TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 109, 4 November 1926, Page 10

TOPICS OF THE DAY

In these days when international difficulties seem to be as complex as ever, it is essential that the people should have the fullest information regarding the workings of the League of Nations. Supporting the abolition of secret diplomacy, Sir James Allen recently stated in Dunedin that the League relied greatly on; publicity, but he expressed regret that tho relationship between the Government and the High Commissioner had not been. as close'as it should have been, as reports which he had sent out for enlightenment of Parliament and the people on tho progress of the League had been pigeon-holed instead of being presented to Parliament, and it was only afterwards that they were made public. In a speech at the League of Nations Union dinner in London, Mr. Coates urged the importance of educational work throughout the world inculcating the League's ideals, and said that New Zealand would afford tho League I every encouragomont. It is only by I frank discussion of the problo'ms affecting international relationships that misunderstandings which mar the spirit of amity between the nations can be prevented, and no good can come from burying in Governmental archives the reports on the workings of the organisation which has been established for the specific purpose of promoting feelings of concord. If tho Government acts according to the sentiments voiced by Mr. Coates in his latest speech in London there should be no repetition of the unfortunate occurrence of which Sir James Allen very rightly complained. • * • Now that a great deal of money is to be spent on advertising New Zealand —it is cabled that the Empire Marketing Board is already busy, while the New Zealand Dairy Producers' Board is launching a special campaign—it becomes a matter of importance to find the right kind of spending channels and the right sort of peop_le to do the drawing and the writing and the job generally. To secure twenty shillings' worth of value for £1, there must be a sound advertising plan, and efficient executants thereof. An Australian dairy herd and an Australian vineyard are represented at the Eoyal Academy by posters unaccompanied with letterpress, concerning which the cable-critic remarks : "They, perhaps, will appeal to the British, public, but Australians will nob find them an ideal reminder of their homeland." Beneath this observation seems to lurk a conflict between salesmen's notions of public psychology and Australian artistic ideas, with odds in favour of the former. Evidently the cable-critic considers it wise that the poster campaign 9hould speak with two voices, for he remarks that New Zealand's sheep-raising and dairying posters "are tolerably distinctive and i accompanied by letterpress." Explaining the joko may be inartistic, yet it is sometimes necessary. *.' • • i "During the last eighteen months all stages of wool manufacture between tho grower and the retailer have been unprofitable, but- the growers and retailers have had adequate rewards." This statement, attributed to Colonel Vernon Willey in an address at the Colonial Inßtituto, suggests that the selling organisations and tho intermediate men have been bearing the wool " losses, and that the woolgrower has ! secured all the profit there was between [ him and the retailer. Something similar has been said of the moat trade by the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, in that the board's last annual report emphasises tho losges made by operators at tho prices paid by them to growers. Again, operators in dairy produce declare that they made no proj fit on last season's purchases of cheese in New Zealand, and little, if any, on butter. In short, the contention is that, in theee three leading lines of New Zealand's primary production, the producer has reaped all that there was in the business, and more. If this is true, the moment would seem to be singularly unfavourable for "control" operations. Of course, tho making of losses by operators and intermediate men presupposes past and future profits. But,

if a whole cycle is taken, do the intermediate interests receive more than service and risk warrant; and would organised "controls" perform tho same service and carry tho samo risk at as low a eost'J ■» » • Professor Shelley's attack upon homework for school-children raises an issue which cannot bo determined by a voto of "Ayes" and "Noes." Undoubtedly excessive cramming and home study is bad for a child physically and mentally. But if the tasks allotted are not heavy, and do not make a great demand upon leisure, there are certain definite advantages. In school the child works under supervision and" direction. At home the youngster is thrown more upon his or her own resources. This is a training which is not without value. Many of the employers of labour to-day say that a great fault with workers of all classes is that they do well when watched, but their tasks must be arranged for them or else they are at a loss. They lack initiative and independence. Homework, which is not done under the teacher's eye, should help to produce these valuable qualities. At the same time it may reasonably be contended that children in the lower standards have quite enough to do in the ordinary school hours, and further restriction of their playtime may well bo left until they are more of an age to profit by independent study.