The Dominion. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1909. A PLAIN-SPOKEN ADDRESS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 442, 26 February 1909, Page 6

The Dominion. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1909. A PLAIN-SPOKEN ADDRESS.

The Presidential address at yesterday's meeting of the Chamber of Commerce remarkable for the outspoken and vigorous opinions which, it expressed upon two questions that have latoly occupied a large sharo of the ■ public's ■ attention. For many months we have had politicians and newspapers ondcavouring, in a state

of fussy anxiety not.to speak.plainly, to give the publio;as it were a pill of warning respecting the financial and. commorciaL position coated with the sugar of soothing, reassurance. This policy, the authors of Which claim to be regarded as particularly wise and patriotic i,n holding tho bridge' 'against.an" invasion: ;of panic, has Bimply confused without soothing the public. Criticism cannot produce panic without, the; necessary; conditions, iand very evil conditions can dispense with the aid of a; chorus of criticism. This does not appear to have occurred to

tho3B.pooplO| the not result of whoso.worlt has only, been to obecuro the path back

to finanoial and commercial easiness. The' outspoken comments of the President of tho Chamber of', Commerce are therefore welcome, and if,'as is not unlikely, 'he is assailed :by the Government party or-, gans as a "calamity howler," he. can console himself with the reflection that his observations w6ro required, and that ho is a better physician who is honest in his diagnosis and prescription than the quack.who administers drugs until disaster arrives. It. is to be riotod'.that. Mr. Haekness's of the commercial outlook met with no dissent at all from tho business; men who were .present to judge it. ;■■■ ..'.'■;';. ; ,'; ~;

. : He reminds, us that Sir Joseph- Ward. promised that the"'financial ...stringency would pass away in December last—a preelection promise, of course. .Yet there has not been any material improvement in conditions. In saying that "no words, no platitudes, no optimism, however infectious, would accomplish any marked change," the President only stated the formula which 'every iensiblo nerson repeated ;to himself after every, wildly optimistic utterance of the ;Prime Ministee. 'A stout heart; is of course a good thing,' but,.'as was said of the "Smile Clubs" arid "Prosperity Associations" in America, 1 it requires something more than faith to grow strawberries, in Iceland, This is the; real evil'of the policy of bjirid optimism, that it encourages, or - at any rate does not discourage, the public in its belief that there; is no occasion to, change its waya, "The revival .in the price of-w001, , ' we are told,' "the steady market for frozen 'meat, the , phenomenal values, this year .of ..dairy produce, together with the prospect of an abundant .harvestjrfassisted -by one of the finest spriiigs and . summers;. froin an agricult'iral standpoint, had saved : the' Dominion' from a disaster which was serious to.coriiiumplate, and would have. been ruinous to'ernerience."; fWe do not-supp.oso that these saying; conditions; are the result, of the .Prime'v Ministke's.' speeches., Nor;do :.we .suppose that. Sir Joseph's speeche'sl proceeded' ff6m'.' a knowledge, that theee conditions would be, experienced, ■ or, indeed, from anything'; save*;his. anxiety to keep the public in good humour, with his Government.' While ; MK. HABKNESS.V'as a cautious man of business!: is not .enthusiastic, .. he -is' not '■■■ unhopeful, ■':-, eyen : though" the great excess of imports for some time" past leaves-tho future 'exports. saddled with: a 'mortgage. of ;£9,000,000—-. ;the amount,necessary to make lip leeway and;restore the, usual-balance , in- favour;. j.of voxports.;■ ,Tho.■;,President -■ concluded; [this portion .of his, address with a formal ( stateinont of his■• reasons for believing. in [;the '.souniness/^of;. the' country :'and 'its .ability.to.endure' a'temporary set-back; This,is precisely tho .view.:which;w:e.have always expressed and; which, we; beiiCve every ; .sensible ;person;; who has iabout; th'o position, must hold; but'.our. opinions, have been-.-, so -' porsistently v'mis- ; represented, plainly as wehave expressed; them,, that. Mr. 'Harkness ;was wise; in' taking, /precautions.:;to, ' protect.; himself, against 'inclusion amongst the- "pessß mists", and , "disloyalists." . It.:is.regret- , table.ttliat -such ,precautions should ,bo: rieceEsary.y;. :.,: -f ';-. ; -; ; 'V ; '/ : '-; v ;;''! : "' ;^'":

-;It is.just as.well;that the President,expressed, on.behalf of the mercantilecommunity,: the. dissatisfaction which•■■• i has been caused by. j;he' maladministration' .of the'' Arbitration amending''Act''of 'last session ','is' in its novitiate, a'hd "we 'must 'wait for events' to show, whether 'the hew law 'is not merely, a new .way of producing the old;-unde-sirable .'results, : : "It was'evident," ■: ; ;the Presidont observes,, referring, to: the happeningsi antecedent.to the introduction of tho amending'legislation,, "that the' provisions, of, tho-statute';.cbuld..be. and .were; enforced against them for breaches; whilst on the other liandiii'wasTibfcclear.'tliatit could be or would; be compulsory'.oh, the' •employee.,"" Whether that statement holds; good to-day remairis-:t6 be. seen ;;-.the recent trouble in tho.mines showed ,that in-dustrial-'war arid , the, violent -rupture of industrial tin;-; ■dor; the -Act or ;under ithe; present 'admiri:* .istration ,bf it. In 'attributing..the.amendment of the , law to the fact that "nocoun-, try, no people, could; submit to such der gradation ■; ashaving ..one ''61: its -iiigh ;Courts. of: Justko. and; its: law; openly arid , flagrantly,: set ■ at':' defiance! .by.; any' class :of; tho; community,.however, inumerf ous-itmight be,".:Mn. HAEKNEsd appears to ovorlook .the',.fact, tliaf the : worst • offender against , the canons of law J and order.,was■.tbe ■Gpyerhment'',itself;.'■ .The rebellious ■ trades-uriionß merely ■. took '/.ad-. vantage, of the Government's violation of its trust as the guardian.of :the 1aw.. , .;