NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21473, 22 April 1933, Page 10

NOTES AND COMMENTS

GENEVA LACKS INITIATIVE "During tlio short timo I was in Geneva," says Mr. S. Bruce, Australian Minister in London, in a letter to the Australian Prime Minister covering his report on tho Thirteenth Assembly of the League of Nations, "I was very much impressed by the distinctly European character of all tho proceedings. This was particularly in evidence in tho Economic and Financial Committee, and, while 1 felt called upon to challenge tho apparent tendency of European countries to disregard the interests of non-European members of tho League, several of my colleagues found it necessary to take similar action in other Committees. 1 cannot help feeling that tbo principle of the universality of tho League should bo more in evidence at Geneva, and that, in this connection, the interests of oversea countries will need most careful watching in tho future. I feel perfectly convinced that tlio principles for which tho League stands are sound, but I think greater efforts should bo made at these annual conferences to translate theory into practice. Tho outstanding featuro of Geneva to-day is tho facility with which formulas are evolved, but in my opinion it is not sufficient to pay merely lip service to the ideal. Transcending all other considerations must be tbo fixed determination actually to achieve, and in this respect there appears to be a definite disinclination on tho part of the majority of States members to take the initiative."

WISE SPENDING " There are 400,000 unemployed in the building and allied trades, who aro costing the Chancollor of the Exchequer twenty millions a year," said Mr. F. J. Marquis, a prominent business man, in a recent address. "Is it not possible for the Chancellor to take the risk of saying that, for a period of 12 months, all expenditure that is incurred by businesses by way of building, refitting, machinery, painting, decorating and reequipping should be chargeable against income and should not attract taxation? That would encourage people to spend largo sums of money, most of which would go to the building and the engineering trades. It would direct money into the place where unemployment is the greatest and would act as a great stimulus to enterprise. If the plan does not work the cost to tho Exchequer will obviously be negligible; if it does work, while considerable sums may be released from income tax, the whole of those sums will be employed in engaging labour and in themselves making profits which the Chancellor would be able to tax. " I am sure," concluded Mr. Marquis, " that the whole country is ready to do its utmost to help this problem of unemployment, to spend money at least *up to its means, if only it can see that there is some prospect of those who are our financial leaders recognising that we cannot go on with this policy of financial 'banting.' "

BUSINESS MAN'S LIMITATIONS "We have been obsessed for too long with tho idea that the business man is an expert in finance and economics. He is not," said Dr. Blunt, Bishop of Bradford. "The average business man knows enough to run his own business well or badly, but in regard to general economic theories he is often a great deal more ignorant than many a working man. Many of our business men do not see how serious the issue is. Perhaps their minds are too much occupied in trying to keep their businesses above water. If business men do not see it, still less do the female parts of our congregations see it, especially that part which has drawing rooms. Many of them are apt to say that people are out of work because they do not want to work, and they point to the fact that they cannot get domestic servants. It is tho working man who sees it. I think he sees it much more clearly than any other section of the community, because it is xipon him the stress mainly falls. Things are difficult enough for people with fixed incomes and for business men, but they can live. Many a working-class household can barely do that." Civilisation as they understood it was at tho cross roads, and, unless it was to take the wrong turning —and if that were done it would lead to unimaginable disaster —it was up to every man of goodwill, and not least the ministers of Christ's Church, to try to get a stabilised opinion as to one direction in which an advance toward a healthier state of things could bo made.

EMDEN'S NAMEPLATE On the occasion of tho return to Germany from Australia of tho naraeplato of the Emden, the Times has tho following editorial comment: —" It is denied to most incidents of war to have tho sequel which yesterday's ceremony in Berlin gave tho historic encounter between the Australian cruiser Sydney and the German cruiser Emden. On the quarter-deck of the Sydney on November 9, 1914, Captain von Muller, of the Emden, was given back his sword surrendered after an honourable defeat; and now the Emden's nameplate returns to the German people as a token that after nearly 20 years Australians liavo not forgotten either an adversary's gallantry or tho special place which that combat will always hold in their history. Australians were more than once matched conspicuously against bravo opponents on land; but tho fortune of war reserved for their one naval engagement tho character of a duel to the finish. Yesterday, when the mutual respect of wartimo was confirmed in a friendly exchange of peace, Australians perhaps recalled that they were not without other ties of good feeling with Germany. Something of that feeling was shown a few months ago when a German airman who had been lost and found in North-West Australia was welcomed with striking cordiality when ho afterward visited tho capital cities. Politically remoto though they are from most of tho Old World, tho Australian people know that relations of amity with the countries of Continental Europe can supplement with value their attachment to Britain. And if Mr. Bruce's reception in Berlin owed vn one side something to his rank as a Dominion Minister, it owed as much on another to his character as the representative of a new nation which in tho future will have its full part to play in international affairs."