NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 264, 3 August 1929, Page 10

NOTES OF THE DAY

In setting np the Select Committee to inquire into matters relating to the wheat industry, the Minister of Agriculture appears to have made what is liable to'be regarded as a partisan selection of the personnel of the Committee. Six of the ten members constituting the Committee represent communities more or less concerned with the wheat-growing industry. This is to be regretted, for however impartially the members in question may approach their duties North Island poultry-raisers and others who are affected by the wheat duties may have doubts on the subject. It is very desirable if possible to secure a finding from the Committee which will be regarded by all parties as above suspicion of partisanship.

Although there lias been an apparent failure of the negotiations between the British and Russian Governments on the subject of a resumption of diplomatic relations, it is probable that the last has not been heard of them. What appears to have happened is that the Russian envoy expected the discussion to be confined to the simple question of resuming relations, instead of which the British Government insisted on discussing the conditions precedent to such a resumption. The Russian representative was told that Britain would expect from Russia a strict adherence to the obligations and formalities which should be observed by States in their dealings with each other, and particularly mutual undertakings to respect the constitutional rights and customs of each. Acceptance by Russia of this latter condition would rule out Communist propaganda. Therein probably lies the main reason for the present failure of the. negotiations.

Experiments in steamer fuelling with puverised coal have already been made on vessels equipped with improvised plant, with a sufficient degree of success to warrant further trials. According to a cable message to-day, the first new steamer on Lloyd’s British Registei built exclusively as a pulverised-fuel burning vessel, has just been inspected before proceeding on her maiden trip. The importance of these experiments in fuelling with specially-treated coal is the effect of their success on the coal industry generally. The system is said to be cheap and very efficient, and from that point of view, if a proved success, should be a serious competitor to oil fuel.

For some years past the Education Act and Regulations hawbeen in a state of almost hopeless muddlement. So much was even admitted in Parliament a day or (wo ago by the late Minister of Education (Mr. Wright) during a discussion on au amending Bill introduced by a private member providing for the curtailment of the powers of the Department to make regulations over-riding the Act. Such Regulations have been a conspicuous feature of depart-, mental administration in recent years. In principle they are a negation of constitutional government, and place far too much power in the hands of departmental officials. In many cases, however they have resulted from an endeavour to make a very Complicated Act workable. The present position is that it is often difficult to say which is Act and which is Regulation. If the Minister of Education is unable to make any headway at present with his plans for the reconstruction of the education system, he might do worse than apply himself in the meantime to the very urgent task of simplifying the existing Act and Regulations.

Signor Mussolini has put into very frank words the thoughts that have been agitating European statesmen for some time past—the question of meeting United States trade supremacy by measures calculated to place competition on a fairer footing. Europe, he points out, buys from America twice as much as she sells. “The home markets of the United States are closed to Europe by prohibitive tariffs.” Obviously America cannot expect to have it both ways much longer, even if Europe fcould afford to do it, which she cannot, as the adverse trade balance means a continual leakage of gold from Europe to the United States. Signor Mussolini declares that Europe must reduce .importations from America and “organise withinher own boundaries.” That is more or less the position which faces the British Empire. In a warning article the London Morninq Post advocates the building of a tariff wall and the creation of a selfcontained Imperial trading community. Otherwise, “Britain will shrink from an Empire to an island.” Protective tariffs are not acceptable to British Labour-Socialist policy. But this is an Imperial, not a domestic question. The time is ripe for the Imperial Economic Conference which, it is stated, will be assembled in the near future.