The Otago Witness. (WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1919.) THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 39

The Otago Witness.

(WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1919.) THE WEEK.

WITH WHICH IS ISrCOItPOBATED THE SOUTHERN MEHCUBX.

"Nunquam allud natura, allud sapientia dixit" —Juvenal. "G-ood nature and good sense must ever join."— Pope.

With the continuance of the present favourable weather there The Winter should be a record attendShow. ance at the Winter Show, which opened in Dunedin yesterday, before the week is over. There' are special reasons why the Winter Show, week of 1919 merits success; it provides opportunitjr for the re-unions which have not been possible for the last five years. In June, 1914, scarce a single individual attending the Dunedin Winter Show dreamed that the world was on the eve of the greatest war known to history; to-day it is difficult to realise that the war is at an end, and that the men who axe coming back from the front are doffing the khaki as speedily as they are able, : with the fervent hope that never again will they be called upon to wear uniform ' in defence of liberty and civilisation. Tho j< re-union of town "and country, which is • the peculiar mark of Winter Show Week, j will give opportunity for old friends to fight their battles over again, and the recitals of the tough struggles they have seen and the tight places they have been in will always secure a sympathetic audience of the fairer sex. The general air of jubilation and animation which characterise the city streets and places of resort this week may be taken as earnest of the still greater jubilation which will seize upon the populace when peace is finally signed and the Peace Celebrations proper begin. The social aspect of Show Week altogether apart, there is a moral to the annual exhibition- of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society which especially needs to be stressed at the ■ present time. It ought not to be necessary to insist that the real' wealth of the - Dominion consists in its ability to produce and that the present and future pro*-, perity of the people of New Zealand depends upon greater and still greater productivity. The heavy burden ,of taxation imposed' by the war' has yet to .be realised to the full, and the longer that burden has to be carried the heavier will seem its weight. The dominant idea of the Winter Show and the competition thereby induced is to increase not only the quantity, but to improve the quality of the produce of the Dominion so that after war restrictions and government inflation of values have been removed, New Zealand shall be able to retain the proud place she has won in the Home and Foreign markets of the world. It may be hoped, too, that hundreds of the men recently returned from the front, and who are now enjoying a well-earned furlough, may be seized with a desire to directly participate in Dominion production. There is an incentive in life on the land not to be found in work in; an office, or work in factory, since it_ leads to independence, and, after the initial toil and hardships have been overcome, to a ' life of comparative ease . and comfort. Dunedin has opened her arms wide to ] receive her visitors, not -with any idea of . making them permanent residents, but solely with the desire to send them, back to the land, where Nature, waits to return them~"their due reward. .....

Whether or no the German delegates, intend to refuse to sign the Peace or - peace terms handed to them More War? by the Allies should shortly

be made known, since Count Hantaan and the entire German delegation are jiow reported to have returned to Paris. All sorts of rumours are afloat, as, for instance, that the German Foreign Office has categorically declined to sign the Peace Treaty: that Count Rantzau also has refused to sign, and that he may be replaced by Herr :* Erzberger. A decided note—the first for . some days—has been sounded by Mr Lloyd George, who, addressing a Welsh regiment at Amiens, said: "The Germans, their newspapers, and their politicians say they will riot sign. We say, 'You must! If not at Versailles, then you shall sign at Berlin!' The world's future "depends on this -peace being imposed. If necessary ' yon soldiers will march to Berlin, though your leave be cancelled and your return home delayed." A discordant note, however, is sounded by Mr J. L. Garvin'a ; paper, "The Observer," which throughout . the war consistently supported Mr Lloyd George's Government. Mr Garvin insists that the blockade must be immediately raised because of the frightful suffer in g it is imposing on the women and - children of Germany, and he adds: "The treaty must be considerably modified, otherwise mankind will certainly drift back to slaughter following on social and international dissension. Democratic forces everywhere must resolve that tha paper peace shall speedily become a real peace for a reconstructed and reconciled Europe, abiding by the single commandment, "There: shall be no war.' " There . can bo no two opinions as to tho rightneß^

of Mr Garvin's goal; ther.e will, however, be much divergence regarding the policy He advocates. The position would seem to be that the responsible Government in Germany is hesitating to accept the inevitable in the vain hope that the disorders threatening on every side may 'speedily culminate, precipitating such •widespread chaos &.* may compel the Allies to a patched up peace. They may even go 'the length of refusing to sign the Peace Term 3 in the hope that a march of the Allies on Berlin may give impetus to the lawless element in Germany, and make for something akin to tne Commune in Paris which preceded the submission of France to the German yoke. The official announcement, however, that the Peace Celebrations all over the Empire have been fixed for the early days of August would seem "to afford a promise of an early Peace. Meanwhile Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward are still lingering in Paris, and the longer they linger the more difficult will become the political situation in the Dominion.

Of greater concern than the attitude of Germany at the present The Attitude time is the attitude of of Labour. Labour. Germany, what-

ever resistance she may affect to make, is virtually a conquered nation; the army of Labour, on the other hand, is an unknown quantity, and the demands about to be made are practically without limit. Unless something effective is done promptly there is a distinct danger that organised labour may definitely take the field against capital, with a result which, whatever the ultimate outcome, cannot fail to prove terribly disastrous. There is Labour unrest in Great Britain, a most ominous'symptom being the result of the police ballot, 44,539 voting in favour of a strike and only 4324 against. Such a sentiment on the part of those who especially are the guaxdians of the peace speaks more eloquently -than words. In Canada, in a general strike which started in Winnipeg, 50,000 persons are engaged, and reports picture a condition of things •where all departments of activity are absolutely paralysed. The conditions in Australia are exceedingly threatening, and it is quite on the cards that a supervision of shipping may be followed by a. stoppage »f other transport facilities. Even in this Dominion Labour is far from satisfied, and it needs but a spark to start a flame the end of which none can foretell. . The great need of the moment is a method of conference whereby legitimate grievances may be carefully examined and as carefully legislated for. The situation is too serious for the camouflage which has teen practised on both sides. The crisis is one which calls for all the cards being placed on the table with a recognition of the vast unusual stake; and that a step in the wrong direction may mean disaster for all.

There is evidence tEat the spirit of daring and adventure which found Adventure In ful * scope in the operations the Air. of the great war, will now be diverted into the air, and take the form of flights hitherto unattempted and to which no limit will presently he set. Hawker's attempted trans-Atlantic flight, which happily did not end fatally, as at first 'feared, is lauded by the New York papers as a deed of great daring, and "the most perilous in air flight history." The Americans are able to pay this tribute to English enterprise with much* complacency, since their seaplane N.C 4 succeeded where Hawker failed, and on arrival at Plymouth was given a naval, military, and civic welcome, the King telegraphing his congratulations. Despite the difficulties and danger of air-naviga-tion and the special perils of crossing the ocean, it may be taken for granted that there will be found spirits daring enough to take all risks, and that presently not only mails but passengers will be carried through the air from one point to another until presently the entire globe will be navigable by air. The Dominion of New Zealand furnishes excellent ground for experiments in aviation, and before long New Zealanders may expect to participate in the results of the latest trials and experiments.

The British press has fastened with great interest (our London correspondent says) on the remark of Mr F, M. -B. Fisher in a lecture at Bedford College that " although New Zealand herself nossessed" the best ijchedulo of Labour legislation in any Statute Book yet strikes were more frequent there than in any other country." According to our London "correspondent the Port of London authority created something like a record at the West India Dock in the discharge of 6600 tons of sugar (81,400 bags) -and 100 tons Government stores from the steamer Oarventum. The working time was only 41£ hours, the discharge being at the rate of 162 tons per hour, or 1782 tons per day.

Tho wonted peaccfulness that broods over at least the exterior of the post office was disturbed on Monday between 7 and 8 p.m. by a large crowd of eager, jostling citizens intent upon securing their portion of the overseas mail brought by tho Niagara. It ■was a typical Wall street scene in miniature. Hard-worked officials announced that very few letters had come to hand, but the crowd, high-keyed in expectancy, showed no disposition to dispei - se, and it was hnally found necessary to seek the assistance of the police in securing a semblance of order. The Otago Land Board again had beforo it at its meeting on Monday a batch of applications for loans from soldiers under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act. These •were dealt with as follows:—Town properties —20 granted, 1 declined, and 2 left in the hands of the commissioner; rural properties—9 granted and 3 declined; 6tock and implements—2 granted. The total amount of the loans granted under these various heading was as follows: —Town properties, £10,145; rural properties, £8710; And stock and implements, £BSO.

The Leviathan Hotel fe capable of accommodating 290 guests, and. with a view to doubling that capacity, an architect has been asked to furnish plans and estimates for additions to the building. An officer in the American forces, writing to his undo in Dunedin, states that the confederacy of Protestant churches is calling for 40,000,000 dollars for the work dealing with returned soldiers in order that the vision they saw during their service in the army and on the battlefields shall not be lost.

According to a Press Association message from Invercargill an indent agent called upon a local fancy goods firm last week and solicited orders for German goods, which he eaid were awaiting shipment when shipping was available. The local firm, astounded at the offer, simply laughed. The indentor did not visit other firms. The attention of the Mayor having been drawn to the matter, he said that it was astounding that such things should go on. Hostilities had not officially ceased, and the agent's efforts amounted to trading with the enemy.

Further reference to the question of the appointment of a Minister of Commerce was made by the president of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce at the quarterly meeting. He said he thought he was expressing the mind of the chamber when he ~sa.id that the delay in making this appointment -was seriously retarding the progress of the dominion. The Government should not make the selection, but should invite the recognised Chambers of Commerce to recommend the most capable man. By such means alone could the selected man obtain any right to •be regarded as representative. Business men would not be satisfied with anything short of a Minister possessing actual power over the officials. A business man thus selected would serve some good purpose in bringing the officials into closer touch with commercial needs and conditions.

■ It is understood (says a Press Association message from Auckland) that the Niagara will not proceed to Sydney owing to the shipping strike, but that she will remain at Auckland until June 10, when she will return to Vancouver. The Moeraki, which has been waiting at Auckland for some time, will take the Niagara's passengers to Sydney, and will probably sail on Wednesday. A lady who has recently* returned from England, in speaking of the air-raids, mentioned that one particularly tragic occasion was when the office of the newsapper John Bull was bombed. It appears that the building was a very old one with large cellars underneath, and it had been the custom of the proprietors to allow crowds of poor women and children to take shelter in these cellars as soon as the alarm was sounded. When the bomb fell right on the office the great printing presses fell through the floors and finally into the cellars, and caused tragedies and casualties almost unheard of in any other raid; terrible as they all were. The tubes used to be filled with crowds of East Enders, and casualties often happened from overcrowding. Later on the protective measures were so well organised that there was little encouragement and tremendous risks to the Kuns in their baby-killing expeditions. Recently (says a Press Association telegram) the Christchurch Tramways Union announced it would not man the trams during the peace celebrations if the men were not granted the Wellington conditions —a full service on three days, the men to be paid time and a-half and to have three days added to their annual holidays. The Tramways Board offered double pay for the men required to work on the second and third days of the celebrations, but at' a meeting yesterday a letter was read from the union rejecting the offer and adhering to the original demands. The board decided to concede them, the chairman pointing out that the men would have been better off financially if they had accepted the board's offer. A notice in Thursday's Gazette regarding the proposal to use a piece of land at Trc-ntham for prison purposes has given rise to the erroneous impression that the Terrace 'Gaol is to be shifted to the camp site (says a Press Association message from Wellington). The Prisons Department ex? plains that the proposal is part of a modern system by which approved short-sentenced prisoners will be employed on the land instead of being kept in the towns. A reclassification of the prisoners at present confined in the Wellington gaok will bo made, and suitable .cases will be sent to work on the prison farm at Trentham. To enlist voluntarily at the age of 18, fight through three years of hard warfare on the western front, to be wounded in the, head while despatch-carrying at Meseines, and then to spend nine months in hospital, is a sufficiently good "record to entitle any young New Zealander to the thanks to his ountrymen (states the Dannevirke Evening News). It has fallen to .the unfortunate lot. of Private W. R. Todd, however, to realise that having gone through this war experience, he returns to the dominion only to find himself gazetted as a military deserter. The mistake has evidently arisen through failure to delete his name from Territorial enrolments when he went away on active service. Private Todd is a son of Mr John Todd, who some time ago resigned his position with the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Co-operative Association in Dannevirke in order that ho might manage a farm for his brother-in-law in Pahiatua, and relieve him for the war. Mr Todd had two sons on active service, and no family could have responded more loyally to the country's call. Responding to the toast of the National Government at the annual meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, the Hon. A. M. Myers (the Acting Minister of Finance) remarked that when the history of the Avar came to be written it would be found that the Government had done its best to face grave responsibilities. The object with which it had been brought into existence had been accomplished—to help to win the'war. He urged that commeicial men should do more in the way of engagement in public life. This country

would fa© better off, he said, if there were more commercial men in Parliament. At present the whole of the community was not adequately represented. The money that had been raised in the dominion in connection \vith the war was really remarkable, and showed what remarkable nascent powers the country possessed. But every effort must now be made to make it selfsupporting. He had great faith in tho advice of business men, and their aid had been of the utmost value to him in dealing with munitions of war.

Tho position of footballers who have played the Northern Union game formed the subject of a considerable amount of discussion at the annual meeting of tho New Zealand Rugby Union. It was pointed out that there was some doubt whether soldiers who had been on active service and who had played the League game, were eligible for reinstatement as Rugby players. Delegates generally took the view that such men ought to be allowed to play Rugby again, in view, of the services they had rendered to the Empire. After a good deal of discussion, it.was decided that any player was eligible to play Rugby football who had not been reported and dealt with by the New Zealand Rugby Union for offences against the laws of professionalism.

Not all those whose names appear on the military defaulters' list feel sorry for themselves, as witness the position of Louis James Jakes, waiter, Whangamomona. He was (says the Post) in the " Terries" in Stratford when the war broke out, and promptly volunteered. But N he was only 18, and he could not break' tho military line, even though he offered a second time. Nothing daunted, he went to Eltham., and enlisted as "Jim Smith," and as such he sailed proudly away with the boys of New Zealand's Eighteenth Reinforcements. In the natural order of events he went through Sling, and crossed the Channel to meet the Hun. It was at Messincs that he "stopped one," and was temporarily disabled. But the time had come in far-away New Zealand that he was called in the ballot, and then the police got busy, but their search was fruitless until a week before the signing of -the armistice, when Jim (just returned) was strolling down Bridge street in Eltham in khaki. Here a policeman tapped him on the shoulder and asked his name. " Jakes," he said, without hesitation. "I thought so,"-remarked the official as he took a photograph of the young fellow from his packet.. "Then you've been at the front all tho time?" "Yes, I enlisted as Jim Smith," he said, smiling. " Just so," said the policeman. " Well, I am after shirkers —not the likes of you Pwho awe done your duty. Good-bye." Now Louis James Jakes, alias Jim. Smith, is working in New Plymouth, and it should not be hard to convince the magistrate that he is no desorter, and should have his civil rights restored. There is nothing new to report in connection with the industrial dispute between the Green Islaud Collieries and the miners. As a matter of fact the trouble seems to be farther off being satisfactorily settled that± ever. Thoso competent to judge say that if a settlement is to be arrived at the owners will have to make greater conces sions than they have yet offered.