The Week in Review.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 13, 29 March 1911, Page 1

The Week in Review.

NOTICE. i'fte Editor trill be pleased to receive for consideration Short Stories and Descriptive Articles, illustrated With photos, or suggestions from contributors.

Bright, terse contnoutions are wanted dealing with Dominion life and questions.

Unless stamps are sent, the Editor cannot guarantee the return of unsuitable MSS.

The National League. 5 / r CTION and reaction seem to fol- / I low one another so regularly as J almost to partake of the nature of law. After many years of the formation of societies to promote morality by means of legislation, we have the formation of a National League to protest against this legislation. At the first general meeting in Wellington some very vigorous speeches were made. The Chairman said that at the present time we were becoming more and more tied up by laws, and it was difficult to say what the next step was going to be. He contended that the moderate man Was wholly neglected, and that our liberty would soon be gone. Mr. Hatfield thought that if the individual was treated as a hot-house plant the result would be men who would do no harm and no good. He referred to the fact that at one time it was illegal in England to eat plum pudding. Both speakers seemed to think that “the liberty of the subject,” that hoarv old cry, would soon be extinct unless a powerful league existed to enable the views of “moderate” people to be known and felt.

Devilish Pastimes. The problem seems to be where are We going to stop? Bookmakers encourage gambling, therefore bookmakers have been suppressed. W ell and good. But how about Bridge? Not only is there an enormous amount of gambling in most games of cards, but women frequently allow men to pay their debts with disastrous results. Alcohol is said to be a poison, and therefore its sale should be forbidden. We may, perhaps, grant this. But how about many drugs and patent medicines? Eminent physicians say that quite as much harm is done by quack nostrums as by alcohol. People have always viewed progressive legislation with alarm, but in most cases the alarm has been quite groundless. If a law fails to meet with the approval of a substantial majority, it simply falls into 'disuse. Football was made illegal in England by a proclamation of Edward the Second. The penalty was imprisonment without the option of a fine. Tennis and quoits were declared illegal by Richard the Second. James the Third of Scotland prohibited golf. The great Puritan writer, Stubbes, condemned tennis, bowls, and football, as “devilish pastimes,” that “not only withdraw man from godliness and virtue, but hailed and allured them to wickedness and sin.” In Scotland the law against football has never been repealed, and the game is therefore still illegal.

Lemonade and Liars. This shows that all legislation designed to put down what the worthy Stubbes called “devilish pastimes,” can only be effective if it rests on the will of the people. It can only rest on the will of the people if the thing legislated against is wrong or - bad in itself. Fanatics and faddists may succeed for a time, as the Puritan succeeded, but the commonsense of the nation must ultimately prevail. Nature will assert itself, however big a pitchfork you use to drive it out. There is, therefore, no need to fear that we shall come to the dire pass predicted by an English election card. Under the heading “What will happen if the Liberals get into power?” this card predicts that in three years there will be no Ireland, no colonies, no army, no navy, no public houses, no beer, no tobacco, no work, no money, nothing but foreigners, chapels, lemonade and liars. An awful prospect, truly, but hardly likely to come to pass.

The Liberty of the Subject. It is probably the earnest study of historic instances, combined by a hereditary dread of the New Zealand legislation, that has brought the league into existence. It has yet to prove what it can accomplish. Of course, there may ‘be a direct analogy between the legal prohibition against ea.ting plum pudding and creating sweated labour for women and children, as was done in Dunedin in those free days of pre-grandmotherly legislation. It is true New Zealand has many laws in contrast to America, where “the liberty of the subject” is so jealously guarded. We are “burdened” with statutes, whilst America rejoices in a constitution that does not even admit of an income tax. Truly, we are or rather we ought to be an unhappy race. But the astonishing thing is that except for a few growlers and a handful of interested landowners or shareholders, we are not. Our exports continue to increase with surprising rapidity; national and private wealth is piling up with a cheerfulness that is quite distracting. America, land of the free-born citizens and wholesome disregard for privilege, ■ought to be the really happy country. It has liberty, equality, and fraternityburnt into the constitution by the blaze of the French Revolution. It is the paradise of individual liberty, and yet, aggravating to recall, its big cities possess the worst slums in the world. It has appalling statistics, which show that poverty-, starvation, dirt, disease, death, and unemployment flourish in its midst. Its food supplies and natural resources have fallen into the lot of an organised gang of desperado millionaires. Its people are forced to trade in the vices and the horrors of social ruin. It ought not to be. We in New Zealand, who have suffered so terribly from the evils of over-legislation and the destruction of individual liberty, should be weighed down with all these burdens instead because of the confiscatory- and social wrecking policy of our legislative depredators. America has full liberty- of ■the subject, and freedom from these “faddist” legislative restrictions. For instance, Mr. John D. Rockefeller, having this gracious privilege awarded him by bis forefathers in the States when they shook off the Monarchical despotism of George 111., has been enabled to get a monopoly of the world’s oil supply and the great American railroads. Mr. J. 1). Armour has, by virtue of the same admirable precept, cornered the whole of the meat trade, whilst Mr. Pierpont

Morgan has been enabled to make millions by manipulating the funds deposited in his banks and the control of American finance and stocks. Of course, it is unfortunate if the tying-up of so much wealth and the levies made upon the American people to gain it should be responsible for the appalling statistics we have referred to, but still “the libertyof the subject” has been preserved. All thinking people in New Zealand will welcome the formation of the new league, if only- for the reason one of its sacred uses w-ill be to see that at. least the •plum pudding or the football of the people of New Zealand is not interfered with by- our “faddist” legislators.

The Miners' Death Toll. In spite of the advance of science in every direction, we seem powerless to do anything in the matter of rendering mining less dangerous for miners. The death roll in 1909 was the highest for nearly- forty years, but the latest Home Office returns show that last year there were 316 more deaths than in 1909. Legislation and private enterprise have both failed to reduce the risks run by those who go down to the mines. When we turn to the analysis of the toll we realise the ramifications of danger that attend the work of the miner. Six hundred and ten falls of side and roof caused 634 deaths. Shaft accidents numbered seventy-two, with eighty-eight lives lost. Explosions of fire-damp or eoal dust occurred on eighteen occasions, involving the loss of 500 lives. In coal mines there were 1,237 separate accidents last y-ear, with 1,769 deaths. There is something wrong somewhere. Experienced miners have suggested that accidents would be reduced to a minimum if a director were hanged for every accident of a fatal nature. This is a rather heroic remedy, and one hardly likely to meet with the approval of directors as a whole. But the increasing death-toll seems to call for legislation of a far more drastic nature than that which at present prevails.

The Sedgwick Boys. The Sedgwick boys seem to be generally well satisfied with the change from a crowded English city to New Zealand country life. They undertook to write each month to the Labour Department, and a big batch of letters has come to hand. According to the “New Zealand Times,” the greater portion of the correspondence reflects a feeling of gratitude that an opportunity has been afforded of beginning industrial life amid healthy and hopeful surroundings. There are one or two trivial complaints. A few complain abont clothing, and one lad says vaguely that Whangarei is “a bit

hot.” Here are some samples of the messages:— “I thank you very much for putting me at this farm, as I, like the people very much. I also feel quite at home, and have not yet begun to be homesick. Since I have been here I have learned to milk one cow twice each day.” “I am getting on fine,” writes another boy cheerfully. “Can plough, harrow, ami disc harrow, and can drive two, three, or four-horse teams. Have been ploughing all day to-day. ... lam fairly comfortable, but the ’warrics’ (whares) are not very grand.” “I am getting on fine, and the work is better than I thought it would be. I am better off now for a good home than ever I’ve been for the last four years.” “I am very pleased with my position,” writes a boy settled on the East Coast. “My only hope is that the other boys have been as well placed as I have.” A city hid whose verdict on farm life ground” already asks how he can nominate his sister, because a place is awaiting her, and he thinks he can “raise the wind.” “I was told farm work would be dreary, but I have not found it so,” reflects another youthful immigrant. This would probably be heartily endorsed by one of his shipmates, who proudly records having learned t use a gun —“shot two rabbits out of four shots.”

Better Thau Canada. One is tempted to compare these letters with two paragraphs which recently appeared in the Toronto “Evening Telegram.” It is so much the custom to extol Canada at the expense of New Zealand that people have asked whether the Sedgwick boys would not have done better in the older Dominion. To such people, we commend the following: —

CHATHAM, January 6. With his feet so badly frozen that it is likely that both may have to be amputated, his back covered with blue and red welts, a Barnardo boy, aged 13, who had been put in the care of a farmer of Tilbury East, was brought to this city by Inspector Kiinder, and will be suit to Toronto for treatment. Another Barnardo boy, who also worked for another farmer in Tilbury, and who showed signs of abuse, was brought in with him. Informations for cruelty to children will be laid against both farmers. When Inspector Kinder visited th* place in Tilbury East, he found the »'oy out in the cold doing a man’s work on n cross cut saw. Ho was working with his frozen feet encased in No. 10 shoes, and every step ho took made the 'big boot rub the raw flesh off his foot.

It was also found that his back was covered with welts made by a heavy ho rse tug. . » . »■ t ANOTHER VASE. HAMILTON, January 6. One of the S.O.E. lodges of this eity /h investigating a ease of alleged cruelty. The viictim is .lames Breese, 16 years of age, who is in the City Hospital. He is reported to have been nearly frozen, and his condition is critical. It is said that he was employed by a farmer, who forced him to sleep in a barn without proper protection from the e’ements.

A Dear Bargain. *•’ The worst of being prohibited is that you have to be so very e ireful—so, also, have your friends. Eviden e given at the Port Chalmers Poliice Court in a case against a man for procuring Fquor for a prohibited person proved this. It appears that there is a place at Carey’s Bay, where prohibited persons congregate and secure the services of other •persons to procure liquor for them. In the case-before the Court it transpired that a man against whom an order is in force went into the shed a few evenings ago, and being requested to “shout,” did so, putting down half-a-crown and receiving 1/0 change. The prohib t d man had a sovereign and a ha’{-sover-eign in one pocket, and the shilling an I eixpenc*' were placed in anoih r. Someone fr 1 one of the overseas ships in port ca. e in while the drinking was going on. and ottered the prohibited man, wiio was slightly intoxicated, a bargain in some articles, the price asked being ?*ghteen pence. The articles wore bought nf the price asked, and the prohibited man, in mistake, paid for them with the sovereign and half-sovereign instead of with the shilling and sixpence. Some time afterwards the man, discovering his error, rushed to the police station with a complaint, with the result that a charge of drunkenness and one of pro--2111 ing liquor while an order was in force were laid agaiinst him. Police inquiries, however, resulted in his gold coins being returned to him. the man who accepted them remarking that he merely kept them because the other man was not in a fit condition to know what he was doing with his money. The little episode proved to be an expensive one for the principal parties concerned. For obtaining liquor, the prohibited man was lined 20/- and 7/- costs, and for supplying liquor to a prohibited person, the man who went for the liquor was fined £5 and 15/- costs, the Magistrate (Mr. XViddowson) reiterating his intention of dealing severely with persons who procured or supplied liquor to “prohibits.

Hospital Mismanagement. An extraordinary 'Story of hospital mismanagement comes from Dunedin. A gentleman whose bona-fides is, according to the Dunedin “Star,” above suspicion, writes as follows to that journal: “1 was going home last evening, and -when in Cargill-street my attention was drawn to a boy lying on the ground in an unconscious condition. Finding it impossible to restore the lad, I lan to my house, not far away, rang up the hospital, and asked that the boy should be sent for. The porter who answered the telephone said: ‘We can’t do that; you jiad better bring nim down!’ This ■was accordingly done. Arrived at the institution, the boy, still unconscious, ■was laid in the vestibule while search was made for a surgeon. None, however, was to be found, and after waiting about twenty minutes, I rang up a doctor in George-street, who came along and attended to the huh Ths state of things is surely wrong. There seemed to be no one in authority but the porter, and he could do nothing. Nurses passed along at intervals, glanced at the boy, and walked on. Had the case been a more serious one, the lad might June, died before any assistance was furthcoming. Comment is unnecessary.”

The King’s Hobby. The King, by the loan of his unique specimens, said Sir John Simon, in opening, at Walthamstow, an exhibition of postage stamps, was following a tradition which was set him by his father and grandmother, that ot associating himself actively and sincerely with the amusements and hobbies as well as with the hard daily life of Lis subjects. , The

kindness which His Majesty had shown the South Essex Philatelic Society was most warmly appreciated. The principal attraction in the King’s collection is the "2d magenta" of 1910. This stamp which belongs to the issue which was prepared early in May, 1910, is believed to be the only one of the series that has passed through the post, the remainder, with the exception of some half a dozen, having been destroyed after the death o< King Edward. The Royal exhibits also include the photographic proof, initialled by King Edward, of the 1901 penny stamp now in circulation; the original sketches for the first Id and 2d stamps of 1839-1840; and a pencil design in outline by Mr. William Mulready, R.A., for the Mulready envelope and cover. Among the curiosities of the exhibition is a “stamp history” of all the great wars since 1840. It has been compiled by Mr W. S. Lincoln, and includes a stamp bearing a souvenir of the expedition to Lhassa. This has the Lhassa postmark, the name of the town being spelt “Lahassa.” Another valuable specimen is cancelled with the postmark of King Edward VII. Land, andl was used while Sir Ernest Shackleton was “Chief Postmaster”, of the British Antarctic. It bears the explorer’s initials.,

Gilt-edge Municipal Tramways. Too much cannot be said in favour of municipally-owned electric ear services. Auckland, is less fortunate than the other cities in New Zealand, who recognised in time the folly of allowing the means of public .transit to pass into the hands of private companies. A White Paper issued recently at Home contains some very instructive statistics on the subject, showing the amounts gained as net profit last year by leading English cities which own their car services. From the figures we take the following instructive table, showing net receipts and the amounts that were paid in relief of rates from the profits:—- <

In the case of .Glasgow the £53,028 was paid to the Common Good Fund. The total number of passengers carried by the trams. in the year 1909-10 is equal to about 62 times the estimated population of the United Kingdom. In the face of these facts, and the experience of Auckland City, it would be a travesty on our intelligence if any rapidly expanding borough—Devonport, for instance —allowed any private syndicate to promote tramways in its midst instead of performing the work and controlling the public transit itself.

A Cricketing Bishop. Dr. Talbot, the Bishop of Southwark, has been translated to the See of Winchester, rendered vacant by Dr. Ryle having accepted the Deanery of Westminster. It is said that a bishop is the only thing that is improved by translation, and probably Dr. Talbot will find a wider scope for his great powers at Winchester than he did at Southwark. He is one of the old-fashioned style of Churchmen, belonging to the days when birth and scholarship were considered indispensable for those seeking ordination. He took a first in Greats and another in the old Oxford School of Law and Modern History. He is a grandson of the fourth Lord Talbot, arid married a sister of the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton. Although lame, he was a great cricketer in his younger days. An amusing story is told of his annoyance with a bowler who worried him considerably by sending down deliveries wide of the wicket. "Please keep the hall in the parish,” said the clerical batsman, by way of reproof. It chanced that the next ball came plump in the waistband of the batsman, and the bowler had his revenge in the remark, "I think that is in the diocese.” Dr. Talbot has already held two bishoprics, as well as other important posts, and his appointment to Winchester will give universal satisfaction. Mr Asquith has, of late, been singularly happy in his ecclesiastical appointment*.

Net In relief receipts. of rates. £ £ Birmingham . . 111,990 . . 32,914 Bradford .... 88.996 . . 20,000 Leeds . 142,598 .. 55.318 Liverpool . ... 185.705 . . 27,451 London . 785,302 — Manchester . . 276,959 . . 79,048 Newcastle . ... 89.026 1,538 Salford 86.256 17,000 Sheffield ..... 119,413 . . 12,193 Glasgow .... 431.549 . . 53,028 Belfast 96,540 89,62