ECHOES OF THE WEEK

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 223, 20 June 1925, Page 13

ECHOES OF THE WEEK

PRESS OPINIONS ON :: NEW ZEALAND TOPICS

Reformers do not feel that they are in need of Liberal missionaries to enlighten their heathen darkness, and they do not want them. They wish all the rational men on the Liberal side to unite with them, forgetting imaginary differences and abandoning purely personal prejudices, in order to form a single representative Party. The Reform Party can do without fusion but it desires the amalgamation of all the moderate men of progressive outlook, in Parliament and in the country, on a fair and rational basis. We cannot hope for a satisfactory amalgamation, however, unless the dieliards and the stalwarts of the Liberal _ Party are persuaded by their fellow Liberals to stand aside.—“ Christchurch Press.”

It has sometimes been suggested that the present movement towards fusion is caused by the pressure of public opinion on parliamentarians, and that some of the latter are not averse from using this movement for their advancement or the long-deferred gratification of their own personal ambitions. There may be. such an element in the feeling for fusion. But it is difficult to pronounce whether the mass of the voters do actually fail to distinguish fundamental differences between Liberalism and Reform. The Liberal vote at the last poll was a far remove from insignificance. And in connection with it one must recognise that, failing the inspiring presence of an outstanding leader, many advanced Liberals voted for Labour candidates in despair, and many others voted Reform lest. the Labour Party should multiply its strength in Parliament.—“ Dunedin Star.”

It is easy to believe that the severence 'of the business of the colonies from that of the Dominions will be as much in the interest of the colonies as it is generally expected to be in the interests of the Dominions. Whether the effect will be that the Secretary of State for the Dominions will be afforded greater opportunities than are now available to him fcr visiting the Dominions may admit of some doubt—a doubt that is not shared by Mr. Amery himself—until the distances between the Mother Country and the daughter States have, "by the advances that are being made in aerial transport, been rendered negotiable within a fraction .of the time which is now consumed in covering them. But the world is steadily growing smaller, and it is not extravagant to suppose that consulation between the Government offices in Wellington and the Dominions Office in London will within a few years be conducted as simply as it is at th’e present time between two departments in ont city.—“Otago Daily Times.”

Some parishes express a preference for a clergyman who has been educated at a large English public school and taken his degree at Oxford or Camtridge. Such an education can seldom be obtained at a lower cost than £4OOO. Yet what is offered in return ? In many cases a parish will expect to get such a man at a salary for which it would be almost impossible to obtain a suitable gardener or man-servant. The matter is' not one which ministers themselves can voice. They go on working uncomplainingly, with a spirit of ? elf-sacrifice and service that is in most cases beyond all praise. If the various conferences and assemblies would get rid of cant and platitude, and discuss the matter of the shortage of clergy in a sound, business-like manner, such as . they would adopt were there to be a similar shortage of clerks, the question might be solved. Until this is done the mere passing of pious resolutions will accomplish nothing.—Auckland “Star.”

The plea of forest conservation must not be used as an excuse for withholding blocks where the need for it cannot be shown. When it can be proved, then the Department is on sound ground in refusing to. offer the land. To reduce the proposition to its simplest terms, whit New. Zealand needs is promptitude in classifying bush land, and equal promptitude in offering what should be cleared and settled. Where expert opinion declares definitely in favour of retaining the forest, by all means let it be preserved.* The Lands Department has begun to seek advice from the Forest Service in the work of classification. These two Departments could work very closely together with manifest, advantage to both. Mistakes made in the past might have been avoided if such a policy had been followed. Settlement should not be sacrificed to forest in country well suited for the settle!; the converse is equally true, for unless the effort at settlement succeeds, destruction of the forest is pure waste. —“New Zealand Herald.”

The quality and calibre of the immigrants to New Zealand are often remarked upon by the immigration authorities of the'other Dominions, who cannot understand how New Zealand secures them. The explanation is that many more applicants for passages to this Dominion are received than arc available, hence the Dominion can afford to pick and choose. Under any system, however carefully administered, a proportion of undesirables may filter through, but the system must be judged not on such isolated cases of failures, but upon the general results, which have been entirely satisfactory, and a real benefit to the Dominion as well as to the immigrants themselves. Credit for these lesults must be largely given to the immigration authorities, who are performing their duties conscientiously and well.—“Taranaki News.”

The story that the statistics tell is that the few immigrants who do find their wav to the South Island are outnumbered by South Islanders who migrate to the more favoured north. Our northern friends, particularly in zXuckland province, have told us before now that these things happen because heaven has a wav of helping those who help themselves. But there are some people who help themselves so liberally that they leave very little for anybody else, and in such cases heaven mav well be petitioned to listen to the plea of the disinherited. The arrest of progress as indicated by the slow growth of ponulation in the South Island is a symptom that ought to have the earnest attention of the Government. A necessary prelude to consideration. bv the powers that be, who mostly live in the North Island, is consideration by the South Islanders themselves of the causes of their retrogression.—“Lyttelton Times,*

The influence of Labour if a united force would always be paramount, because the country has established a system of universal suffrage which gives the worker and the worker’s wife voting equality with the wealthiest men and women in the country. If the workers had believed in Mr. Holland nothing could have prevented Labour from gaining the Treasury benches long ere this, for the indiscretions of democracy —as then represented—during the' war were sufficient provocation to drive anyone to extremes, had lie not feared the extent of extremity demanded.. Labour missed its opportunity by insisting on a policy that alienated the sympathies of all moderate people. Nov/ it is too late, because the public have every reason to doubt the sincerity of Labour’s conversion.—“ Southland News.”

We do not suggest that there 'has been any momentary negligence on the part of workers who have been cut down in the shunting yards, but human weakness has to be recognised. As fat as practicable it should be guarded agairfst by artificial measures. It may be taken that the railwaymen themselves do not ask for more than that precaution. On technical grounds there can be no excuse for any lack of protective conditions of labour. If it be proved that shunting yards are inadequately lighted the remedy should be provided without a moment’s delay. No shuntei should be called upon to perform his dangerous work in semi-darkness. It is difficult to imagine that any Govern ment would refuse to adopt the policy of safety first for shunters.—Christchurch “Sun.”

The demand for an agricultural bank and a land bank, and so forth, is not altogether an idle cry. It is easy to see faults and weaknesses in the various schemes that have been proposed, for faults and weaknesses there tindoubtedly are. The thing is to devise a scheme that will meet the demand most safely. The new Prime Minister has wisely not yet enunciated his policy. Obviously it would be premature to do so before he has his Cabinet finally reorganised to meet Parliament and the country. But Mr. Coates is. a farmer himself, and he knows the disabilities of the farmers. He is not likely to be purely a farmers’ advocate in his new capacity as Prime Minister, but it will be surprising if he does not include in his policy statement some provision for widening the scope of the State Advances Department so as to meet the needs that have prompted the movement for agricultural or land banks.—"Wairarapa Age.”

Even if it could be supposed, that the Labour Partv is not class-conscious, Mr. Holland leaves us in no doubt that it is party-conscious. In his latest utterance he declares that the real line of demarcation Is between the Reformers and the Liberals on the one side and the Labour Party on the other. Whether the ostensible purpose of a LiberalReform fusion is to present a strong opposition to political Labour as a whole or merely to check the Communistic nuisance does not really matter very much, lor it comes to the same thing in the end. Mr. Holland evidently -would prefer to have it so. His party has political aspirations and a platform which, no matter what anybody may say, is Socialistic and anti-capital, and from which nobody, not even Mr. Wilford, has the sligiitcst possible chance of weaning it. It is a platform which neither Liberals nor Reformers will accept, and, that being the case, the logical course for these two thinly-divided parties to adopt is perfectly clear.—Wanganui “Chronicle.”

What may the Dominions do to improve the present system and keep in line with the British Government ? As far as New Zealand is concerned, one of the first administrative changes that should be effected by the Coates Ministry is the establishment of a Prime Minister’s Department, with a- distinctive status and a definite policy of Dominion and. Empire service. Reorganisation of the present system has been long overdue. Increased responsibilities of the Prime Minister demand new methods, including a permanent •secretariat officer such as Mr. F. D. Thomson, chief private secretary, who in the past eventful decade and more has acquired an intimate experience of Imperial affairs. Such a department should be established without delay, and an efficient organisation provided for dealing with Empire interests. — “Christchurch Sun.”

The fullest liberty is accorded in this country to those who care to advocate the replacement of our existing social and political organisations by new ones which they think will be better, provided ' that their advocacy respects law, order, and good feeling. But for those who seek to effect social and political changes through hatred and violence, by the short cut of strikes, disorder, sabotage, and the bomb, there can be no tolerance whatever. New Zealand is less in need than any other country of any large changes in ' its organisations, and it ought to resent more than any other country any attempt by alien-minded agitators to introduce the ruffianly and ruinous ideas of the I.W.W. or the Red International. It will certainly support the Government in any action which it may find necessary for the enforcement of the law in the case now awaiting conclusion.—“ Christchurch Press.”

We believe that it may be said, with confidence that as a class the immigrants received into this country during the last few years have been of a kind of which excellent settlers are made, and of a type which the Dominion has been fortunate to secure. If an examination were instituted into the actual facta relating to their domicile amongst us, it would probably be established beyond question that these people have been absorbed into the industrial life of the community to its benefit and without any disturbance of the industrial conditions. It may safely be answered also that the great major itv of these immigrants have bettered their worldly condition bv coming to New Zealand, and in leaving a country where, unfortunately, unemployment is rife, where the conditions at present are not generally such as reflect a high 1-vel of industrial well-being. In such cases the migration of these persons lias been advantageous not only fo themselves, but also to the land from which they came and to the land of their adoption.—“Otago Daily Times."