PUBLIC OPINION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17351, 16 May 1924, Page 6

PUBLIC OPINION.

WHAT OTHER WRITERS ARE SAYING.

THE ISLAND FRUIT TRADE. Tt is with good reason that complaint has been .made of the unsatisfactory features in the present system of distributing island fruit in the Dominion. As in some other matters. the interests of the south are unwarrantably neglected. The Cook Islands trade is virtually monopolised by business enterprise in the northern part of New Zealand. Auckland secures four-fifths of the import and export trade, and Wellington controls the remaining fifth part. Tn 1923. of the £103.000 value of imported fruit over 80 per cent went to Auckland, and the charges attendant on the system under which fruit thus imported into Auckland has l>een distributed to southern markets have been an important factor in the high price of island fruit in those markets. It must be fairly admitted that Wellington reaped no conspicuous advantage in comparison with the south. It is Auckland, and the vested interests to which Auckland clings so tenaciously and characteristically, that furnish the troublous element in the. situation.—“ Otago Daily Times."’ HOT HEADS AND COLD FEET. It stands to the credit of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants that it called off (lie recent strike v-hen it was obvious that there was nothing to he gained by extending the scope of it. The society had bungled badly in the negotiations which preceded the strike, and its action in declaring the strike was, as the ever.t proved, a signal example of blundering. But it at least did its members the service of acknowledging defeat when ihe failure of the strike became evident, to it. The Auckland branch of the society is unable to appreciate this service. It accuses the executive of the society of possessing “cold feet’’ and it expresses lack of confidence in it. It may be suspected that, although the members of the Auckland branch may not have “cold feet,"’ their judgment is not that which might be expected from persons with cool heads. We imagine that the decision that, the strike should be terminated was one that was generally received with feelings of relief on the part of the railwaymen.—-“Otago DailjREPAR ATTOXS PLAN. While, to the* astonishment of Britons and of Frenchmen alike. the French general elections have resulted in the defeat of AT. Poincare, justas the German elections resulted in the defeat of the German Government. there seems to be every likelihood that; whatever Governments may result in either France or Germany, the final adoption of the Dawes reparations plan will not be very long delayed. In France, the defeat of M. Poincare is attributed, not to his foreign policy, but to increasing taxation and the high cost, of living. It is true that the Radicals, who will now bo called upon io form a Government, opposed the occupation of the Ruhr without the consent and participation cl Britain. As to the reparations plan, it is stated that Frenchmen are clutching at the Experts Committee's report in the belief that it will stop the heavy expenditure in the Ruhr. But they evidently realise the advantage that the’ ’stranglehold on the Ruhr gives France, so far as the securing of a satisfactory settlement of the reparations question and of really substantial guarantees is concerned.— “ Times,” Wellington. A FINANCIAL CRITIC. As a financial critic. Air T. M. Wilfovd, M.P., has methods of his own. Only Llie other day he was advocating concessions to railwaymen which would have cost the country upwards oi a million a year, but at Waipukuxau on Monday, night, his theme, of ali things. was the financial extravagance of the Government. When the Liberals left the National Government in 1919, he said, the expenditure from the Consolidated Fund was £18,673,599, but three years later it had jumped to Mr Wilferd apparently overlooked the fact that this expendiutre in 1923 was reduced by over £2.0K).000. But what people would now like to know, no doubt, is what items, if any. in the increase recorded Mr Wilford wished to cut out. Public curiosity will be all the more whetted since in tho House of Representatives Mr Wilford is singularly shy of coming down to details. At the present moment Mr Wilfoikl is responsible for proposals which would increase expenditure out of the Consolidated Fund by several millions a year. -’’Dominion,” Wellington. CANADA AND EMPIRE. . The opinion expressed by Sir James Allen that there is a possibility of th.-i secession of Canada from the Empire partnership as a consequence of the rejection of the Imperial Conference proposals will be generally regarded as a very serious indiscretion on the part of the New Zealand High Commissioner. Tt is interesting to review the tendencies manifested of late years in the great Dominion which support the view that with Canada the Imperial bond is weaker than with other partners of the Empire, with possibly the exception of South Africa. There have appealed in Canada from time to time sporadic advocates of secession, but they have been neither numerous no; influential, though much has been made of such utterances bv the American Press as evidence of a disposition on the part of their northern neighbour to throw in their lot with the United States. Canada, however, is at present in possession of a form of government which affords her allVhe advantages of independence without any of its disadvantages. Auckland “Star."