AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 January 1929, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS.

REPORT FROM “BIG FOUR.” OPINION IN BRITAIN. United Pre»o Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) (Australian Press Association.) Received 1.55 p.m. to-day. LONDON, Jan. 10. Financial circles generally approve of the tone of the Duck-ham (“Big Four”) report, which is regarded as fair and businesslike, but important mem are disinclined to comment on the brief cabled summary, preferring to wait till they have seen the full report. One or two point out .that much of the cabled summary seems obvious. They express gratification, that the mission, after personal experience in Australia, endorses the opinions frequently expressed here regarding borrowing expenditure and costs of production. The report reveals little that is not now known, here. Mr Ben Tillett said that he was loath to comment as Labour was not invited to co-operate. The report was 1 obviously materialistic in tone. If Labour had been invited it would have looked at the matter from more angles than the mere .materialistic. COMMONWEALTH’S CHIEF NEEDS. ‘‘ONE GAUGE AND LESS POLITICS.” SUMMING UP BY ‘‘MORNING POST.” Received 2.40 p.m. to-day. LONDON, Jan. 10. The ‘‘Morning Post” editorially says: ‘‘Whether or not Australia accepts the advice offered, we are confident that some of the best brains in the Commonwealth are in _ cordial agreement with the commission. It mostly deprecates the ill-considered development into which _ politicians rush, not only in Australia but elsewhere, not inquiring whether it will pay in money, but whether it will pay in votes. Hence there is a large stable of white elephants which would have ruined a country with less natural wealth than Australia. England cannot afford to blame Australia for the economic policy of high protection, since she forced that policy upon Australia by abolishing the old. wise .preferential system which we are now "labouring to restore. Australa, with no single industrial centre and a very wide scattered population, is ill-suited for that sort of development. hut if England wants her to modify her policy she must offer something substantial in return. As far as the railways are 1 concerned, it would he foolish to build more until uniformity has been reached. One gauge and less politics are the chief needs of Australia.”