WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 September 1930, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DOMINION FINANCE

SIR OTTO NIEMEYER

(Special Correspondent. I

WELLINGTON, Sept. 3

The Associated Chambers of Commerce which ' has assimilated the operations of the New Zealand laxpayers’ Federation, and is preparing to ’widely extend its other activities, has been taken to task, more or less seriously, for having- invited Sir Otto Niemeyer, the 'well-known British expert, who has been investigating the finances of the Commonwealth, to render a similar service to New Zealand. As a matter of fact it made no such egregious faux pas. What it did do was to suggest to the Government in perfectly appropriate terms that Sir Otto Niemeyer should be invited to visit New Zealand and to give what time he could to an examination of the finances of the Dominion. This, of course, was a perfectly proper proeeeding and now that the expected visitor has definitely accepted the invitation of the Government the publicwill look forward to his arrival and his investigations with much interest. 'Whatever may. be the faults of New Zealanders in other respects • they are not- averse to having their finances probed.

“THE CASE OF BRADMAN.” > New Zealand will be no better pleas-ed-by the Australian Press Association’s cabled, stories concerning Bradman's “journalistic; and other activi-. •'ties” .than the! Common wealth will be, IF Bradman has broken rules and regulations. as the Press Association says lie has done, then, of course, he should he dealt with accordingly. But surely no light is thrown upon the situation by the Association’s assertion that “Woodfull, Grimmeitt, Kippax ‘and Oldfield all rejected tempting offers to write for the English newspapers..” New Zealanders know little of Bradman, beyond what they have read of him and his marvellous cricket in the newspapers; hut they might easily read some further significance into the concluding paragraph of the Australian Press Association’s message “Meanwhile,” it runs, “Bradman smiles and says nothing, holding himself. ‘ as usual, 'rather aloof from the other members of the team, in addition to Mr Kelly, with whom, it is'understood. his relations are not over cofdinl.” -Here, so far. there seems to be nothing detrimental 't,o'the-young-ster with a penchant for ' hitting off centuries.

THE UNEMPLOYMENT LEVY. '•• /It seems a pity that the members of the Unemployment Committee had not an opportunity to commend their proposals to a full gathering of both Houses of- Parliament. The position was stated so!.clearly .and so .emiphatically bv Mr. W. D.; Hunt and .his colleagues that, no point could have been overlooked or misunderstood. .The salient points of the Committee’s report have been compressed into a paragraph that'covered its whole tenor. “Every member of the community,’’ it runs, “should he called upon to hoar a share of the cost of remedial measures. . . .

one. of the most important facts which must arise from our method of special taxation is that the ratepayers willfeel that the problem of unemployment is one that affects him personally. . .

If this direct arid..special taxation he not definitely provided, then the whole principle underlying our recommendation's will be. violated. It is everybody’s duty to assist in overcoming the evils of unemployment.’’ The whole pith of the scheme was so well expressed in these passages that one can but regret they were not accepted as the foundation of the Bill.

’ leMPTY SEAM’S

The deaths of Sir George Hunter and Sir Maui Pomairc have left two seats in the House of. Representatives .which it, will he difficult to fill with members of the same .’calibre. Sir George Hunter h;\d v Keld .the Waipawa' sent so 1 ong 'hmlr app.qrentlv' _ so securely that the locail',-.people, had given up speculating "cohtiern'jng „' his. '/successor. Had " lie been spared -for- another contest he probably would have recovered most of the votes that fell away from . him nearly two years ago. Sir Maui Dorn a re, one. of the most capable and genial of his race that have given Ins-, tre to the 'Parliament of the Dominion, occupied another secure seat, though his'people, as many elections testify, do not like to see all the voting on one side. The Reform party plumes itself upon ‘having obtained a strong man to 'carry on tlie traditions established'by Sir George Hunter, and these traditions'will be of substantial assistance to tlie newcomer, but the I United Party also is very well equipped jgji tit a chain pi op of wide exper- ■ ience ami Exceptional ability.