The Week in Review

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 25, 23 June 1909, Page 1

The Week in Review

An Unruly Demonstration. XJTIy ELhl.NG’TlM',’ peopls naturally // I f* o ! more keenly on 11 1, the subject of prorogation of Parliament than those who dwell in cities remote from the seat of Government. A gessioji means a large amount of employment for a variety of different workers, and .this winter, when there are a large number of unemployed in the Empire city, the postponement of Parliament haa paused a considerable amount of disappointment. The meeting held in the Town Hall to protest against the post-

ponement of the session caused an im-

mense crowd to assemble, though probably many hundreds went solely for en-

tertainment and took bat little interest in the question at issue. To the meeting itself no objection could reasonably be taken, as anyone is at liberty to call a meeting to express approval or disapproval of any -political action. But the ®eenes that followed stand on quite a different footing. A number of demonstrators had assembled outside the Town Hall, and when the outpouring crowd enlarged the volume of the mass in the street the cry of “ Parliament Buildings!” was taken up, and before long several thousands were rapidly marching towards the Houee. The tramway traffic had to be partially suspended, but the sound of the approaching erowd had been heralded at the Parliament Buildings, and all the gates were guarded and locked, as also were all other points of possible ingress. A small body of police had been summoned by telephone, and the main gate was guarded by a sergeant and three constables with drawn batons. Jt A Disgraceful Scene. Then followed a scene that might easily have resulted in serious injury to many, if not actual loss of life. The -crowd surged forward in -the hope of hearing speeches from Messrs Fisher and Taylor, and concerted rashes at the gates commeneed. Hie police were jammed between the crowd and the gates, and the ■ergeant was severely crushed, and had to retire in great pain. Tire wide gates bent

backward under the strain, and they had to be reinforced by some heavy timbers which had bean -left by the carpenters engaged on the -Legislative Council building. Had the gates given way the result would have been fatal, as those in front would have been trampled under foot .by the thousands who surged behind. One small door was forged, .and some 20 men got in, but half-a-doeen defenders drove them Baek with heavy pieces ef timber. Eventually, the mob -dispersed, after speeches had been delivered by Messrs Fisher, Wright and McLaren, and no further trouble was experienced. It is hardly necessary io enlarge upon the dangers that attend all scenes of public disturbances, and in this ease it would appear that fatal consequences were narrowly averted. But the affair is the more surprising and regrettable from the fact that the demonstration seems to some extent to have been instigated and encouraged by men holding responsible positions, It does not redound to the credit of our public life, and it is to be hoped that scenes such as this will not be repeated.

The Police Force. Mr Arnold, the member for Dunedin South, in the course of the debate on the -second reading of the Finance Bill, made some startling allegations regarding the police force of the Dominion. He maintained that the more respectable and better class men Were leaving the force, and that it was becoming a -matter of increasing difficulty to secure suitable recruits. He said that sufficient inquiry was not made into the character and antecedents of the men now entering the foree, and the older men would not associate -with them. Thus a man arrived in the Dominion and after two months was engaged without inquiry in the foree. Soon after lie was engaged in a brawl in Wellington. A man left Great Britain with his wife’s sister. A few weeks later he was engaged in the police force here “to look, after society,*’ and subsequently inquiry -showed that he was living with his wife’s sister. Another person came from another part of

the Empire and joined the force here. Within a very few months he was -found to be living with the wife of another man, and subsequently he eloped with her. A man from Glasgow was employed in the police force without inquiry, and later it was discovered that lie was dismissed from the Glasgow police force for assaulting his sergeant. Another man engaged in the foree without inquiry was subsequently proved by finger-prints and photographs to he a notorious criminal from another part of the world. J* Tieed for ImvevHgaMaiL. The indictment is the more grave inasmuch as it from a staunch and tried adherent of the Liberal party, anil it cannot therefore be urged that Mr. Arnold is actuated by any desire to embarrass Sir Joseph Ward or to ma'ke political capital out Of his statements. Employment is at the present time admittedly more difficult to obtain than it was some time ago., and yet the retirements from the police force 'have lately been greater than in more prosperous -times. This fact alone seems to call for seme explanation. Judging from one or two episodes that ’have occurred in our courts, and from the itanour of letters and articles that 'have appeared in the public Press, it would certainly seem that considerable dissatisfaction .exists .'in many quarters with the ,present state of affairs, it is imperative idiot, the mem-

hers of the police force should be above suspicion- Magistrates are compelled to rely largely on their evidence in court, the .public safety is in their ’hands. It is said that at present we have in our midst a large number of undesirable characters who take advantage of the Gaming Act to pose ns bookmakers, and the recent er it win al calendar in Auckland constituted a record. It is, therefore, to be hoped that the uneasiness created by Mr. Arnold's indictment may be speedily removed by Parliament taking such action as shall ensure that none but suitable and reliable men find their way into the force. JS J» A Tasmanian Critic. The 'Hobart “ Meretn-y ” has been taking New Zealand to task and severely ■criticising our legislation. The picture drawn is so depressing that we doubt if it would be recognised by the inhabitants of tire Dominion who seem to be fairly happy and prosperous,, in spite of the many evils from .which we are said .to suffer. In the course of his article the

writer says: —“ The time has come, as we were sure it would, wlien we and others Who have resisted certain kinds uf legislation are able to take up -die cry off • Look at New Zealand.’ We ’have liad this thing dinned into our ears until we became tired of it- In Parliament some biff would -be introduced, and if anyone ventured to oppose it, a Minister or a private member would explain, iai an awestruck whisper, that it was law in New Zealand. . . . Immigrants are going to the Dominion, attracted by the won dorful stories told, while ail the time every steamer which leaves -is filled w»tti

men whs have tried and failed. Wages are high, but so is the cost of Irving, and many -examples have been given to show how much worse off is a working mnin >■ New Zealand than in Hess progressive wnd enlightened communities. The .slump -is jurt starting, and we believe that it is going to be a very severe or-e- New Zeafand has been blessed with a sn-eooesien of wonderful seasons, and, ne doubt, has done very well. In addition, its natural! •beauties attract each year -many tihousands of tourists, who all bring money, and leave 'it 'behind. On top erf thi»t has ibeen the immigration boom. 'People do ■nOt emigrate frgm England or other of the older 'lands without -having some money in their possession. The stream is still flowing to New Zealand—and is also flowing orft, and the immigrants go away, leaving their money behind, to swell the prosperity of the Dominion, dust the same thing happened in Canada, and there, too a slump has set in. We believe that in a very few years the cry ‘ Look at New Zealand’ will -be used only by those Who wirfh to point to it as the shocking example Of the evil n-vising from attempts to interfere by legislation with the laws of supply and demand.’’ zs JX

The Critic Answered.

In contrast with Hi is, we have the opinion of Mr. W. Brock, who was one of the best-known farmers and graziers in the southern part of Tasmania, but who now resides in the Taranaki district, He is at present on a visit to Hobart, and in the course of an interview he had no hesitation in awarding the palm to New Zealand. He said: “I regard the Dominion as one of the greatest countries in the world. It is a long, narrow country, running some 1200 or 1300 miles almost due north and south. New Zealand is so geographically situated that, if Shut off from all parts of the world, she could grow almost every article that is produced in the world, both the luxuries and necessaries of life. She possesses a varied climate, has the wichest of lands of all descriptions, and a large rainfall, and what more could any country desire?” After dealing ivilb the experiments made in Tasmania in regard to a-eq'iiM’ing large estates far closer settlement, and showing what a doubtful auocess they had been, Mr. 'Brock went on to speak of our own efforts hi that direction. He said: “Now let me give you a true picture of closer ißetttlanient in New Zealand. Take, tor instance, tile Taranaki district, m which tl have settled. *t is essentially a dairy -diistrtet. It is about 50 miles square, and iai -every direeuon one sees smiling homesteads. The land is rich, deep chocolate soil. The climate as warm—so much so that grass grows* all the winter. The rainfall it 51 in a year. The land will carry and keep in the best condition a milking cow all the year round on one and a half acres. The grass consists of red clover, cow glass, white clover, English ryegrass, and cocksfoot.” Tie concluded by remarking that there was HO parallel New Zealand and Tasmania, and that the latter State did not possess either the resources or the recuperative power vf our own Dominion. Having tried both

countries, Mr. Brock should be in a good position to estimate their respective merits. , J* A New Way of Life. The London “Spectator” has published a remarkable article entitled “A New Way of Life.” The writer says that he does not believe that we have suffered in moral health, though he thinks that we are too much given to luxury and softness. But these are not the evils he seeks to deal with. He says: “What we specially desire to emphasise is the need for a greater seriousness, or, if you will, hardness, of outlook. What we have got to change is a certain light-heartedness, or complacency of temper, that has lately marked our people—the easy belief that everyone must admire and respect our good intentions and our noble and humanitarian point of view. We have got in future to face the world, not as we should like it to be, but as it is—the world of blood and iron, controlled by men who are not humanitarians and philanthropists, but persons intensely human on the other side of man’s nature, persons who do not take what they would call a Sunday school ■view of the world, but rather the view that man is still a wild beast, that the race is to the strong and not to the well-intentioned, that victory belongs to the big battalions, not to those who say that they envy no man anything, and

who cannot understand why nations should hate or be jealous of each other.” This is frank enough for anybody. Instead of being humanitarian we ought to belong to the “world of blood and iron.” Let us go back to savagery at once and club the first fellow that dares to put Jria head round the corner. The Wanganui Tranis. The Wanganui trams have now been running for six months, and the returns arc extremely satisfactory to all concerned. For the six months ended the Oth June, no less than 601,357 passengers were carried, and the net passenger revenue was £4297 0/6, a sum exceeding the most sanguine expectations of the promoters of the electric service. The number of car miles run was 82,358, the passengers per ear mile averaged 7.3, the revenue per car mile was 12.52 d, the ears were run on 178 days, the revenue per day was 1.7 d per passenger, 3378 passengers were carried per day on the average, while the average revenue per day was £24 3/1. These figures are highly satisfactory, for, after providing interest and einking fund in addition to maintenance charges, the six months’ working gives a credit balance. This is more than the most hopeful electric tram advocate anticipated and even his Worship the Mayor's most optimistic calculations have been exceeded. Mr. Mackay estimated that a five-car service would produce a revenue of £7600, but practically a four-car service (for the fifth car has only been running for a short time) bids fair to exceed that sum. The takings per car mile, too, are remarkable considering the limited population to work on in Wanganui, the revenue of 12.52 d exceeding the average in some of the larger New Zealand centres where electric trams ifave been installed. J* Mr. Hogg's Resignation. The resignation of Mr. Hogg, after his exceedingly indiscreet speech on the subject of large landowners, State notes, and French dinner menus, was a foregone conclusion. His views .were openly repudiated by Sir Joseph Ward, and they were clearly not those held by other members Of the Ministry. To say that a man Who adds acre to acre is a criminal is a

misuse of language that savours more of an irresponsible agitator than a responsible Minister of the Crown. Mr. Hogg claims that it was his views on the subject of State notes that led to his resignation, and that these views and also the opinions he expressed on the land question are those that he has held and publicly advocated for the last twenty years. As a private member of the House he will be able to advocate any views he pleases, but as he evidently holds political ideas inconsistent with the,main principles of the policy of the present Government his resignation of his portfolio was a necessity. Mr. Hogg, in the past, has rendered good service to the cause of democracy, and his desire to road the backblocks and provide transit facilities for the country settler ie worthy of all praise. As Minister in charge of roads and bridges he would probably have done good work, and effected many much-needed improvements. Everybody will regret his retirement from this post, and however much his colleagues may differ from him on questions of policy they all recognise his many high personal qualities. Sir Joseph Ward, while deeming Mr. Hogg’s resignation necessary from a political point of view, paid a high tribute to Bis character. In speaking of the circumstances which had led to the resignation, the Premier said: “As regards Mr. Hogg himself, I entertain, and always have entertained, not only the highest admiration for the courage with which he expresses his opinion, but for his honesty and his devotion to doctrines which, although I differ from him, he conscientiously entertains. To this I may add that I have always felt for Mr. Hogg a very high sense of friendship, and the combination of these circumstances made our official separation one of the deepest regret to me—a regret tempered, however, by the fact that Mr. Hogg has retired from my Cabinet without a suggestion of bitterness on his part. Without in the slightest degree reflecting on Mr. Hogg’s judgment, I am entitled to say that his retirement was in itself regarded as necessary by the general opinion of my colleagues, and of our party as a whole. This opinion is not hostile to Mr. Hogg personally, but is based first upon the grounds that the views expressed by him were radically inconsistent with the policy of the Government, and, secondly, upon the grounds that, being held by a responsible Minister of the Crown, they would seriously embarrass, if not imperil, the future financial position and operations of New Zealand, not so much perhaps in this country itself as in Great Britain.”

The Last Senior Wranglar. Everybody will feel a certain amount of regret at the thought that the Senior Wranglership will be no more. Mr. Danniall is the last undergraduate to enjoy the title of Senior Wrangler, and henceforth the names of the different classes will be arranged alphabetically. The wranglers date from the year 1747, when Bates of Cains was senior, and since then the honour has generally gone to either Trinity or John’s. Up till now these two great colleges were equal, each having gained the coveted distinction 52 times, and Mr. Danniall has succeeded in placing Trinity just one ahead of its ■rival by his achievement. The most sensational event connected with the mathematical tripos was the gaining of the first place by a woman. Miss Fawcett was placed by the examiners above the Senior Wrangler, and she is the only lady student who has ever accomplished this feat. The reasons assigned by the university authorities for abolishing the Senior Wranglership are that it is not easy to distinguish between the merits of different candidates, and that the honour assigned to the first place in the list is out of all proportion to its real value. We live in an age of reform, and many cherished institutions are being swept away, but the Senior Wranglership and the “wooden spoon” have been for so long an integ.'al part of Cambridge University life that it seems a pity that they have had to be sacrificed to the zeal of the educational reformer.