NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 301, 20 September 1928, Page 10

NOTES OF THE DAY

A clever quip at the expense of the United Party was m rather rubs the gloss off the attempt to present the party to the public as something quite new and unweighted by the handicap of past failures. * * *

There is a somewhat gruesome touch about the comment of the pSen? of the LaboJsocMst Party, the Mjchcr, ™ the new United Party, but there is a good deal of trqth in t, too Mr. Archer summed up the situation with the remark I 1 is just as difficult to resuscitate a political corpse as a corpse ofany other type.” The recent political history of Britain and Australia ha shown clearly enough that there is no real use for a half-way thnd pariy in politics toMay. The old Liberal parties have gradually dwindled away, having served their day.

Considerable attention has recently been drawn to the revival of the British shipbuilding industry. In the face of the kee ” est competition, British skill and enterprise has regained *e trade it lost during'the war years and those immediately following. The revival of the shipbuilding industry, while important in itself, also affords a lesson on the value of industrial co-operation. The adoption of reasonable conditions on the part of the workers, and a general speeding-up of production, has enabled Britain once again to hold her own in the field of industry. The reorganisation of the British shipping trade promises to be but one of the many industi jal achievements which can be looked forward to in Great Britain as the result of co-ordinated effort on the part of Capital and Labour.

That the importation of live stock of any description into the Dominion should be prohibited is the drastic suggestion made by the Marton A. and P. Association. _ The prevalence of foot-and-mouth disease in a number of countries certainly makes it incumbent on the authorities to exercise the utmost caution in regard to all live stock imports, but the total, prohibition of such entries into the Dominion is hardly warranted. The Department of Agriculture is alive to the danger of importing stock diseases into New Zealand, and has taken the necessary steps to safeguard against any such possibility. * * * *

Even the most ardent patron of the moving-picture houses will agree with the general sentiments of the revised Kmenia Bill now before Parliament. It seeks to encourage the exhibition of British films in this country, and is in fact the outcome of an Empire-wide agreement made at the last Imperial Conference. When it is realised that nearly £200,000 goes to America from the pockets of kinema adherents in New Zealand alone it is clear that every encouragement should be given British enterprise to captui e at least a portion of what must be in the aggregate a huge sum. Under an increasing scale exhibitors will be asked to show in New Zealand a propol tion of British films, rising from 5 per cent, in .1930 to 20 per cent, in 1939. It is gratifying to know that in spite of a certain amount of opposition, exhibitors here have agreed to adopt this proportion voluntarily in a sincere desire to assist British films.

For several years the stand accommodation at Athletic Pai k has been inadequate, and the plans of the Wellington Rugby Union to replace the present static!, which has done duty for 35 years, by a more modern structure, will be welcomed not only by followers of Rugby, but all members of the sporting community. For many years" Wellington has been at a great disadvantage in catering for athletic events of national importance, and the proposed new structure will, therefore, meet a very real need. It is stated that the new stand will be three times the size of the Basin Reserve pavilion. As the pavilion holds approximately 1400 people, the new stand should provide accommodation for some 4200 spectators.