The Otago Witness. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY. (WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1911.) THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2975, 22 March 1911, Page 52

The Otago Witness. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY. (WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1911.) THE WEEK.

« Nnnqnatn atiu-d natura. alincl eapienPa dixit.”— " Good nature and good sense must ever jo;n. POPB. Two interesting, and, at first sight, cmtradictory movements aie at the present time discernible on the world’s horizon —viz., the movement towards peace, and the movement towards war. But the contradiction is more apparent than real, since the burden of the increased armaments now pressing so heavily upon all the Great Powers should have the ultimate result of accelerating the movement towards peace. This movement for the promotion of international peace received unexpected reinforcement at the close of la.t y.ar in the Carnegie bequest. Mr Audjew Carnegie created a Board of Trustees of 27 members, and handed over to them bonds of the market value of eleven and a-half million dollars (nearly £3,000,000), the revenue of which is to be administered in such movements as the trustees themselves may organise to hasten the abolition of international war. So soon as this movement has reached its consummation and international war has ceased, the tins tees are empowered to consider what is the next most degrading evil or evils whose banishment would most advance the progress, elevation, and happiness of man, and to appropriate the funds at their disposal ’in support of such a movement. Commenting on this bequest, an influential New York journal remarks:—“The moveanent for the abolition of war is not confined to a few' optimistic and enthusiastic advocates of peace. It is supported by the great labour organisations of all democratic and quasi-democratic countries, and net less by their great commercial organisations'. And we have discovered in comparatively recent times a movement by which we may substitute the appeal to reason for the appeal to force, and have proved its practicability in so many cases of _ secondary importance that we may justly anticiate that the movement may find a w r ay in which it can be appealed to in all cases. Mr Andrew Carnegie has given a noble example to men of wealth by administering for the public his own enormous fortune. In none of his public benefactions has he given more wisely than this gift of 11,500,000 dollars to promote, not only the cause of peace, hut the substitution of the rule of justice for the rule of the strongest.” It is taken for granted that the Carnegie Peace Bequest was inspired by President Taft’s declaration in favour of referring all international disputes to arbitration without reserve. c- pronounced by Sir Edward Grey on President Taft’s speech during the discussion on the Naval Estimates has provoked world-wide comment. Sir Ed-, ward Gray said that while an agreement to refer everything to arbitration would entail some risk, and some sacrifice of national pride, yet Great Britain would be delighted to receive so sweeping* a proposal. Still he rould feel it to be so momentous and so far-reaching in its consequences that he would require the signature both of the Government and the deliberate and decided sanction of Parliament. and that, he believed, could be obtained. Which announcement was received in Parliament with tremendous cheering. President Taft has followed up Sir Edward Grev’s speech with a proposal to submit to Congress, in December, an international treaty between Great Britain and the United States after an informal interchange of views between the two Governments, and this interchange of views is now proceeding. It is easy to imagine what a tremendous moral effect the cooperation of the English-speaking countries in favour of international peace would at once produce. For while the Continental press for the most part professes to view the movement with suspicion and to doubt Great Britain’s bona tides, yet such a combination would in the long run go far to render war well nigh impossible. Lord Charles Beresford has committed himself to th e coin ion that the time has arrived whon the Engl shf peaking countries should combine to prevent war. for peace is essential to progress. .Indeed, the expression of opinion on the part of politicians and ecclesiastics alike is evidence of the widespread approval of the suggestion. President Taft has expressed himself as delighted with the favourable reception given bv England and the English people to the Anglo-American arbitration proposals, and he declares himself hopeful that other nations will follow the lead, with the result that universal peace will speedilv become an actual accomplishment. There is, however, a danger referred to bv .Sir Edward Grey when acknowledging Mr Balfour’s helpful words on ' the matter —namely, lest the Anglo-American Arbitration Treaty be construed by the other nations into an offensive and defensive alliance, in which case it might defeat the virtual ohi’ect for which it was formed. For then the Arbitration Treaty would have no mitigating effect upon the present increase of armaments, since the other Powers would re-

The Movement Towards Peace.

Where the Hofement Should Begin. T 1 dnlnfTTr

cognise the necessity of strengthening their armies and navies with a view of defending themselves against an Anglo-American combination.

In the course of the speech he delivered at the complimentary social tendered to him by his I’aieri constituents the Hon. T. Mackenzie declared th ,t he wished emphatically e present .system of cutting the electorates of the Dominion to pieces. He further .averred that the people were getting sick of the change, since scarcely had a member discovered the interests of the people he represented than the constituency was sweet away. The Minister for Agriculture certainly has a grievance in this, matter, for should the Ta.ierd electorate cease to be, it will only be a repetition of several similar experiences ; indeed, it has almost passed into a proverb that any constituency returning the Hon. T. Mackenzie to Parliament is signing its own death warrant, politically. Although Mr Mackenzie announced his intention of again offering himself for the suffrages of the Taieri electors, he of course qualified the declaration with the proviso that the Representation Commissioners may materially alter the boundaries so soon as the census returns are available. It is assumed that on a population basis the South Island will this year be compelled to cede two seats to the North ; and it is morally certain that one seat, ii not both, will he eliminated from Otago. In which event the Taieri electorate will either disappear entirely, or be so altered as to he unrecognisable. Of course it is impossible to forecast the actual alteration which will ensue, but indications point to one or other of two alternatives. On the one hand influence is being brought to persuade the commissioners to divide the Bruce electorate between the Clutha on the one hand, and the Taieri on the other, in which case it is rumoured that Lawrence might be restored to a goldfields constituency. On the other hand it is argued, seeing that Bruce is the oldest constituency in the Dominion, it would be a pity to extinguish that eletorate, and the maintenance of Bruce must mean the extinction of the Taieri. Whatever the ultimate result may he, the eonsiderab'e alteration which must take place in the Otago country constituencies is exciting a deal of perturbation among politicians. For until the new boundaries are announced it is difficult for, would-be members to make their plans of campaign. And as the census is not 'to he taken untill next month, some little time must elapse ere the new boundaries are fixed. The Minister for Agriculture is therefore much to be commiserated-,- for when the cards are finally shuffled be may be compelled to favour a North Island electorate with his personality.

Tite Disappearing Klectorale. i ohiei'i, to tl

The weather, always a fertile' topic for conversation, is at present pressing itself upon public •attention -with almost unpleasant persistence. Deeidrecasts of the weather prophets, the rain refuses to fall in" any adequate quantities, for the few slight showers of the past week seem almost a ■sarcasm on the situation. At xo time is the argument for irrigation more keenly enforced than during a drought; the mind seems to remember the torrents of rain which have gone rushing down to the sea, and which, confined behind convenient barriers, might in time of drought be released for the refreshment of the eartb. Only those engaged in pastoral and agricultural pursuits are able to realise to the full what the absence of rain spread over a lengthy period really means. The city dweller deems •it a hardship to be subjected to such temporary inconveniences as the storage of water implies, and he is ready to grumble over the destruction' of his garden, the deprivation of his morning bath, or having to ascend his office stairs instead of using the more convenient elevator. But these petty inconveniences sink into nothingness when compared with the real sacrifices which the drought brings to the farmer. With the continuance of the dry weather the dairy-farmer sees his supply of milk steadily shrinking, and his monthly cheaue decreases in exact proportion ; the stock-owner sees his pasture burnt browner and browner unt’l the day comes when reluctantly he has to send the bulk of his flock to the market to be sold at ruinously low prices. The only mitigating circumstance in the situation is that' the drv season enables the grain to be harvested in the very best condition; but even this is discounted in the only moderate prices ruling for wheat and oats. Thus, the man who despite his utmost exertions, has to contend with the caprices of Dame Natm’e h°s a continual score to settle wi+h her. No truer Ike was ever written that that wherein the Poet Laureate cried. “Nature, like the cuckoo, laughs at law. Placing her eggs in whatso nest, she will.” Am l this has ample illustrations in'the terr ble c’taclysms which are continually occurring all over the world, The evnut’on on the island c.f Taal in the Ph’l’p'dnes furni-hes the hit s' example of the devastation and death wrought bv the forces of Nature. It is supposed that the eruption of gas and steam from the active volcano generated electricity in mid-air, and +hat this culminated in a series of explosions which practically resulted in the death of every living creatine rn Ihe island, some f-ing like 15C0 bodies having been recovered.

Nature and (lie Drought. -ii ii, - t.