NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 64, 9 December 1930, Page 10

NOTES OF THE DAY

Can meteorologists explain why the weather seems to have got out of hand this season? To find anything worse than the recent storm in Europe a search had to be made right back to the great hurricane of 1703. Now fog has blanketed Western Europe, a fog of unprecedented density that is said to cause death by congestion of the lungs. In New Zealand the Director of Meteorological Services reports that “for the third month in succession the weather in November was the coldest for the Dominion as a whole since the taking of records commenced.” The sunspot theory was ruled out by an expert the other day and for lack of an explanation people can only hope that “the weather will take up after Christmas”—a hope that was rewarded in a long and glorious autumn last season.

It would be interesting to know on what grounds the President of the Board of Trade bases his forecast of a more hopeful outlook in Britain in the new year. Mr. Graham possesses one of the ablest minds in the Imperial Cabinet and is not given to blind optimism. His colleague Mr. Snowden, another who is forthright and an enemy of humbug, also held out hopes recently of improvement in the coming year although, like Mr. Graham, he did not state how recovery was to come about. It is to be hoped that they have good reasons for their cheerful forecasts and that it is not merely a case of the wish being father to the thought. The' British Labour Government,- at any rate, has no proposals to offer or remedies to apply and Mr. MacDonald’s policy has been described as that of Micawber, “waiting for something to turn up.”

Resolutions continue to be carried by various organisation? requesting that Parliament should be called together to considei remedies for the present difficult economic position. Two such arc published this morning but it is doubtful if those sponsoring them have any clear idea of what could be effected by assembling Parliament. It would certainly cost a lot of money and a flood of words would be unloosed but apart from this verbal .torrent, which can well be spared, there does not seem much hope of a positive result from such a meeting. The Government would require to prepare for the consideration of Parliament some definite policy to meet the situation and. legislation to give its proposals effect. Bitt on th. evidence available it does not appear that Cabinet has given any time to such serious considerations. Cabinet Ministers are much too busy perambulating the country at the public expense. Unti’ they have something to propose it is worse than useless to convene Parliament.

Because, “notwithstanding the present financial stringency public works in the North Island of a similar character to those on the Haast Pass and Lewis Pass are being carried on, the union recommends the construction of the pass roads to the favourable consideration of the Government.” This, the text of a resolution passed by the South Island Motor Union, shows the low level to which public bodies can fall and also the low opinion of the present Government held by the union. For its plea is not based on necessity or the national interest, the encouragement of tourist traffi' or the relief of unemployment, but on the sole ground of parochialism. Apparently it does not matter whether what is being done in the North Island is indefensible; the mere fact that it is being done is justification for similar expenditure in the South Island. The resolution is a melancholy commentary on public bodies and of the standards of judgment which presumably they represent in this thing called democracy.