Points of View Throughout The World

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17436, 7 April 1931, Page 10

Points of View Throughout The World

LIBERALS AND LABOR Nation and Athenaeum (London).— ]i ifj right in our judgment for the Liberal I'arly to continue to keep the present Government in office. 'But il is u(. least doubtful whether Lhis will be possible much longer by Use precarious, day-by-day. hand-to-mouth methods which hu\e sufficed hitherto. The Lime, seems to hitvn come wlien sonic mure definite urranc,ement, h nable to both parties, unci as little irksome as possible lo cither, should he reached. THE COMMUNIST PERIL Montreal Pressc (Ind.). —We. must close our ranks and present a united front against the Communist peril, [f public authorities slusi the door on agitators and on Lheir literature, if they take steps to re establish economic Equilibrium, if they come to the aid of persons in nerd, our country will hi- protected against the attacks which threaten it. It cannot be too often repeated: A pop illation content, with its lot, where everyone can. count on a decent wage, which lives in peace and orderliness, is practically impermeable to Communist infiltration. EMPIRE UNION Quebec Evenemcnt (Incl.) —Mr. Bennett has practically formed an economic alliance of British nations, which is opposed to the Free Trade Cabinet of Mr. Ramsay MacDonald. The alliance is stronger and better equipped to renew the battle at the point where it was suspended last November. As far as it is possible to predict, it. is not too much to expect that the Imperial Conference which is going lo take, place next July in Ottawa will give birth to an offensive and defensive treaty of economic union. N.Z. FACES THE FACTS London Observer. —After a week's delay, with reconstruction work in the stricken towns making line progress, the New Zealand Cabinet has tabled its (icon y proposals. A delicil of £4,5C0_,000 has to he faced. Expenditure.'is therefore to he drastically reduced by a 10 per cent, cut in wages and salaries, by I lie reorganisation of the railways on commercial lines, by a reform of roadway finance, and by an overhaul of the educational system. Thus diminished, the delicil can be covered by fresh taxation. This is a bold and brave attempt to face realities. AN EMPIRE POLICY Empire Review (London).—Jf the Conservatives are in office, as we sincerely hope will be the case, when the adjourned Inlperiid Conference takes place at Ottawa, there will be no turning down of the economic proposals of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa such as look place in London, but British and Dominion delegates will moot together for one common purpose and one common end—to work out a scheme that will secure, closer commercial union within the Empire. New avenues of trade and work for our people must be found, and this can never be accomplished by increasing doles and allowing the foreigner free access to our home markets. THOSE GOOD OLD DAYS London Free Press.—Anyone who knows anything of politics is well aware of the fact that several decades ago in every riding there were to be found hundreds of men who were, willing to assist in elections and political camjiaigns for the. loyalty to their party, affection to a leader, or love of the political game. They would scorn being paid. To-day such 'men in the average constituency can be counted on the fingers of one band. The average political worker expects to be reimbursed. The cost of elections to-day is not corruption—the day of buying votes is; largely a thing of the past—but the expense of paying workers. r J ne scrutineers, tlie canvassers, the drivers of automobiles, all have to be paid. Foliowership is a. forgotten art. There is nothing wrong with the. leaders of to-day. The trouble is with the utter indifference of the average voter.

COMPENSATIONS Los Angeles Times.—Alter all, 1030.1 was the healthiest year of record. Fewer kite hours were spent in night < lu'"S; more time was spent with the family; fewer children ran away: more »ood books were read; there was less riding said more walking, and more home cooking. There are compensations. THE FIVE YEAR PLAN Henry D. Baker in Current History (Nov/ York).—For Russia itself the price of the Five-Year Plan is one tint staggers humanity. For other nations it is a price which must stagger the industries stricken by Soviet, dumping, and generally injure national well-being except as they are alert- to the Red danger signals and act promptly to protect themselves. 11 is no lime for any Government like our own to bo caught asleep at t he switch. INDIA'S PUBLIC DEET Calcutta Englishman,—Sir Te.j Bahadur said recently that no responsible Indian politician would entertain the idea of repudiating, public debts. Unfortunately in India responsible politicians do not cany the weigh! thoy should. The pa.ee is set for them by Congress (the All-India Congress), and Congress has put the repudiation of all or at least of a very large portion of India's public debt in the forefront, of its programme. The British public will want greater security than any airy assurance such as Sir T. 13. Sap'ru offers. THE DEVIL'S SPADE WORK Washington Post.—The Communists believe this is a propitious time to undermine the economic and political structure of this country. They are not trying to take over control of the Government, but to foment strikes, to arouse the unemployed, to add to the general unrest, and break down the system under which the people live. The Socialists, the advocates of Govern-niout-ownership, and the radical reformers are contributing to the same end. Socialists, by playing into the bands of the reds, are doing the devil's spadework. ROMANCE OF THE PAST Quebec Chronicle. —Our great-grand-children, in their turn, will look on the electric railway precisely as we look' on" the canal. It' will be,-to them, one of those delightful bits of furniture, used in the inexpressibly ijuainl, colorful, and romantic early' IflGO's. They will envy us our privilege of swaying over bumpy (racks through quite rural scenery, and will half wish that the automobile had come to end that privilege—just as we half wish that the railroads had not killed the old canals. And that is the way it usually goes. Romance is always something that one's grandfather bad. It lies beyond the borders of everyday life, and it always will, which is why we are always seeking it and never finding it, FREE AUSTRALIA. Sydney Morning Herald, —It is coming to be a matter of reproach against, the Australian citizen that he should hold himself free 'to work for his living where and bow lie likes. If he does not sbow himself to be a ready union slave, ho shall have "scab" shouted at him and oven bo assaulted brutally on the free highway. Was this the character Australians once had? Our political candidates must be chosen in advance for us at election times; our own free choice we have surrendered somehow. Was this how Australian democratic progress began and promised to com tiiiue.' The Governments that rule us are maeliinc-made committees, furnished by party organisations which dragoon the, free Australian to the poll, bellow some claptrap into his ears, and offer him the benefit of doing his political thinking for him.. Tn return they tax us beyond all bearing.