Timely Topics

Northern Advocate, 27 December 1937, Page 4

Timely Topics

“Every day (says the Montreal “Witness”) we are encompassed by perils, but the worst possible ‘protection ’ against those perils would be to wrap ourselves up in cotton wool and refuse to go out in the streets. The results of repression, of fear to trust the people are written large in history. Ideas instead of coming under the healthful influences of sun and air are driven underground 'and so forced into all sorts of queer deformities and exaggerations. The nations which have gone furthest in repressing ‘ religion ’ are the taught that intolerance and represnations which through centuries were sion were part of ‘religion.’ The nations that have overthrown tradition and political and social order are those that sought to protect these things by forbidding freedom of thought, of the Press, of speech, of assembly. It is the repressive nations, not those that have rooted their life in liberty, that have ‘ crushed the individual without mercy or consideration ’ with lamentable economic social and religious results.”

IS ■ HOAD AND RAIL.

In view of the road and rail policy of the New Zealand Government, the Transport Advisory Council’s Report on “Service • And Rates,” recently published by the British Ministry of Transport, is interesting. The report discloses a really sincere effort on the part of both railway and road interests to substitute co-ordination in the near future in the place of antagonism between the two systems of transport, and called forth 'a note of appreciation from the chairman, Sir Arthur Griffith-Bosciawen. • The .significance attaching to the combined effort to solve the transport problems on an amicable basis cannot be overexaggerated, and deserves the wholehearted supporrt not only of the transport industry, but also of the trading community. The report very truly lays down the desirability cf establishing as great a degree of coordination as possible among the various forms of transport, without depriving the trader of adequate alternative facilities or the unfettered right to select the form of transport which he finds most convenient and economical for his purpose. It further deprecates any attempt to dictate services, or to dedide that ' certain goods should go by certain forms of transport, but as a condition of these conclusions insists that the resultant competition must be on fair terms.