WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

Observer, Volume XVIII, Issue 1023, 6 August 1898, Page 4

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

P-AaiiAMENT is a sanctuary, where saints are sinners and sinners are saints. — Wellington Guardian. ■

New Zealand leads the world in the number of post offices it has in proportion to its population. — Marlborough Express.

Trades Unions are the most conservative, and autocratic combinations that exist under the British flag.— iVaikato Argus.

It is notorious that in this and other cities of the colony there are money-lend-ing companies whose charges are more exorbitant than Shylock ever levied. — Wellington Times.

The Qpunake Times has started a puzzle column, and offers a prize of one shilling. If anyone wins that shilling, what become of the Times ?— New Plymouth News.

Without loss of time the New Zealand Alliance should place oh record an expres sion of its- detestation of the tactics employed in Wellington to procure the commission of ah offence against the licensing law. — Carterton Leader.

It is an old saying that a man should not marry unless he can support a wife ; and from some examples we have seen, we are beginning 'to, doubt whether a woman can prudently marry unless she can sup port her husband. — Sydney Truth.

One hour (11 p.m.) should be fixed throughout the country as the time for closing public-houses. This is more convenient than leaving it to the decision of a^ certain body of men who for a time may be nnder the cloud of a local fad. — Masterton Star.

The fact that no less than fifty School Committees have petitioned. Parliament in favour of putting School Inspectors directly under the Education Department shows tbat there is a somewhat widespread dissatisfaction with the present system — Wellington Post.

The Municipal Franchise Extension Bill has provided another mysterious creature to be called a ' residental occupant ' who is deemed to be worthy of a municipal vote. He is causing as much trouble just now as the abandoned discreet woman did two sessions ago. — Greytown Standard.

Our present system of charitable aid is such a bad one that the use of the word ' rotten ' is quite applicable as a descriptive term — in fact, there is no other which could be used as adequate to the conveyance of a sense of its badness. — Waikato Times.

As to the truth of the statement that our schools are more or less devoted to pernicious cramming, there is not the slightest doubt. Education in its broad sense, and in its higher sense, is entirely neglected ; and we doubt if it is even comprehended. — Thames Advertiser.

The one branch of our New Zealand politics that is more mysterious than any other is that of finance, and never could the saying that ' figures can. be made to prove anything' be more aptly applied than to the way in which our public accounts are manipulated. — Manawatu Standard.

The Syrian hawker, the Chinese laundry man, furniture maker and market gardener, the Afghan camel driver, and the Cingalese or Japanese sugar and tobacco planter are all undesirable immigrants so long as they retain the habits and customs of an inferior civilization, living apart from the rest of the community, but competing with British wage earners on terms which are grossly disadvantageous to the development of the higher civilization which is the aim of the community — Melbourne Table Talk.

' ' Hoodwinking ' the inspectors was a subject referred to by the chairman of the North Canterbury Education Board recently in connection with a report of the inspector on home lessons. He eaid tbat; he had come down tbat morning in a train with a gentleman who had let a little daylight into the matter. In one school, as an instance, at the examination certain signs were agreed upon between the teachers and the children to hoodwink the

inspectors. For instance, the teacher put to his chin to indicate a full stop, Rbkhisear for the comma, etc. — Wairarapa

The Labour party, that conglomeration of inane dreamers. — Adelaide Critic.

A secret deputation representing the trade has interviewed the Premier on the Licensing Question— Paeroa Tribune.

The libel laws of New Zealand are obsolete, more vicious and inimical to the public interests than .those of >ny colony in the Southern Hemisphere.— Hastings Standard.

The value of technical education, within reasonable limits, no one to-day would be found to dispute, but there is ■just a little danger that the thing may be overdone — Wanganui Chronicle.

There i^ rapidly growing in our Parliament a system of vilification, abuse and accusation, as between members, which scarcely finds, an Australasian parallel, even in the.New. South Wales Parliament. — Wellington Times.

It is ab-olutely ridiculous to hunt down the burglar and chase the comparatively honourable bushranger to his lair, whilst we permit the unscrupulous ' financier . to rob foolish or necessitous clients of their last copper, and give him the protection of the law. — Melbourne Punch.

Some valuab'e work was done by the Municipal Conference just closed. The discussions and resolutions of such an assembly should prove of distinct use to our legislators when Municipal Bills are before the House.— Wellington Post.

It is above all things necessary that discipline ih our public schools should be maintained, but it is difficult to see any just reason for ' keeping in ' children during ' dinner hour ' when there is plenty of time to inflict that wholesome method of correction after 3.3o.— Thames Advertiser.

So Jong aB the State legalises the betting of ' tote ' odds on the machine, the people will see little or no harm in betting the same odds with bookmakers away from the course. Morally, there is no reason why the fact of the money "going on the machine or not should make any difference — Wellington Post.

It was notably a fact that when Mr Tillett addressed his audience and railed against the employers, talked a lot erf fustian concerning tne down-trodderf workers, and generally made himself ridiculous if not obnoxious, the officers of the Trades and Labour Councils were his clacguers. — Carterton Leader.

A newspaper in this colony has practi cally no privilege It dare not publish bona fide the report of speeches made at public meetings lest it should be mulcted m damages for libel It cannot expose wrong-doing or impositionas it should do, so dire may be the consequences. — Hastings Standard.

We have nothing but contempt for those politicians who, under the belief that prohibition was a power, truckled to its advocates, and who now r knowing it to be weak, treat it with contumely and disdain. Prohibition has but few friends in the present House. ' There was a stampede to the other side after the last poll. — Oamaru Times.

We believe that this country was primarily bnrdened with the heavy load of the Bank of New Zealand because of the commercial necessities of one mari;_and but for that man the Bank would have closed its doors and reconstructed at the expense of its creditors, as did the Australian banks, and not at the expense of the taxpayers of this country. — Wellington Post.

Cramming for results is the crime committed under bur present system of education. Inspectors . and teachers are too. often only insistory for results, and the result is resultful — of mischief. . One hundied per cent — it is called a recommendation, and it is cited everywhere ; but how much does it contain of kindly feeling, of expanding mind, of generous idea? — Karangahake Advocate.

Assume, however, that the State has a monopoly in legal work. No one would be safe. Actions would be wilfully brought by political opponents, and counsel for the plaintiff and for the defendant would be Mr fcJeddon in a dual capacity, for the counsel on each side iwould be provided from the staff of the State Law Bureau, and would be under the thumb ot Mr Seddon -just as much as the heads of other State departments are now under his thumb.— Wellington Guardian.