The Evening Star THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1906.

Evening Star, Issue 13000, 20 December 1906, Page 4

The Evening Star THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1906.

&x-Minister of "Labcrt is nothing if no t practical. One of hjs latest Tatotd proposals deals -with tho credit system as it affects small debtors. Every shopoeper knows the difficulties of the crodit iii'i r'f'T'l e*> £v- as i&o collection oi *tl esbts is confccnxd, and -the Hon. Mr iliilar nrrctving a schexso -which, ho ihiriks, will anrfit both tbe creditor arad tho debtor in «eh eases. Briefly his proposal is to exend tho pwwrs of tho Official Aangneo I Bankruptcy go as to eoahlo him to deal c22> debtors owing not more than £SO. t s proposed that whero such a debtor is peesed by his creditors he may apply for protection order against his creditors. 'rhgf iflect of tho order -trill bo to prevent kg of any sommo-DS against him so jmp an he pays a specified portion of his ages -weekly to tho Assignee, towards pay■exAof hii debts. "Whether this will moot thai-exists at present is hard .it

fairly feasible. Tho Minister is also desirous of altering the Arbitration Act so as to prevent any dispute being carried direct to tho Arbitration Court unless both parties consent. This would bo quite right if nil the Conciliation Boards had tho confidenco of all parties. Such, however, is not tho ease in actual practice, and until the constitution and powers of the Conciliation Boards arc so altered as to make some of the experiences of tlie post impossible we do not think that matters so important as the industries of the Colony should be at tho mercy in many cases cf people totally inexperienced in legal and commercial matters.

Mr Millar's proposals as to patents only purport, io carry out what is already done in other countries. Canada being instance* in illustration. ft must l<o remembered, how-wer. that \rc have not a largely-popu-latod Slate like United Slates on our borders, full of manufacturers Tcndy to step in to erect factories. In many cases all the d>m::r:d lor .1 patent in New Zealand would not offer sufficient inducement to anyone to set up a factory for its production. A great deal depends on -.ho nature of the patent. This matter will require careful consider.ition to avoid the risk of doing injustice to and thrrs discouraging Xew Zeiiland inventors.