PUBLIC OPINION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9193, 24 March 1908, Page 1

PUBLIC OPINION.

FROM YESTERDAY'S NEWSPAPERS; (By Telegraph.) . SCHOOL BOOKS. The utterly unreasonable changes frequently made in school books and the summary charges therefor levied upon parents, the burden being in proportion to the number of their schoolgoing children, and consequently greater as their ability to sustain . it decreases, is the source of the rising demand for uniform school books. — "New Zealand Herald." A FATAL TENDENCY. There is a constant invitation to lean upon the Government instead of upon ourselves. Our State Departments, for instance, instead of being the parade-rings of proved merit and efficient services, are notoriously the dumping-ground for failures and ne'er-do-weels. But the strongest, the most virile nation will always be that which contains the largest number of individuals of noble and manly character, who, no matter what their rank or station, will tackle with resolution and competency the work that comes to their . hands. Employers never grudge good wages to willing and proficient workers, but they do object to being saddled with the sloths « who use unionism as a watchword to steal fair remuneration for inadequate return. — • "New Zealand Times.'' - - . LABOUR OF MINISTERS. We should, by the way, much like to hear the Attorney-General on the other side of the question, viz., as to the possibility of reducing the labours of Ministers and increasing the independence and efficiency of the civil service by enlarging the scope of. responsibility of the permanent heads of Departments and proportionately relieving Ministers of a mass of detail work. The rational all-round reform that we should like to see would not keep Ministers' noses constantly in the departmental files, as Dr Findlay suggests, but would give their minds time for the real work of statesmanship.-— " Evening Pest."