WHAT OTHER WRITERS ARE SAYING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17189, 5 November 1923, Page 6

WHAT OTHER WRITERS ARE SAYING.

I INDIANS IN THE EMPIRE. Educated Indians who are insistently ; and even angrily demanding equal , rights of citizenship tor Indians in all j other parts of the Empire arc apparently quite content that in India, itr.elf the greater part, of the. population should remain outside the pale of citizenship. If tins state of affairs is permissible in India, it surely gives no very serious ground for complaint that one Dominion- —South Africa—finds itself unable to grant full citizen rights to Indians resident within its territory. —Wellington “ Dominion." HOBBIES. Too much has been made at different times of juvenile crime and mischief, but a. certain amount is always in evidence. Save for the subnormal or abnormal boy, the logical and natural way to keep him out of mischief is to give nim some occupation that will interest him to the exclusion of nefarious pursuits. . . . For all these reasons every r»oy should have a. hobby. There is stiil another, more important than the rest: it is that the joy 'of doing something tor its own sake, not because it has to fie done, or because it will bring direct profit helps to produce a contented mind and to sweeten life.—Auckland •• Herald.” The ‘United States Government- appears to he actuated bv a real desire to fytve the whole subject freely and fairly discussed on practical lines, and in a, business way, without preconceptions as to what can or should be done. That is the attitude of an independent arbitrator or adviser, and it is not only a proper one for it it to assume, but is one that is likely to have a potent influence upon other Powers, and not the least upon France. Finally, the incoming of the United States, which seems fairly well assured, furnishes some justification for a hope that- a way out of the troubles that beset Europe will be found. If it- should du so it will strengthen the view that the Anglo-Saxon race is destined to lead the world into the ways of wisdom and peace.—Oaniaru “Mail.” The salient fact is that the difference between Italy and Greece was settled without recourse to arms. It was not a specially material circumstance that the settlement was- effected through the instrumentality of the Ambassadors’ Conference rather than through that of the League. The aims .of the League were realised in the fact of the settlement. And it- mfly fairly be argued that a- circumstance which contributed to the settlement was that the sentiment of the civilised world was expressed strongly both against the idea, of hostilities and also against the precipitancy of the action of Italy. It is by popular sentiment against recourse to war that the League of Nations must be buttressed if it is to be an effective instrument for preventing war or for throwing difficulties in the way of the occurrence ,of war. —‘‘Otago Daily Times” STATUS OF INDIANS IN THE EMPIRE. TYith 600 Indians in a population of a million. New Zealand can hardly be said to have any Indian problem at- all. Natal, on the other hand, with 1,150,911 natives, 141,649 Indians and other Asiatics, and onyl 136.838 whites, has both an Indian problem and a colour problem of tlie gravest possible character. . - The principle of equality, for which Air Sastri pleaded so eloquently when he visited New Zealand last'year, is irresistible in the abstract, but it cannot survive the shock of the solid realities which it has to face in South and East AfricaUnder existing conditions the recognition of the principle can do Australia and New Zealand no harm, but it would be only fair to our friends in Natal and in Kenya if our representatives made it perfectly clear that under similar conditions Australians and New Zealanders would have done just the same.—Wellington “ Post.” W HEAT ESTIM ATES. During the war period, when the Dominion’s independence of importations was of vital importance, neither direct subsidies nor appeals to patriotism secured adequate harvests; the surplus did not appear until wheat prices were better than those for meat and wool. This year, the maintenance of the ernoargo lias given the wheat farmers a monopoly of the market, but it lias failed to ensure a sufficient seeding for next year because it was a one-sided contract, with no obligation on landowners to grow wheat. And in the face of that shortage the embargo must fie removed. There could be no more conclusive demonstration of the fundamental falacy of the arguments for the prohibition of imports. An embargo may be maintained in a season of plenty, when there is no need for special inducements, but whenever wheat growing declines below the level of the country's requirements, and a case might bo made for fostering the industry, the embargo must bo withdrawn. The people may suffer the artificial regulation of prices, but their indignation would overwhelm any government that attempted to maintain an embargo in spite-of an actual shortage of wheat. —Auckland “ Herald." SERVICE AND STATUS Women who do not know how to treat servants properly do not deserve to hare help, and no tears need be wasted on their woes. Unfortunately, however, such women create a. prejudice against domestic service, and the true gentlewoman suffers in consequence. Mr Andrew Fletcher, a practical builder, recently raised this quesi lion of .status in connection with the shortage of skilled labour in the building fade in New Zealand, and be said that it was hopeless to get young fellows to take up trades when they realised that '• the man who carries a carpenter’s kit is looked down upon.” Perhaps these things are exaggerated in the imaginations of those mainly concerned. Professional men are apt to mix with each other mainly because because they have any disdain for manual labour. Indeed.* the busy docj tor. called on at all hours of the day ( and night, must often envy the comparative leisure of the plumber or brickj layer working under strict trade union | regulations. WfMi women things are perhaps different, but whose fault is , this? For generations men kept their 1 womenfolk out of all public service, i trades and professions, and they can j hardly complain now if thev bare a I somewhat restricted view. The world , will come to see that- nil service ii honourable, and service in the homo ought to rank as among the most I esteemed— Auckland ” Star.”