OUR LONDON LETTER

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1929, Page 2 (Supplement)

OUR LONDON LETTER

NEWS FROM THE HOMELAND.

THREE .BILLS BY CHRISTMAS, LABOUR’S BIG TASK. (Special to News). London, Oct. 31. The Government has set itself a big task, in view of the bristling opportunities for discussion, in seeking to pass its Widows’. Pensions, Coal Mines and Unemployment Bills by Christmas. The enterprise is the more ambitious since the Cabinet cannot hope,, without an independent House of Commons majority, to apply any very drastic closure to the debates. The Ministerial hope, however, is that all three measures may be regarded as more or less agreed, and to the extent that captious opposition to any of these Bills might be unfavourably viewed in the country, they may be justified in their optimism. The Cppostiion will wait, of course, to join battle when the Government starts really living up to its Socialist professions. That will be the thumbsdown signal. LABOUR’S URIAH. Admirers of Mr. J. H. Thomas are slightly troubled. They regard him as the bowdleriscd Uriah of the Labour Ministry, set in the forefront of the battle, not -with any invidious or scandalous intent, but just becuase his own enthusiasm invited the spectacular position. But the deeper the unemployment question is probed, the less promising appear the Lord Privy Seal’s chances of covering himself with glory. He Jias tackled the problem with immense energy, but it is suspected that even his optimism is beginning to sag. Admitting that the official statistics are, for comparative, purposes, misleading, it is still a faet that we have a standing army of unemployed, who are probably ' economically unemployable, and even Mr. Thomas cannot, in face of the Dominion attitude, push the only real remedy. Which is emigration. SINGAPORE BASE. It is understood that the Government will take an early opportunity in Parliament to announce its determination to abandon the completion of the Singapore Base. In taking that action it will be merely pursuing the policy it adopted when last in office, .which was vigorously •condemned by the Dominions overseas. The heavy commitments which have been made will have to be met, but abstention from embarking on any further new work will mean the saving of perhaps between £3,000,000 and £4,000,000, not including colonial contributions. So much of these as have already been handed over to the imperial Treasury will in due course be refunded. The new great dry dock, which was towed out to Singapore in sections, will be allowed to remain there, available for the use of Royal naval vessels in those waters. The first warship to use the dock was the 10,000-ton cruiser Cumberland, which is now about due home from the China station. THE CRUISER PROBLEM. Apparently the ways of the peacemaker are, perhaps in another sense, as hard as those of the transgressor. Mr. MacDonald has been wrestling with the Admiralty experts in order to achieve an acceptable ratio of Anglo-American naval parity. The problem of cruiser strength has loomed large in these discussions. But Mr. MacDonald’s optimism was proof against setbacks, and he has somehow squared the naval circle. But right on top of this' masterpiece of pacifist diplomacy comes a nasty jolt, all the worse because quite unconscious, from an official American source. The Bureau of Shipping’s journal urges Mr. Hoover, instead of building 10,009-ton cruisers at 15 million dollars each, and another million per annum for upkeep, to go in for fast merchant vessels, which would cost little to build, nothing for maintenance, and could be '‘quickly turned” into naval cruisers. THE AMERICAN SLUMP. Only one thing is surprising about the slump on the American Stock Exchange; that it has not taken place much sooner.- Over a year ago I met a New York stockbroker, who was shortening his holiday and returning home because of his belief that prices had then reached a dangerous height, and his desire to be on the scene during what he regarded as an impending crisis. In the interval prices have soared to an absurd pointj and the descent will accordingly be the more painful now. No doubt most of the big men will save themselves. The sufferers will be the misguided typists, office boys and artisans, who have been, speculating on margins which are now wiped out. It may be true that the ultimate effect will be salutary, but that is poor consolation to those who are ruined. LABOUR’S LORD CHANCELLOR. Lord Sankey is 63. Prior to his accession to the Woolsack he was best known to the general public as the chairman of the Coal Industry Commission in 1919. A man of striking presence, with a piercing eye, ho makes a commanding figure over the House of Lords. Although not an active politician, it was always understood that he had Labour leanings, and Mr. MacDonald could not have made a better selection as head of the judiciary. His lordship is a bachelor, and very fond of travelling and walking. Whilst taking tho waters at Llandrindod Wells this yera—he had Mr. Justice Avory as vis-a-vis—he indulged his passion for walking amongst the beautiful hills of Radnorshire. His tastes, as betrayed by his choice of clubs, are catholic. He is a member of the Athenaeum, the Oxford and Cambridge, and the Garrick, the latter reflecting his keen interest in matters theatrical. LLOYD’S DEPARTURE. Al at Lloyd’s will soon be an air as well as an ocean slogan. The society’s annual report reveals that, mainly in deference to insurance interests, its activities will henceforth include inspection and registration of aircraft as well as shipping. A more: significant sign ■ i 4» » > « - ■

of the times could hardly be imagined. The report, despite a slight decline in new shipping registered during the year ended June 30, takes an optimistic view of things, provided no labour troubles arise to hamper the industry. There are no signs, of shipping reaching the pre-war record yet, but affairs are much better than could have been anticipated a year ago. During the past year 547 vessels, of 1,748,507 gross tonnage, were classified, against 1,885,533 gross tonnage the year before. Britain claims 67.5 per cent, of projected new tonnage, against 32.5 per cent, building abroad. Though the total new tonnage in 191314 was much greater than last year’s, it is remarkable that, compared with that year, last year’s sail tonnage was almost double. GRAVE FISHING PROBLEM. One of the most pressing problems the Government Committee concerned will have to tackle is the catching of immature fish in the North Sea. In order to catch “sizable” fish, trawlers must steam at least 2000 miles from the east coast, the plaice of saleable size having practically disappeared round our own shores. Yet many trawlers continue to catch immature fish, and find it profitable, owing to the high price of fishmeal, which averages about £l6 15s per ton. Many trawlers are now being fitted with plants for the conversion of small fish into fishmeal while at sea, which many experts believe will afford fresh menace to the growth of edible fish. The Billingsgate trade believes . that one of'the results of the inquiry will be a recommendation that a .close season, for the North Ska should be instituted. SOUVENIR MANIA. The present renovation of the Houses of Parliament might almost, if the Of-' fice of Works had had a city training, have been made to pay for itself. Some genius suggested that the fragments of dismantled stonework should be put up to auction as souvenirs, and last June a good many hundreds of pounds were raised in this way. If the sale had not been by auction, but by private treaty, souvenir hunters throughout the empire might have been competing for relics of Westminster. There would undoubtedly, though the Mother, of Parliaments is hardly middle-aged from the architectural point of view, have been spirited bidding from America. Amongst those who secured souvenirs were Mr. Ramsay MacDonald and Mr. Stanley Jlaldwin. At the first auction 123 “lots” were briskly disposed of. A second auction is to be held before Christmas, and the Office of Works expects then to do even ! better. MARKING THE UNINSURED. The manager of one of the leading insurance companies tells mo of an ingenious suggestion for dealing with the uninsured motorist. It is realised thatthere would probably be an outcry if a driver were prohibited from driving a car merely because he was unable to insure against accidents. It is, therefore, proposed that he should be allowed to drive, but only in a car . which is painted in a distinctive manner—red and white diagonal stripes are suggested. This, it is thought, would make the merely thoughtless take out insurance policies, and would- warn' every other road user to keep clear of the specially painted ear. The suggestion, needless to say, comes from a hunting man, who is accustomed to the red ribbon on the tail of a kicker. MOSCOW FERMENT. It is pretty obvious that something like a crisis has arisen in Russia. Reliable information is hard to get, but interesting suggestions reach me from a well-informed Russian source. The dominant fact may be Stalin’s health. He emerged as the virtual Dictator of Moscow after the interregnum following Lenin’s death, and the overthrow of the Trotsky party followed, with the exile of its titular head. But for fears of possible violent reaction, it is probable Trotsky would have been executed by the Cheka. But now there are rumours of Stalin’s illness. He is said to bo in the hands of mental specialists. If this is true, it accounts for the sudden activities of the Cheka, which are doubtless directed to nipping in the bud any likely emeute. by the Trotsky group. .It. is kr/own that Cheka agents have been conducting a sort of inquisition at' Soviet foreign embassies with a view to smelling out heretical tendencies in the diplomatic corps. RED WITCH HUNT. The sensational affair in Paris, where the Russian Charge d’Affaires escaped when ordered back to Moscow for interrogation, was one outcome of that enterprise. Even M.Dovgalevsky, who conducted tlie recent negotiations with Mr. Henderson, has not been exempt from suspicion. The arrest of M. Rakovsky, formerly Charge d’Affaires in London and an active’ figure in the Revolution, and his banishment to Siberia, is another significant fact. It looks as though Stalin’s friends were afraid of a coup d’etat by the Trotsky party, and are taking all conceivable precautions accordingly. . BLIND MAN'S PUNCH. The news that a special monthly edition of Punch is to be published in Braille by the National Institute .for the Blind was first announced publicly last week by Mr. A. P. Herbert, at a meeting at the Mansion House, but the plans for it have been in existence for some time. It will not, I understand, be possible for pictures to be reproduced in relief, but a description will be given in the Braille letterpress. Tho National Institute already publishes in Braille a weekly newspaper, a literary review, a musical journal, and an edition of the Radio Times, while several rival Braille publications are issued under independent auspices. The only complaint I have ever heard against these excellent periodicals came from a racing enthusiast, who said it was too bad that the tips in Braille should reach him after, and not before, the race.