NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 169, 13 April 1932, Page 8

NOTES OF THE DAY

Commenting on the National Expenditure Adjustment Bill the Leader of the Opposition expressed the hope that no attempt would be made to rush the legislation through the House. Therein his sentiments are in accord with those entertained by the community in general. The Bill, in its scope and profound implications, is one of the most important measures any Parliament has been called upon' to consider., No doubt the Prime Minister appreciates that fact and will make due allowance in piloting the Bill, of which he is in charge. So long as the House has anything useful or constructive to offer, so long as its efforts are directed to improving or strengthening the measure, to removing anomalies or correcting inequalities—for so long there will be no need to force the pace. But if the occasion is used to obstruct blindly or to" gain political advantage by propagandising, then Mr. Forbes will be justified in concluding that time and money are being wasted and in applying the spur.

South Australian manufacturers, says a cable message, aye enjoying something approaching a boom period, and Adelaide factories find it hard to cope with orders. Victoria also, it, seems, is busily engaged in supplying New South Wales with manufactured goods at prices with which the latter Lang-ridden State cannot compete. Here are two concrete refutations of the argument that high wages make- for prosperity by increasing the purchasing power of the individual. They merely raise the price of the product, drive trade away, and unemployment results. The United States clung to the fallacy of high wages until the hard facts of diminishing trade returns began to make themselves felt. Then gradually, and later precipitately, began what their newspapers head-lined “The Flight from High Wages.” . It never seems to occur to those who preach high wages as a means of increasing purchasing power that high prices arc the inevitable corollary, in the final analysis the individual is no better off than before. Ihe mischief of it is that high prices, caused by high wages,- make it impossible for any country pursuing this illusory idea to compete successfully with others. Dunedin, usually accounted the most staid of our New Zealand cities, has been the scene of regrettable outbursts of mob feeling in connection with the food-rationing of the unemployed. Even making all allowances for people somewhat strained and unnerved by misfortune due to no fault of their own, it appears that those concerned in the rioting had no justification for doing as they did. It is asking too much of public sympathy and toleration for them to say, as some of them did. that they could not come for their supplies at the appointed time because they wanted to attend a demonstration. I here were other incidents of the occurrence which suggest a tendency to adopt a “stand-and-deliver” attitude toward the general community. There are two sides to the question of unemployment relief, '[’here is first the community’s obligation toward those who are temporarily unde, the weather,”' ancl there has never been any sign that the people of this country have attempted to shirk their duty in this connection. Ou the other hand, those who have a just claim on the public should adopt a reasonable attitude. Their feelings may be rather raw at present, and easily susceptible to exacerbation by individuals whose professional mission seems tojie to exploit human adversity for political purposes of their own. At the same time'public forbearance has a limit, and it is evident from the news from Dunedin that it has been reached in that city, for steps have been taken to deal effectively with similar demonstrations in the future.