THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1918. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, 30 December 1918, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1918. EDITORIAL NOTES.

The Minister of Public Works has Btated that labour is not yet availablo for the prosecution of public works in the Dominion on a large scale. He does not anticipate that labour will be forthcoming until after April next, when the "fit" men will be returning from the front. It was almost unnecessary for the Minister to havo made this statement. Tho country will be satisfied so long as tho labour available is being utilised to tho best advantage, and tho revenue isi being expended upon reproductive "works. There is an impression that a largo number of men at prosent employed in constructing telephones and in reconstructing . telegraph lines might be rendering more useful service in tho construction of roads and railways. There are other Departments, also, in which there appears to be a surplusage of labour. The Defence Department, for instance, might bo thinned down to a very considerable extent.

One of the finest attractions to tho Wairarapa, so far as visitors are concerned, i» the trip to Mt. Holdsworth. The journey to the mountain house, and thence to tho top of the peak, is *o full of interest and excitement that it alioijd travailed of by hundreds of people ovary summer, fiorao yearn ago a Masterton committoo controlled tho trftck, and received votes for the purpose from tho Government. Unfortunately tho secretary of the Committee (Mr W. M. Easthope) has died, and the committee itself does not seem to concern itself about the condition of either tho mountain house or t|he track, both of which are said to be sadly in need of repair. This does not do credit to tho progressive citizens of Masterton. Tho Chamber of Commerco might considor it worth while to investigate the matter and endeavour to secure tho services of a committee which would place things in a more satisfactory condition than they appear to bo at present.

Tho shipping problom appears to be atill very acute so far as New Zealand is concerned, and tho moat freezing companies are faced with a somewhat serious position. Unless the carcases carried over from previous years can be got away during the next! few weeks, the works throughout the Dominion will be blocked, and a considerable loss will bo sustained by settlers. The Government, wo are sure, recognises the importance of tho frozen meat industry to the Dominion, and is probably using its utmost endeavours to provide tho necessary transport facilities. It should not, however, lead the people to believe that an adequate supply of shipping ia forthcoming when this is absolutely contrary to fact.

To Scotchmen, New Year's Eve is known as "Hogmanay," or "hoggnight." It is customary in some parts of Scotland, and even in Dunedin to this day, for persons to go from door to door, asking in rude rhymes for cakes or money. King Hace, of Norway, fixed the feast of Yule on Christwas Day, the ore of which used to be called "hogg-night," but the Scotch were taught by tho French to transfer tho feast of Yulo to tho feast of Noel, and "Hogmanay" has over since been celebrated on the last day of December. Several Masterton Scotchmen have vivid recollections of the happenings in their nativo country in the dying hours of tho year.

In referring to tho visit to New Zealand of the French Mission, the Auckland "Star" says:—"Wo trust that the visit of the Mission, whose members we now havo the honour of receiving, will mark tho inauguration of a now era not only in the trade relations between Franco and Australasia, but in the friendship between tho French and British nations, which, signed and sealed in tho blood of oountloss battlefields, should surely endure, unchanged and unchangeable for all time to come."

The residents of Masterton do not take sufficient interest in the fine watering-places at their disposal. Tho beaches all along the East Coast, right down to Capo Palliscr, arc readily accessible by road, and afford good bathing, fishing, and recreation. Visitors speak in glowing terms of their unrivalled health-giving and rejuvenating properties, What is lacking is adequate accommodation. Why do not TOterprising residents erect huts along ♦ho beaches, which would bo made available throughout tho year? These would be a good investment, and besides affording acrommodaUQa foe

local families, would result in numerous denizens of the cities patronising oar health resorts. " 'Tena-koe!' does not mean 'goodday,' " said Colonel Porter, speaking at a mooting of the historical section of tho Philosophical Society; "it means 'that is you.' Tho reply is ' tena-ra-koe,' meaning, 'and that is you.' Then conies tho final 'tena'ano-aa-koo,' meaning- 'and that in you .again.' Maoris did not 'rub' noses. They merely took each others' hands amd touched their noses together, with closed eyes, for to look was a breach of etiquette. When a stranger paid a Visit to a kainga or pa ho was required by etiquette to sit, silent until i ijioken to by his host. A rot nor pecu--1 iar custom was tho manner of spoedi tig tho parting guest and welcoming h ito home. His departure wan treated it l an off-hand manner, lest a show of grief should depress the wayfarer and r. wider his way heavy and weary. V fhen he returned, howovei, he was g; Meted by weeping and wailing, for tb ien thore was no reason vhy his near w id dear ones should hold back the i'V ideuces of their.affections." ' Tho falling-off in the totalisator reeei pta at the various raco meetings in Ne tv Zealand during the Christmas hoi idays, compared with last year, can aiot be attributed to either shortage of money or to an improvement in the habits of the people. It has been sole ly due to tho influenza epidemic. Apa ,vt from the fact that scores of tho best -known "sports" of the Dominion hav< 9 succumbed to the disease, hun: dree Is of people who usually patronise th« racecourse have this year abstained f torn doing so. The traffic by road and railway has been much smaller than .in former years. People have, perhi ips wisely, declined to take tho risk : attending the congregation of unknot ft people in tho traia and upon the x. icecourse.

One I of the most notable defeats in the British elections is that of the Right Hon. H. H. Asquith, who was Prime Minister when the war broko out, a nd who stood as leader of the Libera l Party, and practically in opposition to the Coalition Government. Mr As quith has represented East Fife since .1 SB6. He is a brilliant lawyer and an eminent statesman. He does not, ho wover, represent the sentiment ;of the i lation in regard to tho prosecution of the war. Whother he will retire froi n politics or will seek another seat, rei ftains to be seen. Other notable defi Sats in the elections are those of Sir Jo bn Simon (Secretary of Stato for Homo Affairs in 1015-16), tho Right Ho u. Herbert. Samuel,, and three prominent! Labour representatives in Messrs I tamsay Mac Donald, Philip Snowden i ind Arthur Henderson.

The British elections havo resulted, as was generally anticipated * they would do, in an overwhelming majority for the Coalition Govornment. This is a flattering tribute to the Right Hon. D. Llo/d George, who was largely roaponsibdo for the unity of command whicb.i brought about tho triuiii* pliant tormifruition of tho war. It is remarkable .that, in tho history of the British i nation, few Ministries have survived the termination of a war. The circumstances aro somewhat different in negard to the present Ministry, inasmuch as peaco haß not actually been sighed, and the people are not in a moofl to try experiments while the desfjinies of the, Empire are in tho balancii The Right Hon. D. Lloyd Georgo Way justly claim, howover, that the.' roault of the elections is not only a of his war policy, but is feu expression of confidence in him fas a statesman and a lcf-.der.

The cables staftc that the Sinn Feiners havo captured most of the Nationalist seats ini tho British elections. This is a strong > expression of Irish sentiment in regard to the Home Rule question. The Nationalists have suffered considerably by the death of Mr John Redmond, bjdt they have not represented the aspirations o l .' Southern Ireland in the House of Commons, and consequently '.have been rejected at tho polls. It been stated that the Sinn Feiners elected will refuse to take their seats in the Houso of Commons, but will demand a separate Parliament in Dublin. The Irish question is likely to loom large on the political horizon during tho cpmihg months.

For a first time since the war began, an official list has been furnished of the French casualties. This shows that 31,300 officers and 1,030.000 men havo been killed, while 311,000 aro missing and 446,000 are prisoners of war. The number of wounded is not given. These, one may 1 bo sure, are not less than 3;000,000. It is safe to assert that the French casualties during the war have numbered over 5,000,000. This is a very heavy toll upon the people, but it has been necessary in order to preserve the nation from utter desoliiti)n;aud spoli* atiou.

Tho position of affairs in Germany appears to be gradually .becoming worse. The latest cables state that the Bolsheviks hold Berlin, that Herr Scheidemann has fled, and that the Government has collapsed. The whole Empire is in a condition of chaos, and nobody can tell what the outeome of it all will be. So far as the Allies aro concerned, the situation is most perplexing, as they will he unablo to make peace terms until a Government is established. They may find it necessary to occupy Berlin in order to bring about a settlement of the internal troubles.