TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 68, 17 September 1926, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Speaking at Masterton, the chairman of the Now Zealand Moat Producers' Board (Mr. David Jones) is reported by the Press Association to have "roundly condemned" tho idea of a freezing works merger involving "the compulsory purchase of all works in the Dominion, both proprietary and cooperative." The ground of,Mr. Jones's objection seems to be tho monopolistic character of 'such a' merger. But tho idea of removing the uneconomic units among the freezing works does not necessarily rest on one big merger; it is consistent with tho creating of several mergers, the purpose of which would be to avoid the extremes of competition without swinging over to the extreme of monopoly. Reference to local reports oC the speech show that, according to Mr. Jones, tho Board believes that "local mergers would be quite effective." But, he adds, tho Board considers that "each district should be left to solve its own problems." The question remains, however, whether the districts can attain1 sufficient unanimity to get something done.. Sir George Elliot's contention that, if freezing works are loft to the test of survival of the fittest, purchasers to whom the Board objects will obtain for nothing things for- which to-dsiy they are prepared to pay, remains unanswered.

Few people, wish to raise contention upon any question touching a memorial to the illustrious dead; but, despite this, protests have bejen voiced against the choice mado by the Massey Memorial Cdmmittee. To us they appear well founded. The erection of a replica of any great monument is undesirable unless it is justified by the strongest reasons'. The objection in this case is twofold. Chunuk Bair is wholly a memorial, to soldiers. ■. Mr. Massey was a statesman. .Chunuk Bair was one phase-in New Zealand's War service. Mr. Massey was associated with the whole of that service. If Mr. Massey had been associated with the Now Zealand service on Gallipoli and nowhere else, it would be reasonable to perpetuate that phase of his life's work. But he was, as Prime Minister, tho leader of the troops who fought in France, in Palestine, and elsewhere. The argument that many New Zealander3 will be unable to see the Chunuk Bair memorial might be advanced as a reason for copying any other overseas monument to the Dominion troops. We hope that the Committee will reconsider its decision, and will obtain, a design which will commemorate the whole career of the man who was our leader in peace and in war, and who represented our ideals in London and in New Zealand as our soldiers fought for them on Gallipoli. .

It may sound somewhat paradoxical to speak about tho very good winter that is gone, at a moment when midSeptember is presenting Wellington with the heaviest fall of snow that has been recorded locally within the present century. But, notwithstanding tho rarity of a really .whiter-robed Tinakori range, it remains a fact that one snowfall does not make a winter, even when it falls in spring; and the sheep; farmers generally throughout the country are justified iv regarding 1026' as a year for the production of sound, weighty fleeces, not to be sidetracked by a thirteenth-hour relapse into frigid conditions. If the pound or pound and a-half of wool per sheep lost last season, largely through ii consistently bjd wintor, reappears in 192G and. goes to buyers

at advanced rates, the purchasing power of New Zealand will tako a needed step forward. In the face of the coal deadlock tho London sales have opened so well that it is permissible to hope for at least a continuance of the market's buoyancy when the pits again operate.

It was reported yesterday th&t, though there was an acute shortage of domestics in England, 349,274 of theso workers were receiving the dole. If this information is taken from an official Blue Book as stated, it is not reasonable to dismiss it as grossly inaccurate. Yet it boars on the face of it the appearance of improbability. It may be, of course, that the number includes girls who receive unemployment pay for a few days' in between periods of employment; but even so the greatness of tho number reveals a weakness in the system. If tho facts are as stated, they afford proof that it is dangerous to initiate unemployment relief in advance of a well-organ-ised system of employment agencies. When the old rule of no work no pay is in operation, it helps to bring the worker "and the job together. But when this rule is modified, it appears essential to provide other machinery to ensure that all workers who are employable are employed. A complete chain of employment agencies would quickly separate the idlers from those genuinely unablo to obtain work.