NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 221, 15 June 1934, Page 10

NOTES OF THE DAY

•On appearances the United States Note in reply to Britain’s statement on the subject of the War debts constitute® an .advance toward a practical discussion on the settlement of this vexatious business. It concedes in principle the claim of Great Britain that payment should be on a basis of goods and services, with a query as to what the nature of these goods and services should be. That is a question which is more easily answered now that the President’s tariff proposals have been adopted by Congress. He has been given powers of negotiation which none of his predecessors enjoyed, and it should not be beyond the limits of negotiation for the parties to arrive at a basis of trade that would make it poss’ble for payment in goods and services tolie practicable. This is so,far to the good. On the other hand the United States rejects the argument that as Britain has forgiven her European debtors. America should extend a similar concession to her. What Britain has done with her European debtors, says the Note in effect, is no concern of America's. Obviously the moral principle inherent in Britain’s action has not yet penetrated the American conscience. In that respect the War debts issue, as a moral question, is no further advanced.

Many people may possibly regret the City Council’s decision to erect the new Central Library building on the Harris-Mercer Street block opposite the present site. The obstacle to the retention of the present site is the adjoining Education Board property, upon which the prohibitive price of £52,000 has been fixed by the board. Another objection raised is that there would be nowhere to accommodate the reading public if the present library building had to be pulled down to make room for the new one. That is not a formidable objection, as the means would certainly be. found were the Education Board purchase a more reasonable proposition. The Council’s decision will mean that the tepid baths to be provided on the new library site wi’l have to go. In more ways than one the decision may not appeal to the public as an ideal settlement of the question. The library is one of the City’s public buildings, and is worthy of a site and design commensurate with its importance to the amenities of the community. Legislative provision was made some years ago for the Council to acquire the Education Board’s property, and it seems rather a pity that the parties cannot get together and find a way out of the difficulty. After all, is it so important that-the board should be in occupation of such a valuable property?