DOMINION TOPICS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 264, 5 August 1939, Page 1 (Supplement)

DOMINION TOPICS

Surplus Mutton Stocks. Possible avenues of escape from hardship for that section of the sheep-farm-ing industry most seriously affected by British restrictions on the. importation of mutton and lamb from New Zealand have bec'n investigated by Mr. H. D Acland in his presidential address to the S'heepowuers’ Federation. . . . Mr. Acland, apparently, does not attach any great deal of weight to the prospect of increased domestic consunyition, but discusses relief under three possible headings—a straight-out subsidy under producer control; a levy of 5-32nds ol a penny on all wethers and lambs killed and calculated to provide about £312,000 as a contribution toward pooling the loss; and. finally, an arrangement whereby Hie British Government would purchase and store 500,000 ewe caretrses as an emergency war supply. If the necessary agreement could be reached. Hie Hill'd suggestion would prove easily Ihe most practicable. The British Government has already undertaken some transactions of Illis nurture in relation toother commodities and Mr. Nash, during his stay in Lobdoii, has probably had an opportunity to urge the claims of the New Zealand meat producer. It does not appear, however, that much eirn tie done before Mr. Nash’s return — “N.Z. Herald.”

An Expanded Air Force. The Government’s best achievement so far has been expansion of the air force. As in every other phase of defence, there were initial 'delays and hesitations. Criticism of the previous Government’s inactivity comes strangely from a Defence Minister who announces complacently that in the three years of increasing tension from 1935 to March. 1939. the number of military aircraft rose only from 2-1 lo 54. Slowness of delivery has been partly the result of the British Government's own defence needs, but it is clear that there was also a painful slowness in placing the orders ami iu seeking alternative sources of supply. The latest figures are more encouraging, and if the manufacture of aircraft is lo be undertaken in New Zealand then* will be reason to hope that Hie fundamental weakness of the air force (its lack of replacements. denying it an effective first-line strength I. will eventually be removed. Much good work lias also been done in the building and improvement of aerodromes, if the total defence programme had been carried out as vigorously us the development of the air force it would be easy to agree unreservedly with Mr. Jones that "this Government is taking adequate Steps" for Hie people’s protection.—“ Southland Times."

Man-power for Defence. It is over two months since Hie Prime Minister issued his appeal tor volunteers to augment the territorial force and provide a national military reserve, and the early response was by no means overwhelming. However, so far as the Government's objective in respect. of the territorial force is concerned, and apart from the question of its adequacy, the recruiting campaign appears to be proving successful, and a large measure of the credit for this result will be attributable to the efforts of the territorial associations and the New Zealand Defence League, which was prompt to lend the Government its co-operation in this matter. The consideration cannot, of course, be overlooked that, one of the Dominion's greatest defence requirements is 'an adequate force of trained men. while the result of the recruiting has been to create what is at present to a large extent a paper army. The men will have to be trained before they can be regarded as serviceable soldiers. The Minister, while observing that it is impossible to tell the public everything about the defence measures in baud, has affirmed that it can rest assured that nothing is being overlooked.— “Otago Daily Times.”

A Poor Look-out. New Zealand is receiving help through Hie British Exports Guarantee Department, which is empowered, with the consent of the Treasury and an advisory committee of -business men, to give guarantees in respect of exports involving more risk than the ordinary trader was prepared to take. In other words, the function of this department is to help needy countries. At the moment New’ Zealand is a country in need brought about by reckless State expenditure. The undertakings given by Mr. Nash include the assurance that it is his Government’s intention to administer its import restriction policy as favourably as possible in relation to United Kingdom interests; that his Government, would relax the restrictions as far as possible to ensure a maximum expansion of trade between Britain and New Zealand: and that United Kingdom goods would be given full opportunity for reasonable competition with New'Zealand industries. One promise made that will be welcomed in Hds country wa.s Mr. Nash's assurance that the policy of licensing imports would not be used to foster uneconomic industries. Looking at the position all round it. cannot be said that the position gives much ground for .satisfaction. At the most it can only be claimed that the worst has been avoided.- —Dunedin “Evening Star." Declining Product ion.

It is a serious matter when New Zealand's greatest productive industry (dairying) begins a new season in an atmosphere of doubt and discouragement. That is not the psychology which contributes to increasing output and the needed additional contribution to overseas credits. The main influence on the industry's morale has been a second season of declining production. In 1937-38 the decrease was 61 per cent, and last season over 10 per cent.. the final figure having yet to be determined. An official estimate of Hie loss to the industry for the nine months ended April 30 was given at £2.187.500. and for Hie last two seasons an unofficial estimate is £4,000,000. Unfavourable weather accounted tor part of the drop last season, but the New Zealand company agrees with several others in finding another cause in the shortage of suitable farm labour, a cause that operated in the previous season and is expected to operate in the future unless a remedy be found. When the Government is busy creating unproductive work for tens of thousands of able-bodied men and laying tax burdens on the land to support these schemes, its failure to supply labour whore it is most needed and would assist most in the solution of national problems, pre scuts a dangerous paradox.—“ New Zealand Herald.”

Then and Now. It is not open to the Government to make party capital of the degree to which the land forces of the Dominion fell in the time of the last Government. In this matter New Zealand followed the Mother Country in the policy of disarmament. It was Mr. Ramsay MaeDonald, the Labour leader, who made the great disarmament gesture while in office, and there seemed to be no reason al the time why a little country like New Zealand should maintain more than a skeleton force. Since then Hie world has been faced with grimmer rads, ami at the moment the Government is doing no more Ilian it is forced to do by public opinion. To tell the truth, if it were relying on its own resources, as the Coalition was during Hie depression, it would be doing much less, for its hope of carrying out its present commitments is dependent on the success of Mr. Nash’s financial mission to the Old Country. Meanwhile the Minister.is entitled to the fullest credit for what is being done, aul he ought to be content to let. the fads speak for themselves—Christchurch "Star-Sun.” Credit, on Conditions. In order to obtain the credits, Mr. Nash has been required to give a variety of undertakings and assurances that,'as far as is now possible, there will be a retreat from the policy so recently introduced and that no new uneconomic industries will be established. In effect, the agreement which Mr. Nash has now entered into on behalf of the Dominion is a reaffirmation of Hie principle embodied in the Ottawa Treaty, which provides I hat British industry will be given a reasonable opportunity to compete on Hie market of the Dominion "on Hie basis of Hie relative cost of economical and efficient production." Al least New Zealand now knows just where 'she stands in her trade relations with the Mother Country, ami her policy must be revised accordingly. This position should be of some assistance, at leas-l. to Mr. Nash in dealing with the other part of his mission. Hie refunding of the £17.000.00(1 loan, but his chief task remains untouched, ami that is Hie restoration of a sound economy wilhiu Hie Dominion itself.—" Poverty Bay Herald," Drink and Cars. (Hie fatality in.life ou the highways last year was caused by 'drink, said the Hon. It. Semple (ollie National Road Safety Council in asking its members i to consider means for minimizing the I evil. The automobile associations strongly oppose the .main suggestion which evolved from the conference —• that it be made an offence for auv person in charge of a motor-ear to take intoxicating liquor or be supplied with intoxicating liquor. The character of the resolution passed by the safety council seems to indicate Hint it was at its wits’ end to devise a method of ending the menace. Hint methods already tried lin’d failed, and that something more stringent than had ever been attempted before was necessary. The executive of the automobile associations are average members of the community, with a special interest in motoring affairs, and their considered opinion upon so important a proposal as that now enunciated should have great weight. Laws are only useful in sb far as they'have the support of the people as a whole, and an enactment which is repugnant to general opinion is likely to be observed in the breach —just as the anti-shouting law was. Education and stiffer penalties for disregard of the existing law are. as the association suggests, more likely to prove effective. —"Aucklan'd Star.”

Hire-purchase Agreements.

The hire-purchase system is very popular in New Zealand, for it enables mhny people to acquire goods by a form of compulsory saving that they might not otherwise be able to acquire at all. It is therefore reasonable that Parliament should protect the system from abuse, and above all eliminate the effects of unconscionable bargains or of ruthless action by a vendor where the purchaser is temporarily unable to carry out the terms of an agreement. The Bill to be presented to the House requires the trader to refrain for three weeks from selling any goods that have been seized because of the purchaser’s default, and to restore the goods to the purchaser if he can then bring his payments up to date and pay for the costs of seizure. It also provides that the purchaser, if he cannot afford to retain the goods, may receive a fair proportion of the amount he has paid, having relation to the sale value of the secondband articles. These provisions would be quite acceptable to any vendor or purchaser who had entered into a transaction in good faith, but Parliament ought not to create conditions so bard from the vendor’s point of view that he would be unable to carry on in the manner that has popularized the system so far.—Christchurch “StarSun."

Local Government Reform.

Very nearly three years after the original introduction of his Local Bodies (Amalgamation) Bill, the Minister for Internal Affairs has again addressed the New Zealand Counties Association, assuring it that the Government desires to proceed “along the most satisfactory lines.” The latest stage of this progress, of course, has been the taking of evidence upon a revised draft of the Bill by a special Parliamentary committee; but the Minister’s report on the success of this new machine to mince old facts is depressing. Mr. Parry was aide to say that practically all Hie evidence submitted to the committee “suggested that there was some need for reform”; and since this was the conviction with which the Minister first set out. and which nobody questioned, it is strange to find him pleased by the assurance. Second, the committee had carefully considered whether it would be well to institute a Commission of Inquiry to “examine thoroughly the whole problem of local government.” but had decided that such a commission could do little more than “suggest that something ought to be done.” It could not be thought, the Minister added, agreeing, that a commission could “tinally and definitely replan local govern mold.** It would he hard to imagine aha I lower-or weaker concept ion cf what a commission should do ami could do. —’’The Press.” Christchurch.