TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 79, 30 September 1914, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Last night Sir Joseph Ward gave his opinion unmistakThe Problem ably that the conof Overseas version of curtain Food Transport, steamers into troopships had brought anxiety to numbers of New Zealand's settlers. The Premier replied that vessels would be available, when required, for perishable produce, and he undertook to give a definite statement. Many a small farmer, dependent on the London market, is waiting eagerly for details of that assurance. As a farmer of long experience, the Premier knows that New Zealand's welfare is bouud up in the primary industries. A blow to the man on the land hits the whole community. Mr. Massey also knows well that numbers of struggling settlers, heavily mortgaged on high-priced land, are not in a position to bear such a misfortune as a setious interruption of tho seasonal transport of produce to Britain would inflict on them. Mr. Massey is also well aware that the Mother Country, though deeply grateful for the offer of troops, may b© more thankful for meat than for men. The importance ; the food trade has been stressed . morably by British statesmen. The despatch of some eight or ten thousand of New Zealand's sturdy sons to the Mother Country's aid is a splendid service, bnt in the belief of a very large number of Britons the maintenance of the food trade will be still more appreciated. The most important thing that the Government can do for New Zealand and the Empire in the near future is to do' everything practicable to assure regular carriage of food, especially meat, butter, and cheese, to Britain during the whole season. Practically the Government has admitted that a mistake Dry Canteens on was made when the Troopships. the catering for the Expeditionary, Force on the troopships was left to private enterprise. The excuse offered yesterday was that the disadvantages of such a system were not foreseen during days of hurry and stress, when the Minister of Defence and the subordinate military heads were working at very high pressure, but this explanation is not wholly satisfactory. Yesterday Mr. Allen read documents which refuted some of the allegations, but in parts of his speech he hinted that the Government had learned how not to run a dry canteen. He indicated that one result of this unpleasant experience would ht> the making of a definite plan, which would apply to all future occasions of the kind. He also gave his opinion that this catering should be done by the State, on a basis of no-profit. This declaration was strongly supported by the Premier, who even went a little further 'than his colleague, stating that the canteen arrangements, mado hastily a few weeks ago, should be replaced by a State scheme. Happily some of the firms concerned have agreed to sell their stores to the Government at the invoiced prices, and Mr. Allen is hopeful that the others will follow that example. Here again Mr. Massey is still more emphatic. He has referred to the possibility of drastic action, if necessary, to bring all the canteens under State control. The soldiers have now the assurance that the price lists will be revised, and the figures will be reasonable. " The case presented yesterday for the tariff which painfully surprised the troops will not appeal to the public, and " the people will expect the Government to make amends now, at leisure, for the blunder made in hast*. Olher aspects of the case need attention, but further definite evidence has to be obtained before fair comment can be written. \ / ' Yesterday the Government and the Opposition, whose truce Again the Party was broken some Cries. days ago, had an oldtime battle — and for a few hours their field of conflict was bigger to them than the wide fighting fronts of Europe. For an afternoon and a night the fate of Empires was forgotten in the fate of parties — and that is human. What changes the House of Representatives has passed through in less than two months ! Some eight weeks ago the legislative current of the session was dammed by the great war. Men spoke of a disappearance of party feeling, as if they had done something heroic in declaring a stoppage of political hostilities. The truth is that the minor matters submerged themselves — dropped down because nobody had the energy or inclination to hold them up. It was a truce coniparable with one- which may exist in time of flood, when a cat and a rat may be peaceful passengers on tne. same floating log. All parties were alike anxious about developments in Europe; all expected news of decisive battles — -and all are still waiting. Gradually the politicians have realised that the wai- cannot be finished suddenly, and they know that ordinary work has to be done. Each side is fully conscious that the elections will be decided two months, hence, and each is preparing reasons why the people should reject the other. Party tactics will be brisk for the remainder of the\session; and they will not lose force in the recess. With the clash of the Prohibitionists and the Trade simultaneously with the political combats, the public will have some distraction from the war. It is possible that the prophets who ha-ve asserted that the people will not bother about politics will be proved wrong. In Australia about 71 per cent, of the electors went to the polls, though the Federal elections came in the early stages of the war. By the time that November arrives the people may be glad to exercise their minds on things political as an occasional relief from thoughts of the war.

In view of the early opening of the Panama Canal and the great outlet open to New Zealand for the export of its primary' products to the West Coasts of North and South America, the council of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce ha 6 asked the Primp Minister to send a Commisoioner to South America. The chamber suggested that Mr. E. Clifton, who has been appointed Commissioner for the Panama Exposition and Trade Representative for the Dominion on the West Coast of Canada, may bo afforded an opportunity to visit the South American West Coast ports for the purpose of opening up trade relations and gathering commercial information. The Prime Minister has promised his careful consideration of the suggestion,