceremonies; Mr J. Wheeler, Deputy Grand Deacon; Mr R. A. Dixon and Mr W. David, Past Grand Deacons; Mr J. L. Coles and Mr K. nobson, Grand Steward. Tho Australians, who at present are at Rotorua, will attend the Communication in Christchurch as a compliment to the new Grand Master.

Letters which have passed between Mr Mr Arthur Seed, secretary of the Dominion Sawmillers' Federation, and the Queensland Sawmillers’ Association indicate a serious position for the dominion and Australian trade for timber for making boxes, owing to the preferential tariff of Is per ICO superficial feet on Canadian and American timber (says a Wellington Press Association message). Mr Seed says that Australia can absorb the whole of the dominion and the Queensland supply, but neither can compete •with Canada, where cheap labour, comprising Chinese, Japanese, and Hindoos, is employed. The dominion once had a large trade with Australia in box timber. This has now entirely gone, although boxma.kcrs prefer New Zealand white pine to Canadian timber.

A representative of tire Otago Daily Times interviewed Mr J. A. Gilmour, Registrar of the Arbitration Court, on Saturday, with reference to the statement recently made by Mr J. Roberta, secretary of the Waterside Workers’ Federation, to the effect that the Court had struck a death-blow at the unions by fixing the contributions of members at £1 tier annum. Mr Gilmour informed our representative that at a conference held between the members of the court and the advocates of the parties immediately before the award was issued, the conditions of preference were discussed. The question was raised as to whether the contributions .should bo payable weekly or annually, and Mr Roberts was understood to express his preference for an annual contribution of £l, instead of weekly contributions amounting to a considerably larger aggregate in the year. His reason was that it was difficult and expensive to collect weekly sums from members. The court accordingly fixed the annual contribution at £l. If, owing to any misunderstanding, an award contains an unintentional error or defect, the court has power, under section 02 of the Act, to amend the award on application being made in that behalf. It is open to the Waterside Workers’ Federation to make such an application if it is thought that the reference to an annual contribution of £1 was inserted through misapprehension.

A few months ago Mr H. Gudsell, a resident of the Chatham Islands, approached the Canterbury School Committees Association with a suggestion that it should assist in arranging for a party of Chatham Island school children to visit Christchurch (wires our Christchurch correspondent). tie pointed out that these children lacked many opportunities enjoyed by the children on the mainland. Many of them had never teen a train or a tram, or any big building or industrial enterprise. A trip across to Canterbury, and a few weeks’ stay here, would form a liberal education for them. The association agreed to take the matter up, and a special committee was appointed to handle the project. Firms and business organisations have been circularised asking for help, and the result has been fairly satisfactory, it being recognised that a scheme of this kind was of real educational value. Chatham Islanders, in charge of their school teacher, are expected here in January, it being found difficult to arrarjgo for a trip to bo made during the Christmas season. ,

A bunker of coal in the Canadian Britisher’s No. 3 hold which ignited at soa on the night of November 20 was extinguished after pumping water for two hours (says an Auckland Press Association mesage). The only fire damage was the charring of five tons of coal. Water may have damaged a case of cargo in the same hold.

A Wellington Press Association message says that the chairman of (he Venereal Disease Committee has received a letter from Bishop Averill, of Auckland, wherein he says: “May I venture to express my very sincere appreciation of the report of your commission regarding venereal disease. 1 personally am most grateful for the reverent way in which tho commission expressed its findings, and I am in entire agreement with the whole of tho report. 1 fully recognise the difficulty of the whole question and tho danger of suggesting the expediency of remedies to tho over-shadow-ing of principle. If I may humbly say so. 1 think the commission has skilfully and wisely avoided tho dangers of both Kcylla and Charybdis. I hope very much that not only the Government, but tho churches also, will back up the co'mmission’s report in every possible way.”

The Minister of Education in France has issued an interesting decree forbidding in future in all State schools instruction by dictated notes. This step will profoundly change the present system of. cramming by note dictation, which is tho cardinal feature of French education. It marks the return to saner methods of personal instruction by the spoken word, which is almost extinct in French class work. But the unduly largo classes, which led to the introduction of the condemned system, remain, and it will be interesting to see how far the decree can bo carried out.

The question of abuse of privilege tickets at A. and P. shows is a matter that has exercised the attention of committees on more than one occasion. There is a section of tile public who always take a delight in “beating” either Agricultural Associations or racing clubs in an endeavour to get something on the ‘'nod.” On Thursday at the lawn (says the Wanganui Herald) it was noticed that some persons who were admitted on privilege tickets slipped to u quiet corner and ttioa passed their tickets to others in waiting. This little trick was soon detected, and to-day all holders ot tickets were obliged to give them up at the lawn gate, and if they derired to go out. they were handed a pass. If they elected to give the passes away, the alternative was to pay next time they entered the enclosure.

Two young Queenslanders will shortly attempt an aeroplane Hight from Brisbane to San Francisco (writes our Sydney correspondent], A firm of aircraft builders in England has offered a seaplane, and tho Quensland Premier has promised financial assistance, on condition that tho citizens of Queensland privately subscribe their quota to the cost of the undertaking. The airmen, who are eager to attempt this daring project, are Lieutenant Val Rendle and Sergeant Pilot Herbert George Smith, D.C.M. They propose to fly from Brisbane to Fraser Island. Leaving the Queensland coast at that point, they will utilise tho chain of islands which stretches across the Pacific to the Hawaiian Islands. The first stage will bo 900 miles to Now Caledonia, then another COO miles to Fiji. A shorter gap of 700 miles will bring them to Samoa. Then they will fly north for 700 miles in order to pick up another link in the chain in tho Phronix' Islands. Heading north, they will fly for Fanning Island, and a short flight will bring them to Palmyra Island. Another flight of 900 miles will find them over tho Hawaiian coast, and, if conditions are favourable, they will defer landing until they reach Honolulu. To cross the last stretch of 2100 miles from Honolulu to San FVanciseo, it will bo necessary to arrange to pick up rafts bearing reservoirs of petrol. The airmen hope to leave Brisbane about May or June next.

Arrangements are being made for Miss Kathleen Gcerin to give a recital in The Bristol Concert Chamber. Among her programme numbers are: —Tbo recitative and aria from Handel’s “Rinaldo” ; the romance “Palisir D’Amour,” from Martini’s “C’elestine” ; Rossini’s beautiful cavatina “Fao ut Portem” ; and the “Romance do Mignon, Connais tu lo Pays” (Ambrose Thomas). Acting on tho advice of Maestro Emilio Casolar-i, Miss Gcerin intends pursuing her studies at his school of voice culture in Rome.

Rev. Erie Evans, of Caversham, will address meetings in connection with the prohibition campaign at Miller’s Flat to-mor-row arid at Roxburgh on Wednesday. £SO Reduction: 1923 model Hariey-David-son motor cycles, fitted with carriers, lamps, pump, tools, Goodyear tyres; beet value offering. Remember, £SO per machine reduction. 1923 models now on view.—W A. Justice and Co., Imperial Garage, Princes street, Dunedin.—Advt.

Ladies and gentlemen f The whiteness of your linen is a fine index of your characters, and an absolute triumph for “NoRubbing” Laundry Help. —Dunedin grocers. —Advt.

To wear a suit or costume tailored by G. S. Roberta, Stock Exchange Buildings, will give you that sons© of pride and satisfaction which oome from being properly groomed.—Advt. Tho successful party at the elections cannot help tho public so as wo do at our November Fair. Call and inspect.—Mollisons Ltd. —Advt.

You can sec some new, pretty bead necklets at Williamson’s, the jewellers, now. They are fine value, too. —Advt. The nip for nippy winter weather, Watson’s No. 10. Fine old Scotch whisky.— Advt.

A. E. J. Blakeley, dentist. Rank cf Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1559. — Advt.

Xrnag Jewellery.—Just landed, large selection diamond rings, watches, brooches, pendants, and silver ware. Compare values.— 'Peter Dick, Jewellers, 490 Moray place.— Advt.