NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 53, 26 November 1928, Page 10

NOTES OF THE DAY

The Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. G. G. Hodgkins, and his staff have had an unusually trying task in the conduct of the recent general elections. The success and expedition with which the work was carried through is, in the circumstances, thoroughly deserving of the commendation generally accorded. With the system of absentee voting there is necessity for the exercise of great care as well as the additional task of the delayed count of these votes. Compulsory registration does not appear to have materially affected the percentage of votes recorded at the polls; but it will be of interest to note the effect when the ballots are finally cleared up.

Lord Plymouth is reported to have said that the Safeguarding Duties, designed.to protect British industries, introduced by the Baldwin Government, have justified themselves. “ They had,” he said, “increased employment and production in the industries to which they had been applied.” This claim, however, is disputed by the Economist, which asserts that the following separate statements, each of which is. capable of proof, can be set against it: <f ( 1) That in many instances imports have substantially increased; (2) in few, if any, .cases has the flow of imports been arrested without an actual decrease in Britain’s exports; (3) that in no single case have exports been increased except where there has been also an increase in imports : (4) that in at least one case exports have almost disappeared and imports remarkably increased; and (5) that in every single case re-export trade has been damaged.” During the last four years there have been 49 applications made for safeguarding given industries. These applications must first be submitted to the Board of Trade, which decides which of them shall be submitted to the Safeguarding Tribunal. Of the 49 applications, 20 have been passed in for consideration.

Of these 20, the tribunal has recognised only nine claims—those on behalf of lace, leather gloves, fabric gloves, gas mantles, cutlery, wrapping paper, pottery, buttons, and enamelled hollowware. Such articles as gloves and lace, depending as they do on fickle feminine fashion, may or may not be of sufficient importance to merit safeguarding. Gas mantles must be a languishing industry, which no safeguarding duties can do much for. Wrapping paper and buttons can hardly amount to much, and Britain’s cutlery,-pottery, and enamel hollow-ware would only find successful competitors from the Continent in the lower grades of quality. In all, the safeguarded industries do not appear to amount to much in England’s economy, though no .doubt they have their place. The real cause of Britain’s present difficulties is the depression in the coal and iron industries. To safeguard these would be to increase the price of the raw material of Britain’s basic exporting industries. Britain is now aiming to capture a greater share of the world’s trade. To increase the cost of raw materials would seem to be a suicidal step.

Some little concern has been expressed as to the possible effect of a December session of Parliament on the Christmas trade. As a matter of fact it should have no effect at all. • Mr. Coates, by his prompt action in summoning the new Parliament to meet on December 4, has safeguarded any risk of that nature. The business to come before the House of Representatives should only occupy a few days; and should be over in less than a week. After the swearing-in of members and the election of a Speaker, a want-of-confidence motion will be moved by Sir Joseph Ward, and there is no reason why the following debate should be prolonged. . With the United Party and the Labour-Socialist Party voting against the Government the motion should be carried, and Sir Joseph Ward would then be called on to form a Ministry. He will then presumably ask for an adjournment of the House until the usual time in June of next year. Forecasts of the new Ministry are already being made, the names most commonly mentioned being those of Messrs. Ransom, Veitch, Forbes, Wilford, Donald, Taverner, Atmore, and Sir Apirana Ngata. Some difficulty may be experienced in choosing the remainder. Messrs. Smith, Wilkinson, and Polson, for instance, all hail from Taranaki, and while the two former have past Parliamentary experience in their favour, the first-named is the only one of the three who has been a consistent supporter of the old party. Moreover, Mr. Masters, who also is from Taranaki, is mentioned as the prospective Leader of the Upper House. Furthermore, Mr. Veitch is in an adjoining electorate to the Taranaki seats; so that Sir Joseph Ward may experience difficulty in choosing between the group from the West Coast of the North Island.