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Taranaki Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 145998, 3 December 1917, Page 2

The tone of the German leaders has undergone a marvellous change since the beginning of the war; then they were going to defeat and impose their will on the foe, now the watchword is “AVait, endure, hold out.” Even the successes at lliga .and in Italy rouse no note of triumph in the speech of the German hCaneellor, he can only express the hope that the Italian disaster will fee accepted :as a warning, leading her

people to listen to the voice of reason and humanity. Again, as-so often before, the Chancellor hlaanos the Allies for continuing tho war, destroying irreplaceable works of civilisation and causing enormous slaughter. It is a wonderful picture, the peaceful, highly civilised and long-suffering people of Germany, anxious only to preserve their beloved Fatherland from tho invader, attacked hv implacable and lawless hordes who sock to wreck with impious hands all that is most sacred in the world. One can look on with interest at those disingenuous efforts to prove that black is white because tho Gormans choose to say it is so. The Chancellor has not only to try to deceive tho enemy and neutral Powers as to the origin of the war, hut also to endeavour to prove to the German people thru; their institutions have been liberalised. Ho. goes the length of assuring his hearers that the Imperial Government will always lend a willing ear to the wishes and suggestions of the Reichstag, though the fundamental principles of the constitution must, of course, remain unchanged. Wien such gracious promises are made the Socialists kiss tho rod and vote the now war credits with enthusiasm. The Gorman people live in a world of their own imagining which is utterly different from the real world. They do not realise that they arc by their whole policy and conduct outcasts from the society of civilised nations. and the facts can only ho brought, homo to thorn by what they can understand—a decisive military defeat.

Among the remits passed by the Associated Chambers of Commerce hist week was one from Marlborough “that this chamber urges that the qucHiqon of adoption of the metric system of coinage, weights, and measures he again considered, and that the Government be asked to take the matter up. It is considered by this chamber that the adoption of this system is in the interests of both international trade and general efficiency.” The conference had a long older paper to get through and this came at the end of it; that fact may account for its being adopted so readily, for if greater consideration had been given to it the conference would surely have seen that it is quite “ontsido tho domain • of practical polities” at present. It would be foolish in the extreme for Now Zealand to adhpt the mcfrje system until England is prepared to do .so, and England has something else to think about just now. Wo express no opinion on the merits of tho system, for it would be a- waste of time to discuss it. It is, however, to bo regretted that the Associated Chambers of Commerce, which is supposed to represent the best commercial interests of the Dominion, should ask the Government to deal with a matter of this kind now. It is not practical at tho present stage, nor likely to be until England seriously contemplates adopting the metric system, and it is nearly always a. mistake to urge upon tho Government’s attention matters that obviously cannot receive attention.

Tho Allen Fund is now approaching £200; another £IOO will enable the trustees to discharge the mortgage on Mrs. Allen's property and leave her rent free. Kven then she will have a sufficiently hard struggle for a few years, until some of her children are old enough to help her to provide for tho wants of a family of nine. The case is one of the most deserving ever brought to local notice. The late Mr. Allen was a hard-working, thrifty man, who had served Ids country in tho Boer War and had continued to serve it by rearing a large family and by working hard to maintain them. His widow is also a worker, as any woman must ho to bring up and care for a number of children as hci's arc being brought up and carod for. She is entitled to a pension of £6O a year, out of which, however, there will be £IS a year interest to be paid unless the mortgage on her house is paid off, leaving her only about fifteen shillings a week to live on. With so many young children —one is a baby in arms —to care for it is obviously impossible for her to earn much herself, and wo feel sure that there will bo sympathisers enough to subscribe the necessary sum to relievo her at least of the payment of Tent or interest. We should very much like to see the £3OO collected before Christmas, so that the property may bo freed as a Christmas gift from the subscribers, and in order to help the fund along into the third hundred tho Herald proprietary will donate a second sum of £5.