ECHOES of the WEEK

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 109, 1 February 1930, Page 19

ECHOES of the WEEK

PRESS OPINIONS ON NEW ZEALAND TOPICS

Settling the North. Without ignoring the scope of small settlement, it must be recognised, as the Minister has evidently done, that in'many districts there are greater possibilities of successful development in large holdings by men with substantial resources, able, for instance, to carry herds of dry stock that will produce negligible direct profits unless the export beef trade can be revived. Yet it is such men as these and new settlement of this character that have been virtually condemned by the Government’s policy of penal land taxation, without regard to the circumstances. However, the North will now look to Mr. Ransom to be as zealous in advocacy of its claims as he is cordial in praise of its achievements in spite of difficulties, and positive in his confidence of its progress with adequate assistance and facilities.— “New Zealand Herald.” Why Mau Police?.

It is impossible to suppose that the circumstance that the procession was escorted by the Mau police was devoid of a provocative significance, and was not an indication that the arrest of “wanted” men taking part in the demonstration would be resisted, even as it was resisted. The Chief Tuimaleali’ifano admitted in his evidence at the inquest that the Mau police had been instructed to keep the Administration police back if there was an attempt to make any arrests. Why the existence at all, it may be asked, of a force of Mau police? The preservation of law aud order in Western Samoa is a matter for the Administration and the police under its control. The formation of a body of Mau police constituted a challenge to the authority exercised by the Administration. The organisation of the Mau itself amounted in effect to a design to establish an imperium.in imperio, and has been a distinct affront to the Administration.—“Otago Daily Times.” Jam from South Africa.

It need not be pretended that the projected imposition of a dumping duty will smother the trade in jams from South Africa, but it at least should serve as an appreciable' check. to its rapid and menacing growth. Many people with a palate for the sweet products of the veld doubtless will pay more for humouring their taste, but many others will find it more profitable to be content with the excellent jams made in their own country. And in their contentment they will have the additional satisfaction of knowing that every jar of New Zealand jam they consume means better times for fruitgrowers and more work for factory industrialists. In the meantime the Government need not be dismayed by’the protests of Free Traders and opponents of local manufacturers. —Auckland “Sun.” Chichester’s Example.

The hope may be an extravagant one, but there is a possibility that Mr. Chichester’s great flight will stimulate intenser interest in New Zealand aviation, and if the public grows conscious of the necessity for having a large and efficient Air Force maintained, the Government, which should . always yield a little, at least, to public opinion, may have to be more sympathetic towards aviation than it has been in the past. When Mr. Chichester with so little training has been able to accomplished so much, it is easy to calculate what valuable service can come from men who are furnished with an opportunity to undergo a course at least as thorough as his.—Christchurch “Sun.” Porridge and the Catechism.

Porridge has given to many generations of Scotsmen that physical stamina which has enabled them to battle .through difficulties to success. The Shorter Catechism has laid the foundations of the moral integrity and high purpose in life which have enabled those brought up on it to face life’s difficulties with courage and success. Neither porridge nor the Shorter Catechism is exactly palatable to those who like their palate tickled with savoury meats and cloying sweetness. They supply the grit, and it is this grit that is in. danger of being lost, as His Excellency pointed out, when a country finds difficulty in providing work for its young people. We have to get down to the root cause of the difficulty, and what better way could be found than the conference suggested by the GovernorGeneral? His Excellency has done well to return to the subject and to remind us again of its importance.—• Auckland “Star.” Steadying Down on Imports.

■lt is thought unlikely that the current quarter will see au excess of exports anything like that recorded' last year or in 1928, when it was in the neighbourhood of £12,000,000. The policy advocated by those in a position to follow the course of trade is that care must be exercised in the matter of imports, and the most practical ■way to bring that about would be the adoption, generally, of Sir Joseph Ward’s advice that we should give preference, whenever possible, to New Zealand manufactures. That, and steady efforts to'increase production, are what the country must concentrate on in order to maintain the favourable trading position established during the past few years.—Christchurch “Times.”

A Critical Year. An increase of importations was to be expected as a natural sequel to the very heavy excess of exports in 1928, but it is a gratifying circumstance that, despite this increase, the balance of trade for the year remained in favour of the Dominion to the extent of £6,381,086. The present year may, it is to be apprehended, be a somewhat critical one in the trade of the Dominion in consequence of the severe decline that has been experienced in the values of wool, but there seems to be a reasonable ground for the hope of a recovery in the price of this commodity, the production of which has contributed so much in the past, to the prosperity which tlie country has enjoyed. , “Otago Daily. Times.” z

Imported Ready-mades. i In the general mass of imported apparel (valued at £5,333,000 in round figures) there would be, of course, a great deal of wool woven into the various fabrics, but silk and artificial imitations clearly have captured the favour of New Zealanders. Local industrialists, and more irarticularly tailors and seamstresses, may understand some of the causes of their bad times if they consider the amazing quantity of ready-made clothing that is being imported nowadays into this foolish country. The value of such importations last year was not far short of £2,000,000. Even Switzerland and Czecho-Slovakia find a good market here for their dumping of ready-made clothes. Sweated labour abroad is responsible for a great deal of unemployment in this country, which is slow to learn that it is better to assist local industries than it is to enrich foreign profiteers.—Auckland “Sun.” To the Rabbi Van Staveren.

The religious community he led was, comparatively, a small one, but the late Rabbi Van Staveren impressed his personality far beyond its limits, not only in his own city, Wellington, but in all New Zealand. One of his leading principles was that there should be no question of creed or any other difference when there was suffering to be relieved or wants to be supplied. In consequence, his name has been honoured, and his loss will be mourne'. by thousands outside his co-religionists and those of his own race. His record of service to his own people stands almost unrivalled in length and devotion. If that had beeu the whole of his life, his death would have been a Jewish loss only, and the rest of the com. munity might have felt little more than sympathy with his congregation and the detached admiration such a life deserves to command in those who have had no point of contact with it That however, has not been all. The Jewish people always have been active in good works in New Zealand.—“ New Zealand Herald.” The Voice of the King. .

Until a few years ago the printed picture and messages from the King were the only means by which we could judge of the personality, “his Majesty.” Then we got tjie spoken voice on the gramophone when an Empire Day message was recorded. Now the wireless and the “talkies” will bring his Majesty even nearer to us. The almost continued presence of the King at the centre of the Empire undoubtedly stimulates the loyalty of Londoners, and this new sending forth of his personality on the wings of the air must have the effect of stimulating the loyalty of remote-dwelling subjects. It is the same, of course, with the commanding personalities in the world today—with Mr. Ramsay MacDonald and Mr. Hoover, whom we are now learning to know with a new familiarity through the “talkies.” We get the feeling of their presence, and their messages have a personal note hitherto denied us.—Christchurch “Star.” Confidence Needed.

The trade returns for the calendar year 1929 provide some comfort for those who have been depressed by the wool sales. Not that they are entirely satisfactory. Exports are down by £609,000 and imports are up by £4,300,000, . making £11,302,000 in 1928. The total of exports, however, is the second highest on record, and the total of trade, £lo4,777,ooo—astonishing for so small a country—is the third highest Probably after the especially good season in 1928, a fall in the excess of exports over imports was to be expected. Moreover, values should never be considered alone. The past year was one of falling prices, so that the fact that the country’s exports were so close to the figure of 1928 shows that production increased. There is need for care in private and public finance, but the outlook is not by any means so gloomy as some may wish their countrymen to believe. What seems to be needed most is confidence. —Auckland “Star.” Manuka and the Merchant Service. The suggestion made by the Merchant Service Guild that the assessors in the Manuka inquiry should have been members of the profession actively engaged in maritime pursuits, and “more conversant with present-day conditions” than the assessors who were selected, is open to an obvious objection. Mariners who are still actively engaged at sea would, if chosen as assessors, be asked to assist In the adjudication upon occurrences of which they may themselves conceivably have an experience. It is no reflection on the integrity of sea captains to remark that their sympathy with a fellow master might, in such circumstances, affect the impartiality of their judgment. Questions that suggest themselves are: What are the presentday conditions with which a master lately retired from the sea could be said to be not conversant, and how would experience in the class of vessel and trade that is under discussion be of benefit to an assessor?—“Otago Daily Times.” Tlie Illogical Elector. Everyone knows that there are thousands of electors in the Dominion who voted for the United Party to punish the Reform Party. There are thousands of others who could not say why they voted for the United Party, and who in fact had no better reason for doing so than a gambler’s hope of getting something out of its lavish promises. Finally there are the electors well-meaning and honest, but simple or inexperienced or both, who really did think that in voting for the United Party they were helping to rescue the Dominion from a period of stagnation or exaggerated caution and starting the wheels of progress revolving again. Tlie position of those people now is extremely unfortunate, and if, without doing violence to their principles, they are able to support the only Party’ which has Oven a remote chance of doing what they expected the United Party to do, their support will naturally. be welcomed-— Christchurch “UrcMk”