What the Papers Say

Observer, Volume XXI, Issue 1178, 27 July 1901, Page 4

What the Papers Say

It is now generally believed that the Farmers' Union is but a resuscitation of the National Association, the avowed object of which was to overthrow by hook or by crook the present Liberal Association. — Wellington Times. The saying that it is almost impossible to understand the public accounts of the colony is proved this year by the enormous total of the liabilities due on the 31st March last. — Oamaru Times. Mr Seddon's proposal to sUrt a rival farmers' society which shall be purely nonpolitical, is so ludicrous a suggestion, coming f'om Mr Seddon, that we cau hardly believe any intelligent farmer will be taken in by it. — Napier herald. If Parliament reduces the number of small governing bodies in New Zealand this session, and ieorganises municipal affairs generally, it will not sit for nothing. — Blenheim E.vpress. To talk of passing a measure into law, by means of lhe Referendum, 'over the heads of both branchea of the Legislature by a vote of the people, who would not have any idea of its provisions,' is a very old and Conservative argument. — Carterton Leader. Exit ' Fates,' amid an air of backstairs mystery, apropos to his political life. — Balclutha Free Press on George Hutchison's resignation. Having regard to the fact, however, that grave abuses and scandals are inseparable from the vexatious and impossible restrictions which are part and parcel of the existing law, the fact is becoming more and more recognised that the real remedy lies in absolute State control. Thia would effectually remove the liquor problem from the sphere of politics. — Inangahua Times. The shuffling candidate should be struck out without a moment's hesitation. If he shuffles now he will certainly shuffle if sent to Parliament. — Sydney Sunday Times. History says this handsome colony gets oif with half a million surplus, but history (commonly known as ' Dick ' with a big chest) does not say how much this down trodden country owes to old England ; nor does it say that we have been fools enough to waste one hundred thousand pounds in flimsy ' show ' for RoyaVty sake— money that could have been well spent on the roads — especially those of the North. — Eawakawa Luminaiy. It is true that New Zealand is a land without strikes, but it has in proportion to its population hundreds of times more labour disputes then any other country. And yet we take for granted that our ex periment haa been a success ! — Dunedin Star. As the Conciliation Boards do not ac complish what it was expected they would be the means of doing, the most judicious course would be to abolish them. They are expensive luxuries, as the proceedings are usually of a very protracted nature, entailing a horde of witnesses and representatives of the employers and Unions being in attendance day after day, and, frequently, week after week, without any practical <good being accomplished. It seems to us that the Arbitration Court accomplishes all that is required. — Coromandel Neios. We may boast of our colony being Labour's Elysium, but Bhould not overlook *he fact that whatever prosperity we bave gained in one pocket, in the shape of increased earnings, we are haviog to piy for out of the other pocket by enhanced cost of food and clothing. — Gisborne Herald. It is regarded in M.L ' right-thinking ' circles as certain that when Parliament reassembles, the Ministry will submit a resolution that Works-Minister Hall Jones be expelled from the House for ' disloyalty ' in refusing to give up to one of the Duke of York's suite the rooms permanently tenanted by himself and Mrs Hall Jones at Searle's Hotel. Minister Hall-Jones must certainly be accounted a coarse and vulgar, not te say treasonable person; it is absolutely certain that in snch a case Seddon and ' Sir Joseph ' Ward would have cheerfully slept in the dog- kennel or the fowl house.— Sydney Bulletin.

Unconsciously, perhaps, bnt surely, the labour unions are preparing the country for almost universal State control. Providing success crowns their efforts, emS lovers' occupations will be gone, or will windla away into an uninteresting and unambitious mechanical process- Who can say whether the coming change will be beneficial ? We can only hope — and work. — Wellington Lance. Notoriously, Auckland has been the horae of the sweater in this colony. — Carterton Leader. America wants to enter as a competitor with Great Britain in the tak of lending ns money. Shall this be permitted '! Never ? One people, one popshop ! — Sydney Truth. If the length of the session is to be in proportion to that of the speech delivered at ita opening, the. public will be heartily tired of Parliament and all its doings long before the day of prorogation arrives. — Hamilton Argus. The one thing that Mr Seddon seems uoable to realise is that brevity ia the soul of wit. His official manifestoes, as well as his oratory, are notable for verbosity to an extent that is wearisome, and he is fast becoming a standing terror at public meetings and banquets — Dunedin Star. One of the moat humorous items of the Chinese situation is that cabled by our Shanghai correspondent that Li Hung Chang and other nigh officials are suggestively preparing for the Dowager's return to Pekin by insuring their lives in foreign offices ! - Sydney Sunday Times. The members of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals should be appointed by Government, then more good work would be done and less ignorance shown.— Christchurch Spectator. The student who wants to see the best collection of New Zealand birds will bave to go to the Hon. Walter Rothschild's museum, and to the British Museum, or the Fitzwilliam, at Cambridge, if he wants to see specimena of Maori art and industry Already Cambridge posses.es a better collection of greenstone objects than is to be found in any museum in this colony. The subject is one that deserves to be taken in hand by the Government. — Gisborne Herald. We hope Mr Keir Hardies friends will note that we want no traitors to preach sedition in this country. — Carterton Leader. Tbe general public have no conception of the extent to which the privilege of using the telegraph and postal services by Government and its officials without charge has been abused of late years in New Zealand. It is well within the mark io estimate the value of telegrams called ' memos! sent by or on behalf of members of the Ministry at £10. 000 a year, while the total value of Government telegrams are not far short of £80,000 a year.— Palmerston Standard. The trend of recent socialistic legislation has most certainly a tendency to check enterprise, and if legislation once fixes the highest rate of pront which may be earned, and provides for competition by Government undertakings, it is not hazardous to predict that not only will the flow of capital into the country cease, but, in addition, that which is already here will be withdrawn — Hamilton Argus. Miss New Zealand, while rejecting young Australia's proposal for a union, has declared that she can only be a sister to him. — Australian paper. It ia a somewhat unusual circumstance that the whole of the appeals tbat have come before the Court of Appeal at its present sittings have related to the interpretation of statute law— an argument in favour of the simplification of the wording of legislative Acts. — Wellington Post. Had the young man Aubury been represented by counsel, we are confident that certain extenuating evidence would have been forthcoming, and that had the evidence been tendered — we believe it is still available — it would have placed a different aspect on the case, and the heavy sentence of • en years' hard labour and two floggings with the lash would never have been passed by Judge Conoily. — Thames Star.

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