NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21470, 19 April 1933, Page 10

NOTES AND COMMENTS

PLANTS AND HUMAN BEINGS "Plants bend toward the light for tho same sort of reason that human beings are able to digest sugar or to grow up. It is because a chemical substance, a hormone like insulin or pyroid extract, is produced on tho far side of tho plant from tho light which causes that side to grow faster than tho other." This was revealed by Professor E. C. Dodds, Professor of Bio-Chemistry in tho University of London and Director of the Samuel Augustine Courtauld Institute of Bio-Chemistry, before the London section of the Society of Chemical Industry. "This same hormone that is found in plants is also found in human beings," Professor Dodds stated, "but we have not the smallest idea of what it does in our case. That is one of the fascinating things which remain to be cleared up." "GO OVER THE TOP" A reduction in taxation, even at the risk of a deficit, was advocated by Sir Robert Horne at Glasgow. Tho least that could happen at the coining talks with the United States, he said, would bo a further moratorium. He hoped for very much more than that. It was generally believed, particularly in the region of the British Treasury, that nothing could be effected by the action of Great Britain alone, and that an increase in wholesale commodity prices in terms of sterling would be of no real effect. He had always disagreed with that view and experience had confirmed his opinion. The readiest solution available was to allow the people as much money as it was possible for the State to spare, and that involved the reduction of taxation to the utmost extent. Such reductions would create a spirit of confidence which nothing else could inspire. He would have no hesitation in suspending the funds connected with the payment of debt and he would even take great risks in tho matter of estimating the revenue for next year, not being deterred even by the possibility of a deficit. It was necessary to emerge from the trenches and go over the top. FUTURE OF PALESTINE Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister, addressing the Anglo-Palestinian Club, said that few architects of a great enterprise embracing on its economic side agriculture, industry, emigration, land settlement and trade development could view with satisfaction the present and with confidence the future. Yet on a conservative estimate one might not unreasonably look with such confidence and satisfaction on the present position and the future of the Jewish National Home in Palestine. If every country in the world was in the position of Palestine the economic problems would be simple and a world economic conference would be unnecessary. Tho future of Palestine lay in the co-operation of its peoples in the economic development of the country, where their interests were fundamentally the same. No one who knew would under-rato the difficulties, the prejudices and the suspicions, and no one who cared for Palestine, be he Arab or Jew, could afford to do other than his utmost to surmount tho difficulties and allay tho suspicions. Tho Government would steadily pursue its great task of administering that ancient land, but the progress which Palestine made on tho road to prosperity must depend in no small measure on the cooperation of its people, whose interests the British Government sought to serve. LEAGUE AND THE FAR EAST Speaking at Birmingham, Mr. L. S. Amerv said: —"I belicvo all sauo people in this country will unanimously support the Government in its declared intention to keep out ol this trouble in Manchuria between China and Japan. Tho great moderate body of opinion in Britain is against taking sides in this trouble either in an expression of our views or any action which can ho unfriendly to either side. In my opinion the danger of war has been intensified by the methods of tho League of Nations in tho regrettable lesolution that was passed at Geneva. Tho result of our policy so far has been to annoy Geneva because we liavo acted in laying an embargo against tho scuso of tho Lcaguo of Nations without waiting for collective action. Wo ha vo annoyed Chiua because it is against their interest, and wo liavo annoyed Japan because Japan knows that while we were willing to wound her wo are afraid to do so. It was a policy of weakness. Tho right policy for the future was, first, while tho struggle wont on to keep out of it; secondly, when Japan has established herself in Manchuria and restores order there, we should not delay longer in iccognising her position there; thirdly, we had better get on with the equipment of Singapore and put ourselves in a position to defend our rights, and il wo want to support tho League of Nations policy to be in a position to defend it; and finally, to insist oil tho revision of the Covenant of the League of Nations and the elimination of tlioso clauses which contain the penal sanctions. Only if we do that can we prevent tho League of Nations becoming more of a menace to the peace of the world than a support for it."