NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 273, 13 August 1932, Page 10

NOTES OF THE DAY

Lord Bledisloe in his address at the Royal Empire. Society’s luncheon in Christchurch on Thursday offered a remark which should give occasion for reflection. Any attempt on the part of a new country such as ours, with “a wholly inadequate population,” to emulate in its public expenditure, whether national or municipal, the achievements of older, more highly developed, and more populous countries, is bound, he said, to end in “national impoverishment and bankruptcy.” We are prone to pride ourselves on the remarkable progress we have made in less than a century of existence as a civilised community. Surveying the national balance-sheet, and noting the heavy items charged to posterity, we may well ask ourselves how much of our progress we owe to our own efforts and how much to our creditors. We began by borrowing for reproductive enterprises. Since then, in a spirit of emulation, we have spent money with careless prodigality upon all sorts of social schemes. Since we had not ourselves earned the money to pay for them, we had to get it by borrowing, and loading the taxpayers with mounting piles of debt. As his Excellency remarked, “Such expenditure involves a cruel burden in the form of interest on external loans upon the nascent industries of this country which is bound, if perpetuated, to stifle their development and deprive the working population of their rightful employment.”

A hopeful account of the progress made at the Imperial Economic Conference and of the probable results is given by the British spokesman in an interview published this, morning. Apparently the enlargement of the functions of the Empire Marketing Board has been practically decided upon. This is satisfactory, as is the hint that the Dominions will probably show practical appreciation of the Board’s work on their behalf by contributing-to the cost. Up to the present Great Britain has footed the whole of the bill, amounting to about £600,000 annually. The British spokesman also said that “the preference system, which Britain initiated last year, has definitely come to stay and will be widely extended.” This definite statement is reassuring. Some few days ago it was reported that Mr. Bruce and Mr. Coates were prepared, if necessary, to waive preferences in favour of quotas. It may be questioned whether this report correctly defined their attitude. In any case the British spokesman, while omitting any mention of quotas, has laid emphasis on the permanence of the preference system and its forthcoming wide extension. So much (and it is a great deal) seems to be decided and it represents realisation of the original aim of the Dominions.

A pleasing feature of the news yesterday was the amicable spirit shown by all concerned at the close of.a successful Conciliation Council in the Canterbury Timberyards, Sawmills and Coalyards’ Employees’ industrial dispute, held at Christchurch. On the employers’ side regret was expressed that the necessity for a reduction of wages had arisen, and an assurance given that under more favourable conditions in the future it might be possible to reverse the process. The employees, on their part, accepted in the friendliest spirit a position which reason and commonsense showed them was unavoidable. It is in such an atmosphere, of mutual understanding that the principle and purpose of industrial conciliation can be most successfully and effectively translated into practical results. Thus is laid the ground for co-ordinated effort in re-establishing prosperous conditions in industry, in which employees as well as employers will participate. The Canterbury workers in this particular instance have shown by their attitude that they realise this. It is only by assisting in the task of economic rehabilitation that the workers can hope to improve their lot, and brighten the prospect for the thousands of their fellows who at present are rusting in idleness. ♦ ♦ * ♦

More than once during the War officers of the N.Z.E.F. solved the problem of dealing with incorrigibles by promoting them. Thus they applied the old motto, noblesse oblige— rank or privilege entails responsibility. In the same way, it is reported, Germany’s rulers are thinking of disposing of Hitler, the stormy petrel of the Republic. Whether such an experiment will work, an experiment on so huge a scale, affecting 60 millions of people, is open to serious doubt. President Hindenburg does not lack courage, but his strong sense of duty to the German people might well give him pause. He may decide to commission Hitler and his Nazis, give them office, although he may baulk at putting them in command of the battalion. In other words, he may be able to induce Hitler-to enter the Cabinet but withhold the Chancellorship from him. Germany’s great need is a united political front, a truly national Government, and that is probably the worthy objective of the Father of the Fatherland.