Untitled

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15860, 27 March 1917, Page 6

A\ e give a lengthy report in another column of the proceedings of last night's meeting of the City Council, when Cr. McCombs moved a Home Rule resolution. But tho whole matter can he summed up in a few words. Everyone knows, of course, that tho resolution was a purely electioneering move, and that Cr. McCombs was merely concerned to appear "a good fellow" in tho eyes of the supporters of Home Rule. AVhat Homo Rule has to do with the administration of Christchurch nobody can see. But wo cannot believe that the supporters of Home Rule arc so foolish as to be caught with the coarso bait offered to them. Councillor Taylor, himself a supporter of Home Rule, gave conclusive reasons why the motion should not be moved. Any Home Ruler on the Council could have moved it at any tamo, but, to move such a motion for such a sordid purpose, namely, the gaining of votes, is a little "too thick" for most men. If the Home Rule elector tlnnks for a moment he will realise that Cr. McCombs has not paid him a compliment in baiting his hook so coarsely. In New South TV ales, as in New Zea_ | land, tho "anti-conscriptionisfcs" are .not merely enemies of conscription, but I enemies of the national cause. It must ! be remembered that long before con-

scription was ever thought of the Labour bosses wero actively or passively hostile to recruiting. The Labour l'arty i.s the only body or organisation of any kind whatever in tho Dominion which has steadfastly refused to Bay a word in support of the cause of the Allies, In New South Wales, happily, there are prominent Labour men who are true to their country without being less true to their Labour principles. Mr J. McGowen, the veteran Labour leader, and one time Labour Premier in New South Wales, was representing many Labour men when he wrote, in his election address:—

"Never from my youth up have 1 •deserted the old flag of Labour. I. have not gone back on one principle nor one pledge. lam as true a Labour man as I ever was, and, happen what may, I shall die true to the principles of a lifetime. But they would crucily me. They have left me stranded with the others. They won't have me. And why? Because I dared, as a loyal and patriotic man, to support the i'cderal Government in, submitting the question of compulsory service to the people — because 1 dared to help the Government to win tile war and save Australia and all those grand democratie principles we have fought for, for ever so many long years. 1 rejoice that my own sons are to be numbered among Australia's gallant volunteers. Three of my sons were volunteers, and one of them has laid down his life for his eoun. try—a glorious death, friends!" The contrast between this and what any of the Labour bosses in this city or this country could say ought to hav c a lesson for all sensible unionists. The American Government, it is reported, have declined to take the German view of the ancient PrussianAmerican treaty. The German Government proposed certain explanatory and supplemental clauses as a protocol to the Treaty, and these were made public last month. These clauses proposed that Germans in America and Americans in Germany should, in the event of war between the two countries, ho placed on exactly the same footing as neutrals as to all property rights and freedom from detention or sequestration of property. Merchant ships, it was further proposed, should not be seized, or driven to sea excep; under safe conduct from all possible enemies. This arrangement would hardly benefit America at all) but it would bo an enormous advantage to Germany, in view of the fact that while there are hardly any Americans in Germany, there are millions of Germans in America, and the same inequality of conditions obtains in respect of shipping. According to telegrams from Washington when the German proposals wero made public, the United States intended to live up to the spirit of tho obsolete Treaty, but circumstances may now be considered to liavo altered since then. r « The increased activity of the German under-water campaign will accentuate the demand for increasing tho output of new tonnage from British shipyards. For some time past it has been recognised that the building of merchant ships is as important as the construction of ships for tho Royal Navy. Our readers will remember that about eight or nine months ago a company was formed, entitled the Standard Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Ltd., for tho purpose of building standardised ships on tho same principle as Ford cars, so as to speed rip the output. ,Tho New Zealand Shipping Company was ono of the partners i n tho enterprise. When the last mail left England, tho company was making substantial progress at its works at Chepstow.

In spite of labour difficulties, threo slipways had been prepared in the yard and two 3300-ton cargo steamers were being built. It was expected that a vessel of 6000 tons deadweight would shortly be laid down on the third slip, and it was hoped that by the end of the year five now steamers will have been put into the water from this yard, in addition to 18 smaller vessels stated to be urgently needed. In the now yard of the company the first four slips for building ships up to 10,000 tons each were being prepared. We have no doubt that other yards hitherto occupied entirely with Admiralty work are now turning out merchant ships with the object of making up the murderous wastage caused by the enemy.