NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 70, 15 December 1928, Page 8

NOTES OF THE DAY

Parliament closed its. doors yesterday _ after a memorable if brief session, the proceedings terminating with customary exchange of courtesies between the party leaders and Mr. Speaker. It is worthy of note that the veteran Prime Minister came through the ordeal of an all-night sitting on his Finance Bill very well and rounded off the debate with a considerable display of vigour. His followers were subjected to a good deal of chaff for their stoical silence during the debate. Presumably they were acting under orders for not a single member of the Government Party, apart from Sir Joseph Ward, attempted to answer the criticism bestowed on the measure. The tactics adopted no doubt were designed to expedite the passage of the Bill through the House.

A very proper step has been taken by the Prime Minister in setting up a Committee to sit during the recess, to consider the question of amending the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives. The main purpose of the proposal as expressed by Sir Joseph Ward is to ascertain whether it is possible for the House to have daylight sittings instead of sitting at night. It is an open question whether there would be any real advantage in this; for the various Committees of the House now sit during the mornings, and it would be necessary for them to sit at night if the House were to transact its business in the morning. However, there is no doubt that the Standing Orders of the House as they affect procedure and the general conduct of business need an overhaul. The addition of Mr. Wil ford to the personnel of the Committee would have been an advantage, for not only has he filled the office of Chairman- of. Committees but he is one of the best informed members in the House on the Standing Orders and rules of procedure. .■ v ; • *.* * * i Whilst the now well-discussed cable merger negotiations have practically reached finality a rival to trans-ocean telephone communication has come on the field. The engineers of the Bell Telephone Company have perfected a marine cable which can be used for long distance submarine telephony. So far for certain technical reasons it has been found impossible to transmit the human voice over ocean cables extending for thousands of miles. This long-range telephony in fact has been restricted-entirely to radio and in particular to the beam system, which focuses the radio waves into a narrow lane not unlike the headlights of a car. There are already two of these channels linking Britain with America, and a third is under construction. If the new discovery proves successful it may become of no little importance to a Dominion such as this, separated by wide oceans from other countries. The chief importance of cable telephony is its secrecy; unlike radio methods, which may be tapped. * * * *

A good deal of uneasiness is felt regarding the railway extension proposals of the Ward Government'. All the world over railways are feeling the pinch of motor competition, and new railway undertakings are only embarked on after the fullest examination of the future possibilities of such schemes. Here in New Zealand to-day we are faced with an annual loss in our working railways even after non-paying lines are kept running at the expense of a heavy subsidy from the Consolidated Fund. In these circumstances it is quite evident that no new railway expenditure should be incurred without the closest scrutiny. It is generally understood that the South Island Main Trunk line and the West Coast lines included in the Government’s scheme have been reported on adversely from the point of view of their ever proving profit-earning. In fact it has been openly stated that they would not even meet working expenses, much less pay interest on the capital expenditure. Before any further railway undertakings are entered into there should be a proper investigation as to the costs and the possibilities of the lines paying their way. It is rather surprising that the Auckland members of the United Party have not given this matter attention. It is probable that inquiry would show that the great area of country in the far north awaiting development could be much more profitably opened up by the means of railway access than the country that will be tapped by the lines now proposed. In any case, however, there are very strong reasons why the Government’s present proposals and all future railway extensions should be most carefully examined before a final commitment is entered into.