DOMINION TOPICS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 124, 19 February 1938, Page 1 (Supplement)

DOMINION TOPICS

Parliamentary Salaries.

When the Prime Minister said recently that members of Parliament must some time receive increases, but it was necessary first, to consider “those who are in a worse position even than members of Parliament,” he implied not only that members of Parliament are badly off but that only the most wretched groups of their countrymen are worse off. The first suggestion is false; the second is fantastic. But if members of Parliament are able to show that circumstances have so changed as to justify some amendment of their salaries and allowances, they will succeed best if they show at the same time their equal sense that circumstances have so changed as to require extensive amendment of the whole representative system. A smaller Parliament, representing half, the present number of constituencies, would be a more efficient body. The country would not be sorry to pay for reform and save by it. —“The Press,” Christchurch. Unemployment Tax.

Official figures on unemployment finance provide another instance of the manner in which taxation has been allowed to run ahead of the needs of the country and the resources of the people. The past nine months’ receipts from the wage tax of Bd. in the £ reached nearly £3,500,000, or an increase on the nine months of the previous year of £056,862, and there was an accelerated decrease in expenditure. It would not. have required a great deal of courage and foresight on the part of the Government to reduce the unemployment tax merely on the strength of returning prosperity, in which the whole Empire has participated, and the money so left in the hands of the people would have gone into circulation in increased spending power, instead of being locked up in a growing reserve. The Government has a clear duty to cut the unemployment tax drastically. Its main object ought to be to encourage the reabsorption of the unemployed in ordinary industry, and there is no better method of achieving that end than unshackling industry and commerce from the burden of taxation. —Christchurch “Star-Sun.” The Games.

It was not expected, even by the most optimistic, that the New Zealand representatives at the Empire Games —or, to use a coined word, the Empiad—would collect sufficient aggregate points to raise the Dominion’s total to the leading position, it being, realised that they would be meeting the best athletes from the United Kingdom and the other Dominions. The actual performances of the New Zealanders in some sections, therefore, proved a pleasant surprise, and fully justified the action of the controlling authorities, in. sending the team across the Tasman. The recordbreaking achievements of C. W. Matthews, in the three and six-mile events, and the equally-meritorious success of V. P. Boot in the 880 yards contest, give promise of further triumphs, even in the company they would meet if sent to the Olympic Games, and the.v should be worthy successors to Lovelock. — "Greymouth Evening Star.” State Control Again.

The heavy hand of State control presses down one more section of commercial life with the authoritative statement that the Government proposes to take over control of the im portation of all fruit into the Dominion ffs from April 1 next. This move, to be interpreted as the next step of the Internal Marketing Department’s programme as announced early in December, will be justified by the Government as being in the interests of “orderly and efficient” marketing. Small regard will be paid to the unfairness of taking away 50 per cent, of the business of firms that have spent anything up to £250,000 in developing their trade in imported fruit. There is to be no compensation for the loss of connections that have existed in some instances during the past 50 years. A Government turning on its Socialist screw has no time for such trifles of commercial morality and no doubt is anxious to justify that goodwill payment made but not disclosed when it took over the business of fhe present Director of Internal Marketing.— “Taranaki Herald.” Social Insurance.

One-of the New Zealand Government’s main pledges at the election in 1935 was to establish a universal scheme of social insurance. So far, however, no plans have issued from Cabinet, and the people are completely in the dark as to what the Government proposes or what will be expected of them. On the other hand, Australians are already fairly closely informed on the contributions they will be expected to make and the benefits they will be entitled to draw in sickness and in old age. These have been drawn to the plan successfully operating in Britain, although the scale of payments and benefits is higher. The State’s liability in respect of both health insurance and superannuation has also been defined, and the scheme is expected to provide for 2,000,000 workers and 1,000,000 dependants. Whether the New Zealand scheme will follow the comparatively simple and well-tried lines that Australia has adopted remains to bo seen. —“New Zealand Herald.” Health and Superannuation.

The national health and superannuation scheme did not originate with the present Government, as is commonly supposed. Proposals on these lines were investigated by the Coalition Government, which in its election manifesto mentioned that it was intended to introduce legislation “as soon as financial conditions permit.” On the principle of this important legislation, therefore, the Government and the Opposition are unanimous; but that unanimity can hardly be expected to extend to the detailed proposals. The details are known only to members of the Government. In a multitude of counsellors there is safety, and the Government, even at this late hour, should make known its proposals and invite constructive criticism, so that the legislation, when passed, would be as sound as is humanly possible, and better still, it would possess the confidence of the people, for they would have the satisfaction of knowing that they were consulted in this vitally important scheme before it was placed on the. Statute Book.-—“Gisborne Times.”

Blowing Hot And Cold.

The refusal by the storemen employed in the wool, grain, hide and manure stores to work on Saturday morning at ordinary rates of pay is, like all such actions, a blow at the system of compulsory arbitration. That system was reintroduced by the present Government because the workers as a whole contended that without compulsory arbitration they were at a disadvantage in bargaining with the employers. But if the system is to be successful—indeed, if it is not in the end to become, farcical —there must be loyal observance of the awards of the Arbitration Court. For the workers to accept those clauses of an award which are deemed favourable to them, and to reject other clauses which disappointed their expectations, is simply to bring ridicule on the whole system. Moreover, the prospects of the system are not improved by the fact that there seems to be a growing tendency to refer disputes to the Minister of Labour. In the long run, both employers and workers will benefit themselves more by accepting and conforming to the decisions of the Courts than by appealing to Ministers of the Crown.—“ Auckland Star.” The Road Menace.

The Minister of Transport is finding, as he was bound to find, that in pitting his determination and authority against the causes of death and injury on the roads he has undertaken. a herculean task. Success, he has discovered, is not necessarily to be commanded by a tightening up of regulations and a stricter enforcement of the law as the circumstances seem to warrant. The good achieved in this way and by educational propaganda is by no means negligible, but it is not preventing an increase of accidents as the accompaniment of increased traffic. Within the last few days the Minister has made two pronouncements on the subject, in the 'first he drew attention to the fact that more than 4000 persons had been injured in motor accidents in the Dominion in the last ten months, and that eighteen were killed bn the roads iu January. At the same time he expressed his conviction that the general standard of motoring had shown an improvement in the course of the past year, more care and courtesy being now manifested by the majority of road users. Then a week-end intervened,, bringing its tale of seven fatal accidents, and Mr. Semple confesses to feeling almost disheartened. He has none the less declared his resolution to put more weight into the attack upon this highway scandal. His conclusion that, this must be done by tightening up the law is not surprising.—“Otago Daily Tinies.” Search For Oil.

“Why the long delay in getting going with the search for oil?” It is known that two major overseas oil companies are now interested in New Zealand; that the disposal of the leases and other saleable assets of Taranaki Oilfields to one of these companies is practically if not actually completed; that one of these companies is interested in acquiring leases over the Moturoa field, the Okoke field and the WhangamomonaSbra'limore fields; that one of these companies is prepared to commence drilling almost immediately on the East Coast; and that with the equipment it intends to use drilling to 3000 feet is a matter of only a few weeks. Yet everything seems to be hanging fire. Even Taranaki interests hopeful of securing a lease and a licence to drill can obtain little satisfaction and no finality. The legislation is not all it should be, but wth the exception of the royalty clauses it has been passed, aud it is a pity that a commencement of the most comprehensive search for oil ever made in New Zealand is being delayed for reasons unknown to the public.—“Taranaki Daily News.” Young Men Think of War?

It would be interesting to know on what evidence Father Owen Dudley based his opinion, reported in a Message from Auckland, that “the. young men of England were not so much against war as they were a few years ago.” Presumably his work brings him into close touch with young people, and be therefore has ample opportun- . ity for studying current trends in youthful thought. Perhaps it would be nearer the truth to say that they are admitting the possibility—perhaps, under certain conditions, the necessity—of war. They do not want it. The intellectual climate of Britain and of the Empire at the present time is very different from that of European countries where the glory of battle is being hammered into the collective mind. But if war came they would have to fix their attitudes once and for all, and many of them are doing this now. No other explanation can be altogether satisfying. If it were indeed true that war is losing its terror for the young men of to-day it would mean simply that Britain was already in the grip of the war psychosis which precedes an outbreak of hostilities. And although, world affairs are in a bad state, they are not yet too bad for those whose work is for peace.—“ Southland Times." Success at the Games. On the whole, New Zealamders have reason to be pleased with the performances of their representatives at the 1 Empire Games. Unfortunately it is - true that in many spheres of activity, such as swimming and boxing, wearers of the traditional black have not greatly distinguished themselves. In other events, however, notably long-distance running, the successes gained have been so conspicuous and even sensational as to place the name of the Dominion well before the people in many lands who will have been following with much interest the various sporting events held at Sydney. The New Zealand long-dw-tance running team was ably fitted to uphold the national reputation sealed by J. E. Lovelock at the last Olympic Games and in other races held at about that period. Judged from the populattion viewpoint,- New Zealand is a small country, but Nature has endowed it with ample facilities for building up a healthy manhood and cultivating athletic prowess. If in a few respects we are not quite holding our own with overseas rivals as did many of our champions in the past, it may be logical and perhaps comforting to conclude that our training systems have not progressed with the times.—Dunedin “Evening Star.”