CASUAL NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 94, 20 March 1936, Page 8

CASUAL NOTES

(By “The Watcher.”) AN AMBITIOUS MINISTER. In the new Government Hon. D. G. Sullivan holds the portfolios of KaU wavs, Industries, and Commerce. I R ail way Board is. out or office, and the Minister is in supreme con trol. That portiolio alone is a tun time job for an experienced man as Minister of Commerce it will de '°-' on Mr Sullivan to try to extend Nev Zealand’s markets all over the worldThis in turn will take some But as Minister of Industries he has laid off a path for himself that bristles with difficulties. H:s published statement is that he intends to encou g, what is called '. ‘ ’rationalisation amongst industrialists, in order f _ bring about cheaper costs, greate ficiency and thus add to the national prosperitv. How this is going done. Heaven only knows. Me doubt if the Minister does. Industry 1 verv complicated thing, and wetlnnß. that when Mr Sullivan starts to plain how the bakiug, the iron steel, the brickmaking, the P r Vv or anv other big industry can tionalised , under Government supervision he will find that the people engaged in them—and whose capital - at stake—know a lot more about thei intricacies and complexities than 1 ‘does. In which case he may •be glad to “rerteat in good order” He will be wise if he does. The last thing people want is “more Government in businses.”

THE LATE SIR FRANCIS BELL. By the death of the above notable statesman New Zealand much the poorer. Viewed from any standpoint politics, education, commerce, states- , manship, or any other —he stood iore- ; most amongst our people. From the i date when he first took his seat in ! Parliament as M.H.R. for V ellington, ; to the end of his life, his was a voice that counted. By birth and education he was a Conservative, and as such \ held strong views against Government ■ interference in business. At all times he stood up for liberty and independence against Government interference, or even participation. With a keen logical and mathematical brain he could get right to the heart of any problem and show how it would work out. Seeing- the directions in which pojitics are now moving he will be badly missed in the Upper House. In one of liis speeches during last session,, referring to the Coates-Forbes scheme of butter control, he twice said. “I believe I could have provided a better scheme myself!” and the present writer has no doubt he could now, after a long life in which he gave of liis best as Mayor of the capital city, as Minister, as Attorney-General, as Leader of the | Council, and particularly as member of the War Government, he rests in : peace. His memory will remain as a priceless heritage for future genera- ; tions of New Zealanders, j THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

| In the exercise of their rights the new Government have “called” to the Legislative Council fourteen gentlemen who now wear the title of “Honour- , able” and become entitled to £267 19s per'annum in addition to “perks.” The pay used to be £350. but suffered badly from “cuts.” The outstanding appointment in the list is that of Sir Charles Statham, ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, who has begun practice as a barrister and solicitor in Wellington. The remaining thirteen may be fairly described as “pure Labour.” It is evident no effort was made to strengthen the Council as a revising body, which is its primary function. Not a single lawyer or ex-31.P. has been included (except Sir Charles Statham). It is a clear case of “spoils tc the victors,” and this cannot be denied. From a legal point of view (especially in view of the loss of Sir Francis Bell) the Council is deplorably weak, and outside Mr Masters, Sir J. Allen, Mr McCallum and one or two other lesser lights we shall look in vain for that searching analysis of the Government proposals which are to come before the Council during the coming session, and which the Council is supposed to supply. THE KING’S IDEA: MIGHT MARRY.

Too much importance need not lie attached to the recent request of His -Majesty to ‘‘his faithful Commons” to make provision for the future Queen “in case he should marry.” As a practical man, he is merely asking tor provision to be made—in case . Meantime, lie further asks for provision for his brother, the Duke of l’ork, who is now tile Heir Presumptive. This would also probably mean a suitable allowance for the Princess Elizabeth. The King has. come to be looked upon as a conrirmed bachelor. That may be so; but the death of his father’ has slied new light upon his domestic life. He has seen what a source of strength and comfort Queen Alary was to her husband, and—well, you never know. He may be thinking hard on the matter. HITLER AND GERAIANY. There can be no doubt that Hitler’s action in militarising the zone laid off by the Versailles Treaty between Trance and Germany is a tremendous move, with huge possibilities and potentialities. Tne original idea of tne victorious Allies was io create an open area, from a military standpoint, between Germany on the east of the Rhine and France and Belgium on the west. Hitler has systematically worked to smash the Versailles Treaty at every point possible, and has done all this without notice. It was so as regards rearmament and other similar matters. The nations have awakened from their lethargy to find a .“fait accompli” (an accomplished fact; one after the other, he knowing well that nations, like individuals, under such circumstances usually say, “Well, why bother? It’s done, and over I” But tiiis latest move is different. Both France and Belgium (whose territory adjoins the militarised zone) have at once had to strengthen their defences, and put themselves to a certain degree on a semi-warlike footing. Alust unfortunately England last year made a naval treaty with Germany under which the latter is allowed to build a navy up to 35 per cent, of England’s strength in home waters. Herein a fatal mistake was made. Hitler evidently has concluded that if England agreed to his establishing a navy he could safely burst up another clause of A’ersailles and put his armies on the Rhine. He is a promise-breaker, and will not, we are sure, be bound by his promise to limit his navy to 35 per cent. AVHO WILL START THE AVAR ?

That the next war everybody is thinking about has been brought nearer during the last fortnight is certain. But who will start it? Will it be an attack on Belgium, or on France? Or will one of those Powers treat the militarism of Hitler as a casus belli and march their armies across the Rhine? AA'e do not think anytliing will make Hitler give way. He will stand to his guns. But there are two questions he is asking himself day and night: They are—What will England do? and, What will Russia do? Meantime it is'certain that every railway leaving to tile demilitarised zone (now occupied with troops) is being handled with a view to mobilisation, and if war breaks out we, shall find Germany far more ready than was thought. In brief, Hitler wishes, and is determined, to pick up the Great AVar at the point where it broke down in 1918 and to try to reverse the final decision!