NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 110, 3 February 1930, Page 10

NOTES OF THE DAY

For the first time New Zealand is to be represented at the International Labour Conference in Geneva. Probably the Government would not have sanctioned the unnecessary expense mTOlvxj if representation had not been insisted upon by the Labour Barty, an insistence of which the present minority Administration, must take note. Mr. Holland has for long set his heart on the Dominion s adherence, to the Conference although New Z-ealand workers are already paid higher wages and enjoy better working conditions than those of 'most nations represented. It is, therefore, difficult to see what is achieved by sending three delegates on this excursion to Geneva beyond the satisfaction gained by Mr. Holland in seei £S a pet project realised. To mollify Labour, may be useful o e Government but will certainly prove expensive for New Zealand. *•■* • * *

Counsel for an accused charged in the Wellington Police Court with having been intoxicated while, in charge of a car suggested that his client was one of those people who were temperamentally unfitted to drive high-powered cars. This ingenious' association of temperament with drink is rather novel. . There are probably quite a large number of people who do not drink at all, and yet may be temperamentally unfit to drive cars. At the wheel, they may be as great a danger to traffic as an intoxicated person. This does not, of course, make the latter’s offending any the less.. It' does, however, emphasise the point that a person’s fitness to be in charge of a car is a much more. important matter for investigation than, mere ability to drive. In the new British Control of the. Roads Bill this point is given dud emphasis. It should not be overlooked when highways legislation again comes before the New Zealand Parliament. *** ' *

Additional expenditure on doles and pensions by the British Labour Government gave ground for the forecast that Mr. Philip Snowden would have to meet a deficit in this year’s Budget. Now the Chancellor of the Exchequer has to face the position that revenue is not yielding up to expectations. It is reassuring to note that in his dilemma Mr. Snowden keeps a firm hold on common sense. “National finance must pay its way,” he says. “We shall not commit raids and live on capital.” This is admirable but will certainly not prove acceptable to many Labourites who still entertain the old idea that capital is an unfailing milch cow. Mr. Snowden knows as well as any farmer that there are limits to the bovine yield and that a cow confined too much to the milking-shed is liable to go.dry. It may be hoped that, by. impressing this lesson on his Socialist' colleagues,- he will succeed in' demonstrating the. impossibility of granting their demands .for more doles, more pensions, more everything. * * * *

As the Commissioner of Police has remarked, publicity in certain cases is a great aid to the police.in the detection of criminals. This has been proved both in New Zealand and abroad. The police have, however, not been quite so ready to recognise in another class of cases that publicity is a safeguard for the public. For instance, when a succession of burglaries occurs in the City or in particular suburbs, publicity will put the warehousemen, shopkeepers or householders on their guard. There will be less carelessness in locking up and more vigilance displayed. Forewarned is forearmed. Secrecy in this connection will not aid the police. It is inconceivable that the burglar will be lulled into a false security just because nothing of his exploits has appeared in the newspapers. Ihe position is quite the reverse. It is the owner of premises who, ignorant of what is going on around him; is living in a fools paradise. Mr. Mcllveney might well consider this community viewpoint by issuing reports when burglars are active, so that the public could take extra precautions. The next best thing to catching a thief is to’ foil him.

From time to time references have appeared in the. news relating to the fortunes in the recoverable salts contained in the waters of the Dead Sea. A cable message last .week referii.ng to a concession granted to a Palestine Company revives interest in the subject. It is a very valuable concession, for which there have been numerous applicants. As the region lies within Palestine, the granting of the concession to a local company no doubt has been influenced by considerations pertinent to the general prosperity, of the mandated territory. According to Dr. P. H. Norton, technics' editor of Chemicals (New York), there are accumulated in the Dead Sea, into which the River Jordan pours, enormous quantities of a few’ staple chemicals sufficient to meet the world’s needs for many centuries. A combination of climatic sand topographical conditions makes it possible to recover these salts cheaply and in a state of high commercial purity within a few miles of ocean transportation. The estimated value of the deposits, which include potash, bromine, salt, ovpsum, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride, is given at about £?53 000.000,000 and they may ultimately prove to be one of the niogt’ powerful industrial factors of our age.