THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1912. THE COMMISIN CRAZE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15449, 9 May 1912, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1912. THE COMMISIN CRAZE.

Ik the members o[ the Government had iiiiv sense of the fitness of tilings they would not contemplate putting the country to expense in one or two of the directions in which, they have indicated, tliey intend to proceed. They have by a trick secured a temporary lease of power, which will in all probability be brought to an end a soon as the sescion is opened, and tlioy should really recognise that, until Parliament has had an opportunity of declaring whether they should or fhoulfi not he allowed to remain in ollice, they should not saddle the country with expenditure upon objects that lie outside the ordinary administrative routine. It has boon authoritatively stated, however, that a lioyal Commission is, as was proposed by the Ward (lovernmont, to be appointed to inquire into the causes of the increase in the cost of living, and Mr Hanan lias asserted thi.i week that after the next meeting of the Cabinet a commission will be set up to inquire into the position of the State system of education. Anything more futile than the appointment of a commission to report as to the explanation of the rise in the cost of

living it would bo hard to imagine. Tho problem that is involved is-not one tho existenco of wlrich is peculiar to New Zealand. It is world-wido in its extent, and becauso of its international character it is not solvable by separate action on tho part of a small community liko ours. Tho proposal that lias been favourably received in tho United Slates for tho appointment of an international commission to investigate the matter shows a proper appreciation of tho universality of tho phenomenon. This commission would, it lias been suggested, gather facts bearing upon changes of wages, cost of living, and prices in various countries, establish international comparisons, inquire into the causes of the monetary changes and their bearing upon various grades of income, and mako recommendations for common governmental action should it be deemed desirable. Tho investigations of such a commission might conceivably furnish a reliable basis upon which futuro action might bo founded, hut the idea that a commission on the cost of living in New Zealand would produce a result commensurate with tho cxpetiso that would be entailed through its appointment is not ono that can be seriously entertained, Two of the factors that have contributed to tho increaso in tho cost of living in tho Dominion arc plainly to be seen. One, which is international in its application, consists in the great increaso in the output of gold throughout tho world, the clfcct being that tho prico of all other commodities has increased in relation to tho price of gold. The other factor, which is domestic in its application, consists in tho maintenance of a system of tariff protection. Mr Fowlds will doubtless tell the public in the speeches which ho lias undertaken to deliver under tho auspices of the United Labour party that there is at least a third factor—possibly, in his opinion, tho most important factor of nil. There is, howover, no need for tho appointment of a Royal Commission to report as to the causes of tho increase in the cost of living in New Zealand. A purely local inquiry would servo no useful purpose. The report of the commission would bo accopted or rejected according to the point of view from which the community regarded tho questions involved in tho investigation.

The commission that is to examine the schcmo of State education, with special reference, it would seem, to the cost of the system, is to be composed, Mr Hanan lias just said, of representatives of tlio education boards, of the high school boards, of the school teachers and inspectors, of the technical schools, and of the Government. Apparently tho design is that the Commission shall be quite an imposing body, comprising tlioso who arc considered to bo experts in various branched of administration of tho education system, What need, however,' is there for the appointment of a commission? Tlio authorities whom the Government proposes to summon to its aid in this way would, after conferring together for a few days, bo able to provide as useful a report upon the position of the education system as would be produced by them after they had travelled for several weeks and taken ovideneo up and down the cofintry. No reasonable objection can bo urged to tho Government seeking advice from educational authorities in conference as to tho manner in which tho expenditure upon education may bo curtailed without any impairment of the efficiency of the service, although the matter is one upon which tho responsible otticialß should themselves bo qualified to render the Minister all tho information he requires. The proposal, however, to put tho'country to the expense of tho appointment of a commission is one against which, especially in the existing political circumstances, a strong protest is called for. As has licen pointed out by our Christ-church contemporary tho Press, if a commission is to bo set up at all to deal with tho question of education it should be appointed by the Governthat will, have to deal with the recommendations of the commissioners. Tlio nolo of confidence is so clearly lacking from the speeches that are delivered by the l'rimo Minister that wc conclude that Mr Mackenzie has himself very little expectation of his Government surviving the shock of the attack it will have to meet immediately after tho assembling of Parliament. In this caso Mr Mackenzie must realise that it would be undesirable and improper that his Government should utilise its possession of power at tho present lime to appoint a commission or commissions with tho reports of which it would not, or at any rate might not, have to deal. No step in such a matter should at nil events bo taken until after Parliament has been enabled to say whether the Government is or is not to continue in office. In our view, neither commission is needed at all.