NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 299, 12 September 1921, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

An extraordinarily .unenlightened view was expressed by th? Edinburgh trade union-leader CMr. Bunsen), who contended at a meeting of the British Association, which is reported to-day, that it was no.part of trade union functions to propagate scientific knowledge, and that "they might as well ask cricket clubs and musical societies to promote- scientific lectures." As a matter of fact, well conducted cricket clubs and musical societies are assiduous in propagating scientific knowledge of the pursuits with which they are concerned, and- it is plain enough also that save in. the extent to which they are based on exact scientific knowledge the activities of a trade union can only amount blind groping. The claim for "the uttermost wagefe” that industry can yield would assume an entirely new character and would be pursued with much brighter hopes if it were developed with due regard. to the economic limits which scientific examination and investigation have brought to light. It is only because readily accessible scientific knowledge is so commonly neglected that workers allow themselves to be organised to the end of keeping down their own earnings and of making goods and utilities they and others need from day to day dear and scarce. It is in the. spread of scientific knowledge also that an antidote must be found for stupid crudities like the doctrine of "class , war.” The best hope for the future of democracy resides in the likelihood that as education is improved a generation of working people will grow up not only endowed with ’a sound grasp of moral principles, but determined to profit* by all the light that science can cast upon questions affecting their working life and welfare. ,

Who is to blame .for the muddlemcnt in connection with the "Springboks'” visit to Nelson? Coming on the eve, as it were, of the deciding Test match, it is .most regrettable. New Zealanders want to come out victors in the Test, 'but wo want to feel that our visitors have had every opportunity to put their best team in the field, in the beat of fettle and under the best possible conditions, The complaint of the manager of the Springboks regarding the neglect to provide accommodation at Nelson and on the return trip seeihs to lie fully justified, and it is not surprising that he should have got a little warm over the matter. Fortunately the visitors able to get back to Wellington in time to keep to the programme arranged for the winding up of their training prior to the big game, and, barring accidents, should be in a position to put their best team in the field, all fit and well.

If the Civic League is to obtain any response at all to its appeal for everyone in the city to contribute a day’s pay for the relief of tho unemployed it is desirable that more precise evidence should be forthcoming as to the need to be met. At the moment there is a' general disposition to believe that the —for us—impressive total of 1200 unemployed. is more apparent than real, and is swollen by the registration of tho same persons several times over at different registering offices. It is unfortunate that nd more definite figures seem to 'bo available. It would be valuable te know not only more exactly the total number of the unemployed in tho city, but also what are the numbers in each occupation. Absence of specific infoi mation on these points may seriously prejudice the prospects of an appeal which in any case does not appear to be meeting with a very favourable reception. . ■ * * * *

Sir Eric Geddes, chairman of Britain’s Economy Committee, was prolific as a Cabinet Minister in grandiose schemes for remaking English rojjds, railways, ports and canals, and as a side-line had a colossal plan for developing electricity from the tides in the Bristol Channel. The sum total of the expenditures he proposed seems to have been almost beyond expression in ordinary' arithmetical terms. Indeed, John Bull found the mere cost of the salaries of the multitude of experts engaged in creating these works on drawing paper so staggering that the whole enterprise was somewhat hurriedly abandoned. However, Sir Eric Geddes’s watchword is "thorough,” and the idea apparently is that he will be as thorough in saving as he has been in. spending. At this distance it is not possible to express any useful opinion as to the wisdom or otherwise of closing down the Goverhment labour exchanges in Britain. The Mesopotamian and Palestine enterprises of Mr, Winston Churchill, however, are daily increasing in unpopularity, and the demand is growing among almost all sections in Parliament for their abandonment or severe curtailment. Last year 80 millions was sunk in Mesopotamia, and, although the nominal estimate this year was only 35 millions, it has been contended that the reduction was effected chiefly by removing votes to other parts of the Estimates. The Economy Committee has an heroic task'ahead of it, and big results will only be obtained by some person deaf to clamour who is pre- ■ pared to ride roughshod over everybody.

’ w- * z * \ Having been banned with bell, book, and candle by the United States, the League of Nations Covenant is this year being subjected to a process of higher criticism, which bids to demonstrate, with more or less success, that the features to which America took exception do not exist. We are now told that Article Ten deos not mean that nations which are members of tho League have tq take up arms in defence of other members whose . terrritorial integrity or independence is threatened. This point was dealt with at some length by Lord Robert Cecil in a special article written recently for the conversion of the United States. Article Ten, Lord Robert Cecil states, was designed simply «e an emphatio statement that no State ought to

seek to interfere with another by aggressive methods. Peaceful changes of terri'tory or even internal aggression are not within the scope of the Article at all. Further, under Article Fifteen, before any member of the League can go to war it is to submit its dispute to arbitration, and to take nine months to think it over. If a unanimous finding weregiven by the Council against such a nation, and it still proceeded with its intended aggression, what would be the position? There is, we are told, no positive obligation on any member of the League to take military action. Article Ten provides that the Council is to say what is to be done, ajid Article Five says that before the Council can do anything its members must be unanimous. The result is, thus, that only one member has to object, and no decision can be reached, and everybody is free to go to war or not as ho chooses, and as though’ there were no League of Nations. The explanation is lucid and convincing, everyone will admit. There is clearly nothing to fear from a League so constituted, and the only question remaining is how much there is to expect from it.