DOMINION TOPICS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 283, 24 August 1940, Page 15

DOMINION TOPICS

Third Echelon Marches. For the third time since the war began a body of troops in training -for active service has paraded and marched through the streets of Auckland. Much has happened since the Second Echelon followed the same course, while the march of events rather than of months since the First Echelon was on parade has left the world scarcely to be recognized as the same. Yet beneath the differences in setting and circumstance some things endure unchanged. The cause has not altered. It is still, even more Intensely, the defence of freedom, justice and the basic rights of man that is at issue. Many of its champions, some small and one great, have been overwhelmed and cast into bondage. The British Isles stand the last stronghold of these ideals in the European zone, sore beset but undismayed. With their garrisort are troops from this country ready and waiting to face whatever may come. Among those who, in the air and on the sea, are bearing the brunt of the present fighting, many New Zealanders are to be found. — “New Zealand Herald.” A Poor Spirit. Few persons could read of proposals, approved at a mass meeting in Christchurch, -without feeling indignation and contempt. Among other things it was proposed that there should be a moratorium “covering overseas debts for the duration of the war.” The most charitable assumption which could be made in this instance is that many of those who supported the proposal did not know what it meant. Apart from small commitments in .Australia, New Zealand’s overseas debts are domiciled in London. The high standard of living enjoyed in the Dominion is based to a great extent on the capital which flowed from England during the developmental period. But that is merely by the way. The point at the moment is that Britain now needs every available penny for her life and death struggle with Germany. New Zealand interest payments are providing sterling funds for-the war chest: to withhold them in these hours of national danger would mean a gift to Hitler and an, act of treachery to the British Commonwealth.—“Southland Times.”

The Home Guard. The demand for a greater share in the war effort has been so insistent and widespread that it is evident a vast reserve of voluntary endeavour is at baud, waiting for direction, training and planned service. This is the measure of the average New Zealander’s realization of the emergency that faces his country, and the response to the appeal to be made shortly will reflect this realization. The, framework for the three divisions of the new corps already exists in some centres. But for their full success they require the authority, co-ordination and regularization that can only be given by means of a national effort, properly staffed, with headquarters, a plan of training and the removal of any political or other bias. Choice of local bodies as the consultative and co-opera-tive organizations for the enrolling of the corps will meet with approval and w-ill lighten the call on the defence authorities), which in any event will have the added duty of giving certain military training to the Home Guard. —“Taranaki Herald.”

Secret Sessions and the Public, The House of Commons does not hesitate to keep the nation informed in some degree at least concerning the outcome of secret sessions. It is not suggested that the business likely to engage the House of Representatives this week is wholly comparable with that which is dealt with at Westminster, but it is permissible to suggest that the deliberations in Wellington are of hardly less interest to the people of New Zealand than are the transactions of the House of Commons to the British people. It is difficult to believe, fort instance, that a lively curiosity does not exist in New Zealand concerning certain aspects of the Dominion’s foreign policy. Although her relationship with Great Britain is by far the most important of New Zealand’s external contacts, it is not the only one. The Pacific is one of our main avenues of approach to the outside w’orld ,and in such developments as may arise in the Far East we are no less vitally concerned than Australia, yet there has been little indication from authoritative sources that this subject has been seriously considered by the Government or by Parliament.—“Otago Daily Times.”

Grand National Wage Index. A Dunedin message reported the terms of a resolution adopted by the Hillside branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, protesting against the “totally, inadequate” increase of 5 per cent, in award wages ordered by the Arbitration Court and “demanding” a further hearing. Upon this and upon similar resolutions an indirect but relevant comment appeared the same day in the account of totalizator betting figures at Riccarton and Addington, comparing the results for the first two days at each course with those for the first two days in other years, back to 1929. The Riccarton figure for the two days, £121,076, was £7300 higher than last year and £7OOO higher than the previous peak year (1937) of the 12. It was almost three times the figure for 1932. The Addington figure for the first two days £103,377, was almost £ll.OOO higher than last year, when the previous peak for 12 years was reached, and almost three times the figure for 1932. Since then, the third day’s trotting has again produced an increase of £12,000 over the third day total last year, and carried the increase for the meeting, so far, to £26,000. Whatever these figures signify, it is not a shortage of money in the hands of the wage earners, with whose spending or sparing the totalizator figures always rise or fall. —“The Press,” Christchurch. Cheaper Meat?

The public will welcome any relief from- the present high prices of meat, and many other classes of goods, but the other side of the bargain also must be considered. In fairness to the producer of meat, can the prices of fat cattle be sot. back to those ruling at. September I. I'.rtfi? In the interim, costs of production have undoubtedly advanced. Costs of all kinds lune increased, a fact which has been acknowledged by the Arbitration Court in granting increases-in minimum wages. The farmer has to meet an accumulation of increasing costs, and it his income from fat stock is to be pegged at the figures of September, 1939, by the fixation of prices, either he or the retailer of the meat he produces must suffer a loss of the income previously enjoyed. Prices of fat stock may recede in the summer, but it is doubtful if they will go back to the levels of the past few years. By reducing the retail price the Government expects the reduction to take effect'through the retailor to the producer.—“Waikato Times."

Petrol Restrictions. Are the restrictions needed to conserve the Dominion’s stocks of petrol, or to reduce the drain on foreign exchange funds? Whether they are fertile one purpose or the other, or for both, it is certain that the same need should exist in Australia, but the Commonwealth Government is only now imposing a rationing scheme, and the severity of its restrictions will be less than those imposed in New Zealand. The Dominion, of course, must be the judge of its own requirements, but if, as is generally supposed, the requests of the United Kingdom Government have been an influential factor, it is strange that Australia should have so much less compliant than New Zealand. These circumstances create a doubt which the Government, iu justice .to the motor industry, should make some attempt to clear up. Needless to say, the industry is shrinking because of the restrictions, and both employers and employees are entitled to information which will enable them to gauge the future.—“Auckland Star.”

Australia and Ourselves. Australia follows what, we are pleased to call the American -way of life. The story of her development is not unlike ours, her political and social ideals are identical with ours. But Australia has fewer than 7,000,000 people living round the fringes of a great continent. Only thp' shield of the British Navy prevents this sturdy democracy and its sister democracy in New Zealand from becoming the prey of a European or Oriental conqueror. In many ways the existence of these two democratic Commonwealths will be more important to us in coming years than the existence of the Dutch East Indies or the Philippines. Australia and New Zealand can help to keep the. flame of democracy alive, whatever may happen in the Old World. Their position today should make us think, and think hard.” This sentiment, if it is general among all concerned, is a solid foundation upon which much may be built. —“Timaru Herald.” .

An Industry Hard Hit. On June 6,194.0, the English “Motor” magazine stated “the only British Dominion which has seriously interfered with the normal use of petrol since the outbreak of the war is New’ Zealand.” Australia has not yet introduced rationing of any kind, and the proposal to curtail consumption by 33 1-3 ]>er cent, as from October 1, equivalent to from 10 to 23 gallons a mouth compared with from four to eight gallons iu New Zealand, is being so hotly contested that it seems possible the officer in charge of the scheme may lose his position as a result of public indignation. Why is New Zealand being singled out for a sacrifice that is having the most' serious and far-reaching repercussions on the economic life of the community? The motor industry is the second largest in New Zealand. In normal times it employs more than •10,000 people and during recent years it has produced and paid over twenty per cent, of the total Government revenue'amounting to more than £lO,000,000 in direct and indirect taxation annually. In the three major motor assembly plants alone more than a thousand men have lost their employment since the first imposition of petrol restrictions, which means in these three cases alone that £2500 a week is no longer finding its way into trade and commerce. 11 —Taranaki Daily News.”

Where the Benefits Go. When the imposition of the National Security Tax was announced it was expected by the executives of all racing and trotting clubs that investments on the totalisator would be one of the first unnecessary luxuries that would suffer, but this did not eventuate on the first two days of the National carnival in Christchurch last week, the increase at Addington being about £7400, and at Riccarton about £B3OO. Then came the announcement that this tax had been counteracted to members of all unions by an increase of wages, just about equal to the tax. This may have been the cause of a little more money going to the totalisator, but there were other reasons for the huge increase of £42,783/10/- recorded for the six days. A large number of soldiers on leave were the guests of the clubs, and were also 'indulging in a fling at the machines. They were, no doubt, responsible for a portion of the increase, but there was still another factor—and probably the chief one. It is diflicult to understand their psychology just at the present time, but there are quite a large number of people who, with the benevolent provisions of the. Social Security Act behind them, have apparently given up the “lay by” system, and gamble with all they have over after providing for the daily broad. —Dunedin “Evening Star.” , Farmers and the War.

The position of the farmer has been made clear. He is prepared to respond to the appeal of the Government to stabilize wages and price., which means that he is prepared to forgo an increase in prices as a contribution to the war effort provided internal costs are not raised against him. If costs are raised, then he has no alternative but to ask for higher prices in order to meet the costs of production. There is no question that his costs have been raised and primarily because organized labour has ignored the Government’s appeal for stabilization. More than that, evidence produced before the Arbitration Court —evidence which the learned judge must either have overlooked or been -incapable of understandingshowed that while the purchasing power of wages had materially increased since 1926-29, the purchasing power of income from exports had substantially declined. On top of this, the national security tax, which award workers have now evaded, lias been made retrospective against the farmer but not against the wage earner. More and more are the , dice being loaded against the real producer of the Dominion’s wealth, and there can bo no question that in the absence of remidial measures production will be stifled at its source.—“Gisborne Herald.” Radio Abuses.

The point has been very well made by Mr. R. M. Algie, at Auckland, that the Government’s continuous use of the radio for political purposes is inconsistent with its appeal to the people to sink political differences in an undivided war effort. Radio subscribers may well complain of this and other major abuses. Not only does the Government make a monopoly of its use of the radio—and incidentally offend pulilic opinion by concentrating its political efforts on Sunday night broadcasts—but it persists in maintaing the highest licence fees in the world from • which it is building up great profits at the expense of the listener. The injustice of this is to .be noted in the fact that in Canterbury alone licences have more than trebled in the past six years, and many people are convinced that the service is no better, but rather worse. —“Christchurch Startjuu.”