What the Papers Say

Observer, Volume XXVIII, Issue 28, 28 March 1908, Page 3

What the Papers Say

THE principle of arbitration and conciliation is itself in peril. And the worst feature is that the very workers whom the system was primarily intended to benefit are menacing its existence. — Wellington Times.

Mr Massey never had a policy worthy of the name. Neither he nor any member of his party has any other idea of a policy than going head down in favour of the freehold and against leasehold. — Greymouth Argus.

It behoveß the Government to assist by every means in its power the rifle clubs of the Dominion, and to encourage every man and youth capable of holding a rifle to practice the art of " shooting straight." — Masterton Age.

The Postal Department fad of altering well-established British or Maori names by the substitution of polysyllabic jaw-twisters on the basis of Maori as she is spoke in the Wellington Post Office is officialdom run mad in consequence of too much learning — of a last century encyclopedia sort. — Nelson Mail.

The squanderings of the Government are reckless in their volume, and there is not a man with any business knowledge who does not anticipate disaster over the wild saturnalia of borrowing and spending. — Oamaru Times.

New Zealand many years ago was called "The Great Loan Land," and if it continues its prodigality many more years it will have so mortgaged its assets that it will only have its climate left as security. — Cambridge Independent.

Is it not an asinine farce to have a democratic Lower House and a Tory Upper House that will mutilate the clauses of any Bill, and, sbvtender it null and void, if it clashes with the interests of commercialism and land monopoly ? — Petone Chronicle.

If the number of Ministers in New Zealand were increased it would probably be the prelude to a further increase in the number of members in the House. — Hawera Star.

Tbe Blackball aftiir, following on the slaughtermen's strike of last year, will tend to turn public sympathy into public disgust with the whole business of trades unions and arbitration courts. No reliance, it appears, can be placed on the good faith of one, or in the awards of the other, so far as they attempt to bind members of unions. — Carterton News.

As time goes on, the teachers will demand to be treated on their merits, and it will be hard to refuse their demand. When that time comes, the Government will probably endeavour to change the system of local control on the lines now adopted in England, making the borough and county councils the local authorities, and abolishing boards and committees. — Napier Herald.

Nobody who values devotion and self sacrifice, in an age which becomes more and more the age of the professional politician and the wire-puller, can view with approval the suggestion that the Leader of the Opposition should receive a single penny of salary above his honorarium. A better case could be made out for the payment by the State of a private ' secretary to ease Mr Massey of tbe heavy burden of plain toil involved in attending to the mass of correspondence that assails him in his official position. — Wellington Dominion. 'jfc

It would be bard to say where the typical Maori is now to be found, for the race is undergoing a process of transition, and the old- time Maori, , now only to be seen far frpm v the beaten tourist tracks, represents no more truly the average native to-day than does the Maori university graduate or the wealthy land-owner, with his modern house and costly motor car. — Christchurch Press.

The Ward Cabinet includes two members of the Legislature who have, even while in possession of portfolios, recorded their votes in Parliament in favour of the nationalisation of such industries as are concerned with the supply of the necessaries of life to the people. The presence of extremists^ the Cabinet may be an embarrassing circumstance. — Dunedin Times.

It would not be over-cautious on the part of the educational authorities in this Dominion to enquire thoroughly into the methods adopted in schools for ensuring.the safety of the pupils in case of fire. Better to err a little on the side of caution than to have some day to rue a disaster which could have been obviated or minimised by simple precautions. — Nelson Colonist.

There aie numbers of people in this community in receipt of good incomes who spend their money in speculation and theatre tickets,' and let the trusting tradesman whistle up the wind. The Postal Department reaps an enormous revenue troni the people who are continually sending good money after bad in the frantic endeavour to recover lost debts. — Wellington Times.

Ladies of the Christian ,Temp3rance Union kind are actuated by the very best of intentions, but we fear the results of their teachings are steadily but surely working much mischief for the young members of their own sex, and teaching young men tbat single selfishness is their best and safest policy. — Carterton News, apropos of " economic independence."

The suggestion that a list of demoralising penny dreadfuls should be prepared, and that they should be barred out of New Zealand as quack medicines are barred, is a good one. There is nothing impracticable about it. The way is open for the Government to do a very splendid service to the Dominion in this connection. — Wellington Free Lance.

We have every sympathy for workers who are striving by combination to bring about reasonable improvements in their conditions of labour, but we have absolutely no time for the agitators who draw fat salaries from the unions and keep employees in a eon- . stant ferment over unreasonable claims, and who never lose an opportunity of reflecting on the honesty and integrity of the Court when a decision not in accord with their wishes bappens to be given. — Wanganui Herald. * * * It is the agitator who is at the root of the present trouble at Blackball. His hand has been visible at every stage, and most obviously in the persistent references to " victimising," a word that has the very ring of the noisy demagogue of the Trades Hall and the Socialist rally. The workers are blind to their own interests in taking for their guides these counsellors of ruin. — Welliugtou Domin,ion.\

The conversion of the thermal region into the great show place of New Zealand has, unfortunately, been accompanied by the deterioration of practically the whole native population of the district;, who have degenerated into loafers of the most confirmed type. — Christchurch Press.

Capital has always played the game. Labour played the game as long as it suited, but Labour has always been exacting, always arbitrary, always intensely selfish. Now, it is becoming unscrupulous. This means that it has arrived at a stage when it imagines that it can do without the moral support of the great body of: the fairminded public opiuion, without whose support conciliation must inevitably become 'the' merest shadow of compromise. — Wellington Times.