WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 8

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

POINTS FROM THli PRESS.

EXCHANGE AND PRICES

There is a story of a sarcastic judge sitting in a Court bf Appeal who grew impatient as he listened to the long-winded judgment of the senior member of the Bench for the dismissal of the appeal. When it was concluded he gave his own decision: "In spite of what my learned brother has said, I agree." Members of the Farmers' Union Conference apparently agreed 011 Monday that high exchange was a good thing. But the president's reasons for this opinion proved the contrary. Exchange, lie suid, was a valued assistance to the farming community and was not at the expense of anybody at present. . . . Actually the exchange has absorbed the benefit of loner prices and even the benefit of compulsory rent and interest reductions. Without high exchange the cost of living would have been much lower and would have given compensation for lower incomes. Unless the farmers' benefit is wholly illusory, it lias certainly been at the expense of somebody. That somebody is the person who has 110 export commodities to sell, and who cannot buy as much as formerly with an income received in depreciated currency. The spending power argument may appeal to creditors of the farmers who have managed to intercept the exchange benefit, but it is poor consolation to any other individual to be told that, if something he has is taken from him, part of it will be spent in his shop. If the high exchange advocates can produce no better arguments than these they would be well advised to rest on the fact that they have the exchange, and not attempt to justify their advantage. A few more proofs such as the president of the Farmers' Union gave iu justification of the rate, and the case against it would be overwhelming. —Wellington "Evening Post."

POLITICS ON THE AIR. The first inclination of everyone except the politicians will be to applaud the decision of the Broadcasting Board to keep politics off the air during the election campaign later in the year. But the inclination may not be confirmed 011 reflection. The jab of the board is to give licensed listeners what they want, in reasonable measure, of course, and as many thousands of listeners at election time will want a little politics, if not a; lot, they should be given a quantity to be determined. The decision has been announced in rather curious terms, because it does notr specifically prohibit the broadcasting of important speeches, but to be consistent the ban must apply to all politicians, if not to all politics. The indications arc that political feeling will be running high as election day approaches and that interest in political issues will be keener and more intelligent probably than at any time since the war. In these circumstances the first policy speeches of the leaders might very well be broadcast by the main stations, leaving tlie subsidiary stations to attend to the more entertaining fare. The question whether the broadcasting system ought to be used for the political education of the democracy is an entirely different one. It may be taken for granted that the Broadcasting Board has not made up its mind on that point and that its present decision is a temporary expedient to avoid possible argument with the politicians and the parties—a discreet resolution, perhaps, but not a brave one.—"Christchurch Star-Sun."

PACIFIC INTERESTS. To those who are not familiar with it, the scope and the geographical spread of the work done by the Institute of Pacific Relations is surprising. Along the whole Western fringe of the Pacific —in Japan, Korea, Manchuria, China, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand—and 011 the other side in Canada and the United States of America there are investigators working under the auspices of the institute 011 the common problem of land utilisation in relation to population and food supply. The need for a research programme showed itself early in the development of the organisation. At the first conference one of the subjects for discussion was the effects of restrictive and discriminating immigration. It was found at once that the facts of population increase, land utilisation, standards of living and similar matters were either unreliable or unknown: hence the practical work of the institute was hampered. However, the facts that have been accumulated and published have played a significant part in educating public opinion and in supplying information to the political authorities who have had to deal with the issues as they came before the League of Nations. There is nothing sentimental about the institute. It is not a peace society, and it is not organised to promote any theories of social or political organisation in the Pacific. It is severely practical, and it takes the long view in the hope that it may be doing work that will bear fruit in the future when in the Pacific there will be a better understanding between the nations. It believes that the funded knowledge and the funded experience of a group of people who have deeply studied Pacific questions must be a help and a guide to statesmen who have to deal with them. Conferences have been held in Honolulu, China, Japan and Canada, and the next will be in California in August of next year. At these gatherings, at which New Zealand is always represented, the work is brought into focus, and plans made for future operations.—Duncdin "Evening Star."

LIBERAL MOVEMENTS. In Xew Zealand we have had a United party and now we have a Democrat party. Both of these are essentially Liberal movements. and we anticipate that the bulk of the Liberals will vote, for the first time in twenty years, for a cause tliev have always had at heart, despite the obstacles placed in the way of a direct expression of opinion. It is a pity such movements as have been made to re-establish the middle party have implied the unpopularity of the name LiberalLabour. Those who believe whole-heartedly in the old designation are not militant politicians and are content to let matters be adjusted for them. That is the reason why the Liberal vote has not been really articulate in recent years. We have always favoured a candid statement of political beliefs, and for that reason would have preferred to support the movement as Liberal-Labour. There is a great deal in a name, and, new descriptions may cause misconception and suspicion. At the same time, it seems fairly certain that the Liberal cause will be entrusted to the care of the Democrat party 011 this occasion, and in a few weeks that mysterious organisation will reveal its power and its purpose to an expectant country.—"Southland Daily News." * * • *

CRIPPLED CHILDREN. The Crippled Children's Society has acted wisely in deciding that in the early stages of its work obligations are not to be incurred in the provision of institutions and the appointment of a permanent staff. It is evident that the society has appreciated the necessity of placing the work among crippled children on a sound foundation and of avoiding the mistake of committing itself to a programme of expenditure which it might later find reason to regard as unsound. As its efforts are further organised, methods of treating the children and of providing for their future welfare, in keeping with the needs of the Dominion and with the society's resources, will be devised. In the meantime additional *«nds arc needed to advance the work. —"Otago Daily Times."