WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 230, 28 September 1935, Page 8

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

POINTS FROM THE PRESS,

A PROOF OF SOBRIETY,

Whether a man i.s sober or not sober has always been a nice question, often disputed in courts of law. The police have their tests, but what they are precisely nobody seems to know. Probably they are kept a strict secret and varied from time to time like cipher codes in order to defeat any attempt on the part of possible offenders to master the teste beforehand for cases of emergency. 1 If there were a regular shibboleth to put to the man suspected of having imbibed not wisely but too well, if lie were 'asked to say, "Oswaldtwhistle," or "Truly rural," or something of the kind, and this became known as the police test, then preliminary practice might make the test too easy to be of much value. Perhaps this is what happened in the case mentioned in the cable news: "Declaring that the police drunkenness test was too easy, a Buckinghamshire stockbroker stood on his head and drank a cup of water, and the Bench, satisfied that this act was proof of sobriety, |{dismissed a charge of driving while drunk.' The locality is not stated, but the internal evidence is in favour of Buckinghamshire itself, where this acrobatic stockbroker apparently had his home. The Bench may not have been aware that stockbrokers move daily among the perils of "bulls" and "bears" and that a resourceful man has been known to scare off a lion by standing on his head. In any case, that "cup of water" would be sullicient to swing the balance as indicating *a preference for such refreshment. But the dreadful thought occurs that the police all over the world may take note of this "cause celebre" and introduce the inversion of the human body as a standard sobriety test for motorists and others, and then whose reputation will be safe? —Wellington "Evening Post.". • • * •

A YEAR'S GOOD DEED. What enriches the history of a city more than anything eWo is the co-nduct of its citizens, especially in an emergency, and this point was very properly touched on by the Mayor of Christehureh in praising the remarkable effort by which, under his enthusiastic leadership, the citizens had raised nearly £ Hi,ooo for the relief of acute distress in the city. The effort was a drain on the resources, of all sections of the community, but they have, in return, compensations in the respect of other communities and in the clear conscience with which the whole community will move forward to the enjoyment of happier days. The campaign that closcd this week had a measure of political, economic and sociological instruction for the citizens, but the most pleasing feature of it was the cheerful community spirit it revealed, and the good citizenship of the active workers in the campaign. The whole movement was well organised and its success was due to the extraordinary energy of the various committees. The raising of such funds is a task that no one seeks, but the helpers devoted their time and energies and imagination to it with the utmost determination, and now that the work is finished there is a general feeling that Christehureh, at any rate, has removed any possible cause for reproach regarding its care of the distressed members of its community.— "Christehureh Star-Sun."

MANUFACTURERS AND POPULATION. If New Zealand had a larger population, the primary producer would bo proportionately less exposed to the uncertainty of oversea markets and, at the same time, the manufacturer, if reasonably protected, would have a larger market and be able to produce more economically. For these reasons Mr. James Hogg, president of the Manufacturers' Federation, favours an immigration policy, alicl there is much to be said for it; but it is quite plain that a mere import of heads, hands and feet is not a solution. It might, with a little bad luck and bad management, aggravate every distress and difficulty which the country now faces. The question of course is how to- reach a better social and industrial balance through immigration; aml the manufacturers, who have recently done one important task very well, will help themselves and the farmers and the rest of the Dominion if they will contribute what they can to the answer. The task ui)on which they are to be commended is the production of their scheme for the rationalising of industries or groups of industries, with the help of a permanent commission. If this scheme is established and leads, as it should, to greater efficiency, the manufacturers' claim for tarifl safeguards will be evon stronger than it is to-day. But it should be added that a fair claim must not bd pushed too far. It is not true that it is "uneconomic and unsound" to bring into the country goods that are produced here efficiently. A demand for monopoly is a demand fo>: conditions in which the incentive to seek ine utmost economy and efficiency and every possible improvement of quality is weakened, if not destroyed. Though in terms not qujte precise, the Ottawa agreement lays down a safe and acceptable standard. —Christehureh "Press."

SHIPPING LINK WITH JAPAN. The shipping service to be inaugurated next May between Japan and Now Zealand should pave the way to a profitable relationship between the two countries. Hitherto we have ranked as a modest neighbour of Australia in the sight of Japanese business people, and our inclusion in the general scheme of trade exploration is an indication that the keen Far Eastern people regard our future as 'being one of distinct promise. Butter, cheose, wool and, perhaps, meat, will introduce New Zealand to the Japanese consumers and where there arc 70,000.000 people whoso tastes are in a state of transition, the possibilities of business seem illimitable. It is surprising that the eyes of those who have directed our trade were not cast further afield in the years of prosperity and production; but the explanation would appear to be that while Great Britain was prepared to purchase all our surplus produce, wo were content to aspire to no further conquests. Britain has been a good friend to us in the recent years of adversity, but it would lie unwise to rely upon her custom in the future as in the 'past.— "Southland Daily News."

FARM LABOUR. There have been frequent references of lute to the scarcity of labour for farm work. According to a statement by the Minister of Finance at Wanganui, this difficulty is likely to be accentuated by the increase in the standard rates of 1 pay for men employed on public works. It has been found, lie said, that men 011 sustenance are disinclined to leave their homes for remunerative work. Eveli single men in camps prefer their present mode "of existence to regular employment. This is not a desirable state of affairs. It suggests that the morale of at least a section of the unemployed has slipped back as the result of a long period of more or less casual existence. J his aspect of the unemployment problem emphasises the need for measures that will absorb men who are leading a more or less shiftless existence into regular occupations, Farm labour, of course, has always been somewhat of a problem, though that would be largely overcome if the wages paid, and the general conditions of farm work, could be improved. Many farmers 110 doubt realise the importance of making labour conditions in the rural industries as attractive as possible. But, as is the case in other industries, there are exceptions, and these tend to give farm labour in general a bad name. The real need is to make the conditions of farm labour more attractive. It is a problem which the Farmers' Union might usefully investigate.— Wellington "Dominion."