PUBLIC OPINION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17524, 29 April 1925, Page 6

PUBLIC OPINION.

WHAT OTHER WRITERS ARE SAYING. IJI X DEN BURG’S RETL'R N - ’•’lie candidature of Hindenburg which, when it was first announced three weeks ago, had the air of a forlorn hope and was made by the broomstick parades of goose-stepping patriots and by their idol’s persistent evasion of pertinent questions to look very like a joke, has passed beyond a joke now. He wore a lield-marslial’s uniform when he took the salute of his admirers at Hanover last week, and his reply to a deputation of Nationalist- workers on the following day i agree with your ideals, and what l can do in this matter A\ill be done. I am the man to carry through my purpose with the Lord’s aid. But on the following day he was unable to say what that purpose was, nor did he even know which side lie was on. Asked whether he favoured the Republic or the Monarchy, lie replied enigmatically that his personal wishes were of no avail. Such a coyness would have been intelligible and pardonable in an ignorant and nervous beginner, hut for the pillar of the hopes nf the Monarchists and the militarists to be unable to soy where he stood, v.n« io carry farce to its furthest limit.

" Post.” Wellington. BULGARIA IX TURMOIL. The seriousness of the situation in Bulgaria tail be gauged from the fact that permission lias been given for the armed forces of the countrv. limited bv thc Treaty of Xeliillv, to be increased by 10.000 men. Reave would not bo given il it were no more than another instance of political differences being settled in a manner highly favoured in the Balkans. A British Labour politician describes the present upheaval as the consequence of a police of agitation and repression. His storv ”is not pitched in the key of kindness but there is evidence, unfortunately, that there is truth behind it. The Administration now struggling; against rising tides of disorder appears to have carried on faithfully a had tradition it inherited It is a bourgeois Government. Preceding it was an agrarian administration which fought with many stratagems and few scruples to retain power. When it fell its successor proved to have learned the lesson of repressive methods only too well ■' Herald." Auckland. SHORTAGE OF WHEAT Readers of the • Times ” will have ncen prepared for the news tiia* a « er ;. yus shortage in Dominion-grown wheat is threatened. The position w; - discussed when a large deputation of mil,f;rs waited on the executive of the Xew Zealand Farmers' Union.'The estimate-, yield for 192.-, is slight!,- over hve million bushels. The Dominion s total requirements are approximate!,- between 8.000,000 and 9.000.000 bushels. A httlc arithmetic will reveal the rleiici- 1 ency. which is substantial enough to I

cause concern outside the ranks of the growers and the millers. This problem origin a steadily-increasig disinclination on the part of the wheat men to cc*ntinue the industrv. The reasons fothat discontent are. or should be, fain- i iliar. Fewer and fewer acres a-c being put down in wheat because man farmers have arrived at the conclusion that the game is not worth the candle.—“ Times.” Wellington. THE FIRST CAUTIOUS STEP. Anxiety was caused ,'n business circles by the adoption of a clause in the Taxation Committee’s report of last >ear. suggesting the inclusion of all inf ome in future taxation returns. This means that shareholders are to state the amount of dividends received, and tnerc was a fear it also meant something in the nature of double taxation. The idea is to obtain data that will enaole the Taxation Department to arrive at a conclusion as to the elic :t of abolishing company tax and lowing the whole of the taxation on the individual. There has been a pretty general demand for this system, the argunent being that it will dispose of the ■ uany existing anomalies, and place the )urden where it should be placed. With he entire amount of assessable m•ome to guide them members of Pariament should be in a position to decide whether the whole or part of the ompany taxation should be abolished, uid in what manner the deliciencv, if my. could be made good. Our opinon is that if the Government knew ex.ctly how much wealth is escaping taxation under the haphazard system now n vogue the Department might be able o reduce taxation materially with»ut the revenue suffering to any appreiable extent. —“ Southland Times.’’ IRELAND IN IRISH HANDS. Not so very lung ago there were rifihmen who never tired ot asserting hat under .(intis It rule Ireland was io-t only misgoverned but exploited, hose Irishmen, unless they choose to ratio plain tacts, are now under the iccessity of admitting that Irish aiuirs were managed mueli better and lore economically under British run* han they are being' managed to-day y Irishmen. I hough it is loaded y Great Britain, the Irish Free State > at present suffering under the twin vils of trade depression and high axation. In Ins Budget speech tlie iher day, the' Free State AJmister ol inance (Mr It. Blythe) announced a eduction of the income tax to 4s; but pparently this concession is to be otf.l liy increases in Customs duties. .t the moment, the Irish income tax > on a lower level than the .British standard rate of -1s Gd. but it is anticipated that the British Budget to be introduced ibis week will prc\ ide for tlic reduction of the income tax at least to Is. and possibly to 3s Gd in the £l. Thus the Free State is not only increasing indirect taxation, on which it. chiefly relies, but is keeping ireet taxation at least as high as iu Iritain.— ‘’Dominion.Wellington.