TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 110, 12 May 1927, Page 10

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Oongratulations are more fitting than business at a Mayoral installation, but Mr. Troup combined both in his speeches yestqrday. His review of municipal affairs emphasised the soundness of Wellington's position, and indicated in a general way the works necessary to maintain progress. More was not expected of him on such an occasion, but it is to be hoped that the Council will now lose no time in going a step further, and preparing a programme of work for the year ahead. Tho first business to be dealt with;is the staff reorganisation, put in hand by the last Mayor and Council. Upon tho thoroughness with which this task is performed will depend in great measure the success of the Council in other works. Next should come a survey of tho city, which is the necessary preliminary to town-planning, communication improvements, and roserves extension. There are numerous works to bo carried out, and tho Council will soon bo faced with pressing demands from citizons who consider this or that of most importance. In deciding tho various claims it cannot afford to form

haphazard judgments. As tho Mayor knows, oven tho best-disposed bodios

may profit by observing an old injunction: "Let everything be done decently and in order."

if tho Minister of Education had been ablo to tell the Educational Institute that he would spend more moneyhe would have boon a popular man; but ho had no such cheering message Instead ho was compelled to defend economy. He did so with credit to himself.' Educational progress in Now Zealand has, wo beliove, been hindered by catchcries proclaiming that money spent on education is tho best investment tho country can make. That is only a halftruth and it leaves much unsaid. It assumes that no mattor how much is spent or how it is spent tho investment is still good. Surely oven tho most ardont educationist would not support this view. There can bo waste and extravaganco in education as well as in other public services. Thcro is so now in tho expenditure upon buildings and staffs to give a so-called secondary education to boys and girls who do not profit by it. If tho money for all State purposes were unlimited there would be a diffcronce. But it is not unlimited. Taxation is heavy—so heavy that it hinders industry and hampers development. Luxuries, with few exceptions, aro taxed to within appreciable distance of tho point at which consumption will bo cheeked and revenue diminished. Even necessaries bear a share of tho burden and add to tho cost of living. That boing so, the Government must endeavour to do the best with the revenue at its command. If education is to havo much more other services must havo much less, and which of the services can be cut with advantage? A pruning hero and there may be possible, but no drastic economy. Education admittedly has a sound claim, but so also have Health, Defence, Justice, and other State services. It is the Government's business to adjust the claims, and in tho adjustment up to the present we do not think Education has been harshly treated

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' In saying this we do not contend that all that is desirable is being dono in education. The Minister's own statement was an acknowledgment that

there is yet scope for much improvement by way of, reduction in the size of classes and in the replacement of wornout buildings. There is all the more need, then, for keeping a proper sense of proportion ana doing first things first. The existence of oven a f ew cIaMM of 50, 60, and 70 pupils is a tremendous handicap to efficiency. It means that the children are subjected to mass instruction methods and drilled, at the very time when they should receive

most individual attention. It i 3 the Minister's duty to see that this fault is corrected, even if it involves the postponement of assembly halls and other thing..which, while highly desirable, are less important. Educational bodies

may, if they will, help the Minister in deciding the order in which reforms shall be taken in hand. The mere presentation of a list of claims, with the statement that all must be conceded immediately, will help no one. The Minister has no need to ask advice as to how a million more a year could be spent, but he would probably appreciate suggestions as to how better results could be obtained with the present vote.

Insistent demands are being ma de from various quarters for the abolition of the Arbitration Court or the radical amendment of the existing system of wage-fixing by conciliation and arbitration. These demands are pressed mostly by those organisations and individuals who have the least practical knowledge of the system with which they would tamper. The Employers' Federation, which has an expert and exact knowledge, has submitted an opinion more moderate than those voiced by organisations which, by comparison, know very little of the system. This fact alone supports the proposal made by the Minister of Finance that there should be a conference of unions, farmers, and manufacturers to consider the whole business. We agree with Mr. Stewart in believing that such a conference would not have an immediate result; but the exchange of views would be most valuable. There is an appreciable danger of demands for amendment being pressed so strongly that Parliament will accede to them. This can be guarded against only by informing the organisations more fully of the probable effects of the changes they seek. There is, moreover, room for improvement in our wage-fixing policy; but the way of improvement is barred at present by prejudice. No system of payment by resul . can be introduced until this prejudice is. uprooted. Frank discussion is essential for a better understanding, which will prevent amendment on wrong lines and facilitate change to a better system.