Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1925. A SERIOUS CHARGE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 August 1925, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1925. A SERIOUS CHARGE.

When the more extreme type of trades union official makes charges of Government corruption or maladministration, little notice need be taken, for experience has proved that such wild statements are not meant by their authors to be taken seriously. They serve as propaganda to arouse class warfare, and help those who are called upon to say something when they really have nothing to say. It is another affair, altogether, when one occupying the responsible position ■of President of Hie Canterbury Employers’ Association, makes siipilar allegations. At the annual meeting of the Association, this week, Mr. C. M. Ollivier referring to the hardships endured by employers, declared that if one like Mr. Henry Ford had come to New Zealand during the past few years, he would probably have been hounded

out of the country. Mr. Ollivier went on to say - that Mr. Ford “might have escaped if he had contributed money to party funds, or had procured money for party fund,s; in which case he might have got a knighthood. Or he might have floated his business into a company, and chosen as directors men who were politicians and thus have secured immunity from attack and, probably, would have been able to use the machinery of the Government to attack his trade competitors. He did not make these remarks in any idle spirit; they would find that there was a great deal in them if they watched events in this country. Power was always abused unless its tenure depended on equitable administration, but the politician of to-day traded on the patriotism of the people.” These are serious allega-

tions to make against the Dominion’s administration, and Mr. Ollivier cither said too much, or too little. It is one of the national boasts that there is little or no “graft” or corruption in Government circles, and if Mr. Ollivier has evidence to the contrary, it is his duty to publish it. It is to be hoped that the Prime Minister’s attention will be called to the speech, so that it can be officially answered. “Grievances” against the Government arc not uncommon, and these are sometimes made the basis of charges of wrong-doing. Mr. Ollivier was not acting in his private capacity, but as head of an important organisation. and lie claimed Io be speaking “in no idle spirit.”' Obviously, the mailer is , one lor further enquiry, or witli-

drawal, or fuller explanation, by Mr. Ollivier of his somewhat startling’ statement.

EDUCATION REFORM

The national education system is so often the subject of change, or proposed change, that announcements of further alterations Or reforms do not aroitse iriucli public .interest, but the latest suggestion of the Minister should bo welcomed. He proposes to expedite the entry into secondary .schools, so that those pupils entitled to, or desirous of a -three years ’ course, shall have fuller opportunity of enjoying the privilege. Under present regulations, too large a proportion of scholarship, or free place, winners, leave the primary school too late in life to enable them to remain at the secondary school for the proper period, a result being that much of their own and the teachers’ time is wasted. There should be no great difficulty in making the necessary adjustments to bring the new proposal into operation, and parents and teachefs alike' will probably endorse the Minister’s recommendation of the scheme. ,Education is becoming a heavy burden on the national purse, and nothing should be left undone -to get the fullest value for the expenditure.