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Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18413, 20 May 1920, Page 4

It is so much to the good that the Government is beginning to realise that its efforts in tho housing line have not yet solved tho problem. The Cabinet, wo are told, appreciates the acuteness of the position and is-disposed to stimulate the erection of dwellings by forbidding unessential building. This is so obviously sensible that it would almost seem a wonder that it was not carried out long since; indeed, we should be surprised if we were not acquainted with the supineness of the Government. At the same time it is a. little distuihing to find that it is proposed to uso -AVar Regulations for this purpose. Since the armistice was signed a year and a half ago it seems almost time that government by war regulation«came to an end. We Would much prefer even a few more weeks’ delay for the sake of having public affairs dealt with constitutionally—that is, according to the instructions of the Parliament of the day. We aro sure that the new Parliament would give authority to stop unessential building in favour of the oroctiqn of dwellings. At the same time lb would be a sensible thing to abolish the import duties on timber, roofing Lon and other building materials.

a Recent statements by Mr Bonar Law concerning the attitude of Britain towards the expedition at present being conducted by the Poles into. Russian territory illustrate very strikingly the difficulties that must beset a Government whose foreign policy is vacillating and uncertain, and whose actions in support of that policy must be pro- ' tccted by secrecy against the pressure of public opinion. On May 4 Mr Bonar Law rejected emphatically, in tlie House, a suggestion that the PolisliRussian dispute should be referred to the League of Nations. The Government, he said, was “ unable to advise countries adjoining Russia in regard to their course toward the Soviet Government.” Two days later, after the Press had had time to say wliat they thought on the subject, Mr Bonar Law bad a different story to tell the House. The Government, he said, was wot supporting tlie Polish attack on Russia “morally or materially,” .and pressure would* be put upon Poland in the direction of peace. Last Monday Mr Law had to admit that in October last tlie British Government made Poland a free gift of military material with which to prosecute the enterprise which Britain is neither materially nor morally 'supporting. Of course the position was a little different in October. Denikin looked like winning great victories, Yudcnitch was preparing to capture Petrograd, the Ukrainians had chased the

Bolsheviki out of tbeir provinces, and Kolchak was still Supreme Commander at Omsk. One moro little war couldn’t do any harm. Now, however, pcaco with Russia seems the safer policy.

Nearly 200,000 acres of land are to be opened for selection in tiffs country during this and the following month, divided into seventy-nino allotments- Of these sevenfy-nino allotments no fewer than fifty-six are in the North Island, and forty-eight of these arc in Auckland province. No fewer than forty-two, or moro than half tho total for the Dominion, are in North Auckland, Tho seventy-nine allotments are divided into 347 sections. Of these, 230 are in the North Island and 153 in Auckland province North Auckland has again the lion’s share, 98, the figures for tho other districts being:— Wellington, 29; Hawke’s Bay, 48; Marlborough 14; Nelson, 23; Canterbury, 39; Otago, 39; Southland, 2. Tn view of the fact that the North Island has already 60 per cent of tho population,of the Dominion the figures might very well have been reversod. Unfortunately New Zealand is govorned by a North Island Ministry and a North Island party, whose policy seems to be more and moro aimed at securing for their part of the Dominion all tho benefits which a Government may be able to bestow.