The Otago Witness. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY. (TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 1928.) THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3867, 24 April 1928, Page 47

The Otago Witness. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY. (TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 1928.) THE WEEK.

•*Nunquam allud natura, allud saplentla dUH." “JUVBNAL. na^ur9 B°od sense Beust ever join."—

Political Prospects.

The political activity apparent, despite

the fact that the general election is still in the far distance, signifies an un-

usual degree of interest ui possible developments. Last week a caucus of the Reform Party was held, and has been pronounced by a full rally of members as most satisfactory and successful. Thus the rumours of dissension and revolt against the Primo Minister so industriously circulated would seem to have been put to naught. The Labour Party has also been in evidence in conference and otherwise, whilst the third parliamentary party, described as United, but which appear to embrace many of the elements of disunion, is also displaying an amount of activity in great disparity to its influence. The organiser for the United Party has made the boast of his intention to contest almost every electorate in the Dominion, to which end lie proposes to put seventy candidates in the field. This intention rejoices tho hearts of the Labour leaders, who vision a prospect of capturing additional seats by reason of the consequent vote splitting. The attempted welding together of various subversive elements into a third political party introduces a measure of uncertainty into the situation; the weals point in the programme is that there is no outstanding leader in sight. And in politics experience goes to prove that everything depends upon the ability of the leader to lead, and in leading to manage men. Indeed, the future of politics in ths Dominion may be said to hinge upon the emergence of men of th' type of John Ballance, Richard Seddon. Sir Joseph Ward, and William Massey who, whatever their strength and weak ness, were at least able to lead. With a wiser leader than the Labour Party at present possesses there would be far greater danger of a Labour Government in the Dominion; and failing a leader the United Party is at present a negligible quantity. Drawing a bow at a venture, it may be affirmed that the prospects of the Reform Party at the polls seven months hence are conspicuously bright, and that if he plays his cards carefully Mr Coates will continue to hold the reins of Government.

The Balance of Trade.

The popularity of a political leader is

liable to be affected by many things which he is totally unable to control and for which he is in no

sense responsible. If anything goes wrong it is the fashion to blame the Government, and this is precisely what has happened to Mr Coates and' the Reform Party. A sudden and unexpected slump in the price of primary products has brought about a period of commercial and financial depression, with its consequent unemployment, and of all this Mr Coates has been called upon to bear the burden. Happily, as the Prime Minister was able to show when speaking in Wellington last week, there are signs of a turn for the better. A comparison between the returns of a year ago and today are striking in the extreme. For the twelve months ended March, 1927, the imports exceeded the exports by more than two and a-half millions; but for the year ending March last the exports exceeded the imports by over ten and ahalf millions, or an improvement in the trading position of the Dominion of fully thirteen millions. While to a large extent this improvement has been due to the efforts of the primary producers, aided, of course, by more favourable markets, it is an improvement in which all sections of the community are entitled to claim a share, and of which the benefit must be widespread. The most significant aspect of the published figures is that they show an expansion of New Zealand’s export trade, not only with Great Britain, but with other parts of the Empire, with America, and other countries. This, combined with a greater exercise of economy on the part of individuals and of the community generally, has led to so satisfactory a result. This in its turn should tend to loosen the tightness of money, which has restricted the trade operations of the Dominion so seriously. Merchants and traders generally are looking hopefully for the time when the bank rates for advances and overdrafts may safely yet materially be reduced.

Drunkenness and Licensing.

In the matter of drunkenness, there is

being instituted a dual standard—one for pedestrians and another for motorists. According to

a recent court case in London, a pedestrian may safely carry a quantity of liquor which would render him incapable of driving a motor car. A doctor, giving evidence, declared of a prisoner that as a motorist he was drunk but as a pedestrian he was sober. Which elicited from the magistrate the pertinent comment: “ That is not law; the whole point is,

was he drunk—simply drunk?” To which question there was no unqualified response. Medical testimony agrees that the mechanism of the brain is liable to be so affected by the use of alcohol as to render a man incapable of safely driving a motor car. That is to say, alcohol has an effect upon the brain and judgment of a driver rendering him liable to take risks which .otherwise he would avoid, to the endangering of himself, the occupants of his car, and the public generally. This would seem to foreshadow a time when drivers of motor cars, in the interests of their own safety and the safety of pedestrians generally, will be required when driving to abstain from the use of alcohol. In which case that which the best efforts of the prohibitionists have failed to do may bo brought about by the consensus of public opinion. The rumour that the Reform Party is in danger cf splitting over the proposed licensing legislation has received no support at the recent caucus; possibly a compromise might „e reached in view of the dispute over a legal definition of drunkenness. The introduction of a fresh issue on the ballot paper requiring all motorists to become abstainers from alcohol would give a fresh interest to the monotony of the forthcoming licensing poll.

The Roxburgh Railway.

The completion of the railway from Law-

rence to Roxburgh has been celebrated with due pomp and ceremony, but

a review of the history of the undertaking is not an occasion for much satisfaction. Mr Rolleston, who represented the Government on this occasion, and who confessed to its being his first visit to Central Otago, had some difficulty in making out a good case for building a railway by piecemeal, for this is the history of the Central Otago line. Half a century has elapsed since the undertaking was first mooted, and the line was constructed to Lawrence nearly a quarter of century since. Within this lengthy period vast changes have come over the question of transport, and in the light of to-day there can be httle doubt that the £550,000 which the enter prise has cost from first to last might easily have been spent to better advantage. This conclusion, however, in no wise detracts from the importunity and perseverance in the face of rebuffs on the part of those whose clamour for direct railway communication has at length been crowned with success. One important consideration was contained in the Minister's injunction to the settlers to loyally stand by the railway now that it is completed, and thus demonstrate the value of direct railway communication between orchard and market. The railways of the Dominion are being subjected to keen competition by an ever-increasing motor traffic; it is for the Roxburgh settlers to set a good example and patronise their own particular railway.

Earthquakes and Disasters.

The volcanic nature of a part of the soil of New Zealand, together

with the occasional ’quakes to which the Do minion is subjected, lend

to the study of seismology more than local interest. Consequently attention for the time being is focussed on Bulgaria, the scene of a devastating earthquake, which has spread terror and death and disaster in every direction, playing upon the superstitious fears of the peasantry to an almost incredible degree. This is scarcely to be wondered at, seeing that the approach of a severe earthquake is almost unheralded; it comes suddenly, emphasising the helplessness of man in the face of such a mighty upheaval of natural forces. Its duration is unknown, its immediate cause hidden from tho eye. and the mystery by which it is surrounded lends greatly to the dread and despair which it creates. In contrast to the Bulgarian earthquake is the famine of which a million or more of hapless Chinese are at present victims. Unlike an earthquake, the coming of a famine may be correctly measured, and is often due to preventible causes. In China it has been hastened by a protracted period of civil war, which, by interfering with agricultural operations, has created a scarcity of necessary food, it may be hoped that this terrible menace may put a stop to disorder which hinders the settlement of Chinese difficulties. China is a land of wonderful possibilities, which, properly developed in a time of peace, cannot fail to bring prosperity to the oldest nation and one of the most picturesque and promising of peoples.