NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 274, 15 August 1932, Page 8

NOTES OF THE DAY

Mr P. Fraser’s speech at Carterton on Friday shows that the Labour Party'has not yet been able to think of any F onstr^ t ‘ v that would be helpful to the country at the present time Mr.Frasei wants a reduction in taxation. So does everybody else But while most of us realise that taxation cannot be lightened except J a brake on expenditure, Mr. Fraser s various demands, if conceded, would enormously increase it. He thinks, for example, that the unemployment wage is inadequate. Why does he not go further and what it would cost in increased taxation to raise that wage to the point he .would consider adequate? Again, he Government “encouragement and. assistance of all. industries. At whose expense’ At a time like the present, when difficulties of an altogether unprecedented character have.to be dealt with, the Labour Party should have something better to do .than .going about the country abusing the Government. Has it not a single constructive and practical suggestion to offer ? ' .

A good deal has been said and written concerning the possibilities of developing trade with the East, Invariably those interested in the , subject have had to come back to what is probably the chief obstacle to such schemes, namely, the lack of adequate shipping facilities, Ina difficulty would soon be overcome, however, if sufficient freights were offering. Meanwhile it is reported that private individuals, convinced that the field is promising, and the time opportune, are preparing to organise the preliminary arrangements,, which will include suitable displays of our products at the exhibition to be held at Hong-Kong under'the auspices of the British Chamber of Commerce in November next. Such private enterprise is admirable. It is suggested that the various producers’ boards might also attempt some pioneering in Far Eastern markets. At least two of them have large reserves that could properly be used in prospecting and developing a rich field. The wonderfully elastic consuming power of Great Britain has up to the present absorbed our increasing output but alternative markets must be found sooner or later and, indeed, are immediately desirable. * ♦ * ’

President Hoover declares that a change in National Prohibition in America is necessary “in order to remedy the present evils that have grown up under it.” One of these is the spread of disrespect not only for this particular law, “but for all laws.’’ It may be doubted whether the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment or even some modification of the existing Prohibition system, would of itself make the people of the United States more law abiding. The abduction and murder of the Lindbergh baby was a clear case of the breakdown of authority in the face of organised crime. The notorious Al Capone was sent to prison, not for breaking the Prohibition laws, or for other lawless activities, but for not paying his income tax. The threat to law and order in America arises from fundamental defects in the judicial system itself. It can never be effectively dealt with until the system is removed from politics. The fact that political influence could be used to enable wrongdoers to escape the consequences of their actions had brought the law into disrepute long before Prohibition came into force. We had an example quite recently in this country of the readiness of the politician to attempt to influence the course of justice, when members of the Labour Party sought to have the sentences imposed on the Auckland and Wellington rioters reduced. Thd country should consider the possibilities for the future of law and order in New Zealand had this attempt succeeded.