What the Papers Say

Observer, Volume XXVII, Issue 46, 3 August 1907, Page 3

What the Papers Say

THE Midland Railway must be classed as one of the greatest : . political jobs in the colony's history', and the voting of more money' for its completion is only perpetuating' a system of unfairness as between the two islands which has so long been the rule in the matter of public works expenditure. — Wanganui " Herald."

The ' ' nailing of the colours to the mast " proved to be a wretched attempt at braggadocio ; and the anticipated carrying-out on stretchers of the politically-lifeless forms of Massey and Co. has demonstrated again the utter folly of parading empty boasts. Oh, the ignominy of it ! — Petone " Chronicle."

In New Zealand, government by party has been prostituted and debased, but that is not to say that the system is bad. After all, there is much wisdom iv the saying that " whatever is best administered is best." — New Plymouth " News."

It says much for the possession by Parliament of a desire to wrangle that members could be found willing to waste time in disputing whether the country should be called iv future "Dominion" or "Colony." From the practical side it does not matter a fig which term is used. — Wanganui "Herald."

We have ■ borrowed about £60,000,000, and with the exception of about £23,000,000, the rest, — where is it ? The public records contain the information, but of all the moneys spent outside railways and public buildings there is little if anything to show for it. — Oamaru " Times."

The First Offenders' Probation Act was an experiment in humanity which, as it has now been in force for twenty years, and stands high in the favour of Judges, policemen, and the public at large, may be said to have passed through a long period of probation with exceptional credit. —Wellington " Post."

There is no more reason why the State should compete against the private landlord who owns agricultural land to cause close settlement, or against the private money-lender to bring down interest, than against the landlord who lets houses. — - Napier "Telegraph."

It is all very well for the statesman in London, who has probablj never seen a Chinese and who knows nothing of him, urging the colonies to take the yellow man by the hand and become a brother to him. The theorist won't realise the position until the Chinaman is his own equal and sits in his own Parliament and takes away his trade. — New Plymouth " News."

There can be little sentiment and less philanthropy in the treatment which infants receive in most board-ing-out homes, and even if the neglect in such establishments attendant on what is merely a business transaction were really responsible for but a very small percentage of infant mortality, there should be a better assurance in this connection than obtains at present. — Dargaville "Times." '

"We do not want to create a race of native landlords, nor do we want to hand over to the natives large sums to be squandered by them. But it is not difficult to find a middle course by paying for the. land with debentures, with a provision that these might be converted, into cash to improve or to stock the natives' holdings. — Napier " Herald."

Many a "worker" with .a large family, and earning £4 a week, has less money to expend on house building than has a "worker" who is earning only £2 a week, and who has not the responsibilities which accompany the vl full cradle" policy. — Hastings "Standard."

The advantage of the freehold is that the holder is liable to pay taxation on the full value. For that reason alone it is to the interest of the State that every inducement should be offered to the settler to acquire the fee simple of his holding;. — Napier "Herald."

When we have agreed to stop borrowing, it may be necessary to raise the money for railways or other public works by a special tax, but so long as recourse is had to the money market, the Consolidated Fund should not be asked to bear more than the weight of the expenditure upon the actual government of the country. — Blenheim " Express."

There can be but one opinion about the system of raising revenue by means of a tariff on the food and clothing of the people, and that is that it is a wrong one. It imposes the heaviest burden upon the man who is least able to bear it, and it is also responsible, to a considerable extent, for the declining birth rate. — Hastings "Standard."

If a man or woman, having -a penchant for someone else beside his or her legal partner, knew that marriage could be dissolved supposing one partner were a lunatic, might it not be possible to drive a hated partner to lunacy ? — Wellington l< Free Lance."

We would willingly sacrifice some of the fancy subjects in the syllabus to which at present a good deal of time is devoted, for a little com-mon-sense teaching on the care of the teeth and other elementary subjects connected with the preservation of health. — Christchurch 'Tress."

It is highly desirable to place an effective check upon the aggregation of great estates, for the best interests of the colony require many shoulders to bear the burdens of State, out, that being secured, the main consideration is the settlement of the land. — Nelson " Colonist."

It cannot be said that the politician has not as important interests to deal with as the engineer, the lawyer, the doctor, or the clergyman. It is, therefore, high time that the universities of Australasia began to give some attention to the " studies on which statecraft depends." — Wellington "Times."

The idea of the volunteer forces being the " backbone " of a fighting force is absurd, because when the worst comes to the worst it will be found that the " backbone " of the country will be the " backbone " of defencex— the farmed, and the man who works on the land, generally considered. — Foxton " Herald."

Sir Joseph Ward must have some better reason than compassion for the poverty of the average purchaser of a motor-car to induce his departure in the present instance from the normal theory of our tariff, but at present we cannot pretend to suggest what it is. — Wellington "Post."

Admitting all that can be said in favour of providing employment for our own people, it seems that there should be a more reasonable method of providing Protection for bootmakers than by imposing a duty which falls so unequally upon values. —Napier "Telegraph."

A great deal might be written to show the multifarious advantages of the telephone as a promoter of business and a civilising agent generally in order to impress upon the Government the great public necessity of doing all that they can be reasonably expected to do in order to promote the welfare of the colony by tHe extension of the telephone wherever it can be shown to be required. — Greymouth " Argus."