The Otago Witness. (TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1920.) THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 39

The Otago Witness.

(TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1920.) THE WEEK.

WITH WHICH IS INCOEPOEATED THE SOUXHEHN MEHOIJEY.

"Nunquam allud natura, allud sapientia dixit." —Juvenal. "Good nature and good sense most ever join."— Pope. o Cabinet reconstruction is a thankless task by whomsoever undertaken, The Two and had Mr Massey given New Ministers. ear to all the advice and. every suggestion put forward by interested and disinterested people alike, bis plight would have been akin to that of the old man and his donkey. It is certain that no selection possible to be made would have completely satisfied every ministerial critic; at the same time it is doubtful whetherrMr Massey has made the most of a rare opportunity. Returned to Parliament with a majority at his back, which enables him to scorn, all mere party, considerations, the Prime Minister was in .- position to reconstruct his Ministry from the point of view of the national welfare without permitting ulterior considerations to intrude. The anticipated retirement of Sir William Herries and Sir Francis Dillon Bell, together with the early transfer to London of Sir James Allen as the coming High Commissioner, spell the possibility of a new and rejuvenated Cabinet, composed of men who would bring additional ability and fresh force of character to bear upon the grave problems of reconstruction with which the Dominion is faced to-day. Mr Massey, however, has preferred to postpone the main issue, contenting himself, meanwhile,- with bestowing Cabinet rank upon two new members of his party, rather presuambly in reward of faithful party services than of any peculiar fitness for the .portfolios allotted to them. Under the old party system of Government little fault could! be~ found with the appointments of Mr E. P. Lee as Minister of Justice and Mr 0. J. Parr as Minister of Education, and giving the portfolio of Public Works to the Hon. J. G. Coates. Mr Coates has youth and energy on his side, and his appointment will giva. satisfaction to the people of the Auckland province. Mr Lee's qualifications on the legal side are sufficient for the portfolio of Justice, while Mr Parr's interest in educational affairs must have suggested the advisability of his appointment as Minister of Education. Many of Mr Massey's friend's, however, indulged in the hope that he might be emboldened to strike out in a new line, and leaving the beaten track oi party politics adopt a course calculated to cement together the warring factions, where co-operation is essential ere the domestic problems of the Dominion can be satisfactorily solved. There were—and still are—unusual factors in the political situation which might have given Mr Massey material help in this direction; the so-called Liberal party, owing to the absence from Parliament of Sir Joseph Ward, is virtually without a head, and at the same time the reluctance of many of the Labour members to follow the extremist leaders is so manifest as to require no stressing. The inclusion in the Cabinet of at least one prominent Liberal and one prominent Labourite would go far towards healing political differences, thus ensuring that harmonious co-operation of which the country stands so sadly in need. Happily the opportunity is not absolutely lost j the retirement at the end of the coming session of three of the present members of Cabinet is foreshadowed with a degree of certainty. It will be for Mr Massey_ in the interval to decide upon his plan of reconstruction.

The dissatisfaction fn the railway service , has been aggravated rather Dissatisfaction in than allayed by the publicathe Railway tion of the report of Mr. Service. Justice Stringer on the rate of pay and -working conditions. The existing dissatisfaction is only another example of the ill-effects, universally experienced, of the race between wages and prices, and which has now reached an exceedingly acute stetge, Briefly stated the position seems to be that the railwaymen asked or demanded an average increase of 2s 6d per day; Mr Justice Stringer recommends an average increase of Is per day; whereupon the railwaymen have increased their demand to 5s per day extra, and more, than hint at the possibility of a strike in default of satisfaction. Thus all the elements are present of a very ugly and far-reaching dispute, and -whatever be the merits of the actual dispute the situation calls for . very careful handling if extreme measures', on the one side or the other, are to be avoided. To fully grasp the existing situa* tion it has to be - remembered that in March, 1919, an agreement was reached, after much negotiation, between the rail? way men and the Government, in respect of salaries and rates of pay, which m the terms of the Government Railway Amendment Act of 1919, were adjusted to meet the then increased cost of living. At that time it was too fondly anticipated that the cost of living had. reached ftp limit; on-' the contrary it has proved an ever increasing factor, and the militant attitude of the irailwaymen to-day has been largely forced upon them by a weekly consciousness that their wages are not sufficient to meet the expenses of every, day. Mr Justice Stringer's, attitude is perfectly logical, and no one can call in question the data on which he has based his recommendations; at the same time it is obvious that a basic wage of 433 12s—the figure to which it was raised from the pre-war level of £2 14s in March even when increased by the suggested 6s. is not adequate to the "needs of a married man with a family to keep. The railwaymen make comparison of their, pay with that of skilled tradesmen in private . employ, and make claim to equal treatment; to which Mr Justice Stringer makes reply by pointing out two important factors, the first t-he special privileges in regard to permanent employment, free rail--way travelling, and superannuation enjoyed by the railwaymen; the second the shortage of skilled labour resulting in keen competition between employers, and a consequent inflating of ruling rates of • wages. Clearly any resort to a policy of. direct action on the part of the railwaymen would be suicidal, and the matter "is one for*calm consideration in aU its issues with a view to "an ultimate compromise. It is in the interests of the Dominion as a whole that men occupying responsible positions in an important public utility should be satisfied and contented. It is equally important that the railwaymen themselves should recognise _the difficulty of the" situation, and by limiting their needs restrain their demands within reasonable limits.

The commencement of the world conflagration _ was the regarding of Scraps binding treaties as simple of Paper. scraps of paper and tearing them up accordingly. The war that ceased has been financed with scraps of paper, and the danger dreaded by the world financiers who, working behind the scenes, are endeavouring to save the credit of the nations and stay a "headlong plunge into universal bankruptcy lest the mob in a mad fury may start tearing ■ up the paper money and treating it as so many scraps. For tha railwaymen's trouble in the Dominion ia only a part—and a very small part of tha trouble which afflicts the whole world—which is growing greater instead of smaller. "History tells us," says ona authority, "that there is no more certain source of sociai misery and discontent than a debasement of the coinage." But the debasement of a metallic coinage, is child's play to the depreciation of inconvertible paper currency. We have had the examples of Germany, Austria, and Russia before us all the year. But Mr Lloyd George and his colleagues have been too much absorbed in imperialistic adventures, and in the war with Russia, to spare either money or brains for the restoration of honest money. Consequently our paper pounds have been depreciating; which is another way of saying that prices have been rapidly rising. How rapidly, the housewife is well aware. Dealing with conditions in .the Homeland the same authority avers: "If the rise continues a little longer, prices will be three times as high as they were at the outbreak of war, and the purchasing s>o\ver of the paper pound will be only six shillings and eight pence in terms of the old gold soyereign."There is no difference, in principle, between the situation as it presents itself in the Homeland and in the Dominions ; here,, as well as there, internal borrowing has been going on to finance war expenditure, borrowing which represents no actual exchange of wealth, but merely book-keeping entries based on an ever depreciating paper currency. Prices rise just Fn proportion as the paper depreciates, and the only class who benefit by the ■ transaction are the speculators and the middlemen; the two classes upon whom the burden falls beingthe producer and the consumer. To advocate an increase in wages is simply begging the question, it does but widen the ment. "Can we be surprised at the discontent?" asks a v.T'ter in a Home pjUs§p<

"No doubt some of tbe mor-e-"powerful Trade Unions have been~able to secure compensation, and in some trades paper wages have risen even more than paper prices. But the position of the middle classes and of people with small, fixed incomes is deplorable. Their mute sufferings and severe privations are not recorded, in the newspapers. They cannot stop the trains or th 6 supply of coal, and they are lucky if they are not hauled before a tribunal for trying to make both ends meet. by 'profiteering.' It is curious that neither,

the Independent' Liberals nor the Labour party have taken the trouble to work out a policy for bringing about a reduction of prices. The trade unions, of course, find ft simpler to press for an increase of wages. But what the community as a whole needs is a restoration of honest money _ and market prices, neither of which is likely to be achieved under the existing regime of militarism, influence, and waste."

The first of New Zealand's needs at the present time is an Increase An Increase . of population sufficient to of Population, render her more self-support-ing Zind less dependent upon her export tradef Instead of shipping the bulk of her meat and dairy produce to help to feed the population of the old world, the aim of the Government should be to bring the mouths to New Zealand, thereby saving the cost of freight and many other dharge3. To-day, as after the Napoleonic War of a hundred years ago, there is a growing disposition on the part of the people of the Homeland to escape from the crushing burdens imposed by the Great War, Snd to seek their fortune in ihe dominions ovec the seas. And it is of [the highest importance that New- Zealand, in common with other of the dominions, should shape her course so as to be in a position to receive the promised influx of population and absorb them as to add to" the prosperity and welfare of the nation as a whole. Once the shortage of shipping ceases there is a reasonable anticipation of a large movement of population to New Zealand, composed of the sort of people that the United Kingdom can conveniently afford to lose, and that the Dominion can, conveniently absorb. At present the immigration largely centres around the supply of domestic servants, but there is no guarantee that it will stop at that, or indeed that the domestic servants, when once introduced, will remain at their menial calling. It is of the first importance that the Government, taking all section of society into their confidence, the producer, the worker, the distributor, and the exporter should seriously set to work to solve the problem of the cost of living. New Zealand is a. community selfdependent in a remarkable degree, and with an increased population capable of being rendered still more so. It would be unfortunate Sn the' extreme, • should the flood of emigration set in, only to realise that the influx WAS making things worse for all, as may easily be~'the case unless proper precautions; are taken. There is plenty of actual as well as potential wealth in the Dominion of New Zealand to sustain a' population ten or even twenty times i'ts present number in comfort, and even luxury. Let our legislation work Awards that end and all mil yet be well.

In accordance with regulations issued by the Board of Trade, the Dunedirt master fcakera have increased the price of the 41b loaf by Id as from Friday last, inclusive. The 41b loaf is new 10id over the counter and.lid delivered. ■ "

The Otago draft of the Athenio troops arrived in Dunedin by the first express on (Saturday night. 'l*he> Dunedin list included; four officers, 12 other ranks, and one wife,' and these were met on the railway station by relatives 1 and fiiends and representatives ipf the Women's Patriotic Association, and conveyed to their homes by members of the Otago Motor Clulb. Two soldiers and one wife were destined for stations north of Dunedin, six soldiers and one wife for southern stations, and for Central Otago four returned men and one wife.

The first express from the north on Saturday was an exceptionally heavy train, bringing as it did the southern section of the Athenio' s passengers and a large number of University students returning after the summer vacation. A huge crowd gathered on the platform, and among those who were formally welcomed by the University authorities were Dr R. J. T. Bell, the new professor of mathematics, and his wife and fahiily, and Professor -T. D. Adams, who has l>een absent from Dunedin on war service for several years.

The Government has been advised that addresses to be presented to His Royal (Highness the Prince of Wales: "To His •Royal Highness, Edward Albert Christian ~ George Andrew Patrick David, Prince of Wales, Earl of,Chester, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, Duke of Cornwall in the Peerage of England, Duke of Rothesay, ■Earl of Carrick, and Baron of Renfrew, in the Peerage of Scotland, Lord of the Isles, and Great Steward of Scotland, E.G., G.M.M.G., M.C.yeto.; etc." The remains of Private James Tottinger were accorded a military funeral at "the Anderson's Bay Cemetery on Saturday. The Defence Department was represent'. •« Lieutenant Jones, and she service was conducted by Chaplain Fernie. Bugler Sarjginson sounded '"The Last Post." Under the heading "Labourised" School Committees, the Post publishes a paragraph fltating that Labour intends to make a very strong endeavour to capture all the school committees at the- annual meetings of householders which will take place shortly. In the past official Labour has taken a more Or less prominent part in the meetings, and in Some cases it has secured substantial representation." However, there has not been a thoroughly organised attempt to place Labour men on the committees, such as may be the case thia year. This week, say 3 the 'Post, there will be a representative meeting oalled by the Labour Representation Committee, at which a oomplete plan of eamipaign, and, perhaps, a polioy ; will bo discussed. The committee V'urging all affi'sUated industrial organisations to take an ftctrve part in the elections. "This regulation should not bo tolerated jby the business ccrmmunity," said Mr P. W. Johnston at the Ciiristohuroh Magistrate's ilJourt on Friday morning, when speaking in inference to the by-law of the Ohristchurch 'City Council, which states that motor cars fiiust not be left unattended in some streets finger than five' minutes, and in other pbreets longer than 30 minutes according to locality. Mr Johnston (says the Times)

was appearing on behalf of a number of motorists charged under this regulation. The Magistrate, Mr V. G. Day, S.M., held that the by-law was reasonable, but he let all the motorists' off with a conviction, warning them, however, that fines would be imposed in future. The success of Baird and Edgecumbe in the Cadet championship should prove an incentive to other Cadets in their ov«n school at Hamilton and in other parts of New Zealand (says a Trentham. Press Association telegram). Baird, especially, is doing well in adult company, while four of his schoolmates have all got into money at different stages. Both Baird, who is only 17, and Edgecumbe, who is a year have proved their mettle- in various meetings in the Auckland district, and' Baird is visiting Trentham for the second time, his shooting last year carrying him above the Tyro status. Edgecumbe's win on Saturday .on the count back against Baird was secured with one of the much-derided "dollar rifles" issued on the range before the match started. The Hamilton Cadet team's, good general .average has induced,them to enter for the Rifle Club Champion Team Match, open to all New Zealand, and for the Colonial Ammunition ' Company's Cup Match, the long-range test.

In the Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning (says our Queenstown correspondent), Mr G. Cruickshiank/VS.M., fined A. E. Fraser, of Invercargill, £lO and costs (13s) for a breach, on January 3 last, of a special order issued by the Lakes District Acclimatisation Society, forbidding the taking of trout from Queenstown Bay. The defendant admitted the offence, but pleaded ignorance of the regulations. For years past trout have disported themselves at the breakwater" on the Queenstowri waterfront, attracted there mainly by the visitors' custom of throwing in scraps of meat for amusement. As a consequence, the fish are easily subject to capture with rod and line, or by other simpler means, but this locality comes within the prohibited area. Defendant disregarded warning of this fact, and by means of a hook, a bit of steak, and a length of string secured a fair-sized trout. The prosecution was the sequel.

Speaking to an Auckland Star reporter ! of the rise in the price of bread, a retired | baker said that during an intimate knowj ledge of the baking trade 'in New Zealand ! for the past 50 years he has never known i bread to be the price it is to-day. Right I up to 1880 bread in many parts of the dominion was 5d per 21b loaf, ' then the price gradually declined till it got as low as 3d, in the "nineties." The lowest price was reached about 1899 and 1900, When southern flour reached its lowest price, being quoted at £6 to £7 per ton, when. bread fell as low as 2£d in some parts. About 1904 flour commenced to firm up, and it seems to have been firming up ever ! since reaching the record price of this : week.

A sensational and exciting chase' was witnessed in Karangahape road, Auckland, on Friday evening (says the Herald). Shortly before 7 o'clock a young man walked into the New Zealand Clothing Factory's shop and requested to be shown an expensive hat. This was duly displayed, and the fit was pronounced excellent. The visitor mentioned that on second thought he considered a hat in the window would be more in keeping with his and he asked that it should be brought to him to try on. Just as the shop assistant reached for the hat in the window the supposed customer made a dash for the street with the expensive hat in his possession. Several of the shop assistants wer« quickly in pursuit, but their quarry, who was fleet of foot, dashed down Newton road, and,, taking a side street, succeeded in getting away.