CURRENT TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2045, 4 May 1893, Page 19

CURRENT TOPICS.

(Otago Daily Times.)

The correspondence between Mr Seddon and the National Association, Auckland, respecting the change in the mercantile marine examinations is not creditable to the Minister. His letter is a series of snubs to the council based on evasions. He tells them that, not knowing the intentions of the Government, they were mistaken and acted hastily in saying so and bo. It is a very snappish communication, quite unworthy of a man in Mr Seddon's position, and its offensiveneas is heightened by the fact that it is thoroughly insincere. Luckily the council could produce the honourable gentleman's own telegrams to rebut his sneers. These show that, contrary to the statements in his letter, a change in the mode of conducting the examinations was contemplated, and that it could not possibly but have been more expensive, as well as inconvenient in the highest degree, to the candidates. No amount of bounce or quibbling will get Mr Seddon out of the fix in which he has placed himself. The arrangement which he now claims to be more economical than the old method is altogether different from his original proposal, but whether it prove more economical or not, we are quite sure it will be no improvement in any other respect. It is hazardous to impute motives, but all the indications point to the conclusion that the change was prompted by some other % motive than regard to economy or to the efficiency of the mercantile marine. Dunedin has_ been treated very badly in this matter, and if our members have any regard for their duty to their constituents they will, when the House meets, get to the bottom of the unnecessary and distinctly retrograde change which has been made.

The school committee elections are one of the local events of the year, though the attendance of householders scarcely warrants the conclusion that they excite a very deep interest in the community. It may be that the selection of committee-men is, on the whole, quite as good as it would be if the attendance were larger. Still, it is desirable that householders generally should take part in electing their representatives. At the Gesrge street meeting Mr Cohen said that these annual meetings were the only opportunities they had of ventilating their views on school committee matters. He objected strongly to the mode of electing the committees, and held that the nominations should be made before the day of election. In this he was supported by Mr Jago, who said that the bulk of those present often knew nothing about the persoas put up for election. These two gentlemen also expressed themselves rather strongly against the practice of appointing assistant teachers who were attending the university in preference to juniors on the staff who had a right to look for promotion. At another meeting one of the speakers came down ssverely upon the cadet corps, which he said were relics of barbarism. He hoped our education system would teach the people the duty of settling their disputes by arbitration— a very good hope, but not necessarily inconsistent with the existence of a cadet corps. Another speaker complained of the home lesßons, which, however, did not go undefended. Some of the committees seemed to think the board somewhat stingy in its allowances, but this is an old grievance, and the board has the answer that the funds provided for it are expended to the last penny. Indeed the Laureate's " eternal want of pence" vexes public men all round. The Mornington committee decided that the school should be open on Oup Day, which is surely the right thing. Whathavechildren to do withracingand betting ? In one of the schools the children had over £180 in the Savings Bank, none of which, it is to be hoped, will be risked on the totalisator. From the reports as a whole the education of the city and suburbs would seem to be in a satisfactory state, the attendance being good, and the teaching staff diligent and efficient.

A telegram in Thursday's issue said that a society had been formed in Auckland for the protection of women and children. Such an announcement is a satire on our boasted civilisation. But in all ages the weak have been oppressed by the strong, and the most highly civilised nations are still, to a certain extent, barbarous. Women in particular have been great sufferers from the brutality of the other sex, and they themselves are sometimes fiendishly cruel. Very few, however, are wholly devoid of natural affection, or delight, like the Hon. Mrs Montague, in torturing their own offspring, though stray cases of this kind too are constantly occurring. But many children are exposed to cruel neglect and hardship from dissolute mothers, and when the fathers are also drunkards their condition is often unspeakably deplorable. Things are not so bad here in these respects as at Home: children as a rule are well cared for ; and wifebeating, the 5 opprobrium of British manhood, is, we think, less common. But women, we regret to say, are not treated with over-much respect in any of these colonies. Colonial youths are noted for the want of that sentiment of which chivalry was a kind of fantastic manifestation, and which, strange to say, characterises the Americans even more than the English. The worst kind of outrages on women, too, are of frequent occurrence — especially in some of the Australian colonies. Societies of the kind recently formed in Auckland are thus not unnecessary even in these young countries. The society in question, ib is said, will prosecute in cases of outrage, cruelty, &c, and provide homes for neglected children. In the old country the Society for the Protection of Children has been an immense boon to small suffering humanity, and wo have no doubt that similar efforts would produce good results in New Zealand, although the necessity for action is nob so pressing. The educative influence of such organisations should also be of the highest value. It is perhaps a hopeless task to attempt the reformation of dissolute parents— whose children must be a first care to these societies— but it is surely possible to teach our colonial youths a higher respect for women, and to inspire the community generally with a deeper tenderness for the weak and the unfortunate. ________

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has to provide for an annual expenditure of over £90 000 000. We do not suppose, however, that he fiuds more difficulty in raising that vast sum than the Colonial Treasurers of the colonies do in scraping together the relatively small sums they respectively require. He has, besides, always the income tax to fall back upon, which is as elastic as an indiarubber bdlt; "It is the least uncertain way, says the Imperial Chancellor, "of adding to the revenue," and it is also much the easiest. Bat Sir William Harcotrt has his worries „•? well as smaller financiers. The Radicals are at him for not increasing the death duties. ■ They want to burst up large fortunes, just as our Government want to burst u» large estates. They also want a graduated tlx introduced, and if we have one m our comparatively poor New Zealand wo confess wo do not see why the leviathan milhonan'ca and landowners of wealthy England should

escape. But the wily Chancellor excused himself, though rather lamely, to his Radical friends on the ground of want of time— the Home Rule Bill makes such a demand on the fleeting moments. Although he cannot quite reliph the attentions of Messrs Labouciiere and Co., he evidently thinks he can afford to put them off with excuses, if he does not actually snap his fingers in their face. The nation, he said, was rich, and insisted on making the money go, and the Job Humes were an extinct race. He added that the finances were sound, and that there was no ground for disquiet. Perhaps not. But though a democracy is not an economical kind ot government, the more democratic the English House of Commons becomes the more it will insist at least on certain kinds of retrenchment. But the jubilant and defiant Sir William no doubt hopes to be Premier before the new race of economists open their batteries, in which case the fire will be returned by other hands than his.