NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 302, 15 September 1921, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

It is true, as Lord Northcliffo states, that the issues to be decided at the Washington Conference are of the utmost importance to Australia and 1 New Zealand. If the British Dominions are not invited to participate it was because the United States desired to restrict the representation to the great Powers affected, and because of our uncertain international standing. Lord Northcliffo now proposes to exert his influence to protect Australian interests at the Washington. Conference. He proposes, according- to the statement in the cable message yesterday, "to confer with Mr. Hughes with tho obj’ect of taking joint action.” Thia redoubtable newspaper proprietor is a very powerful person, and if ho chooses in his journals to givo additional publicity to the affairs of the overseas Dominions it should bo of material benefit to them, and a fuller and more sympathetic understanding of our point of view will be welcome. At tho same time Lord. Northcliffo in British politics is a partisan carrying on open warfare with the powers that be, and although the immense circulation of his newspapers gives him great influence ho is hot Prime Minister of the Dominion of Printing House Square, or any other Dominion, and there is a certain oddness in his offer of an alliance for joint action to the Prime Minister of a continent. Tho situation that has arisen over tho Washington Conference emphasises the need for a better understanding all round as to the international status of tho Dominions. Embarrassments and discontents will grow if matters are left to drift along indefinitely on the present uncertain footing.

Ono of the results of New Zealand’s long spell of almost unbroken prosperity is the absence of any established machinery for dealing with unemployment. In other countries provision for tho relief of unemployment is ono of the normal functions of government. Here, when the need has arisen, wo have had first to argue out whose affair it is, as between tho State and local bodies, and in tfie meantime a voluntary agency has oomo forward to fill tho gap with an appeal to tho public for subscriptions. This is not as it should be. Tho matter is one that requires attention and a definite allocation of the liability made. Sir Francis Bell, as Acting-Prime Minister, fiaturally cannot bo expected to bo willing to commit himself • further than is avoidable in the absence of the responsible head of tho Government. It is in tho nature of things, of course, that when unemployment occurs everybody—private employers, the State, and local bodies —is busy shortening sail financially, but the whole position needs going into with a view to avoiding re-’ petitions of the present pillar-to-post chaso for money. ’ In the meantime we do not doubt Chat tho public will givo the Civic League’s appeal the necessary support to afford prompt relief to the cases in which distress has occurred. ,

When lie was interviewed last week-by a deputation representing Australian pastoral and meat-exporting interests, the Acting-Prime Minister. of the Commonwealth (Sir Joseph Cook) held out some hopes that a reduction in meat freights may be effected, though not immediately, through the agency of tho Commonwealth Shipping Line. To members of tho deputation who urged that the Government line should set an example to others in reducing freights, he replied that at present it carried very little meat. lbs vessels in commission possessed all told only about as much refrigerating space as any one of several new ships which are being built for the Commonwealth in England. These steamers, built nt a cost of a million apiece, are each io have a carrying capacity of 3:0,000 cubic feet of space. Observing that when these Ships were added to the Commonwealth fleet the Government shruld be in a position to make an appreciable impression qn meat export problems. Sir Joseph Cook added that personally he thought they would have to make a "clean bite’’ in the matter. The new ships carried a heavy burden of war charges, and if they had to accept unpayable freights, it might bo as well to write down values and cut the capital cost as a war charge. Presumably his idea is to write down tho value of the ships to tho figure r.t which they could bo bought to-day, and to base freights on this amount and on current operating costs. If the Commonwealth Government is able on these lines to effect an appreciable reduction in freights, the demand for a similar reduction by private shipping companies trading to this country as well as to Australia will bo considerably strengthcnwl.

Some questions have been asked regarding the operation of tho compulsory provisions of the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Loan Act. Taxpayers who neglected to subscribe voluntarily are compelled to take up their shard of (ho loan and are liable under the Act to receive only 3 per cent, on their money, in place of the 5 per cent, paid io ordinary subscribers, and it liar been suggested .that there -may be need for separation of the two classes of bonds on the Stock Exchange. The position is that very few subscribers have received the

3 per cent, bonds. Tho Commissioner of Taxes served notices on the people who wore liable to subscribe to the loan and had not dono so, and these notices required that tho money should bo provided within a fixed period, unless tho appeal under tho Act was successful. Very nearly all the people affected either paid tho money within tho prescribed period, or showed that they had adequate ground for not doing so. It is obvious that the 3 per cent, bonds are worth less than tho 5 per cent, bonds, but there is no likelihood of confusion arising. The buyer would always get full particulars of the nature of tho investment.