Rangitikei Advocate TWO EDITIONS DAILY FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1913. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10591, 7 March 1913, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate TWO EDITIONS DAILY FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1913. EDITORIAL NOTES.

WE are pleased to note that Sir Joseph Ward is continuing to press forward views which were first enunciated in this journal some years ago. At the luncheon in London at which he was entertained by the Empire Parliamentary Asociation, after referring to naval defence, he said: “The great majority of the people of the country which he represented recognised that their safety depended on the safety of England, but while they viewed with satisfaction the tremendous step forward which had been made in inviting the Dominions to send representatives to sit on the Defence Committee they realised in all seriousness that that was not sufficient. The genius of British statesmen in the past had always been able to overcome difficulties, and it was hoped that that same genius would he abl« to overcome the difficulties attaching to th© present position, and would be able to devia® measures that would give satisfaction to the Motherland and the Oversea Dominions too. It did not seem to him to he either reasonable or possible for the present condition of things to last long.* The time was coming, so sure as they wer® in the Haroourt Boom that day, when §fche Motherland would gee the necessity of making a change in the Constitution which would admit of representation of the Oversea Dominions, and would enable the Motherland as the predominant partner to be die controlling partner of the altered Constitution for the preservation of the Dominions as well as the Motherland itself. Many of the people in the Dominions had never seen the House of Commons, but when they understood the multifarious character of the work which was going on there and realised the limitations which had to be imposed to enable them fo carry their work on they must recognise, both sides must see, that without the use of the guillotine the work ®f the Mother of Parliaments became clogged. He wished to express his opinion as a free and independent citizen of the Empire that they would never solve the present difficulties until the genius of the British statesman provided that the

work of defence, of foreign affairs.

of trade development, and things that were common to them all, waa put into the hands of an Empire Parliament free from local affairs. (Cheers.) They would never, in his opinion, see the fabric of the British Empire made strong and powerful and irrreslstible without establishing a great Imperial Navy controlled by an Imperial Parliament, which would make for the peace of the world for the next generation. He looked forward to the time when the interests of the Old Band would cause them to separate the retail ■ branch of the House of Commons i from the wholesale branch, leaving j the retail branch to be carried on j for the benefit of the local sections, j and the great over-riding Empire

Parliament giving effect to the wishes of the British people in the Empire. "Without attempting to put his oar into the politics of the Old World he looked forward to the time when the men of the Empire would he able so to control the destines of the Empire that it would become so powerful that no single Power would be able to do anything but recognise that there had never been anything to compare with it. These growing young countries, not anxious to take"part in England’s internal affairs, were holding out their hands with the common object that no other Power should ever ba allowed to take possession of New Zealand, or Australia, or South Africa. In Now Zealand they had done everything they could to defend themselves against a raid. If they believed in one Empire, one : King, and one Flag, as they all did, then they ought to believe in one people. The interchange of visits promoted by the Empire Association was calculated to do an immense amount of good. He hoped that the great minds of this country would realise that some change of system was essential, so that all parts of the Empire could have representation without its being regarded as"a compliment, but a right to the Oversea Dominions to enable them to do something to help the British Empire to become greater and more powerful than it was to-day.”

WE cannot endorse the Hon. Mr Fisher's suggestion that the State should take over the control of work now done by municipal bodies, because we believe that in most instances these things are better managed by members of the local bodies than they would be by State departments As a rule the less the State interferes with tke actual working of public affairs the better for the people, and the local bodies are more under the direct control of the people interested than State officials would he. It is quite true that sometimes a clique or faction in the community obtains control and its members may exercise improper influence on the management of affairs, hut these evils work their own cure, and at each annual election the ratepayers have the remedy in their own hands. It is not desirable that the State should make any further invasion of the right of the people to manage thoir own affairs in all matters pertaining to local self-government. If State interference is uermitted in regard to the management of municipal affairs, it is only a step further to assume control of county affairs, and it is also fairly certain that if the State succeeded in obtaining direct control of either municipal or county affairs it would speedily demand the right to levy special rates to resoup it, or annex a proportion of the amount produced by the general rates. The members of loeal bodies should take due care that tbeir powers are not diminished or taken from them.

Loudon reports that the Captain Scott fund totals £47,000. An old identity of New Plymouth, Mrs P. G. George, is dead. She was horn in 1822 and arrived in New Plymouth 55 ago. Her only living child is Mrs Cannell, wife of Rev W. Cannell. Mr Herman Winters, manager of the Ounard line, giving evidence at New York yesterday in connection •with the Government suit for the dissolution of the shipping trust, said the rate wars simply drew the companies together. They , didj not agree on rates in order to drive theweaker companies to the wall. Andrew Melville, an old and respected farmer at Riverside, was killed at Bnlclutha yesterday afternoon. He ‘and Mrs Melville were driving to the freezing works, and while passing through a gate the horse became fractious. The cart was overturned and both ocaupants were thrown out. Mr Melville’s neck'was broken, and Mrs Melville sustained a broken leg, and severe injuries to her face. She was removed to an adjacent house in an unconscious condition. Lord Grey states that he and personal friends interested in the overseas Dominions have subscribed a guarantee fund of £IO,OOO in connection with the Aldwyoh site in the Strand. If the Dominions choose to manage the proposed building, which he hoped would become the London home of the Overseas Dominions, the promoters would retire without any profit. If the Dominions did not care to taka tha responsibility, the promoters would build and take all the risk. The maximum profit would be 5 per cent.

Mathias Olatworthy, a "shipwright, aged about 60, was killed at Ballena Bay near Eoseueath on Thursday morning. He was engaged caulking the bottom of the Harbour Board dredge’s punt when a jack, which rested on a piece of tarred timber, slipped. Olatworthy was partly under the punt which crashed on top of him, killing him instantly. Deceased, who leaves a widow and family, was at one time part owner of the patent slip at Clyde Quay. He waa brought out from Horn® in the 70’a by Kennaird Bros , who carried out various large Government contracts in New Zealand.

Fitzgerald “ Clark, a negro, was arrested in Wellington yesterday afternoon on a charge of causing actual bodily harm to Edward Doherty. It appears that Doherty was walking along Upper Willis Street with his brother Patrick. They mssed Clark, and Edward Doherty said “Good afternoon” to him. Clark called Edward Doherty hack. They had a few words. Then \ Clark struck Doherty and knocked ! him down. In the fall, Doherty j fractured the base of his skull. Hs ! was attended by to a doctor and ral moved to a hospital, where he now lies unconscious. Clark alleges ? Doherty used offensive language j towards.him. _ | Warner's Rust-proof Corsets. | Every pair guaranteed not to Rust, j break or Tear. Your Draper stocks I “Warner’s.”*. !

A 'St. Petersburg "message states that 52 fishermen at 'Astraban were carried to sea on an ice floe.

Sydney Oity Council has increased the unimproved rate a halfpenny a pouncl;in order to'oover an anticipated deficit of £<50,000.

Two hundred and fifty houses in an outlying suburb of Cairo have been burnt. Fire hundred and

twelve people were killed. Mr 'Ohas. Taylor, Clerk of the Gourt>t Oollingwood, and late of Wanganui, has been appointed Clerk of the Court at] Feilding.

Sydney reports that yesterday after over a month of sweltering droughty a heavy storm oame on, and rain is falling.

All those interested in the revival of football in Mar ton are requested to attend a meeting in the Coronation Hall £at 8 o’clock this evening. We have received a letter- signed “One of the Friends.” We regret that journalistic rule will not allow us to republish letters that have appeared infother journals. Mr Alex Stuart, Heaton Park, wants a man or strong lad to milk and make .himself generally useful. Loan aiid Mercantile add to Apiti and Kimbolton sales.

The Admiralty has announced that it is taking cadets from the public schools, aged between eighteen and nineteen years, to remedy the shortage of officers. In a libel case bronght against the Taranaki News in which £6Ol was claimed as damages, the jury after fire minutes’ ‘retirement gave a verdict for the defendant newspaper with costs on the highest scale. Mr Oolin Campbell of the Chief Postmaster’s Staff, Auckland, has | been promoted on transfer to the I Accountants Branch of the Head Office, Wellington. Mr Campbell was formerly attached to Marton Post Office. The body of a married man aged 40, named Robert A. Dav ys, accountant of Pukekohe, was found in Auckland harbour yesterday. Deceased left Pukekohe for Auckland on business on Wednesday, and had not been seen since. At Mr J. R. Mackenzie’s dispersal sale, near Waikaka, the Clydesdale Fred (imp.) realised 380gna., Auchiuoruive (imp.) 370gns, Dunure Thomas (imp.) JiOgns, imported mare Harviestown Rita 310gns, (imp.) rams Signs, Signs, Signs, 44gn3, and 33gns William Curain, of'Auckland, aged | 34, was affected by tbe sudden death of his employer, W. Merson, a little over a week ago. After seeing his dead body he went home and became unconscious and was removed to the hospital, where he died yesterday from nervous breakdown. At the Picture Entertainment by Fuller’s management in the Argyle Hall, Hunterville, in connection with the Sports, the gross takings were £l7 19s 6d, which, strange to say, coincides with the previous year’s takings. The dance following the'eutertainment was well attended and thoroughly enjoyed. In consequence of the prolonged dry weather ‘stock in the north is suffering severely, as the grass is nearly all completely dried up, and affords little feed. Large areas have been burnt during the season, and fern and grass alike have been cleared right off. In its reserved judgment the Arbitration Court ruled that where a new award in a particular trade did not refer to existing agreements or contrasts in regard to the employment of apprentices, such contracts having been entered into under a previous award, they must be deemed to remain unaffected, and would continue for the term agreed upon as under the old award. The Sanson Methodist Church trustees are advertising for sale by tender two sections in Halcombe. We understand that as far back as 1880 the trustees purchased these for church and parsonage purposes ; and that now union is consummated with the Primitive Methodists, who have both a church and parsonage in Halcombe, they are selling in order to devote the proceeds towards the erection of a new ohuroh in Sanson, The jubilee of the Westland Goldfield will be held at Hokitika on January;7th, Bth and 9th, 1914, with days following at Ross and Kumara. In connection with Jubilee the Celebration Committee is anxious to compile a list of pioneers who were on the West Coast any time in the sixties. They are asked to send their name and address to the Secretary of the Jubilee Committee at Hokitika, The Hon. Fisher, in a speech at Paparoa, said the experience of the past year proved the injustice of the cry that Government would immediately reduce wages. Without doing this Government intended to increase the efficiency^of the Public Service. He condemned the system bv which any Government penalised a district which had dignity enough to think for itself and elect representatives opposed to the party in power. Mr David Pirani, well known in the Manawatu and Auckland districts, where he was engaged in journalism and farming, died suddenly at Palmerston North ou Thursday evening, aged 49. He had been suffering from a painful and dangerous malady for "some time and was (found unconscious pn [his bedroom, whore he expired in spite of medical attention. He leaves a wife but no family.