PUBLIC OPINION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2453, 18 March 1909, Page 7

PUBLIC OPINION

THE LASTWOR D. Mr. Massey seems bent on having tin ■last word in his little controversy witi -Sir Joseph Ward, and we think that tin Prime Minister would not gnidge bin this feminine privilege. The leader o e Opposition is not improving hh ■case by iteration. His assumption thai his opponent has lost his temper ami .is proceeding from anger to hysteria is simply puerile. Sir Joseph has presented the utmost good humor throughout the whole silly business. The mar who is getting the best of an arguement can afford to smile. But Mr. Massey is ignoring the beginning of the quarrel. .He started out'with a fine show of indignation at the Prime Minister using the telegraph wires at the public expense to influence the electors of the Southern Maori district. It was an old story and he re-told it with all his accustomed fire. But as it happened Sir Joseph had paid for his telegrams out of his own pocket. Mr. Massey was informed of this fact and very frankly •withdrew his imputations, but now he says it makes no difference whether the messages were paid for or not. On seccond thoughts he sees the whole offence lay in sending the telegrams. Surely lie has forgotton those- messages he despatched himself wishing each of the Opposition candidates success. These certainly Avere far more amusing than any of Sir Joseph Ward’s printed telegrams-, hut their humor does not.save them from the suspecion -of impropriety. • - What is sauce for the Government must . also be sauce for the Opposition.—“Lyt- - to! ton Times.” RELIGION IN SCHOOLS. It is commonly asserted, or assumed, that the teachers employed in State Schools are almost unanimously opposed to the Avhole principle of religion in education. And this argument is cornanonly advanced as one. reason why the Catholic claim—the counterpart of which is some- measure of non-Cathoiic religious instruction in the public schools—cannot be entertained. Public school teachers might not unnaturally bo expected to look askance at any fresh burden thrown upon the already hopelessly overloaded syllabus of the public schools. But the Catholic schools follow the same syllabus, and give in addition, the moral and religious training which go to constitute true education. And on the broad principle 'that the religious side of the child ought not to be neglected and that attention to the moral faculty is an essential element in true education the host members of the teaching profession are heartily agreed.—" New Zealand Tablet.”

THE GRAZING R-UNAIePLSODE. We do not. hesitate to say that the ' Government has been guilty of serious impropriety in connection with the affair. If there were any good reason for Mr. M'Nab’s firm refusal to sanction the renewal of the lease recommended by the. Land Board and the 'Undersecretary, that reason must still exist In the circumstances, the Prime- Minister must not. blame the public if it is driven to the conclusion that his surrender ..proceeds front his anxiety to have the matter forgotten. So far as Mr. Black is concerned The trouble is ended—we congratulate him on the successful issue of his agitation —but the public still has some interest, in the matter. Quite apart from the fact that the Government dms stultified itself in its anxiety to get raid of- a case which, if fully investigated would reflect great discredit on the Ministry, there remains the unpleasant fact that the Land Boards can be influenced by a Minister so as to suit a .political end that he may have in view. 'The Napier Board first decided, quite legally, to resume the disputed run; later, it very properly rescinded its resolution to that effect; later still, under iiustructions from Mr. M‘Nab, it reaffirmed its first resolution; and, finally tinder Sir Joseph Ward’s instructions it again undid its original decision. ‘Tiie whole question is certain to receive attention during the coming session of Parliament, but in the meantime the -public will do well to keep in mind theremarkable testimony of the ease to the part which political influence plays in the administration of the Lands Department.

AN AWAKENING. It is fair to believe that many young -men who have in the past shunned the rifle, in favor of the bat and the.racquetwill be stimulated to give some of "their leisure to that part of -a citizen’s duty ’which enjoins a proper regard for the safeguarding of the country. An evidence of this rousing of a better spirit is seen in a proposal that rifle shooting should have a place on the programme for the University tournament ■ here during Easter. The apostles have been busy and the ranks of the faithful seem to be steadily increasing.—‘'Evening .Post.” POLITICS AND PARTIES. Half the Government supporters in oar Parliament might be Oppositionists, half the Oppositionists might sit beside Mr T. Mackenzie, while nothing the. Government. can do and no concession that any Parliament can make ever reconciles the revolutionary extremists whose aim is the formation of a “Socialist. Labor” party in New Zealand, as in the United-States and the United Kingdom. Questions make parties. Parties do not make ' questions. —“New Zealand Herald.” THE DINIZUIAJ TRIAL. Had the white officials been more conversant Avith the natives and known the -true state of the. country, we can scarcely realise that they Avould have been asr entirely dependent -as they apparently were- upon witnesses regarding whose knowledge and credibility they Avere ignorant. After all the “scares” we have had from Natal, it is satisfactory even •noAV to- bo assured that at no time- has Dinizulu ever contemplated any warlike demonstration against his white neigh-i-bors. —“Evening Post.” AWAKENING OF THE EAST. The- growth of .Siam is one of the most interesting phenomena that the Par East presents to us to-day, and, while it is impossible to withhold admiration for the success that Chulal-ong-korn and his subjects have within so short a time achieved, the marvellous advances that they have made suggest •problems that will inevitably be of vital interest to Australia and New Zealand if once the nations of %,-outli-eas-■'•ir-.n,/ Asia emulate the example or Japan, and follow in the footsteps ot Siam by grafting Western civilisation upon -an Oriental Auckland ■ “Star.” ■- y