ECHOES of the WEEK

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 84, 7 January 1928, Page 15

ECHOES of the WEEK

PRESS OPINIONS ON st NEW ZEALAND TOPICS

It is certain that if the Arbitration Court is retained the unions will never consent to exempt the farming industries, and, if the steps proposed in the Bill before Parliament are insisted on, it will be in the face of the strongest opposition from} Mr. Holland and his colleagues. It is possible, we think, to arrive at some useful settlement by strengthening the functions of the Conciliation Boards and abolishing compulsory arbitration altogether. The principle of coercion in such matters breeds discontent and defiance. If the farmers are excluded, in all consistency preference to unionists must be repealed, and this means the end of arbitration in the adjustment of disputes. If there were no Court to settle the differences of the parties they would be settled by agreement under the persuasion of Conciliation Commissioners, and the understanding would be a much more lasting one.—“Otago Daily Times.”

’So long as the system of a nominated membership remains, the existence of the Legislative Council will continue to be attacked. The Reform Party has itself exposed the evils of the present system, and the means lie to its bands for overcoming them. The Government needs only to issue a proclamation in order to bring into force the Act which provides for the reform of the Chamber that would be effected by making it an elective body. The operation of that Act has been far too long suspended. In the adoption of the reform, for which statutory provision was made thirteen years ago, rests the true defence of the Council against any attacks upon it.—"Lyttelton Times.”

The legislation of tha session has been framed to meet changing conditions, when the people are adjusting themselves to the effects of deflation. The continued demands lor social services and development have prevented reduction in taxation, and no party in Parliament has been bold enough to show where expenditure can be reduced. The solid work of the session was unfortunately obliterated by the failure of Parliament to deal with the licensing question, and the shelving of the exemption of the farming community from the awards of the Arbitration Court. Both these questions are rather a blot on the session, because Parliament has confessed itself impotent to deal with them owing to the division-of opinion in the country. Politics, however, arc rather threadbare at the moment. People are not so much concerned by the fact that the session has closed as by the knowledge that the wool sales are on and Christmas is coming.—Dannevirke “News.”

Almost the whole of the American merchant marine is fostered by subsidy from its Government, while British' lines must run on their own or go under One subsidised line operates regularly from the Pacific Slope to New Zealand, and is free to trade between port and port in the Dominion, unrestricted by the laws which are applied to our own shipping. Its. ships come here laden below the Plimsoll mark and carrying deck cargoes which we do not allow our own ships to carry --cargoes of timber piled high to the bridge—and they are permitted to load here for Australian ports, while no British ship from New Zealand to San Francisco would be allowed to pick up one ounce of cargo at Honolulu! Here is discrimination, indeed; but it is very doubtful whether there is any protest against it in the American Shipping Board’s Report. New Zealand sjiould supply the deficiency.—Christchurch "Sun.”

The Legislative Council of New Zealand has shown an increasing tendency to be bound by the spirit of the British Parliament Act, which does not bind it statutorily; but the Parliament Act does not work in that way. It provides that a Bill, if passed by the Commons in three successive sessions, will become law at the expiration of that time, even if rejected by the Lords. Two years, however, must elapse between its second reading on its first introduction and its final acceptance by the Commons. That would prolong the period in New Zealand until after the next licensing poll. The indications are that there will be no Licensing Bill next session, or none that will have a chance of being passed. The prohibitionists will do their best, no doubt, to pledge as many candidates as possible to their programme at the next elections; but after the shock of this year’s happenings it may be more difficult in future to extract pledges from candidates which in the past have been given by too many of them, under pressure, irrespective of their own views of sound public policy.—Dunedin “Star.”

The Samoan Administration comes out of the investigation with flying colours. It must be admitted that the occurrences at the group six months ago did not encourage the expectation that the Administration -would be so handsomelv vindicated as it has been It has been made clear, however, that the case which the agitators set up was founded upon misrepresentation and supported by- exaggeration and was not entitled to the measure of credence that it received. Unfortunately the whole matter was handled badly’ at that time by the Minister in charge of External Affairs whose attitude had itself the effect of creating an impression that, as we now know, was less than just to the Administration.—“Otago Daily Times.”

The Samoan report will not only strengthen their confidence in the Administration among New Zealanders—and we hope Samoans —but it will do much to restore New Zealand’s prestige abroad. The official world in Samoa, and its superiors in New. Zealand, will feel that they arc in a stronger position to proceed with the work of governing the country in the interests of the natives. We urge the Government to repeal as soon as possible—or to announce at once such intention—the law empowering it to banish Europeans. There is, however, a serious obligation on the part of Europeans in Samoa. The Commission that has investigated their complaints has found heavily against them. Let them accept the situation with the best grace, and resolve to co-operate to the utmost of their ability in the task of governing this mixed community.—-Auckland •’Star.’'

A library catalogue, one would suppose, would be about as impartial as a railway guide, but that would be to forget our numerous “private interests, prejudices, and partial affections, from which the Chaplain of the House of Commons daily prays, in Session, that members may be delivered. A certain edition of the British Museum Library catalogue enshrined the feelings entertained by that institutions then presiding genius, Sir Anthony Pamzzi, against Sir Brands Palgrave, the historian, and father of “Palgrave of the Golden Treasury.” Sir Anthony failed to “get on” with many of his illustrious contemporaries, Thomas Carlyle amongst others, but he seems particularlv to have detested Sir Francis Palgrave, whose family name was Cohen. On his conversion to Christianity Palgrave assumed hjs _ mother-in-law’s name, and greatly disliked any reference to the discarded label Fully aware of this Pimizzi saw to it that in the Library catalogue of his day all the entries respecting Palgrave’s works should be indexed in section “C” fnot-“P”) and he accredited to one “Francis Cohen.”—“The Glasgow Herald.”

In Great Britain, as in New Zealand, there has grown up in recent years altogether too strong, a liking for getting something for nothing. Real thrift, which is’content with putting savings, large or small, into safe investments yielding a modest rate of interest, is at a discount. Most of us like a little gamble, and if this were not so there would be a poor chance of developing new gold mines, or. let us say, oil fields, and there is something to be said for premium bonds and lotteries. But it does not seem to us at all desirable that the Imperial Government should resort to such methods of raising money, especially under a plea of encouraging thrift and financing social reforms. “Taranaki Herald.”

As the result of Mr. Amery’s visit and his conferences with our statesmen wavs and means will be found for the carrying out of the Imperial migration scheme in a manner not harmful to cur present population but assisting greatly to build "up the industries and the prosperity of the Dominion. As Mr. Ar ery stood on the summit of Raiigitoto in the early morning sun mid viewed the fine citv that lay before linn; as he sped south through the Waikato, laranaki, and Wanganui districts, and came to the capital city, with its wonderful harbour developments, its spreading industries, and its general evidence of progress, be must have reflected on the changes that a quarter of a century can bring, and pictured to himself a bright future for a country so rich in resources, so self-contained and self-reliant, whose people, in numbers as yet not equal to the population of an English provincial city, have effected so great a measure of progress in the course ol but two or three generations.—“ Poverty Bay Herald.”

What the public now wishes to know is the details of the Public Works Department’s plans in respect to the Arapuni powerhouse, and some indication as to when the current is anxiously awaited will be made available to consumers. Apart from the Government, the contractors, and power boards, private interests are to be put to great expense and inconvenience by not having power, for which they have made provision, supplied to them by the date promised. The work must go op with the utmost speed, but there must be no further mistakes, which may call another halt, and it is on this point that the public requires definite assurance. The present estimate is that a period of eighteen months will be required to complete the work, and that is doubtless an optimistic estimate which does not contemplate any further difficulties. Possibilities, as well as probabilities, must be taken into account, and the Public Works Department will be looked to for a comprehensive statement. —Auckland “Sun.”

Goods imported to the detriment of local products, though the original cost is lower, are not necessarily cheaper. There is, in fact, a suspicion that, in the long run they are more expensive, because their deleterious influence must be added to th- actual money loss. The arguments apply with equal soundness, though possibly the effects may not be so apparent, to conditions in this country, and it is not difficult to substitute other words for iron and steel to make the argument clearer. In the Old Country the condition of the heavy industries is causing grave anxiety and the demand for some change is growing. Mr. Baldwin knows that, but there is nothing to show that the masses yet realise that some “safeguarding” must be done, let the method of approach be what it may.—“ Southland Times.”

It is good to relieve distress due to unemployment, and if a well-consid-ered scheme of unemployment insurance will work to that end,- then by all means let there be such a scheme, but better still will it be to stimulate employment by spending money in works which will add to the productivity of the country. Nothing comes so properly under this head as the promotion of land settlement. Of all the immense amount of money spent in Britain for dole purposes, not a pennypiece of it added to the creation ol more employment. While it is fit and proper that’ distress due to unemployment should be relieved, the great need is that something should be done to stimulate the demand for labour. — Napier “Telegraph.”

If the Dominion were practically selfcontained and self-sufficing, requiring neither to buy from other countries nor to sell to them, its general comfort would be almost independent of the scale of wages and prices that prevailed in it. We could multiply wages and prices by ten without becoming more or less comfortable. But the most important economic fact concerning the Dominion is that its main source of wealth is the produce it sells abroad, and the return from this does not rise as local wages and prices rise. Since high production costs, which cannot be passed on, are injurious to the primary industries, anything that reduces the costs of Hie primary producer must be as beneficial to the whole community as a rise in the ptice of wool or frozen lamb or butter.—Christchurch “Press.”