WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

Observer, Volume XXXII, Issue 39, 8 June 1912, Page 3

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

BUT as a departmental chief Sir Joseph is no doubt a past master. It* may be doubted, however, whether a politician is a plant that bears transplanting.— N pier "Herald." •' * * The signs of the times have convinced the vast majority of thoughtful men in Europe that war threatens, and Mr Balfour has but put into diplomatic form much of what his -countrymen are thinking in more direct terms.—Napier " Telegraph." • * • As for the " Unity" Labour organisation of Professor Mills, they are looking on the precarious state of affairs with as much unconcern as if they were a band of Congolese on the quest for rubber. They are either in sympathy with Semple, Webb and Co., or are afraid of their life of them. —(greymouth " Argus."

For the present we must bear up against this avalanche of Royal Commissions, and in that resigned frame of mind we await this evening's papers with their announcement.—Wellington " Times." • • • The cost of living in the Old Country has gone up perhaps not so much as in this "great loan land," but enough to make it difficult for the worker to make both ends meet. We could thus understand a strike for an increase of pay ; but for 150,000 men to " down tools " because one has been dismissed is something for a comic opera.—Oamaru " Times."

When all is said and done, Mr Fowlds's explanations will not, we fear, save him from the charge that by resigning at tbe time he did he treated his party very shabbily. The most awkward part of the whole affair for him is that for so long he remained a member of a Ministry which not only failed to accept many of his important principles, but actually came to decisions which were qnite contrary to them. Under all the circumstances we are afraid the Labour party will find that Mr Fowlds is no longer a great political power in the land.— Gisborne ** Times."

Mr Mackenzie, who is not lacking in a sense of humour, will probably appreciate tbe fact that his remarks condemnatory of the •• Liberal" Government of a bygone day are applicable with even greater force to his own Government to-day. It is a little late in the day to set sail on a voyage of discovery. He is likely to find himself shipwrecked ere he has proceeded very far on his journey in search of tbe policy which his Government h*s proved incapable of producing.—Wellington "Dominion."

But nine million people still have to try to live in London. Luckily, there is little danger of their staying at home. There is a general conspiracy to make truants of them. The whole arrangement of modern life, especially in London, makes it impossible to stay at home. In the early days, when a man opened thp door of bis hut or cave he very likely found a ferocious animal there—but now he finds a taxi. Tliis constant presence of the cab plays an important part in the welcome disintegration of the oldfashioned home.—London " Morning Leader."

One great objective of any Commission should be to make the public thoroughly thoughtful about the subject under review, but if three or four Commissions are wandering about at the same time, calling for witnesses, books, and records, the people will be more bewildered than enlightened, especially as they are much distracted now by the possibilities and probabilities in the general political sphere.— Wellington " Post."

As soon as the creeks begin to dry up and the grass to wither, the day of sacrifice is at band. Boom times have a tendency to develop habits of carelessness and extravagance everywhere. People either think that the halcyon days will last for ever, or they do not stop to think that a change may come, and so, with a light heart, the community puts up its expenditure in all directions. — Sydney •« Daily Telegraph."

It is well-known that the Federation of Labour have aimed to secure control of the labour employed in transport and in cost of production, with a view to enforcing their demands in any given direction by cutting off supplies. Now is their opportunity to test their organisation. The public, we have not the least doubt, are quite ready to take up the challenge, and the result, we are equally confident, will be the same as that which followed in the case of the Brisbane tramway strike—•" Dominion." • • .* If self government for Ireland is economically right, it should be granted irrespective of whether it will benefit Roman Catholic or Protestant. If it is wrong, then no considerations of political advantage or personal aggrandisement shonld permit it to be brought about.—Masterton " Age." • m m

This ever-recurring exhortation to spend additional money on defence— this suggestion that we are meanly evading our obligations—seems to us exceedingly dangerous, and likely to defeat that progress towards a more perfect system which most people hope to see develop from existing conditions. This country, so far as money is concerned, is doing as well, perhaps better, than any other part of the Empire.—Wellington " Times."

A party is judged not only by the company that it keeps, but by the company which it tries to keep. Hence the United Labour Party, by its endeavour to set up a fellowship wita the Red Federation, can expect to pay the price, which the public will fix.— Wellington "Post."

Had Messrs Robertson and Payne been faithful to their trust, the Dominion might have been saved the wasteful expenditure on farcical commissions, and the constitutional rights of the democracy would have been preserved.—Dannevirke " News."

It is questionable after all whether an administration, however unscientific it appears, which is slowly evolved haphazard out of the needs as they arise is not more effective than any mere paper conception of what it should be—Wanganui " Herald."

The democrat is not happy. He is sure that "art must become asocial factor in the life of the commonweal," and he knows not how to achieve this amiable result. Though a spirited policy of clean-swepfrclubs and evening clothes may not be without a beneficial result, that is not enough. Tt is from art that the sacrifice is required. If the people cannot climb the steep ascent, where art dwells apart, art, descending, must become intelligible to " tbe man of norma', unsophisticated perceptions." In other words, the democrat admits that you cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's lug "So," says he, "there must be no' more silk."—London " Daily Mail."