The Week in Review.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 20, 17 November 1909, Page 1

The Week in Review.

NOTICE.

The Editor will be pleased to re. oeive for consideration Short Stories and Descriptive Articles illustrated with photos, or suggestions from contributors. Bright terse contributions are wanted dealing with Dominion life and questions. Unless stamps are sent, the Editor cannot guarantee the return of unsuit, able MSS. The Land Question. THERE is no question that the statement of Government's Land Policy forms the most interesting section of the Budget speech, and no doubt the debate will concentrate chiefly round this point. For the new proposals involve a great deal that will satishy neither party in theHouseorcountry and much that, in our opinion, is open to serious criticism. As dur readers ■will have realised by this time. Government has made a valuable concession to the freeholders by granting the right of purchase under entirely new conditions, and in cases in which the light to obtain the freehold has hitherto been resolutely refused. Lease-in-per-petuity tenants are to have the right to purchase their land at the original Valuation, subject to five contributions to the Crown on account of the “unearned increment.” If the tenant and his heirs pay one-tenth of the increase bn the unimproved value of his land every 33 years for 165 years, the land becomes their freehold property. Tenants under the renewable lease, now subject to recurring valuation every 66 years, may purchase at the original Valuation subject to a charge to the State of one-fifth of the “unearned in-

crement” every 33 years. And finally, tenants of lands acquired under the Lands for Settlement Act, and hitherto held solely as leasehold, may purchase the freehold at the original valuation, but subject to double the contribution demanded in the case of ordinary Crown lands —that is to say, on condition that every 33 years the State is paid twofifths of the increase in unimproved values since last periodical valuation. At Jt

** Highly Controversial Subject. We admit that the question of the best form of land tenure is even among economic experts a highly controversial one; and it is particularly so under our complex land system here. But there are certain general principles on which the Liberal land policy has been based here for the past fifteen years which seem to us unmistakable. The hypothesis that the increased value added to land by the progress of the community and the natural development of the country should not be monopolised by the land holder, is at the back of the whole of the Liberal land policy; and this view we have consistently upheld. We have always admitted that the primary object of the land policy in a young country must be to promote settlement, and therefore we have argued that to induce settlers to go - out into the back blocks and clear away the bush, the freehold should be offered as a special concession. But as regards highly-im-proved land, such as is always resumed under the Lands for Settlement Act, there is no need for .such an inducement to encourage the demand. Such land, we have always contended, should in the interests of the country be retained permanently by the State, and occupied only on leasehold tenure. It seems to us a mistake in principle to allow even a fraction of the “unearned increment”

to fall into private hands in such cases; and the changes proposed by the Premier serve to emphasise the importance of the unearned increment to the country, while handing a portion of it to the individual owner. As regards the suggestion to grant right of purchase at the original value, we consider that serious exception can be taken to this on the sane ground that the subsequent increase in value has been chiefly due not to the landowner but to the progress of the whole country. But quite apart from this, we consider that whatever arguments can be used to justify the concession of the freehold as a means of encouraging settlement, they fail entirely to apply to the case of Lands fo: Settlement Act lands. The precise effect of the Government proposals requires further consideration and elucidation, but so far as they have been disclosed they appear, in some respects, to conflict with the principles which have hitherto governed the land policy of the Liberal party. J* J*

The Port of Foxton. For a long time the aim and ambition of the Manawatu was to have a Harbour Board to control the port of Foxton. The summit of that ambition was attained by the passage of an Act for the purpose last year, and soon after the beginning of the present year the Foxton Harbour Board was duly constituted. But, alas, trouble has dogged the footsteps of this infant board, and the whole question was ventilated some days ago, when the Hon. J. A. Millar visited Foxton and received a deputation bursting with grievances. It is the old story— Ao funds. It appears that the total revenue of the Board amounts to about £4OO a year, and as the current expenses of the Board absorbs that amount there is nothing left to carry out harbour works. The Board, unlike those formed

some twenty or thirty years ago, has no endowments, and apparently its fond anticipation of receiving a subsidy of some £7OO from the Government proved altogether too sanguine. Moreover, it seems that the Board also indulged the vain hope that it would derive revenue from the wharfage dues. As, however, the wharves were constructed and havq been maintained by the Railway Department, naturally that Department claims, and, in fact, collects, the duos. And so it is that the Foxion Harbour Board has no funds, and might as well not exist at all for all the good it can do. This sorry condition of things was volubly explained to the Minister by various members of the deputation. Mr. Millar's reply was, to put it mildly, exceedingly' candid. He told the deputation that the settlers in the district knew quit? well what the position would be when they agitated for the establishment of thfl Board. They knew what revenue could be expected, and what the expenditura would have to be. They knew that if they wanted to carry out improvements that were absolutely necessary then; would have to be a rating clause in the bill, but this they had declined to have, it was just as well for him to be per-

feetly candid, and tell them that if they ■wanted the Government to help them they would have to help themselves. There would have to be a rating clause, for they need not expect the Government to do everything. As for the ■wharfago dues, the Government could not accept the view taken by the Board, becausq if they did they would have to do tho same at Port Chalmers. They could not deplete the railway revenue in that way. Foxton was only' an instance of what was going on all over the country. As for endowments, in the early days lots of land was available, and it was a good thing to give some of it to the local authorities. But if they looked at the' more recently formed harbour boards they would find that rating clauses had (been included in every case. In fine, the Minister pointed out the simple solution of Foxton's trouble. That district, like so many- others, will have to resign itself to being rated for its privileges. Ji J«

Advance, Gisborne! Every city and town has its own particular municipal problems. At the present time Gisborne, the chief town and port of one of the most rich and fertile districts in New Zealand, miscalled Poverty Bay, is peculiarly engaged in solving the details of an all-round development scheme which will involve considerable expenditure. Both the Gisborne Borough Council and the Gisborne Harbour Board have obtained comprehensive reports upon contemplated improvements from Mr. F. W. Marchant, M.1.C.E., of Timaru, and to judge from these, published in a recent issue of the “Poverty Bay Herald,” it is apparent that Gisborne will shortly be a very up-to-date town indeed. The report sent to the Council deals with the metalling and formation of streets, the tarring of street surfaces, electric light ing, sewerage, tramways, and a new reservoir. The report sent to the Harbour Board deals with the question of extending the breakwater. In summarising the report on the street work. Mr. Marchant gives some good advice to small municipalities. “In carrying out work of the character considered," he says, “the organisation of the plant is of the first importance. Gisborne has practically' speaking, a clean slate in this respect, and I advise that nothing but- the best and most complete arrangement should be made. Generally speaking, the smaller municipalities get through their work with a small capital expenditure on plant and arrangements, but expend a considerable total amount in small sums at different times, and see very little return for it comparatively." On the question of electric light, tho Engineer notes that it is proposed to use suction gas engines. If that is done, he says, the greatest care must be taken to prevent “flicker,” which is ruinous to eyesight. Personally, he prefers a steam engine as a prime mover for electric generators. The light is absolutely steady; there is always a reserve of power lor sudden demands,

which are frequent, and steam is reliable. Suction gas is cheaper, but not ro satisfactory, and an expensive storage battery would be necessary to get a steady light. With regard to tramways, Mr. Marchant is of opinion that self-propelled cars are preferable in a small system to the overhead method in vogue in big cities. As regards a reservoir, Mr. Marchant points out that the present water supply of the town depends upon the integrity of a main pipe 20 miles long giving 300 ft. pressure. No storage is provided. He points out the danger and inconvenience which would follow a temporary failure of such a supply, and says that, in his opinion, a reservoir must bo provided with a minimum capacity of two million gallons. He suggests the construction of such a reservoir immediately over the Freezing Works. On the subject of extending the. breakwater, he points out that the effect of the present state of things is that during storms, or quite moderate swells from seaward, a furious sea runs in the entrance channel to the Turanganui River. “The channel,” he says, “is positively dangerous, and it says a great deal for those navigating it that no serious accident has so far occurred.” To remedy this, Mr. Marchant proposes a 300 ft. extension of the breakwater built on the same principle as that at New Plymouth, designed by himself, the extension being canted to seaward to provide a wider entrance. It will be readily conceded that if Gisborne is goiire to embark upon all these schemes at once, the hands of the two local bodies concerned will be full for a lon» tunc to come. °

Palmerston’s Military Tournament In these days, when thoughts about defence matters fill the minds of all good citizens, a military tournament, such as that which has just taken place at Palmerston North, deserves at least some passing notice. -Among the illustrations in this issue will be found some interesting pictures of this important event. It is satisfactory to know' that beautiful weather favoured the tournament. There were over a thousand men in uniform on the grounds, representing no less than 55 corps from the whole length mid breadth of the Dominion, and a very large concourse of spectators. As Ihe'”ManawatU Evening Standard” remarks, it does not require much knowledge of military affairs to appreciate the importance of such a gathering to the volunteer movement of the Dominion, and that importance is emphasised by the magnitude of the event. A gathering which attracts mon of every conceivable branch of the service in vigorous and whole-hearted competition must react in a beneficial way upon the standard of efficiency and increase the popularity of the service. There has been’ some misapprehension in the public mind as to the nature of this tournament. It is quite a mistake to suppose that it is a sports gathering. It is nothing of the sort. The men do not go to the military tournament primarily to enjoy themselves, though he must be a sour sort of volunteer, of little use to his country, who does not enjoy such a tournament. The men take the whole thing most seriously, and fully realise its value as an incentive to good work. That this is really so is proved by the increased efficiency shown by all brandies and also by the substantial increase shown from year to year in the number of corps represented. Last year some 39 corps had squads at the tournament. This year, as already stated, there were no less than 55 corps represented, an increase, and a gratifying one. of Iff. On the opening day his Excellency the Governor, who was escorted to the ground by the Manawatu Mounted Rifles', reviewed the troops. The most admirable arrangements were made for the reception of the competitors. All the visitiing competitors had to do on their arrival was to go straight to their tents which had been pitched for them by the Palmerston Guards Riffes at the suggestion of the organiser and secretary of the tournament, Sergt.-Major Dovey, whose praises are loudly voiced by all who had anything to do with the affair. Sergt.Major Dovey has apparently had wide experience of tournaments, and l.is great executive ability was brought to bear with the most gratifying results. The judges for the tournament were chosen with great care, being the best obtainable in the Dominion; so that competitors had no quarrel on that score. They were: Artillery events—Capt. R. O. Chesney, A.A -G. Engineer ami signalling—Capt.

•T. E. Duigan, N.Z.M. Mounted events— Capt. R. O. Chesney, A.A.G.; Capt W. F. G. Levin ('ate Ist King’s Dragoon Guards). Infantry events—Staff Sergts.Major H. Peacock, W. Atwell, L. F. McNair, T. McCristoll. Bugle and Trumpet —Major C. D. Mackintosh. Field sketching—Sergt. H. Petersen, R.N.Z.A. Ambulance competitions—Lieut.-Col. J. R. Purdy, Surgeon-Major J. W. O’Brien (Commonwealth Forces), and SurgeonCapt. P. R. Cook. Altogether the whole thing was very successful.

Naval Scandals. England is not the only country that has war office scandals. The cables tell us that the officials in charge of the German shipyards at Kiel are undergoing a period of perturbation as a result of an inquiry being m-ade into the way the financial side of the ship-breaking business is being conducted. The work appears to be not so much conducted as simply let slide. The merchants who make this "marine store” dealing their peculiar business have naturally taken advantage of unbusinesslike officialdom and have made huge profits. Their favourite method of buying cheap being to form a ring, allocate each lot of brass or bronze fittings, or whatever might be offered, to a member of the ring and then refuse to bid one against the other. Naturally the German War Office finds itself a heavy loser, and so —an inquiry. The officials in charge of the yard state in extenuation, that their business is war, not “old-junk;” and after all, it is a quite reasonable excuse, one can hardly expect a naval officer to be able to frustrate the shrewd methods of “the ■ man of business,” who, when he delivers the well-worn axiom to the effect that “business is business” frequently means that “sharping” is business. During the South African War there was an amazing amount of erooked contracting, and in consequence, Lord Kitchener advised that capable business men should be appointed to arrange sueh contracts and supervise the carrying out of them, and that seems to be the only fit method of checking abuses. The officials who are charged with incompetent ; supervision stated in their defence that they, -were- more concerned in making their department efficient and ready for war. Also,.they declared that they were ignorant of the market values of the materials sold.- The first excuse will-probably appeal to the German authorities more than the last, which, of c'urse, is exactly what they are in disgrace about. The scandal should at ail events call attention to the fact that a '.--mart officer is not necessarily a smart Business man. and that only sound business men should have charge of business matters. The French Government has been aroused by the recent revela--tions of naval mal-administration, and England still hears echoes of the South African contracts inquiry, and may be relied upon to endorse Lord Kitchener’s recommendation in a practical manner.

The Development of Mesopotamia. That blessed name. Mesopotamia, seems likely to become something more than an incitement to devotional enthusiasm. Sir William Willcocks has a scheme for irrigating and developing that country, so that it may once more assume its erstwhile proud position of being one of the world’s chief granaries. Sir William Willcocks, who is famous as an irrigation expert, has been engaged by the Turkish Government to evolve plans for the opening up of Arabia. In a report recently submitted to the Turkish authorities he advocates the construction of a railway from Baghdad westward to Damascus, where it will connect with the lino running to the seaport of Beirut. If this scheme is carried out it will be greatly to the benefit of Turkey, and, incidentally,' to Europe genera’ly, not to mention the country served by the line. The projected German railway from Baghdad to Basra!, on the Persian Gulf, though it servos the rich Euphrates Valley, would not be able to compete against the more direct communication with the Mediterranean ports, for, to reach the Mediterranean from Ba lira necessitates a sea journey from the Persian Gulf through the Red Sea. Sir William estimates the cost of irrigating the Mesopotamia at something over two millions and the cost of the Baghdad-Damascus railway at two and a-half millions. 'The estimated cost of the railway, which works out at a little more than £3OOO per mile, seems remark-

ably cheap, especially when compared with the eost of railway construction in New Zealand; but, doubtless cheap labour and level country will counterbalancethe outlay needed for transport of materials. Sir William Willcocks is of opinion that the railway will.be yielding profits before the irrigation works are commenced, which means that Turkey will have a source of vast revenue when once the wilderness begins to blossom into corn lands, aiid that there will be another corner in cereals that may either allay the hunger of Europe or fill the pockets of American speculators, as the Fates direct.

The French Premier. Something of a sensation appears to have been created on the Continent by the new French Premier, who has threatened that unless the Chamber of Deputies will obey his orders he will promptly resign. A change of Ministry means far less under the French constitution than under our own, for no dissolution is necessary, and a country which has seen forty-one Ministries eome and go within less than forty years would not be seriously alarmed by the prospective advent of another. But the circumstances under which M. Briand took office were so exceptional and the man himself is so Interesting a figure that his- elevation to |xiwer was watched with eager anticipation not only by the French people, but by their rivals and enemies. The overthrow of the Clemenceau Ministry was ■ so unexpected that the emergence of M. Briand was a thoroughly dramatic surprise. But the chief importance attached to his acceptance of the Premiership lies in the fact that he is a professed Socialist, and that he first won his way to public notice and parliamentary fame by advocating the doctrines of the Continental Socialists in their most aggressive and militant form.

A Meteoric Career. The question as to what use M. Briand will make of his opportunities is rendered all the more interesting - by the remarkable and fascinating personality of the man. Trained to the bar, he soon turned his attention to the complaints and aspirations of ’the workers, and he has spent most of his life—he is only forty-four years old —in demanding redress . for their grievances. M. Briand has a great reputation as an orator, and as a Parliamentary debater he stands supreme even in the French Chamber of Deputies, where the eloquence of political assemblies reaches its high-water mark. Gifted with a magnificent voice, singular readiness of speech, remarkable logical acuteness, and a copious and picturesque vocabulary, he has succeeded during the past ten years, not only in holding great public audiences spell bound by his rhetorical fervour, but in extorting praise even from his political foes by his extraordinary capacity for overwhelming his opponents in debate, and for carrying a hostile house with him against its will. More than this, he has displayed remarkable skill in putting difficult and dangerous measures through Parliament. His greatest achievement in this direction was to draft the bill that in its ultimate form secured the separation of Church and State in France. In handling this subject, M. Briand, according to the “Temps,” exhibited “inexhaustible energy and boundless fertility of resource,” and the peaceful settlement of this most dangerous question is universally admitted to have been due chiefly to his exertions. An orator, a statesman, and a skilled Parliamentary manager, M. Briand should indeed “go far.” But more than anything else, he is a Socialist, and therein consists the chief interest of his meteoric career and his phenomenally sudden rise to power.

Socialistic Views Modified. There are many grades of Socialism represented in the-French Chamber of Deputies; but M. Briand would be the first to admit that in the earlier years of his public career he was one of the most extreme and radical exponents of hie ereed. Only eight years ago, addressing a huge mass meeting of workers ripe for insurrection, he declared: “I firmly believe that a general strike is practicable —it will be the social revolution. Go forward,” cried the present Premier of the French Republic, “with swords, pistols, and rifles! Far from disapproving,

I shall regard it as a duty to take my place in the ranks if necessary.’ But M. Briand, since he attained a leading place in Parliament, has frankly admitted that his views have .been fundamentally) altered. When Jean Jaures, the acknowledged leader of the French Social Democrats, charged him with changing hie opinions, he answered boldly, “Who that is not bereft of reason does not change?”When he accepted office in the Sarrienl Ministry a few years 'back, his Socialist colleagues denounced him as a renegade, and formally excluded him from tha Socialist fellowship. But this excommunication has not prevented the Socialists individually from continuing to support Briand, even though his professional of faith have continually, taken a milder and more conciliatory form as the years, have passed. He has learned, he declares, that the workers of France have never gained much by revolutions, and he has decided that the policy which suite their interests best must combine “advanced social measures” with "orderliness anti peace.” He has admitted, virtually, that he is “a good Republican” because the established constitution, he believes, will enable the workers to gain their ends, without violence and without irreparable! injury to the country. “I accept,” he has said recently, “only sueh ideas as ara practicable. I deal not with dreams and! fancies but with the realisable facts ofi life.” No wonder that the “red” wing of the Socialist party reviles him as a traitor to the cause. But the French nation as a whole believes not only that his Socialism is sincere and honest, but that he will endeavour to carry it into effect by constitutional means; and the outside world will watch with deep and' absorbing interest the efforts of thia extraordinary man to reconcile his almost fantastic conceptions of social reorganisation with the practical conditions of public life, and the limitations of political action that have already modified his views so profoundly.

Double Shuffle. The attitude which the leading Harmsworth journal, the “ Daily Mail,” has taken towards the Budget in British politics, is something in the nature of a political harlequinade. According to the “Review of Reviews,’.’ Lord Northcliffe suddenly took into his ..somewhat vagrom fancy to convert the “ Daily Mail” into a huge megaphone through which he roared the praises of the Budget. The effect was electric. The AntiBudget party felt as if their own familiar friend had treacherously smitten them under the fifth rib. The Liberals were correspondingly elated. Never had there been sueh a “ volte face ” executed since the same quick-change artist executed a sudden right-about-face on the subject of the “ stomach tax.” A fierce and frenzied cry of dismay and disgust went up from the Tory ranks — and Lord Northcliffe wobbled again. After giving the coup de grace one day to those who were fighting the Budget, he came out next day with articles pointing out the best way to defeat the Budget. The best way, it seems, was to adopt its social reforms and cry aloud for Tariff Reform!; In the name of the-prophet—figs! .With! this double-shuffle recedes once more into the distance the lingering hope that some day Lord Northeliffe may develop a political acumen worthy to be compared to the marvellous journalistic Haire which has given him his unique position on the English Press.