THE VOICE OF THE PRESS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 67, 23 March 1929, Page 5

THE VOICE OF THE PRESS

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY CURRENT, EVENTS REVIEWED \ OAE RORA EVERY MINUTE. “It is so remarkably easy, an fhe temptation is too great iwhe men continue to swallow my story, was the explanation given by a ma accused at Marton—and very pro perly convicted and sent to gaolof obtaining money from various peo pie under false pretences. Similai explanations will probably be heart in police courts a hundred years hence, and more. The vitality and longevity of the “hard luck story" and 'ether plausible tales with which the credulous public is despoiled of its ready cash, is very much the fault of the victims themselves. Trades-

people continue to accept 1 cheques from perfect strangers with a readiness undeterred by examples regularly presented to them in police court proceedings. People travelling abroad, in spite of constant warnings about accepting the advances of well-dressed and plausible strangers, continue to fall victims to the wiles of confidence* men. Blackie Daw, that celebrated but by no means reputable character in “Get-Rich-Quiick Wallingford,” declared that “a sucker is born every minute.” He sprite the truth.— The Dominion.

FORESTRY. { i ' Unfortunately a large portion of the Forestry Department’s plantations are situated at considerable distances from the main centres of population. As a lirewbod proposition they cannot be considered. Further, the uses 'of. the timber trees planted are limited indeed to rough packing and such like purposes. Such uses would certainly not justify an extensive policy of planting. Mr E. Phillips Turner, the Director of Forestry, in a recent address to his officers intimated the possibilities of a further use of which forests could be put. He referred to the possibility of establishing a wood pulp and paper: manufacturing industry in New Zealand. This matter has previously been adverted to by an officer of the Department, Mr Entrican. That’officer has expressed the Opinion that sufficient forest supplies are not 1 yet available. If the objective of establishing the wood pulp and paper making industry is to be held steadily in view it will be necessary to select] a central point l of vantage suitable for the establishing of paper mills, and build up the State forests within that 1 centre’s economic radius. —MVmgauui Chronicle. THE DOMINIONS AND WAR, Some of our readers may be alarmed by the prediction of a distinguished English authority on constitutional law that another war may come suddenly and present! the British Government with the alternatives of losing the war or losing the Dominions. Professor Ml)i gan s version of a war coming as a thief in the night is one that must have suggested itself to everybody who thinks seriously about the future. What then would the British Government do? National safety would require immediate action, but he argues that if the Dominions were not consulted they would be I'ost to the Empire. The Professor seems to go much too fast. No amount of consultation about what should be y done in case of war would bind the Dominions. On the other hand Biitain could not be expected to hold her hand in a crisis until the Dominions were consulted. She must protect herself. Such a situation may contain the seeds of peril to the Empire, but it is the product of a system that has conferred enormous benefits and that apparently cannot be altered. A free Empire such as ours must face the defects G . f u's virtues. —Christchurch Press. SOCIALISTIC LEGISLATION. On the whole the prominent members of the Reform Party and their sympathisers among the newspapers have taken the surprising result of the recent general election uncommonly well. There are some Reform politicians and some Reform newspapers, however, that continue to throw stones at Sin Joseph Wax and his followers as they did during the height of the’ election campaign. Their favourite imputation against the new Prime Minister is that he is responsible for a great deal ot the socialistic legislation now on the Statute Book which enables, the State to intrude itself upon private enterprise in the very fashion Sir Joseph is now denouncing. So I fad Sir Joseph has ignored this line of attack, hut sooner or later fte will have to dispose of those imputations. As a matter of fact he had much less to do with putting “socialistic” legislation on the Statute Book than had Mr Massey, or even Mr Coates, whose reign was a comparatively brief one. The Statute Book acquits the Prime Minister of Having offended in this respect.— Mauawatu Daily Times,