NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 12, 8 October 1921, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

Mr. Statham as leader of the Progressive and Moderate Labour Party of two is taking matters in sequence. Last year he addressed Parliament on the defunct Progressives who at the fatal parting of the ways preferred the leadership of Mr. Massey to that of Mr. Statham. This year an exposition is provided of the causes that led the Moderate Labourites also to stay without the fold. However, Mr. Kellett is now inside, and as Mr. Statham is tho sole surviving Progressive and Mr. Kellett is Moderate Larhour, the title adopted for the combination must bo considered ‘justified. Ah a member of the Moderate Labour Party of two, Mr. Veitch claims a prior copyright in the title "Moderate Labour," and resents any encroachment on the preserves of himself and his friend Mr. Smith. Unlike the Statham Party, which seems to he all leader, with the party to be produced later on, the VeitchSmith Party has no leader, and in default of this attribute, together with the absence of a secretary, Mr. Statham apparently considers it beneath notice as an up-to-date political organisation. Mr. Veitch seems at one time to have wavered towards throwing in his lot with the Statham Party, but faded away again in consequence of doubts as to the proportions in- which fJtatham and party figured in tho ingredients. The points »f difference ar© involved, but may be left at that. At any Tate the right of Mr.' Statham and Mr; Kellett to the title National Progressive and Moderate Labour Party is being gradually cleared up. It is only the first word aS to which doubt remains now.

' With a Budget that will not balance, M. Briand finrfe himself in difficulties. Increased post and telegraph rates have resulted in a decrease instead of an increase of revenue from that source, the tax on business turnovers has fallen far below what, was expected, ths Customs are yielding less, and in other directions serious shrinkages have been recorded. A message yesterday stated that the deficit amounted to .£100,000,000. The most embarrassing feature of the French Budget is the expenditure on the rehabilitation of the Liberated Regions, to be recovered later from Germany, and French solvency in the end depends entirely on Germany carrying out her obligations under -the reparations scheme. Of the total French revenue of 24,000 million francs, 13,000 millions goes in the discharge of tho national debt, and the general national expenditure absorbs the remaining 11,000 millions, as against the 4000 millions which sufficed in pre-war days. In- view of the decline in the value of the franc lie French would not appear to be extravagantly governed today. To the outside world the chief significance of a French political crisis lies in the circumstance that if M. Briand falls his place will probably be taken by someone who is committed to a more aggressive policy and -may decide to play a lone hand in dealing with Germany. Many Frenchmen desire that their country shall step in practically as receiver for-Germany, and tho development of a financial crisis in France may push opinion still more strongly on to a. path which would bo full-of peril for Europe.

A good deal has been heard at one time and another about the trade agreements which have been concluded with Russia by Great Britain, Italy, one or two of the Scandinavian countries, and Germany. Except perhaps whore the last-mentioned country is concerned 1 , these agreements have led, however, to little practical result. This was admitted not long ago by M. Krassin, who was Soviet trade envoy to Britain, in a statement which appeared in the “Krasnaja Gazeta.” Nothing of special importance, lie said, nad happened since the signing of the trade treaties with England and Germany. The English treaty, and others with Norway, Denmark, and Italy, had led to nothing. English firms offered only short credit, whereas the Soviet would require a credit of at least five years for small purchases and up to fifteen, or twenty years for larger transactions. In regard.’ to concessions also—that is to say, agreements under which forest, mining, and other areas would be developed and worked under specified conditions by foreign capitalists—M. Krassin stated that in spite of protracted negotiations not a single contract had been completed. Ho expressed an opinion, however, that before the end of this year concessions would be arranged in respect to forests and paper factories, and added that discussions were in progress with Britain and Belgium in regard to concessions in the naphtha regions. Since August, the Soviet has begun the importation of 600 German and 100 Swedish locomotives, and hopes to receive 150 locomotives monthly. If this hope is realised the position may change gradually for the better, since shortage of, rolling stock and general disorganisation of railway transport bulk large amongst the tremendous obstacles that are raised to famine relief and economic reconstruction in Russia.

A statement issued by the British Board of Trade provides an interesting comparison of the proportion of United Kingdom exports taken by the Dominions and colonies during the first ■ six months of this year and in the corresponding period of 1914. As will be seen from the details given below, the percentages of British export trade with the Dominions this year are in most cases very similar to those of 1914.

The. most important decline for the later period is in the- proportion of United Kingdom exports sent to Canada, a decline from 3.8 to 2.8 per cent. The biggest increase is in the proportion of exports to India, but. the proportion of British goods imported into this country for the first half of 1921 as compared with the same period in 11514 shows a bigger relative increase than United Kingdom exports to India. Many foreign countries are taking much the same proportion of Britain’s exports

as they did in 1914, but there ar© noteworthy exceptions. Apart from the fact that export trade to Russia is almost at .a standstill, Germany, in the first half of 1921, took only 1.9 per cent, of Britain’s total exports as compared with 7.3 per cent, in tho first six months of 1914. In the same basis the United States took only G. 3 per cent, of Britain's exports this year, as compared with 7 per cent, in 1914.

With the higher cost of living artists in Britain and the Continent have been hard put to make ends meet. The patrons of painting and sculpture ore far fewer than they were, and apparently with the well-to-do when it is a choice between pictures and motor-cars the motor-cars win every time. In the “Nineteenth Century and After" a writer discusses whether the situation will not be saved for tho artists if they turn their attention to making the products of machinery works of art. The efforts in this direction so far have been conservative and tentative —with a few notable exceptions—and what is called "applied art” is too often decoration aimlessly stuck on things that would be better left plain. In Britain of recent years artists, designers, and manufacturers have been getting together in a movement to bring beautyback into the ordin.«w everyday things of life turned out by the factories for the million, and have formed themselves into a Design and Industries Association. The three main principles recognised by the .association are "fitness for use," "quality for price," and “'honesty in workmanship.’ Another move forward occurred in 1916 when the Royal Academy, the official sponsor for art for the British public, opened its doors to an exhibition of arts and crafts for the first time in an existence extending over nearly 150 years. The day of the wealthy individual patrons of art seems gradually to be going, and it will be a great thing for civilisation if the change brings more beauty into the life of people through the great , manufactories offering careers to those who have the gift to design beautiful thihgs.

The Commissioner of State Forests (Sir Francis Bell) appears. to have overlooked the main point involved in criticism of tho Forests Bill as that measure bears upon the demarcation of forest lands.' Tue weakness of the Bill as.it stands is that it affords no guarantee that further forest lands 'will . not he alienated before it has been definitely ascertained whether they are better fitted for agriculture than for growing timber. Tho. arrangement under which largo areas have been proclaimed as provisional State forests is excellent in itsejf; but the Forests Bill provides that at any time within five years these reservations may be lifted in the same manner as they welre imposed—by a proclamation in the "Gazette.” What is needed in tfie interests of future timber supply and the effective utilisation of land b en explicit provision that land within provisional State forests shall be alienated only if expert examination has shown that it is better fitted for agriculture than for timber production. The Director of Forestry (Captain Ellis) strongly recommended this course in his report to Parliament .last year,* and he added that it should be possible in two or. three years to classify every acre of agricultural land within the State forests and forest lands of the Crown. Unless this policy 1b adopted, and the Forests Bill as it is drafted gives no assurance that. such a policy will be adopted, much' that it better fitted for timber production than for any other purpose may yet be alienated.

U.K. EXPORTS TO EMPIRE COUNTRIES. 1st half 1921. 1st half 1914. Per Per cent, of cent. of total total U.K. U K. Value f'VValue py£’000 ports. £’C00 ports. Union of S A. ... 15.653 42 10,417 4.1 British India... 58,473 15.9 34,977 13.7 Straits Bettiemente. etc. ... 4,924 1.3 2,612 1.0 Ceylon, etc 2,276 0.6 1.699 0.7 Hong-Kong 3,840 1.0 2.243 0.9 Australia 24.898 6.8 17,711 69 New Zealand... 8.332 2.3 4.689 1.8 Canada '■ 10,255 2.8 9,580 3.8