THE NATIONAL OUTLOOK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 25, 30 January 1934, Page 6

THE NATIONAL OUTLOOK.

This is an age of exaggeration, and public men, instead of curbing the bad habit, often encourage it. Mr. Coates is reported as saying that this country's position is "infinitely better than it was twelve months ago," and if he did say so, he flogs a muchassaulted word. Infinity has been defined as having its centre everywhere and its circumference nowhere, from which one may judge the extent to which the adverb is misused. When Mr. Coates says our position is "infinitely" better, he merely means ..that it has greatly improved. Is it possible that the word he used was "definitely," a very different matter? There is no question that the outlook is brighter, and if the phrase had not been used so frequently one might be tempted to say the country had "turned the corner." On the question of exchange Mr. Coates was-less happy. Everybody knows that the farmers have been getting more money as a result of the Government's policy. Among the things one would like to know is how the Government justifies this policy when the sheep farmer is getting much more money for his wool, plus the advantage of high exchange, and how it. proposes to deal with the mounting balance in London.