ECHOES OF THE WEEK

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 284, 26 August 1922, Page 11

ECHOES OF THE WEEK

PRESS OPINIONS ON NEW ZEALAND TOPICS

The privileges of Parliament are those that might be expected to be extended amongst any decent body of English gentlemen. Mr. McCombs, the Labour member for Lyttelton, has abused those privileges. Whether the member for Lyttelton considers that out of his penalty he secured an advertisement or not. the incident is not to his credit. It is unfortunate that Parliament has had to waste a flay over the business'—Dannevirke “Evening News.”

While we are inclined to accept the yiew that the indiscretion could more properly be termed “an abuse” than a “breach” of privilege, there can be no question regarding the impropriety of the original speech. It seems that no session can pass without some member discovering a mare’s nest, but the dignity of the House of Representatives would be better maintained if it contained more politicians capable of thinking first and then speaking. Partisanship in allowed l too much rem oi’er cool judgment, and if finer human qualities were more often credited to opponents there would be fewer repentant M.P.’s and a greater respect on the part of the public for legislative Institutions!. —Mataura “Ensign.”

It appears that Unless we are to go back upon cur Industrial Arbitration legislation there must be preference to unionists. The point may be arguable, hut we do not propose to argue it. While that legislation stands, while it is made compulsory for so many of our workers to contribute to the funds of a union or be debarred from employment, the least that should be done is to unions to register under the Trade "Unions Act and b’ subject to compulsory—and real—auditing of their accounts. With the law as it stands it is not going too far to say that (every reason which iugtifles the compulsory auditing of local bodies’ accounts is applicable to trade "inions.— Napier “Daily Telegraph.” -

The attack made on the Government bv Mr. Wilford in the debate on the ’ Financial Statement consists largely of the old material dressed an anew. It is all very well for Mr. Wilford to charge the Government with extravagance, when the Liberals were themselves equally responsible with the Reform Party for the increased departmental expenditure. No one is likely to be taken in by a general charge of this kind. It is too well known that the bulk of the increased expenditure is due to interest cn war loans, to war pensions, and to repatriation charges.—“Hawke’s Bay Herald.”

It should not be necessary for the Auditor-General to have to inform a.nv of. the members of the Public Service th©t there is no moral or legal difference between defalcations in Government stores and theft of public moneys, that departmental officers should not make a personal profit out of “travelling expenses,’’ or that they should not receive free issues of Government stores. Nor should it bo necessary for him to intimate to higher and more 'responsible officers that the exercise of proper care would prevent such practices. The Auditor-General does not suggest that dishonesty is rife in the Public Service, but he certainly makes it clear that sound systems of accounting and administration are not in vogue throughout the service. It is no wonder that business men hold the methods of some State Departments in the greatest contempt.— “Northern Advocate.”,

It is unfortunate, but perhaps ir> evitable, that the dehate on the Financial Statement has opened on a note of reckless irresponsibility. Those who have followed Mr. Wilford as a politician know who it is that “preaches with his tongue in his cheek” ; whose method it is to “bluff through” ; who it is that has so consistently, deliberately, and unblushingly poured orft platitudes. There is hardly an elector in the country to-day who, takes" Mr. Wilford seriously; and the only occasions on which he is ever serious himself are when he is fretting and fuming because the Government “will not budge from their seats.”—Timaru “Herald.”

Ambulating tradeships may be very well, _ and perhaps create some trade ; but it is not enough. The crux of the whole matter lies in our adopting pieferential treatment, in untiring efforts in" trving to convince the overseas Britisher that England can and will sell to him what he wants at prices just as cheap as may be offered. him by the foreigner, and by practically demonstrating to him that anything ho produces in the shape of products can at any time find a ready market in the United Kingdom. —Wanganui “Chronicle.”

We boriow abroad for reconstructive works because we recognise that we have not sufficient capital for the purpose at home, that if we insisted on borrowing at home a great part of the capital available would be taken up, and that none would be left for the extension of private enterprise. By a sinking fund —however it is obtain ed, by borrowing at home, by higher charges, or by higher taxation—what borrowing abroad seeks to obviate is brought about, the depletion of capital available for the commercial enterprise of the country.—“Hawke’s Bay Tribune.”

The plain common-sense labouring people of Britain have seen the fallaciousness and the wickedness of communist arguments and have recorded with no uncertaintv their determination to stand by the constitution under which the British Empire has grown into such an enor mous power and influence in the world to-day. We have no doubt whatever that the labouring people of this Dominion, who spring from the same good British stock, will be equally firm 1 their determination to resist and discountenance the mischievous propaganda of irresponsible persons who have evolved or imbibed from foreign revolutionaries such as Marx or Lenin weird theories for the creation of f new world. It would bo refreshing to see the Labour organisations in this country, with the same candour and courage as the British Trades Union Congress recently displayed, put on record their disapproval of communism p-nd disloyalty.—“ Poverty Bay Herald.”

There is a gpod deal to be said for the workers who say that they are quite willing to have their wages and salaries reduced reasonably because the cost of foodstuffs and clothing has fallen, but who ask: What about rente and mortgages? When are they coming down? On their behalf we ask all the landlords and mortgagees interested in house properties to see if they cannot make reasonable reductions and so help those who have undertaken, under extraordinary- circumstances, responsibilities which . they cannot now carry out and do justice to their wives and families. We hope that the matter will receive prompt consideration, and that adjustment will be speedily effected. —Hawera “Star.”

The position of the national finances, aS disclosed in the Budget, has provided opponents of the Government with much political ammunition—of a kind. They have noted that the Government has checked the growth in national expenditure. but they are not satisfied . . . Electors would do well not to bo led away by the specious arguments that are being employed by those who ore most anxious that it shall adopt drastic measures of retrenchment that would not only make it very unpopular but would do a great deal of economic and industrial harm. Seemingly, the Liberal Press would like to see Mr. Massey stop borrowing fo rpublic works if he is not prepared to retrench much more heavily than he has as yet contemplated.—Gisborne “Timos.”

If they care what the rest of the public thinks of them, the people of Lyttelton will probably be reflecting that they can do better than continue to send Mr. McCombs to Parliament as their representative. His latest performance, which is discreditable to him as a politician, cannot but reflect discredit upon the constituency he represents. . . . Safe in his parliamentary trench, he grins and joers as he gleefully repeats his slander, and the Representation Commissioners can do nothing to punish him. The most deplorable, although illuminating feature of this unpleasant affair is the fact Lhit several of the Liberals joined with the Labour Party in supporting Mr. McCombs.—Christchurch “Press ”

As Parliament has practically made membership' of unions compulsory by virtue of its preference to unionists legislation, it owes protection to those who are required to pay membership fees and are unable to get satisfaction in an attempt to trace the nppiicutio” of their money. . . . The balance-sheet of one union is said to show an expenditure of £lO,OOO in one year, the secretary of that union having collected in fees and levies no less than £lB,OOO in two years. If it is the experience of members who want an account of these big sums to be browbeaten, and, if still persistent, to be marked men in their calling, then it is high time that the conduct of union atr.ii.rs, on the financial side at least, was brought out into the open. —Dunedin “Star."

If Sir John Salmond states the matter correctly, as he probably does—and bis view was specifically accepted by Mr. Massey—the plenipotentiaries from the Mother Country were the sole .authoritative signatories of the Washington agreements on behalf of the British Empire, and the dissent or anv or aiv of the Dominion' would lot base affe. tod the obligatory force of the deci ron s This state of matters need not in any way offend the '‘amour propre” of the. oversea communities. The improvement of their status is none the less real because it is informal and non-executive. It consists in their free admission to the consultative councils of the Empire.—“Otago Daily Times ’’

For once we have had a discussion in the House free of party rancour; a very welcome change. The subject was Sir John Salmond’s report on the Washington Conference. . . . We need not be down-hearted because the Washington Conference was unable definitely to ban submarines and poison gas as implements of war, or to place restrictions on aircraft. In arranging Britain and America side by side as the chief guardians of the Pacific and the world m general, the conference has accomplished something which will bp gratefully remembered by posterity. —Christchurch “Sun.”

Heavy mortgages and high rates of interest are bad enough, but cows which are robbing and burgling and embezzling each day they live are an impossible handicap for the dairy farmer. Nobody who has studied the subject can bo in any doubt about this. If the dairy farmers get the full value of their tests and follow the work to its logical conclusion they will aim at the compulsory branding of each cow that on test proves unable to, earn a living, so that she cannot be passed on to another herd. That is an obvious measure of co-operation and self-de-fence— “Wairarapa Age.”

We may view the incursions of Mr. P. Fraser, M.P., into the Victoria College debating society without any fear that the safety of the Empire is threatened, indeed we nay be glad that the students are anxious to compare the views held by the Labour leaders in the Dominion with those they find in the text-books on political economy. Th® only dantrei atise is that, owing to discussions m the House, students should be led to believe that the opinions they held to-day are of any serious importance : chej are but a stage in their mental development, which may ultimately lead to quite contrary views.—“Taranaki Herald.”

Mr. Massey has shown that he has the means to reduce debt, and has outlined part of his plan. He has also claimed that he can reduce expenditure substantially, and the June quarter accounts show that he has accomplished in one quarter much more than he proposes for the whole year, let the logical conclusion of economies in administration and reduction of debt charges—a corresponding reduction of taxation —does not appear in the Budget. Coming from a Finance Minister who prides nimself on his optimism, the Budget becomes by this omission a, most perplexing and tantalising docuinpn't--—■* 4 New Zealand