Current Comment.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVI, Issue I, 5 January 1901, Page 11

Current Comment.

De Wet’s achievements as a light-ning-change artist are eHerting univerna< admiration. He seems to be as intangible as a mirage to the operations of oar forces. No sooner has the British officer placed his fieM glasses to his eyes to discover what it is al! about than he has to get out his long-range telescope, and then he pines for that of the Lick Observatory, for having disconcerted and confounded his antagonists, the Flying Dutchman is over the hills and far away recruiting and cleaning his weapons for another sally, and so the game goes on ad infinitum. There seems to be an impression that all this failure to be up to time is due to the preciseness and redetapeish routine of the British War system, which are delicately exotic amongst the Boers. It is better that I*B should be left undotted and t’s uncrossed if these niceties of penmanship are to epst so much loss of Hfe and humiliation. It would be well, too, to permit subordinate officers to exercise some power of initiative, if prompt action be necessary to catch the enemy on the hop. * ♦ * A Vital Question. The duty of the State, it cannot be too clearly understood, does not begin and end with the children attending the public schools, but embraces all the children of educable age in the colony, for whose future the State is responsible as to their personal wellbeing and their relations to society. It may be regretted that the advantages of the State school system are not participated in by all; the to be dealt with as they are, not" as they might be—possibly with benefit to the community. Private and denominational schools are recognised by law, and as long as that is so, it is, we emphatically declare, the duty of the State to secure and insist, not only that the education given in denominational schools shall in all respects be equal to that imparted in the public primaries, but that the same tests of efficiency shall he applicable to all schools.—Dunedin " Star.”

Australasia and Imperial Federation. Lastly, if Imperial Federation does come and Australasia commits itself to all the chanees and expenses, “The Bulletin” trusts that it wiH be specified, at the very beginning of the movement, that none of the politicians who take a leading part'in it at this end shall be rewarded with any title, ■ bauble, decoration, handle or gew-gaw whatever. For it would be a sad, sad thing, when this country faced the . bill latter on and had a sudden spasm of regret for what it had done, if it began to call Seddon and Ward and Lyne and people like that so many mean, degraded, low-down, Iscariots, who had sold their country for a title, and betrayed their trust for dirty, sordid considerations. The business should be kept clean. If H is the kind of business which can’t be kept clean it should be kept no dirtier than is absolutely necessary. If it is understood that the Australian politicians who bring about Imperial Federation (supposing it ever is brought about) will only get such reward as Australia thinks fit to give them, the position is fair enough. But if Britain rewards them for bringing about an arrangement whereby this country commits itself tq large risks and expenses on Britain’s account* it will look too much as if they were a crawlsome gathering of traitors who had sold their country and were collecting the price of their iniquity. So long as all the titles and all the-small decorations for which the souls of our politicians hunger, some from Britain, no titlehungry politician can be trusted to take a fair and honest view of any question where th* interests of Australia are oa one aide and those of Britain on the other. An tateraatteg tercet Betting Daataton. By aa Act passed i» MM the Victorian Legislature has specially provided for Checking the practice of betting in “atreeW* —a term which, being interpreted, aiguMas every highway, reed, street, lane, footway, or thoroughfare, or any public or private property, and atec extends to any

enclosed or unenclosed land (not including houses or racecourses) within any city or town. In New South Wales, however, the old law still provails, and consequently Mr Justins Cohen had, the other day, to decide what amounts to a “place” within the Betting-houses Suppression Act of 18**. Can a street in New South Wales be a statutory “place”? The issue arose thus. It was shown that the defendant on a given day was under the verandah of an hotel at Albury, leaning against the brass railing which protects the window. He, apparently, remained in about the same spot for practically the whole day, and during that time made several bets with the public, which bets, in the ingenuous language of the prosecutor’s witness, he wrote down in some sort of a book. By repute the defendant was a “bookmaker” of about two years’ standing. The magistrates dismissed the charge of having used a “place” for betting within the meaning of the Act. The Court, however, set aside this ruling, and held that defendant ought to have been convicted. The view of Mr Justice Cohen was that the defendant had localised himself at the spot under the verandah, so that anyone who wanted to find him for the purpose of betting knew where to go. The Court had not to look merely at the nature of the locality occupied to determine whether or not it was a “place,” but must also consider the kind of use which the defendant made of it. It seems, thus, to follow that betting in streets or highways is illegal in New So ith Wales if any fixed or definite locality is occupied for the purpose, but that the law would not be infringed by the mere fact of betting in a street, unaccompanied by other circumstances. — “Australasian.” The Present Pesttian of Things in General. Strangely variant are the aspects in which the annual festival of ail Christendom presents itself at the end of the nineteenth century. On the one hand the world is apparently as far off as ever from the reign of universal peace. On the other, it finds itself in possession of powers undreamed of but yesterday—able to transmit through space without tangible medium. No vision of the student of mystic arts could equal the reality attained by the research of Marconi, who has made possible to “ ships passing in the night ” —perhaps in “ storm and stress,” —to convey by an effort of will, as it were, to points far distant their needs or wishes. Meantime the contest for supremacy in South Africa, which seemed near its close this time last year, i* still waged in desultory fashion, and while welcoming home the war-worn fragments of. contingents that went eager for the fray, the colony is called oh-to render further tribute to the exigencies of the Empire. In the Far East chaos shows as yet no sign of resolution into order — the nations that have intervened are “ beating the air ” in their negotiations with an intangible Government whose every action is characterised by “ treachery and duplicity.” Th* latest note of the Powers makes it “ indispensable that reparation should be made for the crimes committed;

and sure guarantees given for the prevention of their recurrence; the most severe punishment fitting .the ringleaders’ crimes; reform of the Tsung-li-Yamen, the fortification of the diplomatic quarters of Pekin; revision of the commercial treaties, and to promote trade relations.” Nebulous is the only term applicable to these conditions formulated by the Allied Powers, who stipulate that until they are complied with they ean bold cut no hope of the withdrawal of their troops. If the situation were stated 2* plain terms it would read “ The Allie* are negotiating on a basis of mutual distrust. The dismemberment ef China is a foregone conclusion, but each hesitates io declass what share of the spoil would satisfy its desire for aggrandisement.” ♦ ♦ ♦ Futile Prohibition Proaeentlona. Mr. C. C. Rattle, S.M., has fined a man named Lyons £6O, and sentenced him to three months’ imprisonment* for •ly-grog selling at Taihape. Al-

Chough the usual questionable method was adopted by the police for securing • conviction, the Magistrate exidentlv bald that the end justifies the means. The evidence revealed the feet that nt Taihape, where “ no license ” obtains, the law was being fragrantly defied. Notwithstanding that a policeman was located in the town, barrels of bee* were openly taken off vehicles and rolled into business premises. Wh*> ther the punishment imposed upo* Lyons will have a deterring effect no* mains to be seen. Previous efforts hfi this direction, however stringent, ha*d proved unavailing. The whole thing shows the utter absurdity of at tempting to suppress the sale of liquor by legislative enactment. Prohibition has proved a delusion and a snare. It has been productive of sly-grog selling, vice, criminality, sneaking, thieving, and lying. The lessons adduced by the experiments at Clutba* Taihape, and other places should have a wholesome effect when the time comes for consulting the people on the question of substituting a legitimate trade for sly-grog selling and the multifarious evils attendant upon it. As Commissioner Tunbridge says is his annual report: “It is futile to attempt to enforce a law which has not the respect of a large percentage of the population.”—Wairarapa “ Star?* The N.Z. Chief Justice on Ourselves and the Commonwealth. We belong to a mighty Empire, but, save through its literature, we are not much in touch with the impulses that form the nation. To belong to a great nation and to have a share in its government, and to be swayed by the emotions of the people of the nation, can hardly be estimated by us. There is incorporated in the race a sense of greatness, that aets and reacts on me race. The English people were not developed in England—they had much to do in Erance and in Europe. India, North America, and Australia have iiFfiuenced them. If they had remained shut up in their islands, and only concerned with their island affairs, they would have been “Little Englander” indeed. The wide outlook, the big aim, the great future, the grave responsibility have all played an important part in making the Briton what he is. To incorporate in a race high aims, a wide grasp of affairs, a Continental view of things, is worth much. The educative effect on New Zealanders of belonging to a vast Commonwealth eannot be adequately estimated. It raises men to a higher platform, and that is of more value to a race than many thousands of pounds per year. The effect of environment on a race, who can adequately realise? How are we to be kept free from mere parochialism? Literature will help, but a wide political life would help move. The mental effect in our sons and our sons’ sons to many future generations ought not to be overlooked in dealing with this Federal question. The question stands thus: A union with Australia will not destroy our legislative independence, and will not impair our own control of our local affairs. Tt may cost us about £70,000 a year—or say £lOO,OOO a year. For this expenditure we getfree trade with a vast continent, and we will have our share in shaping the destinies of what is going to be one of the great nations of the world, and our people’s views will thereby become widened and broadened.