PUBLIC OPINION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17525, 30 April 1925, Page 6

PUBLIC OPINION.

WHAT OTHER WRITERS ARE SAYING. BRITAIN AND DRUG TRADE. The British Ambassador at Washington lias seized an opportunity to deny in public some of the charges made against Britain by detractors in the United States. One of them, upon which he touched very lightly, bears on the question of narcotic drugs. An incident at a League of Nations Conference at Geneva lasi. December, held for the purpose of dealing with the drug traffic, was doubtless in bis mind. It has certainly been made the vehicle for numerous attacks on Britain, as witness the statement published in a responsible New York newspaper: 'Great Britain is the greatest purveyor in the world of habit-forming drugs.'' There have been insinuations that Britain is allowing the opium produced in India to remain a menace to the American public for the sake of gain. The contention ignores several basic tacts. Morphine and heroin arc the substances most used by drug addicts. Indian opium is not suitable for their manufacture. If no single poppy plant were grown in Tndia again, the smuggling of opium from China—-whore it is now grown without restraint - into the United States would flourish just as much as ever.— ‘‘Herald/ ? Auckland. PROVINCI AT, JEAJ.OUSY. Auckland citizens seem to be greatly interested in the alleged threatened spoliation of the Bowen Fulls hv the establishment of a nitrate producing plant. The Auckland Rotary Club has asked the Government to prevent the proposed scheme being put into effect, and the Auckland daily papers are bitterly opposed to tiro scheme. All this may seem very strange to the unsophisticated, un-

aware of the strong provincialism of Uic Aucklander, who is always rcady tc> raise- a liowl about tbo development of any industry calculated to advance another province. Tlic sentimental plea that is being advanced as to rile loss of scenic beauty is all -so much camouflage. The average Aucklander knows nothing of the beauties o! Miiforcl Sound or of the "Western Fiordland generally, and cares less. Ihe Northerners never tiro of painting weird pictures of the inaccessibility find climatic rigours of the Southern scenic beauties. And there is, of course some truth in the inaccessibility part of the statement. But if the nitrate syndicate is permitted to go ahead and open up Milford Sound to ihe outside world by establishing a shipping line and form a proper overland track, then the number of people who Mill see these wonders, plus a little industria? development, will he very great by comparison with the tew hundreds who have so far had the privilege.—“Clutlia Free Press.” FINANCIAL TUG-OF-WAR. Bitter experience should prompt British statesmen and bankers to move M-ith the utmost caution in the face of American urgiugs for a return to the gold standard. Whether the Imperial Government was actuated by lofty idealism and a characteristic determination to play the game in connection with the arrangement made for the repayment of Britain’s war indebtedness to the United States as well as the efforts of the Allied and Associated Powers to restore economic peace I” * ai . ro P°’ the stern fact remains that Britain is paying clearly for the aid she ,R rendering in putting Germany on her feet, and accepting the Dawes 1 lan Hie Bank of England, in view ot the desirability of helping sterling to parity, decided at once to demon” strate beyond all doubt its determination to keep foreign balances in London and protect sterling exchange. But tiie raising of the London Bank rate from 4 per cent (at which it l.ad stood since July o, 1923) to 5 per cent, even to meet the move of the American bankers, imposes an additional burden upon British industrial development and commercial activity, while adding vew largely to the nation’s interest obligations.— “Timaru Herald// THE WHEAT GROWER. During last mouth 1300 tuns of Australian flour were imported imo New Zealand. This is a new development. Last year New Zealand’s wheat yield tell short ot domestic requirements. but locally grown wheat was gristed until supplies were in sight of exhaustion point, and then the Government kept the New Zealand mills going with Australian purchases. The succeeding wheat liarves: ii New Zealand has fallen even further sin i t of requirements. The yield is e-ti mated to cover only eight or nine mouths of the Dominion’s consump-t:c-ii. But long before that time has elapsed importations, not of wheat, but of flour, from Australia are being made. The changed form in which, the importations of foodstuffs is being made, is significant. There has. iti the meantime, been a lifting of embargoes, and protection to the two local industries concerned now consists solely in fust inns duties. The policy of projection is designed to ensure that Now Zea'und shall be self-supporting in the matter of this indispensable foodstuff As the history of the last couple of years has proved, that policy has failed. Now Zealand is not growing enough for her own requirements. -‘ Star.” Dunedin. NEW POSTAGE STAMPS. The official announcement oi the decision lo issue new stamps in connection with the Dunedin Exhibition does not explain the Department’s intentions. It. may mean merely that a special series of stamps is to be printed to commemorate, mud incij dentally to advertise, the exhibition, or that the ocasion has been selected for a permanent change in the design of the lower denominations. The former would be open to critcism, which Mould certainly be expressed by the spokesmen of the great fraternity of philatelists, on whose behalf protests have frequently been made against the use of stamps to record minor incidents in national history. But if the new design is to replace those now in use, the decision will be of much wider interest and importance. It may imply an effort to raise New Zealand stamps to a higher artistic standard. There G certainly room tor improvement. : Herald,” Auckland.