The Daily News THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1930. DELEGATED AUTHORITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1930, Page 8

The Daily News THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1930. DELEGATED AUTHORITY.

Just as in domestic national affairs it has become a common practice to appoint commissions on all sorts of subjects, ostensibly for the purpose of enabling a lead to be given to the Government of the day in arriving at a decision on matters of policy, so is the present tendency in matters Imperial to set up secretariats and tribunals to deal with affairs concerning differences of views among the units comprising the British Commonwealth of Nations.' 'Whether by such means it is considered the periodical assemblies. of Empire Prime Ministers will be rendered unnecessary, or that delegated authority will gradually replace democratic government, must for the time being be a matter of opinion, but the principle involved is one calling for serious consideration. At the root of the whole matter is the basic question whether the Empire. Governments are, or are hot, able to administer the affairs of their respective countries in such a way as to safeguard the interests of their citizens and promote their prosperity- That question naturally involves the further query whether party politics are fulfilling their proper mission or weakening the” principle of government by the people for the people, the tendency of the age making political differences, a jumping-off place for power, rather than acting as a stimulus for advancing national, interests. When the League, of Nations was brought into existence it was intended to operate as a world model code of ethics and practice, whereby all the nations could work together in harmony and peace. The World Court of Justice at The Hague is another example of progress towards universal justice. Neither of these great tribunals, however, in any way usurps the functions ' and responsibilities of national Governments, though both are expensive to maintain. Among the latest proposals for delegating authority to special appointees are those emanating from the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire- arid from Lord Sankey’s committee of the Imperial Conference. As a matter, of course the Chambers of Commerce are interested in trade. What they appear to desire is the establishment of an Imperial general economic staff, particular stress being laid upon the need for agreements between the Empire' Governments as to the use .they would make of jsueh a bureau rather than on tile constitution of the bureau itself. It is at once apparent that in order to justify its existence such a secretariat would prove an expensive luxury, rather than a reliable promoter of inter-Empire trade. So long as the various units of the Commonwealth fix their respective fiscal policies to suit themselves, what is there such -a bureau could do that could not be better Accomplished under the present system of trade commissioners? It is not as if the policy of any unit was fixed and unalterable, for a mere change of Government may bring about drastic alterations in policy. In these days of rapid omnuuiication there would seem to be no justification for the existence of a multitude of secretariats or bureaux, more especially as it is imperative to cut down expenditure. With regard to the commonwealth tribunal proposed by Lord Sankey’s committee, it is by no means clear what practical benefits would be obtained by creating such a tribunal, the main purpose of which would be to deal with such disputes between British Empire members as were not submitable to the International Court at The Hague. The craze for creating a network of authorities to which shall be delegated various powers may lead to tile belittlement of the great tribunals already in existence. Whether these modern political and commercial “buffers” are needed may be a matter of opinion, but, apart from the cost of administration, they would certainly entail a considerable burden upon those who made, use of them.