ECHOES OF THE WEEK

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 95, 16 January 1926, Page 13

ECHOES OF THE WEEK

PRESS OPINIONS ON :: NEW ZEALAND TOPICS

I “One cannot help thinking that, as /the centuries roll on, it may well be 'that in Australia and New Zealand will be carried on, and carried forward, the British type of civilisation under better conditions and more effectively than anywhere else in the world.” This utterance by ! Viscount Burnham, upon his return to England, will furnish the people of these Dominictis of tire Pacific with the encouragement, if they need any, for the belief that a. high destiny lies ahead of them. Lord Burnham ' might have added that the outlook for •' the future must be a good deal dependent on the use which Australia and New Zealand make of their opportunities for nation-building, and on the assistance which they give to the movement that aims at affecting a more advantageous distribution of British population throughout the Empire.—“Otago ! Daily Times.”

i Ten years ago the New Zealand Gov--1 eminent counted its family and estimated that, including employees of loca’ bodies, about 60,000 persons were in the public employ, or one-eighth of the total number of bread-winners in the country. This was not claimed as perfectly accurate, but there is no reason to suppose that it was far from the mark. This year .after a decade Had > elapsed, the Government Statistician took another census, and the results appear in the new "Year Book, lie firn s that there are 56,000 permanent employees of the State and local bodies, mid' 23,000 temporary employees, making what he permits himself to call the huge total of 79,000. The increase in numbers, however, though it is striking enough, is small compared with the increase in cost. In 1915 the Statistician described as huge the total of eight millions paid to this family in salaries and wages. This year he calculates that the bill is eighteen millions. He does not use an adjective; perhaps there was none adequate.—Auckland “Star.”

With all earnestness we would suggest one good resolution that would be of practical benefit to the country, and so to all who dwell in it. As New Zealanders there is everv reason why we should support local industries. Each year some millions of money are spent abroad that would, and should, do much to strengthen the industrial and commercial activities of the Dominion. If New Zealanders will buy New Zealand goods in preference to any others, then the country rapidly will become less dependent upon overseas supplies and develop a self-reliance that will make for national strength,— “Dyttelton Times.”

The New . Zealand cricketers have proved that even if many years must pass before this Dominion can achieve in cricket the fame which it enjoys in Rugby football, New Zealand batsmen can hold up their heads in any company except that of indisputable world’s champions. So much is a positive gain. On the negative side must be written down the fact that New Zealand bowlers to-day are not of the calibre essential to n wholly-succestful tour of Australia. There is in the Dominion some dearth of the material of which first-class bowlers are made, and there is a decided lack of the hard practice wickets that arc necessary for the making of good bowlers as well ns good batsmen.—Christchurch “Sun.*'

There are more questions asked concerning the ways and methods of education than are ever answered. “Why should a boy be eternally damned because he cannot get five "sums right?” bo inquired the principal of a secondary school in the north at a recent prize-giving ceremony, and his personal judgment in tiie matter was supplied in the statement that .as long as the boy knew that two and two made four, and could count the change he received from the storekeeper, he was master of sufficient arithmetic for his needs. This is more ’or less sound philosophy. The notion that the voyage of school life should be bound in shallows and in miseries for the lad who, otherwise bright, has no head for figures, savours of unreason mid inhumanity. The feet of the arithmetic idol have been watered, it may be suspected, by all too many years of crushed youth.—“Otago Daily Times.”

The view that the Dominions, although they were not consulted concerning the Locarno Pact, cannot escape some of the results of Britain's new obligations, has been put with some force by Lord Pannoor. Broadly stated thus, the view is unassailable. Whether they ratify the treaties or not, the Dominions cannot be unaffected by them. The summoning of an Imperial Conference on every critical occasion is quite impossible. But this matter might itself be made the subject of an Imperial .Conference, in the hope of finding a wav acceptable all round, and the calling of such a concrencc should be treated as a step of first urgency.—" New Zealand Herald."

The report of Dr. Fenwick on the fight against cancer in the Christchurch I-iospital shows that if cures belong to the future, very real progress has been made in the alleviation of pain. We can hardly expect to achieve in Christchurch what the best-equipped centres in the world have failed to accomplish, and must not be disappointed that nothing better than this can so far be announced. Nothing better than alleviation has so far been accomplished anywhere. In spite of everything that has been done, the world up to now has failed to arrive at the real cause of cancer or to discover an efficient cure This cancersmitten community may have to wait for many years before full control over the disease is obtained. We have to pay many penalties for our civilisation, and the ravages of this fell plague is one of 1 them.—Christchurch “Press.”

Time was when Otago was a force to be reckoned with in interprovincial sporting circles of all kinds. Thexp is nothing further from our desire than to belittle the efforts of our men in cricket, football, and rowing; yet in the past decade their achievements do not compare favourably with the old-time records. It is unquestionable that to the north our traditional opponents on the cricket field now ;*id again betray a tinge of condescension in their attitude to Otago cricket. We are not regarded as the formidable fighters we once vere. Doubtless the. reasons are largely cli■ma.tic.—Dune dip, "Stai.,'*

There is growing an idea of Empire preference in the sense of a general system of co-operation, by which deliberate effort shall be made to utilise to the best advantage the Empire’s resources of capital, man-power and material resources. British capital has been used in the past for the development of countries which now compete seriously with either Britain herself or the Dominions in the world’s markets. If, in the future, the investor deliberately prefers a British country for the utilisation of his capital, the ideal of concerted development will have been helped. Some of the best of Britain’s manhood has been lost in the past to the benefit of foreign countries. The Dominions should see to it that this leak is stopped so far as is possible. The keynote of the whole plan is organisation to replace haphazard methods. In this direction lie great potentialities for the mutual benefit of all concerned, carrying with it a development of the complementary markets the Empire contains, by a broad-based system or Empire preference.—“ New Zealand Herald.”

Both imports and exports were larger during the eleven months of last year than they were during the corresponding period of 19’24, and the favourable difference between them was larger. The full twelve months of 1924, however, gave an excess of exports over imports amounting to £4,0b5,1.08, and this was brought about by the very exceptional value of the wool exported during the closing month of that year. We shall be fortunate indeed if the figures for the year disclose a balance of four millions. In order to pay intel est on our debts abroad we require more than six millions annually, and we should be able to make that payment out of our trade balance. It looks as if we, ought to deny ourselves a few luxuries and curtail' our imports.—Wanganui "Chronicle.”

The Honours which have reached New Zealand to mark the beginning of a new year are unusually intei esting. The most striking feature of them is provided in the fact that two citizens of the Dominion, both natives ol the country, have received the high distinction of being called to the Privy Council. Un no previous occasion has more than one New Zealander obtained this great honour at any one time, and only five Privy Councillorsliips in all have in the past been bestowed in this Dominion. To the two surviving members of the Privy Council in New Zealand the Prime Minister and his immediate predecessor in office, Sir Francis Bell, have now been added. - Mr. Coates is a young man to secure such an honour, and has as yet occupied the position of Prime Minister for only a short term, but the honour is one that .was conferred on Mr. Bruce and Mr. Mackenzie King when each of them was comparatively new in the office corresponding to that held by Mr. Coates.—“Otago Daily Times.”

Lord Parmoor, who was a member of Sir. Ramsay MacDonald's Cabinet, and one of the authors of the Geneva Protocol, has raised (some questions of great importance in' the course of a controversy regarding the Dominions and the Locarno Pact. He elaborates a point that is indisputable when he savs that the mere insertion of a clause not binding the Dominions cannot alter the fact that if B.ritain is at war they are the enemies of Britain’s enemies, though they n’ecd not send troops to the aid of the Mother Country. " He expresses the opinion further that if the Dominions intend to pursue an independent course in the matter of foreign police, then international law must be adjusted so that they will not automatically be drawn into war when Britain is involved. On the other hand if the Dominions arc to be bound by the foreign policv of Britain, lie contends that thev should have the right to demand that Britain should go to their assistance in time of need giving as an illustration the possibility of Australia coming into conflict with Japan. —Auckland “Star.”

Lack of interest by New Zealanders in their mandated territory of Western Samoa has been hinted at by more than one of our resident officials there. If it is deficient now, it is hardly likely to increase from purely sentimental rea. sons. Considerable trading relations would be likely to form a strong stimulant. On Samoa’s part the desire to trade with us far more extensively has been repeatedly expressed. They not only want to send us more and better fruit, but they want a far larger proportion of their importations to be drawn from New Zealand. It cannot with perfect truth be said that New Zealand has been entirely negligent, but ex-New Zealanders in Samoa contrast the enterprise of the übiquitous American and Australian commercial travellers with the Laisscz faire of the occasional New Zealand traveller. The latter is inclined to be critical of trading conditions and irritated bv the Customs duties. If lost ground is to be recovered there will have to be a changed attitude. There must be reciprocity on our part towards the encouragement which the Administration of Western Samos is offering.—Dunedin “Star.” Since this journal, time and again, has urged the necessity for changing the present svsteni of consultation with His Majesty's Government, and also for raising the status of the High Commissioner, we have pleasure in noting that the “Round Table,” in its latest issue, uses strong language about the existing conditions. It declares tiiat the arrangement by which the Dominions arc represented in London by a more or less commercial High Commissioner, and Great Britain is represented in the Dominions by a GovernorGeneral selected for his aptitude for purely constitutional functions and debarred from being a real source of information and intercourse, is “preposterous and absurd.” Moreover, such an arrangement, as a business proposi-.j tion, would be rejected instantly by" every business man in the. Umpire as a sane method of conducting his own business. Is there anything more to say except to urge again a commonsense reform in the direction of providing a diplomatic High Commissionpj in London and a similar British rc presentative i” o-ch Dominion’— Christchurch "Sun.”