ECHOES of the WEEK

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 261, 4 August 1928, Page 17

ECHOES of the WEEK

PRESS OPINIONS ON :: „ NEW ZEALAND TOPICS . *

As one commentator said recently,' it is a matter for regret that in pursuance of its policy the Country Party, through its representatives, continues to decry a Government which has done mor? for the-farmers in the country than any Administration has done since the inception of responsible Government, and speaking frankly, more than any future Government will be able to accomplish if the Country Party pursues its ill-advised tactics. If then the New Zealand farmers seek unwisely to undermine the foundations of stable government by forming another political party, the advocates of a plunge into the maelstrom of party politics should pursue their ill-advised tactics. But if the New Zealand Farmers’ Union seeks to retain its place as a powerful influence which can be marshalled in support of the legitimate interests of the farming Interests, it should seek first the maintenance of stable. government, and secondly/ the preservation of its organisation from the menace of party, strife, and thus maintain the prestige and • power the Union Jias won during its long and useful, life as an organisation designed to safeguard. the interests of the man on the land. —Timaru "Herald.”

The principle of unemployment insurance should be that ' the rate of benefit is less than what the worker 'would earn normally, and there is thus little temptation to remain idle. This is the English system. It ,is interesting to note here an important tribute to the value of unemployment insurance by a well-known Conservative weekly in England. The “Saturday. Review” says that a considerable part of the increase of trade in Great Britain, both in imports and in home production, is directly attributable ; to the large extension of social services which has been parried through in' recent years. Insurance of workers has in this sense proved to be also an insurance of trade. The more of the population that are secured above the poverty line the greater becomes,the purchasing power of the'community .— Auckland “Star.”.: ■■ i i , ■ A different method of dealing with the Samoan natives will have, to be the rule, if more satisfactory ' conditions -are 'wanted. The 'Government lay' stress on ‘the statement that the” traders’ , complaint was .that, too miieh.<fyas given 1 .. for copra and tna’t in consequence ihey lost their profit, and further that the white men restated prohibition?’' These are ; not; matters to set the'natives, on edge. If s the. Government ’gave. more for icopra than the traders would, give; ' the natives were not* likely.,to com-; plain; and prohibition.did .not-affect them.' The causes of discontent, must be. looked ‘ for .elsewhere. We. do hot pretend ,to know what they are, but it will be a difficult matter to. re-establish confidence, and if there,, is to be,talkqf stronger"measures'it will not* be done at all. If there were active .distil rbances-force might achieve'- some-, thing;' against' passive resistance it is quite' helpless.—“tVaikato Times.” ...

It is desirable, as Mr.''Polsbn’states, that every class shall be represented in Parliament, and that in a So largely dependent as-New Zealand is on primary production, for its material welfare the farmer should be largely represented in Parliament if his interests are not‘to be neglected. But that is, as Mr. Polson justly observes,’quite a different thing froii goVerumeut by' one class fin the interests of that class alone. The farming class, is extensively represented in the present Parliament. Moreover, it is extensively represented in the present Government. It is highly doubtful whether it would obtain as large a measure of representation if it were to set up its own. political organisation as it enjoys under existing conditions.—“Otago Times.”

While the prospects of commercial profit fully justify efforts in the direction of trade • with, Japan; it must be clearly understood that New Zealand’s policy is not to be modified in any other important respect to purchase such concessions. In this present instance Japan is-satisfied with the confirmation of her claim to equality of treatment with' other 'countries, under the “most favoured nation”; clause. But the fact that the Japanese Consul-Gen-eral in Wellington, in his comment ou the treaty, is reported to have mentioned the question of immigration, should be noted. • It should ‘be made perfectly clear'to the Japanese Government that under no conceivable conditions would New Zealand accept any form of commercial, concession , as a basls'for'mbdifying the restrictions imposed on Oriental immigration'.—Auckland “Star.”

In a country over-burdened with Departments and officials, Ministerial responsibility ought; to be a more active rind original thing than it iq in New Zealand.; The more officials and Departments, . the more the Ministers should make themselves felt. But it is a fact that the Ministers are allowing the Departmental officials," big and little, to do nine-tenths 'of the government. And the public is beginning to dislike this intensely.—Christchurch “Press.”

The death rate from pulmonary tuberculosis in New Zealand has fallen considerably over a period of years and is at tlie present, time lower than in any other country from which reliable statistics are procurable. ■ Fewer people, we are assured, die from all forms of tuberculosis in the Dominion than are killed by violence. There is, however, a lack of accommodation for the more acute and the chronic cases. And this is clearly a matter which has caused concern to the. Committee of Inquiry. Many recommendations are made by the committee with a view to the co-ordination of the public efforts to deal with the incidence of fhe disease. Most of these will be received with approval, but we cannot be so sanguine as to believe that the views fhe committee expresses regarding the-polity of the Cashmere Hills and Waipiata sanatoria will be accepted readily by the authorities controlling these institutions.—“Otago Daily Times." . .. .

It is satisfactory to note that the complaint of our Southern friends about preference to the North Island is met by. figures showing that South Island tourist bookings are far in excess of North. That IVaitomo Caves again heads the list of most profitable resorts is of special interest to Auckland.. A matter of more general interest; however, is the*satisfaction expressed by the Department at the successful establishment of certain deer herds. ■ While the Forestry Department. regards deer as an expensive nuisance, and the Government has been compelled in the public interest to make it easier to shoot them, the Tourist ..Department evidently thinks,.that thev are a tourist attraction to be encouraged. Wil] the Department say exactly what is earned in deer licenses in a year? Our impression is that as a tourist attraction deer are almost negligible.—Auckland “Star.”

V.'e are being repeatedly told by advocates of proportional representation and of preferential voting and of other electoral methods that the system under which the election of Parliament is conducted is not a democratic system. It is at least, however, a'system which does not so restrict the issues as to prevent minority schools of political'thought from putting forward their candidates and supporting their candidates at the polls. In this particular it is distinctly democratic in a sense in which the “demand” of the prohibitionists for. a, two-issue ballot paper is anti-democratic. It. is a system which does not, as the ballot paper that is desired’ by- the prohibitionists would' do, either disfranchise a large number of electors or else, compel them to do violence to, their convictions. — “Otago Daily Times.”

Industrial peace, it has been said, will never come until industry has b'een purged of'politics. ■ In'England the promoters of the peace .move took the wise step of excluding from the conference the -politicians. It is. a point worth . considering when overtures are made for', future .conferences in this country. The British agreement . should -form-’ the basis "and the incentive for. fresh negotiations in New Zealand. We'ire sure that most ( peo-. pie would,.be .delighted to see further overtures’for a. drawing together.; of the'' respective intere§ts,\,fdr it"is quite evident that- genuine prosperity cannot Zealand until, fears of industrial'disturbance, -which sd’hainper the employment'of capital in the establishment and extension of Industries are ' removed.—“ Poverty Bay Herald.”

The previous . Inter-Empire Education Coiifereuces im Canada have been attended, by ■ many notable people, but there hhve> been-'no official representatives of^Australia. and New' Zealand such>la‘s- are' desired 'at. the ' next, conference. The>hbpe has been expressed; that New Zealand .will, send -,to the next 'conference a,' delegation of ten. to‘ fifteen' men of standing hr business"anil educational circles. The Government has already decided .to send a representative who will probably be a Min-, ister. The earnestness and ‘eloquence with "which. Professor Osbornemade his appeal in Dunedin'were so impressive that it seems -probable that at least one representative will go from this.city,.who will tell.the conference that its ideals are c ours, that we believe whole-heartedly in' the traditions and aspirations which it would foster, and ,that iu any movement directed-to the preservation-and strengthening, of the high, heroic purposes that have characterised the. greatest of our race. New ifealand wifi not be. found wanting. The Call that has come to the Dojninion is as cogent for the commerce hall as for the college hall.'-— “Otago Daily Times.”

The hopes New Zealand has placed In its Rhodes Scholars have, been almost .entirely disappointed, because New Zealand has-been unable to offer them or has not tried to offer them appointments' in . which' their brains and training would find proper scope and proper reward. Travelling scholars, post-graduate' scholar.*, too, have many of them gone abroad never to return, knowing they had'nothing to return to; or they have rteurned —and then found out the unpleasant tact. If the. proposed new. travelling scholarship is to be'as useful as it might be, some means must be found of making it worth a scholar’s while to return to New Zealand. And this is only'part of the larger problein-rho.w to bring back and hold and use all the firstclass ability we send away for its final testing l and training, at least all we need; and that is much. Compulsory clauses will not do it.—Auckland “Sun.”

,Free ; and compulsory education is most desirable in the primary stage, and perhaps, .if of the right kind, in the secondary stage as well, but when it comes to the teaching of foreign languages and the more advanced stages of mathematics and science there ought to be a line between free education and the- indiscriminate education of anyone ■ who chooses to ask for it. It is far less important to decide whether post-primary education, should be carried on in one or in. two different institutions than to settle what kinds of posit-primary work shall be offered, and who will be permitted to take each type.—Christchurch “Press.” ;

Since 1920, there has been a permanent president of the Assessment Court, with jurisdiction thiAughoutdlie Dominion, who is consequently both an. authority on the law and an’expert in matters of land valuation, no longer requiring lay assistance in the latter respect. It has never been suggested that judges or magistrates, in- civil jurisdiction, require lay assessors and in no other part of the judicial system has the pernicious method- of popular election been introduced. That laymen should have the power to overrule judicial decisions on points of law is the most dangerous doctrine of all. The Duck Creek case proves that the Assessment Court's constitution urgently requires reconsideration.—“ New Zealand Herald.”