Sayings of the Week

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 20, 19 May 1909, Page 3

Sayings of the Week

Work for AU. UNDOUBTEDLY in the large centres there are a number of unemployed constantly to be found, but this very often arises from the fact that men come in from the country. and after spending their money, find themselves in difficulties. As far as the Labour Department is concerned, there is no great trouble. Wherever anything in the shape of congestion made its appearance officers of the department have been able to disperse the workers to suitable localities, and suffering as far as possible has bee navoided. — Hon. A. W. Mow. • • • • Caesar's Ghost. Hundreds of boys left the Sixth Standard or the secondary schools who knew more about Julius Caesar than they did about John Ballance, and knew nothing 'of such men as Sir George Grey and John •McKenzie. The name of Seddon was nothing more to them than the name of a strong personality, now departed, and they know far more about sport than about the legislature, though the yturned readily enough to that legislature in every difficulty. The young people could not remain blind to the requirements of the age, and give blind adherence to any political movement that camo along, without landing the country in confusion. The young people of to-day were, the coming electors, and they should pay less attention to sport and more to gaining some knowledge of the legislative problems of their own country. — Mr IT. W. Tanner, ex-M.P. for Avon. • • • • The Religion of China. Confucianism was not a religion at all, but a school of moral philosophy, political philosophy, and the highest and best literature in China. Yet the influence of Confucianism had been the principal influence in China from its first propagation till the present time; indeed, its influence had been more felt by the Chinese than the influence of Christianity had been felt in the Western world. In the Western world not everybody was a Christian or believed in Christ; it appeared as if many Occidentals had no belief in anything beyond the material, but every C hinese, be he scholar or labourer, was influenced by Confucianism, and knew some of the great points of its teaching. The reason was that its teaching appealed equally to the educated and uneducated, there was nothing mysterious or very deep about it, and nothing beyond one's power to practise.— Mr Hwang, Chinese Consul. The Yellow Peril. Japan is the supreme power in the Far East; and, although she is our ally at present, and I hope will long remain so, we cannot say how long it will last. If Australia and New Zealand hope to be white nations, as I hope they will be, they must wake up and keep awake to the position they are in—their nearness to Japan, compared with the distance from us. We have no battleships in the Far East. We have four armoured cruisers; but only one is a very serious vessel; so that in the event of attack by armed fleets New Zealand and Australia would have nothing to show against them. What I think is, that both Australia and New Zealand should have a system of compulsory training for defensive purposes. — Admiral BowdenSmith. • • • • A Jog Trot. The magnificent series of reforms which had distinguished the legislation of the past 20 years was accomplished by unity of the Labour section with the smalt settlers, and this combination had been attended by the palmiest days of Bucefeas in the first ten years of the period he referred to. He had no sympathy with those whose idea of political progress consisted of nothing but a hard and Strenuous course of galloping. A steady trot was an easier and safer pace to set. Labour had made up a lot of leeway in Hie past 90 years, and with unity and Bxfty-of purpose ft could make up a good deal more.—Mr W. W. Tanner, Avon.

A Timely Hint. • In Australia many large benefactions had been left to the universities, art galleries, museums and libraries. In New Zealand, unfortunately, such benefactions were almost unknown. Yet no better or more enduring objects could be suggested than those which were of an educational character. During recent years several very large fortunes had been left by residents of Canterbury, who had built up their wealth in the province, but none of that wealth had been turned to educational purposes. Yet the education of the people was the ultimate test of everything that was noble, worthy and free.— Mr G. W. Ritssdi; M.P. • e « • Wake up, Auckland. I have had the opportunity of studying the municipal life of the Dominion, and I unhesitatingly say that all utility and public conveniences should be under the control of the municipality. After making a comparison of the tramway services of the Dominion, I am convinced that

Wellington does not hold second place to any. The tramways in Wellington pay their way, and not only pay interest and sinking fund, but usually between £4OOO and £5OOO to the good, and this sum Is spent in increasing the plant and affording additional public facilities. From what I have seen in Auckland, and comparing it with what we have in Wellington, I should say that the people of Auckland would be acting in their own interests 'if they acquire the tram service at the earliest possible moment.— Mr J. P. Luke, M.P. • • • • A Wizard of Finance. The financial operations of the Government had Involved the raising of about £8,000,000 sterling in Cheyear—£3,ooo,ooo for renewals of loans, £1,260,000 authorised by Parliament for public, works, £1,000,000 for the purchase of the Manawa! u railway, nearly £1,800,000 for advances to settlers andadvances to workers, and about £400,000 for the purchase of estates for doser settlement. Thur wm a tremendous operation for one year.

In the year in which it was accomplished every country outside New Zealand was passing through a very difficult financial period. Nevertheless the Government’s financial operations had been successfully carried out without a single exception.— Sir Joseph Ward. • * • • The Two Dominions. I could not help observing the facilities given to settlors in Canada, and contrasting them with this Dominion, where we hare such a vast- area of unoccupied land in the hands of the Government, and particularly in the hands of the natives. Whilst, like other old colonists, I do not want to see any injustice done to the natives, I certainly think the time has arrived for some method to be adopted of opening these lands for settlement. I have two sons who have taken up land in Canada, and when I spoke to them of returning to New Zealand —which it was their original Intention to do—they said that from what they could learn of the state of affairs here, they had better prospects for the immediate future in Canada. Since that time both my sons have taken up further holdings under purchase.—Mr. Archibald Clark, Auckland. « • • • German Resolve. After long and patient study I have come to believe that our means of na-

tional defence will soon be proved to be utterly inadequate—indeed, that the very existence of England as a great Power, much more of our amorphous Empire, may be at stake within less than a decade of years. . . . No man fit to argue

on polities who doubts that ft is the settled resolve of the German nation to challenge oar naval supremacy—not at once, but in the coarse of years to come.— Mr. Frederic Harrison. • • • • Business and Golf. Business is an occupation requiring, very often, a great deal of skill and precision. It bristles with so many niceties that it requires at times considerable mental attention, and unless success attend a good many strokes, the feeling of irritation becomes very real. There are, in fact, in business so mauy points of analogy with the tiresome eventualities of golf that there can be little doubt that persons of nn irritable, gloomy, and worrying disposition, would lie better it they did not seek in the city recreation from the golf links.— Mr Victor Carter. • • • • National Defence. I can only hope that before this Parliament comes to a conclusion something will be done to put otw defence in a more satisfactory position. The volunteer system stands condemned as a system. Those who have entered it have done, their duty to their country, but there are others who have not done their duty, and the law must bring them into line. The matter is now much too serious for us to delay with it any longer. To my mind, our country and the Pacific Sea is absolutely at the mercy of an Eastern nation, and though we may be friendly for the time being it touches my pride as a Briton to think that I have to rely upon the Japanese for my safety.— Mr. James Allen, M.P. • • • • Fastidious People. The life of a public man was one of great activity, and one of interest tn those who wanted him to get on, as well as to his opponents, because in the political world a man was judged very often by one mistake, and all his triumphs were forgotten. That was the fastidiousness of the people. When politicians went before the public for the purpose of stating that they had tried to do their duty, they had to take the result of the people’s decision calmly and like philosophers.—Sir Joseph Ward.