WHAT OTHER PAPERS SAY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11371, 2 September 1908, Page 4

WHAT OTHER PAPERS SAY.

There appears to us ho valid reason Why the application National Annuities, of a- scheme of superannuation should not be extended to include every thrifty worker m the Dominion, and such a humane measure would tend to: sweeten. the lives of countless toil-worn folk; whose outlook is at present embittered by the ever.^haunting possibility of desti' tution, or at best straitened cireumstan; ens m the fall of their lives.— Dunedin Star. . :';... ,-./;

Th c problem of th c .bi rtb rate m all. its aspects .-is., one .--too' . The Population complex for the State Problem. to hope to adequately cope : with. It is possible, however,. for a. Government to take judicious actibn, such as may affect/ thfe population of a country, from steps (Calculated to put an end to the unnecessary wastage of infant life to Others calculated to assist those who constitute the class Which the. State has most to thank for providing the citizens of the future. | — Otago Daily Times.'

It is suggested that New Zealand ;has a larger proportion, of The Civil Service. State employes than has. , any other coun^ try. Such a proposition surely requires some proof* but even if it is true it means only 'that the State is doing more for the people than' other States are doing. The Oppositionists declare* that this is evidence - of the menace of Socialism,' but they have been' challenged again 1 and again to say Avhere they would apply the pruning . knife, and of course they simply have not the" courage to respond. When they want to discredit Socialism they 'tell us that the ideal is "far from realisation," ahd is', indeed; impossible. When they want; to discredit 1 the Government they- tell us that Socialism is rapidly approaching. After all these years we surely might^expett them to have realised the futility of such silly criticisms. -^Lyt-, telton' Times. ,

It -.' is Election year,,^lEindn.mcmberß.,,aTld .... ,„ j ■-'*.. deputations '.', are, Knocking The Cry for loudly &t • the- Ti-easuVy Railways. portals? iln the House .-. : , ••.■■>. „*".' last Weekthe cryj I ol* railways went up ..in uui insistent .,, 4 chorus, . while outside thewalls/of ;P/a'rliamjenVdeputatibris are in-essing^ :, 6n •''Ministers the requirements 'of their districts dn^the matter of roads, bridges",, and railways. The completion of the North' Island Main' Trunk Railway between Wellington and Auckland, a work ' which has served for-' years past, as a useful buffer against the clamor for district railways, has unloosed upon Ministers and members, every scheme of railway construction ever contemplated within the Dominion. There are many who hold the opinjon that some of our uncompleted lines should never ba completed, and that it would pay tlie country to close them down altogether.' This may be an extreme view, but witli' . the' annual loss on our railways growing with the extension of the existing lines, 1 tlie question is not one to be trifled with-. Tlie Prime Minister would be acting wisely were he to take the House into his confidnece m the matter of the future policy of the Government m relation to railway construction.— The Dominion.

The Prohibitionists and the "Continu- -.:.;' ists" will have to State Control. fight out their battle •'.,■■'' on the old lines, and ■probably the Moderates will divide their, support about equally between the two parties 1 . . But if the Prohibitionists make jno progress- next . December, or very little, they may be inclined to look more favorablyaiipori. a lcds drastic solution, of the problem. State control would not close the way to Prohibition; indeed, itmight make the -road - much easier by getting rid' of the vast proprietary interest that is now arrayed against reform- ; . but for the present there is no middle course open to the electors. . . . .' .- • There will be no amendment of the law before the -next local! option poll and the Prohibitionists will have the fullest opportunity to measure. their strength with that of the Continuists. But we shall hot be content to wait for half a century for some improvement upon the present unsatisfactory licensing system, and -we fancy that there are- a great number of electors who are no more patient, than ourselves. Tlie addition. of State' control to the local option issifcs would not neces--sarily prejudice the claims of prohibition. — Lyttelton Times. -■