THE OTAGO DAILY TIME TUESDAY, MAY 9,1922. THE PROSPECTS AT GENOA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18549, 9 May 1922, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIME TUESDAY, MAY 9,1922. THE PROSPECTS AT GENOA.

The clouds continue to hang over Genoa. What is there happening may be seen, as in a glass, somewhat darkly, but the proceedings have the accompaniment of a chorus of ill-omen that is by no means reassuring. The warning conveyed in Mr Lloyd George’s recent impassioned appeal for forbearance and co-operation among the Powers, particularly the Allied Powers, lest Europe “again welter in blood within the memory of those whose hair is how grey,” has evoked many echoes. The fact that a difficult and perhaps critical stage has been reached in the discussion at Genoa is reflected in the frequency during the last few days of pessimistic utterances concerning the effects of a possible break-down of ’ the Conference. If we were to accept all that is implied in such statements wo should believe that the shadow of failure already rests heavily,- perhaps irrevocably, over Genoa, and that failure must be attended with consequences just as disastrous to Europe as it _ was hoped that the results which would flow from the Conference would be beneficial. We find General Smuts affirming that, unless Mr Lloyd George can succeed in modifying the policies of M. Poincare and M. Tchitcherin, disarmament must disappear all over Europe and an Armageddon become the only goal of civilisation. The Pope has declared that whereas the success of the . Conference will mean the salvation of humanity its failure will mean the ruin of civilisation. There is no suggestion of any alternative to the issues thus placed in the balance. Mr J. H. Thomas, the well-known Labour leader, goes a little further than anybody in picturing the precariousness of the European situation when he suggests that even in August 1914 the nations wore no nearer a great war than they are to-day, He points out that the standing armies of Europe are now stronger by a million than they were in 1914, and emphasises the burden entailed in the maintenance of the war-machine. The arguments urging th© necessity of those ends which it is the aim of the Genoa Conference to secure, comprehending peace, - disarmament,, and the restoration of international understanding, are of course irresistible. Mr Thomas may be somewhere near the mark in what he says respecting the strength of the standing armies ot Europe to-day, but a comparison might be drawn the years 1914 and 1932 indicative of a very different capacity in relation to resources on the part of the Powers to enter upon another struggle. If what he has said respecting the menace of the European situation be near the truth, however, then we have indeed a melancholy commentary- upon all that has been attempted and achieved since 1918 to bring about better international relations and to bring the arbitrament • of war into discredit. What of the. Washington Conference and the creation of machinery for the establishment of international tribunals? Have these endeavours been in vain? Perhaps we need not accept too literally the suggestion that the fate of civilisation is at the present moment in the balance at Genoa. It is difficult to see how civilisation could survive another war. But it is also difficult to believe that civilisation, so sorely stricken as it has been, is able in these days even to tolerate the thought of another war. Distrust and fear are. keeping the armies in existence, and surely not any real desire, for further conflict and bloodshed. In his endeavour at Genoa to remove these great stumbling blocks Mr Lloyd George is encountering difficulties beyond the general reckoning. But for all that we may surely hope that sanity among the nations has more than a limited application, and that the lessons of the Great War count for something. Even in France, despite the prominence at present enjoyed by M. Poincare as the opponent uf European cohesion, the objective of the reconstruction pf Europe must be considered so important that it will be surprising if public opinion does not yet demand that steps should be taken to promote it. If the Conference is to be branded with failure how is' the Entente going to survive? There remains the possibility that, while achieving less than was hoped from it, in the framing of a common policy for Europe, the Conference may reach some sort of compromise, a step-ping-stone, as it were, which will permit of the subsequent continuance of its labours. Whether or not the pessimism expressed concerning the prospects at Genoa is should in any case be definitely decided within the next few days.

A DAIRY PRODUCE POOL. The meetings of dairy factory suppliers which are now being held to consider the proposal to establish a pool for controlling the business of marketing dairy produce are worthy of close attention. Tho principle of combination for legitimate purposes and within certain limits is accepted as being necessary and beneficial.' Organisation is certainly preferable to reliance upon haphazard methods and the producers of daily products are well within their rights in making ovciy endeavour to see .that those products secure tho highest possible prices to which their quality entitles them in the world’s markets. It hag frequently been asserted that New Zealand butter, though its volume of value is measured in millions, changes its form in England in the hands of the blenders and the manufacturers of margarine to such an extent that the pure article as we have it on our own tables is not generally exposed for sale. The high quality of the butter apparently'makes it acceptable to those traders, but the primary producers may be pardoned for having serious misgivings as to whether the methods of disposing of their produce that are at present followed are in their best interests. Moreover, the reports of the British representative of the National Dairy Association have doubtless persuaded the producers that the system upon which New Zealand butter is marketed is capable of improvement; and the agitation for a pool,

stimulated by the creation of the meat pool, is the outward and visible proof of the effect which their experience of the past has had upon their minds. It may also be that the results that have followed from the regularisation of wool sales have also exerted an influence on producers of dairy products in favour of the formation of a pool. It must, however, be remembered that the improvement which is being observed in the wool market furnishes an indication of the gradual recovery of the financial situation, and it is certain that if a complete European understanding could be arrived at the recovery would be much more complete. The meat pool ,has yet to prove itself and the test of* its ultimate efficiency must extend over a number of years. Therefore, hasty generalisations are to' be deprecated, and concrete deductions from incomplete results are impossible. Governmental interference in trade and industry has not been justified by events, andi wise Governments are as quickly as possible relinquishing such measure of control as they have exercised. Combinations which seek or expect to get more than a fair market price for commodities may prosper for a time, but their influence will ultimately be antisocial. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that improved organisation in the marketing of butter and cheese is necessary to secure fair play for the producer. • If the pool is designed solely for that purpose it should have distinctly beneficial • results. The danger in all combinations arises from a desire on the part of those concernediu them to gain absolute control of the market. This can only be secured at the expense of somebody, and in the case of foodstuffs the unfortunate person ia generally the consumer. It is difficult to believe that if such a pool of dairy products as is proposed could gain control of the Australian, New Zealand, and Danish output the power would be altogether fairly used- The pool, might conceivably attempt too much, and the present temper Of the English-speaking world is not favourable to any attempt to manipulate prices. On the other hand, if the pool seeks merely to operate along the legitimate lines of organising markets and protecting producers against speculative or dishonest" handling of the product, it should fulfil a most useful function, and it will certainly be more likely to meet with success in this direction than if it strives to control markets and govern economic values. As some recent Australian history has shown, pools can be gigantic failures as well as reasonable successes. While we cordially desire to see the primary producers of the dominion gain the full rewards of their industry we do not wish to see them embarrassed by the failure of overambitious schemes of questionable utility.

A large deputation of citizens will wait on the City Council to-morrow evenihg to urge upon it the desirability of talcing a poll of the ratepayers upon a proposal to raise a loan for the erection of a Town Hall. It is estimated that the amount of the loan that would bo required is £63,000. The secretary of the Otago Expansion League yesterday forwarded a telegram to the Prime Minister inviting him to attend a dinner on the occasion of his visit to Dunedin for the Winter Show. Particulars of a number of sections in Southland may bo had at the local Lands Office. 'Most of them are lands on which the milling timber has been cut out. and the great majority are in the neighbourhood of Otautau. The closing date of applications is May 16, at Invercargill. A number of sections in Auckland Province 'are also being offered, applications dosing at Auckland on May 16. ' At a meeting of the trustees of the Dunedin Savings Bank yesterday morning it- was decided, in view of the steady and rapid progress the bank is malting, to open a branch at South Dunedin. A long lease has 1 been taken of an office in a new building to be erected bn the vacant section at Cargill’s corner. The section is owned by Measra Duke and Son, and a- handsome structure is to be erected on it. The bank office will face Oargill goad, and possession is promised by November. The rest of the building will be let to other tenants. The site is a vary favoured one? right in the heart of the rising southern portion of the city, and once open the new branch of the bank will no doubt quickly justify the trustee* in their action. The Waikoikoi and Popotunoa branches of the Farmers’ Union have both recently passed resolutions asking for the abolition of the preference to unionists’ olauao from Arbitration Court awards. The Waitepeka branch of the Farmers’ Union recently, adopted the two following remits to bo sent forward to the conference:' "That the provincial secretary approach the Chamber of Oorrpnerc© and with the' assistance of that body endeavour to have the Chamber of Commerce terms amended so that the rate of commission for selling all fann produce andf stock be reduced to a flat rate of 2i per cent.” “That the necessary steps be taken to get the Arbitration Court to recognise the Fanners’ Union as an employers’ Association,” The weekly return for the Dunedin and Fever Hospitals shows that two fresh patients were admitted for diphtheria and six discharged, leaving 16 under treatment. There were no deaths. Two scarlet fever cases were admitted and four patienta were discharged, leaving seven in hospital. There were no fresh admissions far infantile paralysis, leaving only one under treatment. The total number of cases remaining is 24. Sir James Allen has been in consultation with Sir Benjamin Robertson, who has recently been appointed to take charge of the field work in connection with the Russian Famine Relief. It will b© remembered (says our London correspondent, writing on March 24) that Sir Benjamin in his official report, pointed out the urgent necessity for extending the relief given .to adults, if thei© was to bo sufficient labour to carry out the important work of sowing the seed-grain and reaping the harvest. The High Commissioner was deeply impressed by his conversation with Sir Benjamin, and is of opinion that Great Britain and the rest of the world do not realise what a terrible tragedy is in progress in Northern -Europe. So far as the work of The Save the Children Fund is concerned, he is satisfied that the money contributed to this organisation : is being well administered. But only parts of the great faminestricken area are being relieved, and the adults on whom the next harvest depends, have been too long ignored. As a case in point the x'ailway transport is quite inadequate oven for the food that is available at the ports, and this is not altogether due to look of fuel but to the fact that there are not enough "able-bodied enginedrivers to run the trains. Long lines of engines may be seen idle at the various junctions. Mr Webster who is in charge of Tire Save the Children Fund work in the Saratov district, where the New Zealand kitchens ore located, the High Commissioner was assured, was an excellent administration, and the work was -highly efficient., With the appointment of Sir B. Robertson" as head of affairs for the British organisations, which have now amalgamated, the distribution *of food throughout the areas covered by British relief measures should bo greatly improved, and the maximum amount of benefit bestowed upon the starving populace from the contributions available. A man named William Henry Rumble was arrested by acting-detectives Sneddon and Harris yesterday on two charges of stealing rabbitskins (valued at £33) from the railway goods yards. He will appear before the Bench this morning.

The hill suburbs were being made the hunting ground of a thief or thieves last night. A house ini Highgate was entered and p sum of money stolen, and later a further sum was secured in Bdlleknowes. Residents are advised to keep doors and windows securely fastened. The fact that a house is occupied is not a sufficient deterrent, as in one instance the thief was actually disturbed by the inmates and made a get-away. A sale of mining property of great interest to old miners, and gold prospectors has taken place, the ‘Homeward Bound, Garibaldi, and All Nations quartz mining claims, situated at Maoetown, having been disposed of to an enterprising Dunedin syndicate. We understand the whole of these plants, which are said to have cost over £20,000, are to bo dismantled and submitted to public auction. Residents in the district assert that there is a possibility still of obtaining largo quantities of gold from the claims, and, if their belief is well-founded, it must be regarded «a unfortunate if the plant* are to be removed from the district. It is with regret that wo find the magistrate's prohibition of the publication of the name of an accused person who answered the charge against him in the Police Court on Friday last was disregarded in our report of the proceedings. The publication was duo not to any lack of respect of til© court but to an unfortunate inadvertence. Our Cromwell correspondent advises that a public meeting on Saturday decided to bring a Keystone drill into the district to boro for artesian water. 1 Mr A. Cable, J.P., presided at the Port Chalmers Court yesterday. A first offender was convicted on a charge of drunkenness and discharged. I Arrangements for the installation of the modem machine printing telegraph system at Auckland are to be made by the ■ chief engineer of the Telegraph Department (W. Shrirapton), who left Wellington to-day (states a Wellington Press Association message). The system which has' been in operation between Wellington and Christchurch since December last Enables one wire to carry such an amount of work that when the installation is complete it will be possible to free the telegraph wire* for telephone work. The Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. G. Coates) informed a press representative to-day (hat he .therefore expected shortly to be able to announce that the telephone service between Wellington and Auckland will bo available continuously. Mr Alexander Bathgate, chairman of the trustees of the Public Art Gallery, has received advice that two pictures were being shipped from Glasgow to Dunedin last week for the Gallery. One of them, which had been purchased by Mr A. F. Roberts, of Galashiels, out of the proceeds of a bequest by Miss Winifred E. Smith, of Greenfield, is by William M‘Taggart, who was a Scottish artist of considerable reputation in tire past century, having been a member of the Scottish Academy, an original vicepresident of the Society of Scottish Artists, and vice-president of the Scottish Water Colour Society. All the work of his prime was, James L. Caw wrote in “Scottish Painting, Past and Present,” masked by sparkle and flicker of light, purity and' brilliance of colour, and dancing , and rhythmical motion- The other picture which is on its way toVDunedin is an oil painting by William Ewart Lockhart (1646-1900). It is a personal gift to the gallery by Mr A. F. Roberts. M“Taggart studied art in Edinburgh under Lauder, and Lopkhart’s practically sole instructor was Lauder, “but,” says Caw, “of even greater) importance than. Lockhart’s teacher’s influence was Jhat of John Phillip’s latest and most accomplished pictures.” A sale of pictures, specially selected by Mr Ambrose Chioroni ’ during liis recent visit to England and Europe, was held in the Dunedin Art. Gallery Hall yesterday afternoon. There were’ about 300 pictures and several articles of vertu in the collection. The sale was well attended, but the prospective buyers had; definite ideas of the pictures they desired,' a*d while there was x good bidding for these many other subjects were neglected and were passed in. Pictures by the painter, Menegazzi, met a good demand, prices for these works bringing from £5 to £O. A water colour by David Cqx, “Old Castle,” realised £lO 10s, and “French Poilus,” by Seymour Lucas, R.A., £lO. A water colour, “Riva Schiavoni, Venice,” by Menegaazi, brought brisk bidding to £ls, but Mr Reynolds said that he could hot entertain a lower bid than £3O for this painting, and it was passed in. A water colour, “■Cottage at Blagdon,” by G. E. Butler, who is well known in Now Zealand, realised £7. Works by Bid man and Gould met a sound demand at £6 to £9. These prices in fact were about il«j average for most of the collection sold. The sole , will be continued this afternoon--A firm stand was taken by the executive of the Otago Rugby Football Union last night with regard to .a complaint from Mr S. Larkin, line umpire at the Caledonian Ground during the Pirates -Alhambra match, against a man named Morris Langley of using highly insulting language towards him. Mr Larkin stated that it was the third time this had occurred,' and that he had reported the matter to the police. Mr H. H, White remarked that the committee dealt with players who insulted their umpires, and he did not see -why they should hot deal in the same way with 'a .spectator. The president (Mr V. Cavanagh) said that if the police did their duty they would clear a lot of these undesirables off the grounds. It was decided to warn the offender off all the grounds under (he union’s control. The durability of our native timbers has been frequently questioned, and a recent discovery in the Ngaire district, Taranaki, throws some interesting light on this subject. A ranger of the 'State Forest Service, whan making some investigations as to the species of trees growing in this district, came upon some logs buried in the swamp, and ,wa» surprised to find that tlie timber was that of the yellow silver-pine, a tree unknown in Taranaki at the present time. The logs wore recovered from a depth of 15ft underground, and above them were standing kahikatea and rimu stumps a* least 250 years old? In spite of the great antiquity of these silverpipe logs the timber comprising them was perfectly sound, and showed no signs of deterioration. WheA questioned, the local natives had no recollection or tradition of any trees of this species ever having been heard of in Taranaki. The present locality of the silver-pine is in the centre of the North Island, where over 1000 acres' covered by this valuable tree have been discovered in the State forest adjoining the Ruapehu National Park. The silverpin© is greatly valued for posts and battens, the timber never having been known to decay when in contact with Jhe ground. 111-mannered school children ofi trains is on old grievance of travellers, which has evidently assumed a , severe form in the Waikato, for the Hamilton district education authority has been moved to adopt the following resolutions: (1) That the action of the chairman and acting-principal (Mr Fraser) in suspending the High School boys, guilty of misconduct be confirmed; (2) that the punishment of the boys in question be left in the hands of the actingprincipal; (5) that a letter be sent to the parents of each of the boys concerned, warning them that any repetition of misconduct on the part of their children would bo treated as a ground for cancelling the free-place privileges enjoyed by sum children; (4) that a circular be sent to the parents of all boys and girls travelling by train to the High School asking for their co-operation with the board in enforcing seemly and proper behaviour on. the part of the scholars when in public conveyances, and informing such parents that they must accept the responsibility for their children’s conduct when the latter are no longer under the supervision of the teaching staff.” At a meeting of the Otago Rugby Football Union Executive last night the standing orders were suspended and a resolution carried rescinding the motion under which the new kicking into touch rule was to be brought into operation on Saturday. It was decided to delay the enforcement of the rule until the last Saturday in May, and to send to Wellington for copies of the chart explaining the rule. A Press Association message from Christchurch says 'that Mr Bernard Tripp (Timaru) has been appointed a representative of the Shipowners’ Federation on the Taxation Committee in place of Mr N' D. Campbell, who is unable to attend. I

Tli® Waikato Times, one of the- mo*f efficiently conducted of the papers that «« produced in New Zealand outside the foot principal centres, celebrated its jubilee last week. Founded in 1872 by the late Mr George Jones, who subsequently was the , proprietor, of the Oamaru Mail, and became j largely interested in other newspaper enter- 1 prises in the dominion, it was first published at Ngaruawabia, at that time an important Maori centre in the Waikato, but after three years of existence its office was removed to Hamilton, now one of the most busy and prosperous ' towns in the North Island. It had for some time a rather chequered career. In this respect its history was not perhaps dissimilar from that of many other newspapers in this country, but it had the specially unfortunate experience that its property was one of the assets which had to he realised at the time of the, reconstruction of the Bank of New Zealand in 1896. Out of this incident originated opposition to the Waikato Times in the establishment of another paper m Hamilton, hut seven years ego the contending interests were amalgamated, and from, that time the progress of the Waikato Times, maintained under its original name, has been sound and rapid. We congratulate the- Waikato Times upon th« completion of the fiftieth year of ito existence—an event marked by the publication of an interesting jubilee number, in which prominence is given to messages of felicitation from the ’Governor-general, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice, Sir Joseph Ward, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, several representative journalists m the dominion, and others. An interesting relic of the rough colonising days in North Auckland of half a centuxy ago was shown by an old colonist recently, (says the Auckland Star). For many years ho lived in a small whar®, and by degrees developed his outback farm. Hie furniture was of the most meagre kind, and was composed chiefly of a stretcher to sleep on, a table and a ohair and a stool or two for visitors' to sit on. Ho had one enamelled tin plate, and this plate was the only one he used for many years. As he got on and prospered be did not like to part with the old plate which had been of such service to him, sb the happy idea struck him that it would make a good ornament for the wall of the two-roomed bouse he now felt himself enabled to build. He looked at the old plate, and he looked at his old whare, and being a bit of an artist be painted on the plate a very good picture of the whare. He prospered, and prospered, and at last had a good six-roomed house erected in which be reared a large family, but in the best room of the house the old relio always found a place. A few , years ago he retired and bought a beautiful house overlooking the water, and there again the old plate with tha rude whare painted on it got Hie place of honour on the walls, and a- fine old picture it i*. “I’ll hand it down to my children,” he told a visitor this w.eek. “For I never want them to forget the lowly beginnings of many a pioneer farmer in, the early days. _ ’ It will remind them, too, what can be achieved by ■ hard work* rightly directed,” Vast areas of Russia have been over, whelmed by a famine more terrible than anything which figure* in the annals of 'European history. The wheat and rye harvests of the middle and lower basin of the Volga, including territory some 200. miles east and west, have failed, and jt ia. estimated ' that , there is a deficit amounting to ‘120,000,000 Russian- poods (or nearly 2,000,18® tons avoirdupois). Thirty-five million people are threatened with starvation. The Victorian Onion Growers’ Association recently lost heavily by holding back supplies. When the organisation began' operations at the opening of the season it decided to fix £8 as its price for Brown Spanish onions, marketed by members of the association. That price, it was stated, was required to cover the cost of production, plus a reasonable margin of profit. So long as there was a strong demand by private exporters for America and elsewhere the market kept steady and good prices ruled. Early in March supplies in- - creased, the Melbourne market was unable to absorb all the onion* coming forward, and as trade with other States wasjimited, prices began to drop. The association, however, refused to follow the market, declared that its price “shall remain at £8 a ton,” and placed a largo quantity of onions in store. ‘ At that time Brown Spanish were worth abput £7. The bottom of the Sydney market fell .out, Brisbane followed, and the price-in Melbourne by the end of April was down to £4- 15s to £5 per ton. The Manawatu Daily Time* says; A leading undertaker, whose humanity _ and humour overshadow ell business considerations, approached one of the busiest doctors in town and asked him. in all apparent seriousness, whether he had given up tha practice of hi* profession. “No,” said the doctor, “why?*’ “Well, Palmerston North put up a record low death rate for the ‘month .of April—l simply can’t make it out.” The joke has its foundation in the simple fact placed upon record by the^unemployed man of burials. It is very gratifying indeed, and reflects creditably upon the efforts of the Borough Council and the health officer to make this city one of the healthiest spots in the dominion. The low death rat© is not the only indication of improved health conditions here, for upon inquiry we learn that medical men have comparatively little' sickness to cope with, and the falllng-off in oases at private hospitals is giving the nursing sisters a welcome respite. TTii* is the first slump on record to be received with reed pleasure. "I have often teen, reference to tha armoured steamers which were used on the Waikato River during the war, but I have never seen any explanation as to why they were armoured,” said an old soldier, the last of his regiment, when speaking to an Auckland. Star reporter. Hi* reminiscence was evoked by the fact that the base of the Mercer war memorial unveiled the other day by his Excellency the Governor-General ia one of the iron turrets which weref carried by the steamer Pioneer. The old soldier explained that alter the affair at Koberoa the steamers, when going up past Meremere (just above Mercer), were surprised to get a pretty hefty shot from the shore. It turned out that the native* had a six-pounder which it was supposed they had brought overland from Taranaki. There were two steamers lost on the Taranaki coast, the Lord Ashley and the Lord Worsley, and it was presumed the gun was taken from one of those wrecks. The Maoris had the gun mounted in rather a clever manner reminiscent of Gibraltar. In the high bank of the river they excavated a good-sized chamber from which two opfenings which miners would call “drives.” These drives were at water level, one pointing up the river and the other down, so that as a boat passed the gunners could get two shots at her without exposing the gun to the same risk that it would run if mounted in an ordinary embrasure.

Mr H. E. Holland, M.P.. will address a nublic meeting in the Early Settlers’ Hall to-morrow evening on Labour’s Policy.” Impossible to paw a 7-9 Harky-Davfdson motor cycle on the road. Buy one. of these machines yourself, and be first on the road. W. A. Justice and Co.. Otago Agents, 29Princes street, Dunedin.—Advt On wash' day always use “No-Rubbing” Laundry Help; spare no rinsing water, and. the result will delight you,—P. Carolm and 00., agents for “No-Rubbing.”—Advt. Single bed mattresses, covered with strong English hessian, size 2ft 6in x 6ft-Gin- weU filled and buttoned- Special price, 8s lid each. —Mollison* Ltd. —Advt. Woods’ Great Peppermint Chre* for Coughs and Colds, never fail*.—-Advt. Strange, but true. Startling reductions in tailored suits. There are rawona why you should let us inako suits. Sfyiß, satisfaction, and workmanship guaranteed. Shits, from *6 10s.-G. & Roberts, Stock Exchange Buildings. —Advt. Watson’s No. 10 is * little .dearer thus most ..whiskies, but I* worth the money.— A A t RJ- Blakeley, dentist. Bank of Australasia, corner ofßond andßattray rtraeto (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1858. - Advt. Save your Eyes.—Consult Peter G. Dick, D80.A., F. 1.0 , London, consulting and oculisti’ optician.— I ‘Peter Dick," jeweller* »nd opticians, Moray place, Dunedin.—Advt.