Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, WEDNES., MAR, 12, 1924. EMPIRE TRADE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16379, 12 March 1924, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, WEDNES., MAR, 12, 1924. EMPIRE TRADE.

The day is coming whr-ti an Empii'p economic partnership, with or without a tariff, will 'become a cardinal principle i;n the politics of Britain and the Dom inions. It may Ifce that the great exhibition to be held at Wembley this year will holp the stay-at-home people of tin Mother Country to visualise something of the extent and importance of the Empire, and of the manner in which the Empire can be made self-supporting No less than one-fifth of the world’s land, and one-fourth of the world’s people will be represented at that exhibition. It is a. thought which, as Sir Leo Chiozza Money says, ought to banish economic pessimism. The British Empire now includes nearly 450 millions of people. Its population is about as great as that ot a,il Europe. And nothing is more certain than that- t his number, great as it is. is destined to be doubled within a period which will be but- a. breathing space in the history of tho progress of men Britain now possesses two and a halt ttimeu the population she did one hundred years ago. And her opportunities for development, are greatly better than was the case a. century ago. Great fields for prosperous settlement and production have* been opened up in tiho oversea* Dominions. British Imperial markets now afford enormously greater opportunities for the consumption of British manufactures and produce than the whole world offered to the Britain of 1823. In the first nine months of 1923 these markets absorbed no less than £213,323.Z/84 of the export of British goods. Australia, with a. population of only five and a half millions) took a considerably greater value of British goods last year than the United States with 110.000,000 inhabitants; 25 per cent, more than France, with 40 millions, and 88 per cent, more'than Germany, with 65 millions. “If wo could envisage the nature of the growth which the Britains over the sons are likely to make,” writes Sir Leo. Money, “we may remind ourselves that, at the time of Waterloo, tho Ignited States had only oing'ht million people, or about, as many as there are to day in Greater London. There is no doubt whatever that Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are also destined to he the homes of enormous populations, each of which will comn to exchange with the Mother Country a, commerce of great magnitude.” It is earnestly to he hoped that the recent disposal of the fiscal controversy by the electors of Britain will not detract from the sound argument which exists for the special fostering of inter-Irnperial trade. When the fact is pressed home that the overseas states of the- Empire are now buying fully 40 per rent, of British ex ports, and that- no- part of the Empire can permanently maintain an exclusive trade with Britain without sonic measure of reciprocity, probably ways and means will bo found for the fostering of interim per Lai trade. An illustration of the te7npta.tic.ms that, will he offered to the Dominions was given in our cable news of Saturday. The Gorman Government has placed an embargo on the importation o.f Australian moat- cargoes into Germany in tho hope of being- able test r ike a. bargain with Australia, and New Zealand to relax -their restrictions on the entry of German goods. If. as is stated, there is a big lucrative meat trade with the- Continent- to be built- up, absorbing the. beef ‘supnliep -and the coarser grades cf mutton of these Dominions, the proposition may bo advanced that as Britain "ofuses preference to Dominion products the Dominion should have mo compunction in trading with tho Continent. We would much prefer, however, to let that trade go / to the Argentine, provided it would mean a weakening of Argentine competition on the. English markets. None of ns want to trade with Germany and we all do recognise that, if is selfinterest as well as sentiment that impels us to support British industry. So also wo hope that England and Scotland may be persuaded Co place with the Dominions orders for the foodstuffs they are not able to produce within their own borders. To-day the British Isles are providing only 40 per cent-, of the meat they consume, 46 per cent, of th? dairy produce, and 29 per cent, of the wheat. The balance is procured in the open market, and Imperial sentiment enters very slightly into the purchase of it, the foreign producer having just as good a hearing as the British farmer overseas. Til fact, as we saw tho other day with the Navy contract for canned moat, a foreign company is allowed to dump large supplies at absolutely unprofitable prices in order to secure the market and discourage t-lio British producer. How is this state of affairs going to he remedied? We confess that, in the present state of mind of the British electorate, the solution dees not seem to be easy. And yet there may Ibe a way out. through the hold agricultural scheme propounded by the National Council of the Independent Labor Party of England, of which Mr. Ramsay MacDonald and two of his Cabinet, coUengues are members. Whether the scheme becomes the policy of the Government will depend very much on how- the public takes' t-o it, and whether the present Government will be In office to develop and carry it- to fruition is quite another matter. The primary aim is to secure hotter farm wages in Britain and to abolish the food

profiteers and middlemen. For this reason the scheme provides for State control of imports of wheat, -meal, dairy stuffs and other staple foods —iirmlrol mirth ns was experienced under the commandeer- and is even now being exercised in New Zealand with our Meat and Dairy Boards of Control. A representative board, working with a Stab?; guarantee under the British Minister of Agriculture, would he m ad-el the sole importer, and all other importations would lie' foi-Bldden. The Board would make the best estimate it could of the probable world price, on wheat, for oxampie. for the next, (three or four years, and, oil ilia basis of this price, it would .proceed to fix the limits of prices between which if wonVI undertake to sell imported wheat to the mfilers. The first result of stabilising tho wholesale price of wheat would be to end gambling and t-- standardise the price of the loaf. Gradually the -milling trade would he “socialised" and imports -if meat now monopolised by two worldwide trusts would he dealt with on similar lines. The scheme would probably give the producer as well as the consumer a square deal, which it does not- noways obtain under the present system, with the huge trusts that -control too markets. The scheme incorporates the ideas which Mr. Stanley Bruce, the (Vernier of Australia, and his export ollir-iaV, favored during the discussions at the Imperial

Economic Conference, and to which Canadian officials list (.-tied without- expressing assent or dissent. Tho central idea of Premier Brut-os scheme was that the handling the .meat, exports of Australia arid the wheat experts c,f Canada-and the dairy produce of New Zealand is now becoming so concentrated in r-nch Dominion that the Dominion l.iovernmen's could deal direct with tho proposed British Board and so ensure a market- at stabilised prices. The proposal, of course, is Open to obvious criticism. It 's a further extension of Stale .Socialism. Control *of food. supplies and other requirements was not always well managed during the war, and the spirit, of the nation is for free and unrestracted com merce. There are numerous vested interests that would immediately he up in arms at such a proposal ami would fight it tooth and .nail. The London Star voices the opinion of (his section cf the community w hen if den-mmes tbn scheme as a- “gigantic, gamble and a grandiose scheme which the Government, had better keep for private circulation only. A drought in Australia or Argentine, another revolution in Russia, -or a blizzard in Manitoba, may reduce the calculations of eve'ii one year to ponsense.” i! states. “How,, then, is it going l" lie possible to calculate prices for four years in advance? The Boat'd of .Supply might become the new Josephs of a slave state, but no country of free men would long sanction such gigantic food gambles.” The criticism may be justified, hut we fancy we shall yet lie u- more of the project.' As the Daily Mail pointed out- a few weeks ago Britain is already more heavily rated and taxed than anv other country in the whole world. She cannot, hear more taxation such as I he new Goveminent, may conceive to he necessary to improve the) social conditions. There must come a. breaking ]y>int and that is very near. Even now she imports £45 of foreign manufactured goods for each £I.OO of British mrunifac! ttre-.l goodsthat site exports; and she finds is increasingly difficult to.j,export because heavy taxation makes British wares dear. The problem of paying for t.hei weekly £10.000.000 of food that must lie imported becomes increasingly difficult Its solution surely Hep in the way of the development of inter-imperial iracK and meusurm of control such as the La'boriles suggest may be tlie means of securing that development, by eliminating foreign com petition and ensuring that food supplies for British breakfast tablet; are secured from British sources at reasonable price* and with the enormous profits of the food combines and shipping trusts eliminated.

TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION. Gisborne's unpleasant experience in being cut off from communication with the outside world for (he greater part of two days is one which for the credit of tlie Post and Telegraph Department should not be repeated. To'go back twenty or thirty years, interruptions were not of infrequent occurrence-, but- in those days, .with only a single wire following an exposed coastline and with the roughest of bridle-tracks for t-'je linesman who promptly set. out, on 'horseback from Gisborne fo Mahia to follow, delays worn seldom of greater duration than we have had yesterday and to-day. It was anticipated when Gisborne was linked up with Opotiki, (hat this district would never he completely cut off. as the northern line would give 'an alternative service in the event of any interruption to the wires between Gisborne and Napier, hut unfortunately ,on the present occasion both northern and southern wires have gone down, and the isolation of our district, is complete. Such a. contingency must, be safeguarded against, for the future. In these, days when it is possible with low-powered sets t-o- broadcast concerts from Gisborne to Dunedin, there is no excuse for even an hour’s complete- cessation y of' ecoHunnicaf-ion. There- are several amateur wire-less sets in Gisborne, quite capable of maintaining a service with Hie'outside world, and it should he possible for tho Tolograph Department either to”-arrange for the use r>f these in tinre of emergency or else to improvise a set. of its own. Wires arc. not an absolute necessity for communivafcion in these advanced times. The residents of ice-hound Yukon are enabled to obtain the news of the world and to establish constant communication throughout, the long Arctic winters, and it should not he beyond the resources cf New Zealand to keep a district such as. Poverty Bay in touch with the rest of the world. The need for an official wireless set at- -Gishc-mo has long been pressed upon the Department by the Chain her of Commerce, because of its usefulness in maintaining communication with shipping trading to and from this perl. The-re-ply of the Department has always been that it is possible to communicate'with ships by-using the land lines to Auck'and or to Wellington and then radio from those points. Last night’s- experience, however, disproves this contention. Had anv vruacl been in trouble off the port of Gisborne last evening—and the sudden fury ,with which the storm burst, made that contingency quite possible-—it would not have been feasible fo-r the shipping authorities here to have got in -toueh, for the land lines were gone. Had t he Ai-ahura -been a- day in advance of her schedule, great anxiety would have been caused to many friends if passengers as to their pjisht,, and wire’ces messages from the ship could .not ha ve reached 4 Gisborne except- through private somves which are- strictly barred from giving information. It would involve no great expense to- tho Department, to set up an cdicient wireless plant at. Gisborne, and its use, both in com-' munica, + ,ing with shipping ancl in times when t-hei telegraph wires fail would be of great advantage to the community, and would relieve the Department from the ignominy of impotence whenever dorms come along and send the) wires to earth. IVe would ask the Chamber of Commerce and the members for the district -to again urge this matter on the Government. There are exceptional reasons in the peculiar geographical situation of Gisborne and tho absence of railways why an emergency plant should be installed here. If in other narts of New Zealand the wires go down there are always railways or motor services to carry the messages between the breaks, and the interruptions, as a rule, arc of but trifling duration. A delay of a few hours in business or private communications may not, involve, any serious consequences where- people have frequent, mail and railway services, hut a two days’ delay stu-h as we are experiencing in isolated Gisborne might in many a case cause extreme- inconvenience and loss, particularly in such matters as banking and legal transact,ions or in cases of illness or bereavement. It is'not hoi the credit of thei Telegraph Department that there should be such delays.- and as the Department, justly to- soim-t extent, prides it-’ sf.f upon providing New Zealand with ah up-to-date, sorvicri. it should not- need much persuasion to induce ft to rectify the weakness in itr system of communication with Gisborne and the East, Coast, ’

Failure to attend military parade resulted in a young native named Rangl Bum appearing before Mr E. C. Levve.y, S.M.. at (.lie To Karaka- Magistrate’s Court tiiis morning. The defendant was convicted and ordered to pay costs. ITis failure to send a child: to school resulted in a resident of Motuhora, Join Sheppard, being proceeded against at the Te Karaka Magistrate’s Court this morning by the Hawke’s Bay Education Board. Tiie Magistrate, Mr K. C. Lcvvov. convicted 1 the defendant and ordered him to pay costs amounting to £3 10s. The monthly sitting of the Magistrate’s Court at- Te- Karaka was held ibis morning, Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., presiding. The legal fraternity were represented by Messrs J. S. Wauchop, F. 11. .Tones and A. Whitehead, while the police were represented by Constable Leckie. Several civil and criminal cases were dealt, with, the sitting occupying most of the morning. The bankruptcies throughout the Auckland district; in .1923 were distributed :ts follows:—Auckland, 163 in •1923 and .153 in 1922; Hamilton, 43 and 43; Whangarei, -11 and 21; New Plymouth and Stratford, 40 and 42; Gisborne, 33 and 31; Unworn, 35 and 31. Of rhe above total, 292 filed their petitions' and 02 were adjudicated bankrupt on creditors’ petition. People who- ventured on to (lie Whikanaci beach this morning were much surprised to observe a. number of geesci and ducks among the heavy driftwood which was scattered all over the beach. The bifds had apparently been carried down the river during tho storm, and although they were still alive they were too exhausted tn get away. It- is considered improbable that- all the birds will be- returned to their owner or owners. Orders for payment, forthwith were mad by Mr. E. 6. Levvey, S.M., at the To Karaka Magistrate’s Court this morning in the following judgment summons cases: William John McDermott v. Ernest Ferdinand Krause, £2l 10s 6d, in default 21 days' imprisonment; Robert- Stephenson v. Tu Christie, £'M 13s 6d. in default- 21 days' imprisonment, (lie warrant to he suspended upon .payment of £5 a month. An idea of the height- of the seas which have been running in the Bay all day is rib-tamed from the fact- that some of the heavy drift-wood which is coming dowq the Wnirn&ta river is finding its way on to the (reach, over the groyne, not- waiting- to follow the. usual course- of going out to sea and then badng washed up. It is said that even very heavy logs were- being treatod in this way,' the sea, lifting them over- the groyne as if they were matchwood.

An accident, which might have liad much more serious consequences oc--, curred at tho corner of Ormond Road and McLean Street last night. A motor-cyclist coming from town collided with a van belonging to Teat and Friar. The cyclist was thrown - up on to the bonnet of the car and his machine was badly knocked about, tho front wheel snapping off. Beyond a . few minor cuts and bruises, ' the motor-cyclist escaped injury. At the Magistrate’s Court at Te Karaka this morning, Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., gave judgment for plaintiffs by default in the following undefended civil actions: Hustler Bros. v. James Sweeney, £lO 7s lOd, and costs £5; A. F. Evinson v. George Morrow, £l4 8s 3d, and costs £2 16s; Thomas John Adair and' others v. Janies Surmix, £5 Cs 9d, and costs £2 4s 6d ■ same v. John Lloyd, £l9 15s 7d : , and costs £3 3s; Waikoliu County Council v. Peneha, £3J 8s 7d, and costs £3 10s 6d; same v. Henare Iluru, £1 Is 3d, and costs 13s. At least one resident of the town obtained an exaggerated idea of the extent of the damage caused by last night’s .storm. In the early hours W' this morning ho was riding a, bicycle in the darkness, and was on the point of turning from Gladstone road into Read’s quay when lie ran into about a foot of water, lie was thrown from his machine, and such portions of his anatomy as had not aft-eady felt tbri effects of the storm received" thorough damping. The. cyclist, did not remain' to make further enquiries, but believing that the river - had overflowed its banks, made all haste 'to reach a place of safety. The violent ringing of an alarm in the shop of -Mr. H. George, in Gladstone road, during tho storm last night aroused a, considerable amount,' of interest. At, first it. wms thought that the bell was merely an alarm clock which had gone off unexpectedly, but, when if continued for over an hour someone came- to tho conclusion that, the proprietor should’be notified. Tin's was, at. least, the feeling of tho lodgers in the Y.AV.C.A. hostel immediately,-overhead, whose sleep wasbeing disturbed *by the noise. Mr. George was rung- up on f-lie telephone shortly after 10.30 p.m., and when fitfoymed of what, had occurred immediately concluded that it was the burglar alarm wliidli was causing the -trouble. A visit- to the shop proved that, this was v - Hip ease, the Rtonn having broken open a fanlight, and started the alarm.

Commenting on the successive triumphs of radio in piercing barriers of isolation and abridging distance, the y Philadelphia Public Ledger .says:' “Dawson City, in the Yukon, reports that the music for many a dance coiner f rom the best orchestras in New York and other far-off cities. So many are the marvels heralded to-day in the f name oli radio that it. requires some- ' thing altogether out of the ordinary \ to stir more than a moment’s.wonder- N j merit. 'The trapper may now receive f t advices on the current market price of .- furs ai Winnipeg, though he roams the > shores of -Hudson Bay. The ‘wilderness’ hunter need no longer fear isolation, for lie remains in communion / with his kind if h«f chooses, wherever / he may be.”

How far is the common hawk r fhe friend or enemy of t'hr>» farmer?, (asks the Auckland Herald.) One of the'latter, living no gi’eat distance from P.utaruru, is now asking himself that '‘question, rile raising oi' young turkeys is one of the lesser industries of his farm, but a turkey egg is a. delicacy which a. hawk • cannot resist, and cunning indeed is the j turkey lien that can hide her nest- from / the. thief in the air. This particular f farmer saw no iirospect of an increased > flock unless he caught the thieves, so, ho made a. decoy nest in the clover/and found it sot rabbit traps, coveriug'tlvoni wit h r straw. v - In s this way hq- trap- ,• pod'some 200' hawks, but by then i(. had , occurred-'to him to inquire -more fully > into; the matter of what hawks lived on when tmivdy eggs were not to be found. ,5 Of sever further hawks which be - caught, two had empty digestive systems, two jdiad what was to. all appearances undigested rabbit fur, a. iift-h had rabbit- fur. and skylark feathers, a sixth had apparently dined exclusively on skylarks, while, the last examined. b* sides the feathers and "beak, / had unmistakably a quantity of skylark. ,* eggshell. ■ •" -> To-morrow, commencing at 2 p.nv,'" at Hill street, Mangapapa, Mr. Fre<i Gray will conduct <a furniture sale, including a spring chesterfield in s.t. cretonne. Owing to the inclemency of the weather, members of , the" Gisborne Orpheus Society are notified that the practice and meeting to have been held - this evening are postponed, to Wednesday next, s' Ou account of the very roiigh weather the meeting of the Tailors’ and Tailoresses’ Union to have been held this evening lias been postponed until a later date, as it is desired to have.a fall attendance. The annual St. Patrick’s Night entertainment is advertised to take place in the Opera House on Monday evening next. jJi splendid programme of Irish music, dances and tableaux lias, been arranged. Mr. Langtry will he the conductor of the orchestra, which will make a special feature of rendering Irish national airs. In addition to the concert programme, the beautiful Irish picture “Asthore” will, be.; screened. The full programme will'he* advertised on Friday and Saturday ' .'