ECHOES of the WEEK

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 116, 9 February 1929, Page 15

ECHOES of the WEEK

PRESS OPINIONS ON :: NEW ZEALAND TOPICS

A good deal of what has been said about the need for discrimination in the use that is made of borrowed moneys in Australia applies also to New Zealand. A curtailment of borrowing by New Zealand, so as to bring it within limits as narrow as possible, has long been urged by financial authorities within the Dominion as not only desirable but as necessary. Thirty-eight years ago, when- the net public indebtedness of the country was £55 17s. Id. per head, Mr. Ballance considered that the state of affairs was such as to cause sane men to pause. At the present time the net indebtedness exceeds £l7O per head, and it is not surprising that sane men, are somewhat concerned at the <extent to which borrowing has increased. It is only infrequently that a voice is heard in Parliament deprecating the magnitude of the public borrowing, but there was a speech or two by Sir Joseph-Ward in 1927 that pertinently directed the attention of the .House to the seriousness of the position. The present head of the Government might find it instructive to refer to those utterances. —"Otago Daily Times.”

Sir Joseph Ward has suggested that the present figures do not justify anyattempt to forecast the final result for the year. The principal factor of uncertainty, apart from the' yield of the revised income tax, which should be known to the Treasury, is the motor and petrol taxation. Why this money should be passed through the ordinary account hits' never been explained. There is inevitably delay in disbursements—the lag at the half-year was £197,518—50 that when the Budget is closed there will be an artificial inflation of the surplus. As the final estimates forecast a balance of only £2728, this factor is of. considerable importance in the present Budget Whether Sir Joseph Ward considers this element should be withdrawn by setting up a separate account for the special motor taxation,, he will, it is to be hoped, restore the former custom of issuing the actual Treasury return, and dispense with socalled adjustments that are not always intelligent and rarely intelligible. — “New Zealand Herald.’

The explanations of the working of the Mental - Defectives Act by Dr. Sutherland and Professors Anderson and Belshaw prove convincingly thati as the law now stands the rights of the individual are not properly protected. The illustrations given by Dr. Sutherland of recent abuses of the Act show clearly the dangers to which the most innocent and harmless person, may. he exposed if proper safeguards are not insisted on. ■ The questions as to who may initiate proceedings for committal, how the medical certificates are to be obtained, and whether every case should be heard before a magistrate or not, are matters that in the public interest require a great deal of elucidation, and the Minister of Health will be well advised to review carefully the working of'the Act at the earliest possible opportunity.—Auckland “Star.”

We pride ourselves on our educational standards, but it is a little disconcerting to learn that in a chart prepared by i the. Federation of University Women the educational average for New Zealand compared very unfavourably with that of other countries. Our most pronounced weakness is in the sphere of post-graduate research, and probably our,poor showing in that respect is due to the fact that New Zealand has 120 students studying annually in Great Britain alone. The truth is that the lack of facilities for research in certain branches of learning in this country compels many of the students to go abroad. This dissemination of our youth, with its consequent widening of outlook,; should be a good thing for us if it were not for the tendency to stay abroad. It is unfortunate also that graduates arriving in New Zealand receive scant assistance in the matter of occupational opportunities.— “Lyttelton Times.”

There are so many obstacles 'in the way that the small holdings scheme apparently does not offer the brightest prospects, save at the best in very moderate instalments. The demand . that undoubtedly. exists to-day is for properties bf sufficient size to maintain their holders as genuine farmers. There are reasonably well assured markets for meat and dairy produce, wool and cereals, and these are the commodities which the men who desire to go farming expect to produce. In course of time, no doubt, many new - settlers will be exporting some of these things from those iat present undeveloped lands which have caught the eye of the Minister of Lands on his travels. But much capital will have to be spent on such lands before the stage of export production Is reached, and the would-be settlers of to-day are looking for quicker returns.—Ashburton “Guardian.’

Though the only real independent in. the House, Mr. Rushworth is for the moment a supporter of the Ward Government. He is pledged to oppose Reform, and though his defeat could not of Itself Involve the collapse of the new Government, it would weaken its position by strengthening that of the Opposition. The return of Mr. Bell would greatly hearten Reform, and it would not be surprising to find Mr. Coates and other stalwarts hastening to the aid of their former associate. With the Issues thus enlarged, the by-election becomes a politicaltilt of the first magnitude. Incidentally it involves the survival or disappearance of the Country Party. As the only Parliamentary representative of that organisation, Mr. Rushworth was alluded to by the Speaker in the House as "the honourable the Leader of the Country Party.” Thus introduced, he proceeded to make his. maiden speech and define the attitude of himself (andparty). He has played his part in one of the shortest and yet most historic sessions on record. Even should he be defeated at the by-election, he will not have entered politics in vain. — Auckland “Sun.” , \

A leaving examination stiff enough to satisfy the business man looking for a good clerk of general education, and elastic enough in its nature to leave secondary education the freedom without which it is a dead thing, might provide an escape from the present impasse, though the problem is not one of examining or accrediting For those who will not go to the University, an education is. wanted that is complete, as far as it goes, and is free from the narrowing influence of an examination designed for the particular purpose of selecting those flt for research and other narrowly intellectual pursuits. What is wanted, as the University Council recognises, and as we ourselves have pointed out before, is not so much no examination as two —an. examination of a higher standard confined solely to those intending to enter the University, and a. leaving examination for the majority of pupils who want something to show for the years they have spent at school. The problem of accrediting can very well wait until this earlier obstacle of a better classification has been surmounted. —Christchurch "Press.”

■■ The main reason why most visitors to New Zealand never hear anything to attract them to the South Island is that they land in the North, where those whom they meet in daily intercourse, if they know anything of the beauties of the South, have no interest in send,ing them further, while a great many have an interest in keeping them ip their own region- A representative of South Island leagues in Auckland cannot overcome that difficulty. The experiment has been tried, and it failed. But a Bluff-Melbourne service, frequent and dependable, to bring its fair proportion of visitors first of all to the South Island', would be the end of it.— Dunedin “Star.”

The principle that the most efficient warning devices at railway crossings should be extended is a good one. It is fundamentally, a question of cost and of allotment of responsibility. New Zealand is one of the few countries where the people look to the Railway Department to do everything for them. In America it is held that the major portion of the cost should be borne by the users of the road. Various methods are employed—chiefly' petrol taxes and license fees—and although the Dominion’s motorists are now taxed heavily enough, the cost of safety is partly at least their responsibility. The Railway Department still has a responsibility which it has always recognised, but the motorists, who are to be protected against their own carelessness, have a greater one, and should no doubt contribute in New Zealand, as' they do elsewhere, their share of the cost of improvements. — Christchurch ■“Press.” ' ■"

We have added an enormous volume' of work to the routine of the Police Department and have not made provision for the, adequate performance of the duty of investigating crimes. It is true that some'years ago a beginning was made with the organisation of a division for criminal investigation, but the development has proceeded far too slowly. What we need now is a new conception of police organisation, in which there will be a clear distinction between the routine duties which the prohibitive laws and regulations have created and the handling of crimes and criminals. The responsibility for the many failures of investigation in recent years is not, we repeat, on the shoulders of the police. It is on those of the Government, and we suggest to Mr. Wilford, who understands these things,'] that, he should go boldly to Parliament and ask for authority and money to place the business of criminal investigation on a proper basis.—“Lyttelton Times.”

It Is possible to sympathise • with Miss Coppiestone in the disappointment she has suffered and yet to feel that it would not have been a matter of very great moment if she had succeeded. The desire to achieve something which no other person has managed to do Is laudable enough, but, while an effort to swim across Cook Strait is not to be placed in the same category as such crazy performances as playing the piano or swinging clubs or dancing for a record length of time, it is not one that can be specially said to merit encouragement — Otago Daily “Times.”

To enforce order in the mandated territory of Samoa is a duty solemnly laid on the New Zealand Government. There has been abundant patience. Attempts to prove the contrary have' miserably failed, and charges of high-hand-ed treatment have recoiled on those levelling them. “The Administrator acted with great patience,” says the decisive report of the Mandates Commission, “and showed a forbearance and a confidence in the people” even to the extent of jeopardising his own authority.. To a policy firm as well as liberal the League of Nations looks for the restoration of peace and prosperity in Western Samoa. That the Government is fully seized of its duty and is eager wisely to do it the Prime Minister’s statement encouragingly shows.— “N.Z. Herald.”

If the Government will handle the Samoan situation with skill, there is no reason to fear but in a short time the position will be cleared up, memories of past unfortunate occurrences will gradually fade away, and the islands will be restored to the happy position of the two races working side by side in co-operation for the regeneration and advancement of a land rich and happy in many respects. There is reason to think that were a Minister to visit the islands, say Mr. Wilford, and obtain first-hand knowledge, something substantial would be done towards restoration of the islands to normality. It is not a case where half measures will suffice; it is a position which must be grasped with a firm and sure hand; there should be no delay.—Timaru “Herald.*’