NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 307, 21 September 1920, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

Councillors M'Konzio and Shorland, in their anxiety to protest against what they regard as an excessive expenditure, have overlooked the fact that two blacks do not mako a white. They contend that tho fee of £125 to be paid to Mr. Birks for reporting on tho power-station site was unduly large, and they complain that the Mayor gave the Finance Committee no opportunity to consider it. Thero is something to be said for their protest, but their zeal has carried them to unnecessary lengths. To express their indignation in as emphatic a form as possible they have resigned, or propose to resign, from tho City Council, and have mado necessary another by-election. Last week's two municipal elections are stated to have involved an expenditure of about £m. We do not know what Messrs. M'Kenzie and Shorland consider Mr. Birks should be paid. They are not likely to advocato less than £hO. Thus, to save ,£75 and affirm a technical principle in procedure, tho city is asked to spend possibly .£IOO on a by-election. In these hard times this sort of indignation is too expensive a luxury altogether. If the citizens are to be indignant with the Mayor for lack of economy, their indignation with Messrs. M'Kenzio and Shorland will havo to be in the proportion of .MOD to .£75.

i » * » Tho Government 'has many urgent matters on hand, but one that is being pushed altogether too much into the background is the formulation of an air policy. It is some time since tho Air Board was constituted to go into this question. Has it drawn tip a report, and, if so, are its proposals of a practical nature than can be adopted 'forthwith? It is obvious that it would be extremely unwise to embark on an ambitious air programme at present, but, as we have urged before, it is important to decide what we intend, to do it thoroughly and well, and to make a beginning without delay. It is to be hoped the Government will see its way to take the country into its confidence at an early date, and 60 enable all who would interest themselves in aviation in the Dominion to know what are the prospects ahead.

If it is desired utterly to discredit the Labour movement in New Zealand it is only necessary to multiply and extend the typo of dispute now in existence at Huntly. Labour advocates are accustomed to paint Capital as a soulless monster grasping all for itself with entire indifference to the rights and interests of others. Whatever the sins of .Capital in this country, we cannot recall that it has ever provided in its worst moments any instance of callous selfishness approaching that now being exhibited by the miners of Huntly. These'men haw been, earning an average of 30s. a day. They demand that they shall be given weekly tickets at the suburban rate of 2s. Od., instead of on the ordinary twelve-trip concession basis of 4s. 9d., a difference of 2s. 3d. per miner per week. The official statement of the case shows clearly that the claim is for preferential treatment to minors above all other users of tho railways. To enforce this demand tho Huntly miners are prepared to s«o tho Auckland trams stop for lack of coal, to have tho Auckland electric light cut off, and all industries dependent on Huntly coal dislocated and their employees idle. They are prepared apparently to throw hundreds of thoir follow workers out of employment and to cause inconvenience and hardship to thousands of others. This conscienceless ignoring of the rights of others is carried out under the auspices of a party which poses ns having a special recipe for progress. That recipe evidently does not include the simple little principle laid down somo nineteen hluudred years ago, "Do unto others as you would be done by."

* # * * The announcement of the revival of tho North German. Lloyd services across the Atlantic is a reminder that Germany is far from being tho crushed and humiliated victim of tho Allies that her friends abroad represent her. In a lengthy letter to "The Times," Mr. Herbert Kaufman, a shrewd American journalist, best known a-i editor and proprietor of "M'Clure's Magazine," and assistant to the United States Secretary of the Interior during the war, told what he saw recently in Germany. He expressed tho opinion that so far from the Allies crushing Germany with excessive demands, if they did not act decisively they would find that the shrewd Teuton had irreparably invested most of the indemnity money in concrete houses, rails, ballast, and highways. The milliards for which the Supreme Council is ineffectively reaching lie heaped along the roads, ready for eager shovels. They are being transmitted into mortar and moulded into bricks. Production in all forms fa being pushed everywhere with amazing vigour. Mr. Kaufman knew the old Germany, and he finds the new unchanged and nnropentant. She is busy making herself efficient with the funds sh-i should be paying to Franco and Belgium to make them habi'able commonwealths again. Most significant of all is the fact that at the recent Spa Confeionco Herr Stinnes wa3 put up to declare it impossible for Germany to provide ;the Allies with the coal stipulated in the Versailles Treaty. This same Herr Stinnes was tho man who drew up the plana for systematically wrecking tho French mines, who instigated the deportations of Belgians into forced labour, and who-carried out the dismantling of French and Belgian factories. To-day he owns fifteen groups of German coal mines, innumerable ether enterprises, and controls'7o German newspapers.

Tho human side of two very famous people is revealod in a littlo 6tory of the late ex-Empress Eugenie and M. Clomenccau told by a correspondent of "The Times." Last year the correspondent paid a visit to tho ex-Empress at Famborough. They talked of France and she said: "Ah, that Clemonceau! Were ho my worst enemy I would lovo him." But M. Clemonceau had made a mistake. Ho should h'avo attended tho Peace Te Deuni at Notre Dame. Ho could make good this mistake. A fortnight hence he would bo in Strasbourg. Ho should visit the Cathedral. Ho might still unite France and givo a lesson in moderation and unity. The- correspondent inquired if'ho might tell M. Clemenceau this. The ex-Empress was adamant. Nothing must come from her. She was dead since 1870. A week later tho correspondent by chance mot SI. Clomenceau and told him what an illustrious old lady of 93 who had been dead since 1870 had said te him. M. Clemonceau remarked that it was truo that samo lady was well dead. As for Strasbourg, tho old lady would be disappointed again. The following Sunday M. Clemonceau was at Strasbourg. Ho did attend service in tho Cathedral, amid indescribable' rojoibing, and in tho French Chamber on his return ha spoke of hla StrasbauTg experiences. Ono

thing he would never forget was an old nun softly humming the "Marseillaise." It was a great lesson of unity and moderation. Whethor the ex-Empress ever read that speech the correspondent does Jiot know. Sho certainly never knew M. Clomenoeau had been told what sho said. And thus is history made,