The Daily News. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9. EFFICIENCY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7999, 9 December 1905, Page 2

The Daily News. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9. EFFICIENCY.

We have aheady referred to the •hangc in I'uc ial Government, and to tlic faciei s whirl have m-ide this inevitable The advent of a Radical Government iri England is much more a concern o! a progressive colony to-day than il nas twenty years ago, when a Lib arnl Government' was elected there with a substantial maj irit.y. In those days it was by uo mems an inconsiderable section of the Radical party which hel 1 that the best policy for England was to set adrift each colony as it became strong enough to take a place among the nations. ISy wliatevercircumstances-and theyhave been many, and often apparently conilicting - the growth of that phase of national instinct which is known :it- " Imperialism " lias developed, it issatisfactory to Mother Country and colonies alike that tlio feeling of unity of destiny between them way never so strong as it is to-day. That this is recognised by progressive politicians in England wo have had mam assurances of Ute. Political leaders have on many Occasions renounced any intention of pursuing any " little England " policy of earlier days. Naturally—as in growth of every kind - there have been many e.xerescetices and false starts in connection with tho development of this natioua' instinct, hut the growth is nevertheless an accomplished fact, ant' one which must be reckoned with In ,ioliticians in both hemispheres, fc'o far we havj only been able to see ihi affect of an Imperial Government re ■letioiwrv in its domestic legislation upon this new feeling of national unity, and it will be of inierest to .see how one [ile lged to progressive legistion in its midst will foster or choke back the spirit of linpei ialisin, * * » t

I> tlie " tleviu.v of ilevio.v.i " for November our Chief Justiou has coNtiibuted ii thoughtful |M|t:r on ''True' Imperialism." Tiie writer traces tlxgrowth of the fueling of interdependence between social, religions and commercial communities into tin larger one of the imperial instinct between the outlying and central portions (if the Empire. Sir I'obert's position piovi nts liim taking any politie.il "side " in his n-:n u !.-s, but in his delineation of the colonist's ideal of the colonies as the 11 places where there will bo the highest intellectual life, and the home of the highest and most artistic arts," he shows clearly that there can be no agreement, with the only suggestion made by the njiostle of " Imperialism by means of tarilf" that, the colonies should cease the building up of manufactures, leaving such to ]>ri tain, and being themselves content to be suppliers of raw material onlv. I'or, as he says, " Education and intellectual development are found most widely diffused in those countries where there are the secondary and the highest industries," and not so "where the population is mainlv concerned in obtaining primary products."

Tins of coiir.sc is true, ihengh the Chief Jlist,ice is catcfu! to a lii that even in tlic latter "as scientific knowledge extends, this position way be altered or mollified." In Taranaki there are signs of this modification. The suggested formation of a model dairy farm shows that i s this district there is recognised the necessity of extending scientific knowlftlge to the obtaining of the " primM| product" for which the fatuous. Indued this is th^^^^^l

Sir Robert's message true Imperialism is efficiency. Uy becoming individually efficient members of the Empire, we shall do more to weld it into a cohesive unity than any system of customs taiiff could possibly accomplish, and in driving home this point he quotes Emerson's remark that "the American workman who •strikes ten blows with his hammer whilst the foreign workman only strikes one, is as really vanquishing the foreigners as if the blows weie aimed at and toll on his person';'', lad this, we add, is equally true of the farmer who can make two blades jf grass grow where his competitor can only suocee.l in making one. ouch reasoning seems almost a pita :or the development of national.life in the colony, but Sir Robert thinks that our share in Empire-building should bj to lead " simple and honest lives ... in all things alert and efficient." If we succeed in doI ing this we shall get rid of evils which afflict our race here and in r older parts of the. Empire, and our example will re act on our business, and become a leaven of true Imperialism that will save the Empire i'rom decay.