The Week in Review.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIX, Issue 4, 22 January 1913, Page 1

The Week in Review.

,otor Accidents. Ji/ SERIOUS motor accident, involvJ | ing the death of one lady and .] the injury of three other eee.Us pants of a motor-ear took. place near Helensville last week. It appears that the car was on the point of being driven across the railway line, when a-n engine crashed into it, and the lighter vehicle was smashed to pieces. The motoring party had intended- taking a 12 days’ trip through the North, and had left Auckland early in the morning, thus their journey had hardly commenced when the- accident took place. A similar mishap occurred near Invercargill, where a train from Kingston, collided with a motor car-as it was passing the level crossing near Grassmere-. The five occupants of the car were all more -er less injured, and three of them had to be sent to the hospital. At Palmerston North a motor cyclist collided with a trap and sustained serious injuries to his chest. Hardly a week passes without some record of accidents caused through motors in England. In 1910, 873 persons ■were killed, and 20.226 were Injured by motors as against 508 killed ‘ and 13,178 injured in the preceding year. Dr. Waldo, the City- of London Coroner, says that fatal accidents due to motors- are going up By leaps and bounds, and many- of them show a callous indifference to life on the part of the drivers. The streets, of our large cities are so crowded that the wonder is accidents are not more frequent in New Zealand. In the two cases under review, the accidents were du.e to level 'crossings, and the lack of proper means for insuring safety. These level erossings have always been a constant source ef danger, both to pedestrians; riders, home-drawn vehicles, and matom. It seems strange that with so many lessons before them the railway authorities do not take greater precautions both to warn people of dangerous crossings, of the approach of a train and to guard the crossings whilst a train is passing over them. At the same time some responsibility rests on those in charge of vehicles, whether trap or motor, to exercise full vigilance in using the public highways. The Pacific Cable. The completion of the laying- of the direct Sydney to Auckland cable was commemorated at the Auckland Town Hall by a luncheon given by the Pacific (.'able Board last week. The PostmasterGeneral paid a high tribute to the work done in postal- matters by Sir Joseph Ward; He also stated that the Pacific Cable Board had broken up the monopoly that previously existed. He hoped to seo the day when there would be an independent cable across the Atlantic, and thus the final link would be completed in the State-owned cable. lie mentioned the possibilities of wireless, and thought that as- long distance trials succeeded greater use would be made of the system. Mr. Milward. the Australasian manager, said that he hoped that within 50 years the original capital would have been repaid with interest, and that sufficient surplus would remain to lay a second cable. In eight years the traffic bud shown an increase of 250 per cent. He briefly referred; to the manner in which cable rates had been reduced, and thought that further benefits would accrue from the completion of the line between Sydney and Auckland. The Mayor daelt on the Imperial aspect of the Pacific cable, and Mr. \V. A. Beddoe, ths Canadian Trade

Commissioner, pointed out that it had been largely instrumental in bringing about- the growing trade between the two Dominions. Ji jf Curates in Wale*. The proposal to allow consideration of the cla-im of 561 Welsh curates for compensation due to the loss of their income and position through the contemplated disendowment of the Church in Wales was negatived by a narrow majority of 40 votes, and but for the Irish Roman Catholics, the Government would have found itself in a minority of 30. It throws some light on the means which are being used to push this Bill through the House, that many radicals abstained from voting, and six Labour members, including Mr. Keir Hardie, voted with ths Conservatives. The Welsh dissentera, were helped in their attack on the Church by the Roman Catholics, and owed their victory solely to Papist influence. The main reasons which influenced many Radicafe and several Labour members to oppose the disendowment clauses of the Bill were these: In the first place, it was felt that in disallowing all gifts to- the Church made previousto the 17th century, an arbitrary distinctior was being set up. In the second place, it has lieen contended by many who, would otherwise support*Mr. Asquith, that money given or left for distinctly religious purposes ought not to be dix erted to purely secular objects. But as every one knows, Mr. Asquith has to depend for his tenure of office on three distinct sections of his party. The Irish Nationalists are helped to gain Home Rule by Welsh dissenters; the Welsh people are helped in their disestablishment scheme by the Roman Catholics, and both sections help the Labour Party in return for the Labour vote for Home Rule and disestablishment. Questions of justice can hardly be expected to find a place in this mysterious alliance. Ji Settlers From Abroad. Mr Massey, speaking of the appointment of Captain Smith as Under-Secre-tary of the new Department of Immigration, said that New Zealand should bo gaining at Icaet 25,000 people each year by immigration. It nvas the especial intention of the Department to encourage men of the farming class, and suitable young people for domestic service. He mentioned that during the 12 months ending in December last the number of arrivals was 44,660, as compared with 41,389 during 1911 and 35,769 during 1910. As the departures last year only totalled 35,733, there was a net gain of 8,927. He paid a special tribute to the lands of the Far North, and said they ought to be settled with a farming population; Those who know these lands will agree t-hat they could easily be made some of the most, fertile in the Dominion. They are admirably adapted io fruitgrowing, and the North might easily become the orchard of New Zealand. We have repeatedly pointed out the enormous advantages that our country oilers to tile intending imm-igianl. Our system of legislation is easily the first in the world. We have laws for everything, ranging from the crime of murder down to the crime of allowing little dogs to exercise their natatory powers in the waters round the steps of our wharves. If the iimn-igrant desires legGl.i t ion in any uueetion he sit-anda a reas.inable eh.anee of having life wishes met. Land agents abound who are only to» willing bo sell Ifeiu pt-oduebive farms, businessus,

or fine residential sites. Work is plentiful, and the rich luxuriance of our soil enables all who are willing to cutivate it to reap a competency, if not a fortune. Both life morale and his material welfare will be carefully safeguarded, and after the conditions which exist at Home the immigrant might be excused for imagining that he had reached the Paradfee so vividly described by Eastern authors. J* Jf The Holiday Bill. The amount of money spent during the holidays may be gauged from the fact that in Auckland alone 192.000 sovereigns were withdrawn from the Savings Banks to tide -people over Christmas and the New Tear. Doubtless a large part of this sum. was- spent in travelling and Christinas gifts; but from the totalisator returns, it is to be feared that a no inconsiderable portion was invested on the machine. Gambling lias been described as our national vice, and there is some reason to believe that the indictment is true. It is a regrettable fact that to thousands of people in New Zealand the racing news is the- most interesting part of the morning paper. Lord Crewe once remarked that one of the greatest uses of cheaper cables would, be that important speeches of the events affecting the whole Empire might eventually hope to claim a quarter of the space and a tenth-part of the attention that Australian papers and their readers at present devote to sport. The running of a horse is. doubtless, an event of far greater interest than the granting of Colonial Preference, or the concession of Home Rule to Ireland. But even these latter items are not wholly unimportant, and there are probably some few dozens of people scattered up and down the length and breadth of this Dominion to whom a debate on questions affecting the safety of the Empire and the wellbeing of its people is of almost as much interest as the New Zealand Cup. J» Ji An Ambitions Assault. A determined to captuiu control of local politics is to be' matte- by the United Labour Parly in Wellington at 'the approaching ’clleetfons. Candidates are to be run for the mayoralty. City Council, the Harbour Board, and the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Just what will be the success of this ambitious assault must remain in the speculative stage till the figures go up. but in tin? meantime it may be said as tolerably certain that Wellington certainly will not passively hand over control of local government to the labour leaders, no matter of what persuasion.

Necessarily all classes are entitled to representation in the administration ot public affairs in a democratic country, but to see the folly of giving labour too much power one has only to take a glance at the recent happenings in Australia. There is no reason to suppose that labour administration in any brunch of public affairs in this country would be any more successful. * JX East of England Trade. Mr Austin Wilson, who was in Auckland a few days ago, in the course of his tour in the interests of the port of Hull as an attractive centre of distribution for New Zealand trade in Britain, in a. letter which he has forwarded to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, points put that Hull is the third port in Great Britain, basing on the values of exports and imports. It is the gateway to the densely populated northern and midland counties off England, and serves an area carrying a population of 10 million people, the bulk of whom are within three hours' journey of the port. Hull has 10 doeks. the largest having a water space of 53. V acres, with a uniform depth of 30 feet. A new dock to be opened this year will have a water space of 85 acres, with, a depth of 42 feet. There are also deep water quays in addition to these enclosed docks. Ships can deliver direct into trucks or overside into barges. Five separate railway companies give a fast service from Hull to all parts of the country, and navigable rivers and canals radiating inland from Hull serve one-sixth of the total area of England. The cold stores of the poit. which are on the dock quays, have capacity for 300.0110 carcases of mutton. Ships can sling direct from their holds into the store; thus reducing handling to a minimum. Hull’s charges on frozen meat and wool are stated to be considerably lower than the charges at London. Jt The Albert land Settlers The second celebration in connection With the- Jubilee of the Albcrtland Settlement was held at Paparoa. and called to mind memories of an important episode in New Zealand history. I his settlement differed from those in Canterbury and Otago, inasmuch as it. was not connected- with any land-jobbing enterprise, but was due to the energy of two prominent English Nonconformists, Messrs. Brame- and Barton. The Auckland Provincial Government offered forty-acre free land grants, and the. settlement would Have been quite as successful as others had it not been for the scandalous treatment which these settlers received at the hands of these who made the grants. When these pioneers arrived in New Zealand they

dkHOwred that the blockfl assigned to them were situated in a remote part oi the province, and that they ■ were almost inaccessible, owing to the lack of loads. It is. hard for us to-day to ><si li.se. the difficulties and hardship* which th<i-c brave men and women had to surmount. A journey which could easily be made in a single day at the present time then took three weeks to accomplish. In many cases the settlers had to go to their homes carrying tlu? younger children on their backs, and so complete was the isolation that they were often on the verge of starvation, living chiefly on potatoes and pumpkins am! such f’oh a- they could catch. The erst of conveying m\e-sary (supplies was almost prohibitive. Much of the land was of the poorest quality. However, they stuck to their holdings. The land which was then valueless now poi hesses a ratable value of a quarter of a niilli- n flter.injr. JI J* The Spirit of the Fast. The gathering itself was eloquent of the spirit in which the members of the Albert land Settlement faced the task before them. Mr. G. Tibbitts said that when they came out they did not expect to pick up gobi in the streets, and he declared that in spite of all the hardships they had had to face, he would still, if he were young again, want nothing better than to take up land in the back-blocks. He declared that he had had a glorious life among the hills and the rivers, and that it had been one long picnic for 50 years. Mr. T. Wilson, oi Paparoa, recalled the great occasion when he returned home with his first cow. purchased at a cost of £2O, and the manner in which he had been befriended by Mrs Rowsell, of MaungaAurotu, This lady, who is now 81 years of age. was able to add her own inemori« s <>i this famous occasion. The Premier. w ho was present, said that his parents, alt h< ugh i.ot actually Albertlanders, had come out to New 7 Zealand at the same time under similar conditions. He paid a Wiirm tribute to the pluck, grit, and success of these pioneers o*f settlement in the North. He declared that they were not only heroes and heroines, but benefactors of the Dominion. Their monument had been established for all time in smiling fields and. prosperous homes. This eventful gathering of old settlers was brought to a happy conelusion by a most enjoyable musical programme provided by the Albert landers. J* & Early Pioneers. It is the custom to-day to enlarge upoi the • magnificent physicpie. Hturdim.ss. pluck, and resourcefulness of the native-born New Zealander. This is often dom at the expense of what is called the decadent Englishman, and many are nevi r tired of pointing out the superiority of the local production over the new <hum\ It is. therefore, well to remember that those who lajre the brunt of tin hardships inseparable from early settlement all came from the Homeland. No s'dtler taking up land to-day in the most isolated districts of the Dominion has to endure one-tenth of the privations so bravely faced by the men of old. One cannot read tin* story of these brave Nonconformists. seeking liberty and freedom in a new land, without feeling the pulse quicken with admiration for their heroism ami their fortitude. Many have reaped a well-earned reward in the shape, of material prosperity; others have reaped but little of this world’s goods, but have been strengthened with the knowledge that through their untiring efforts the wilderness has been made productive. and homes planted in waste places of the earth. Nor is this in any way to decry the noble work that has been done, and is still being done by our settlers of to-day. Only one cannot help feeling that many a lonely man and woman in the backbloeks of New Zealand must have received an . added strength, and a further inspiration to coinage in the midst of privations and trials, from the records of those who half a centiiiy ago laid the foundations on •which so many prosperous homes have Binve b en built. The Larger Patriotism. Mr. Balfour, in addressing the Royal Senft•s«li Corporation, dwelt at some length on the subject of patriotism In the Dominions. After referring to the patriotic spirit which was now lieing shown throughout the Empire.' he went on to say. “The (Canadian, the Australian. the New Zealander, the citizens of South Africa—l need not enumerate •1! the great dominions and dependencies of thia country they mus 4 have, and

they ought to have and they will have, their own feeling of separate nationality. A Canadian is a Canadian; he wants, ajid he ought to want. Canada to have its own principle of development, its own future. So also Australia, pursuing the great experiment of freedom and self-government on very different lines from those of Canada. lines which Australia has chosen for herself, she is following as “a free country, as a member of that great congeries of free countries which make up our Empire. Do not let us discourage their feeling of local patriotism. Let us only ask them to follow the example of Scotland, and to cultivate that feeling of nationality for themselves, the Canadian for the Canadian*. the Australian for the Australians, but all for the British Empire.*’ JI The Dissatisfied Worker. Labour troubles continue to cause concern in the Dominion. A couple of boats are still held up in Wellington because the owners decline resolutely to concede the demands of the firemen for more assistance. It is declared that the work is too heavy for the number of firemen employed. In another instance the firemen threatened to go on strike if the early shift could not get hot instead of cold meat for breakfast. The hot meat was given. The biggeet and most serious ti:r«sle is-in connection with the deman 'r for higher wages by the slaughtermen. The men ask fur 30/ per 100 sheep, and an offer by the companies to give 27/6

per 100 has been rejected by ballot. Notice has been given that work will cease next Monday. At present neither side are prepared to yield. A strike is certain tin Inn a compromise is effected. & Nipped in the Bud. A police prosecution at Auckland last week was responsible for a rather startling revelation, pointing almost certainly to the existence of an organised business resembling the horrible white slave traffic in the older countries, ami controlled by recent arrivals of very questionable repute. All the people concerned were of foreign nationality, and not desirable immigrants. One of the m iles, who had got away to Australia, but was enjoying a monetary share of the business, had been deported from London and Hogged in South Africa for engaging in the white slave traffic. Another male with the <apital had been a saloon-keeper in Seattle, and he wa* forced to get out because even in that unconventional country his odablishment did not come within municipal requirements- Two others appeared to be battening on the women. The result of the police vigilance has l»eeii to drive these objectionable foreigners out‘of the country ami to stamp out, for the time being, at least, a serious menace to the morality of the city. The alarming consequences of such a trade getting a sius-essfiil fooling in the Dominion emphasises the need for unremitting vare on the part of the anthoritie«. JI J< University Reform. Some reforms in university work suggested by the Professorial Conference, held in November last, were criticised by

Sir Robert Stout in his annual address to. the Senate at Auckland on Last. The syllabus had been stigmatised aB “archaic” by the “reformers,” yet, according to Sir Robert, the suggested alterations were trivial. The Conference, he pointed out, recommended that the degree of Bachelor of Science be abolished ; that it was a peculiar method of selecting a course for the degree. It was true that the report stated that the conference had to consider in the future the creation of a new degree in Science; but, judging from the little said about it,' one would infer that it was not to be a general Science Degree, but one of a technical character—that is, connected with agriculture, manufactures and other such pursuits. L uder the existing system there are two primary degrees, B.A. and B.Sc. In the B.A. degree Latin or Greek, is compulsory. . In the B.Sc. degree four Science subjects are compulsory —mathematics, physical science, chemistry, botany, or in lieu of botany, zoology, or geology or physiology. The conference proposed one degree, but it was to be a bifurcated degree, that is, there would be a B.A. degree proper, with only one science subject, and a B.A. degree mainly scientific. In fact, the only change, said the Chancellor, was that, mathematics not being compulsory a student might get a B.A. degree for passing such subjects as he would have had to pass in. B.Sc., only that , three instead of four sciences were required. This was a slight change to get rid of the “archaic” nature of ’the syllabus. It had

taken two years or more of labour and thought of the reforming professors to discover this wonderful remedy. The proposal was really a lowering of the science requirements. Sir Robert dealt at length with the proposal of the Conterenee that teachers in each subject must examine in the subject, indicating clearly iVhat it all meant, and summed up the position by declaring the resolutions framed by the Conference centred all power and authority of the university in the professors. British Pacific Fleet—Government Declaration. Speaking on the subject of naval defence at the 'Hiaines, the Prime Minister said that he was well satisfied with the progress of the defence movement as far as the land forces were concerned, but he was not so well satisfied with naval matters. The Balkan. War had shown clearly the consequences of a lack of preparedness, and in the final struggle the nation that was best prepare<l would succeed. There was much discussion as to the form which the establishment of a fleet in t.he Pacific should take, but as far as New Zealand was concerned, it stood straight out for a British Pacific fleet. It might ’consist of ships of Canada, of Australia, ami of New Zealand, of the Britsh Navy, or of ships of all the countries he mentioned, but however details were arranged, there should be no possible question as to the’supremacy of British naval forces in the Pacific. When the first shot was fired, the fleet must Im? a purely British Imperial fleet, and under Imperial control. Its constituent parts must stand ahoulder to and when the call came, that he believed would cotne, he was satisfied

that New Zealand would be as ready to answer as she.had ever been.

Evil Days for the War Correspondent. The war correspondent has fallen upon evil days. There was a time when he was an honoured guest, and when generals were by no means averse to an adequate report of their achievements. But all that has been changed. The correspon-. dent has been voted a danger and a nuisance, and if his presence is tolerated at all it is on the understanding that he shall see nothing. The correspondent of the London “Standard,” writing from Belgrade, says that lie might as well be at Rome, that he is allowed to telegraph nothing and that the authorities have even destroyed the whole of the foreign correspondence in the mail after economically licking the stamps off. . Letters sent through the Austrian bank might perhaps be forwarded, but everything else was suppressed. That the Servians have, learned some of the gentle art of civilisation is shown by the fact that two of the censors were dismissed for themselves selling to foreign newspapers the items which they had deleted from messages of correspondents. Thus, through a community of knavery do we recognise tho kinship of the world. J? The Purity of English. From time to t'me the question is raised as to whether ihe present generation can write Eng Tr-h ;us correctly as did the one preceding. 'Hie u»se of “will’* and “shall,’’ of “would” and “should,” to many people a ctumbling - block, a snare, and a delusion. How many ignorant of their heinous sin continue to employ the split infinitive which we are tohl •sounds so barbariouidy in claissic' ears! Even the London "Times” h?js had to change itis time-honoured phrase, “he intended to severely punish the prisoners,” into “he intended to punish the prisoners severely.” The gain is cbv-ious. A’ learned doctor has been deploring the manner in which we fail to appreci ite the subtle distinction between the two words “bide” and “abide.” The reader! of Meredith’s letters have been scandalised to note that he writes “alright,” instead of making two words, “all right,” and as if in revolt at this pedantic love for grammatical exactness we have a learned Bishop of the English Church declaring that he loves nothing .so well as to escape from the puns£ to the expressive language of the East End. He thinks that all real power of metaphor— all really expressive adjectives—are to be found amongst the costers and the bargees. Those who have listened to the fluent manner in which a bushman or bullock-driver can reflect on the ancestry and ultimate destination of all things living cannot fail to perceive that for real power of exprt. sion those who have never been brought up on Lindley Murray can give points to thoie who pride themselves on the precision of the;. English. ° Idiomatic English. For really powerful and expressive idiom one frequently Ims to go to the foreigner who. untrammelled bv any precise rules of grammar, often succeeds in

expressing himself in a manner that must excite the envy and admiration of those to whom English - is the native tongue. We give two specimens to illustrate this point. One is an advertisement of a

lamese paper. which is to.be published in English. Jhe advertisement reads as follows: —

"The neusof English we tell the latest. Writ in perfectly style and most earliest. Do a murder get commit, we hear and tell ol it. Do a mighty chief die, we bublish it, and in borders of sombre. Staff has each one been college, and writ like Kipling ami the Dickens. We circulate every, town and extortionate not for advertisements. Buy it By it.”

The other is the welcome of a Kaffir spokesman to a resident magistrate just arrived at t'ala.* ITanskei, South Africa:'

“We cordially welcome your pluck and goodness in earning among such pusillaminary and unwholesomely ignorant people. We are over-joyful to get such a weak, non-exeitable, superabundantly harmonious one as a magistrate,” Both are curious examples of how ignorance ami sincerity can between them achieve all the effect of style. No proficient English scholar would have the courage to write that . admirable "liorders of sombre”; and the "Buy i>t. By if' has a . crescendo of appeal which not . the latest devices ot Fleet-street could surpass.