The Tuapeka Times. AND Goldfields Reporter & Advertiser "Measures, not Men" SATURDAY, AUG. 16, 1919.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 6689, 16 August 1919, Page 2

The Tuapeka Times. AND Goldfields Reporter & Advertiser "Measures, not Men" SATURDAY, AUG. 16, 1919.

OOMMJJJJT OiY TOPICS. lwomu *" uo a t r ° tlio papers were full of IT, 13 W™oJ. i y Lb ugamst tlio Department's new A copy of tlih document has come into our hands from which we fe-'ther that it is published for general "iloriuation, and therefore infer that comment upon it is desirabb. In view , or the deluge of complaints it may be uoted that ajiy disaatislcd officer is informed that be may forward to tho secrctuxy of the Department, within thirty uuys of the reception of tho list, an appeal setting forth the grounds of hij dissatisfaction for consideration of the Board of Appeal. Tims, it seems, the meetings of protest 'vvlioso resolution were telegraphed all over the country Were somewhat premature, for, it may be reasonably expected, some appeals will bo allowed, and accordingly the il list Wlli bo different in some respects to the prosent. As outsidors »'c are rather surprised that thoro s iould have been such a widespread chorus of dissatisfaction. Porhaps tho increases in salary may not quite neutralise the augmented cost of living, out, at any rate, they arc substantial, and, in normal times would bo thought lib--1 Tllu fo " r men at tho head, comprising the Administrative Division, and including the secretary, £IOOO, the Chief I'elegraph Engineer, £901), tho first Assistant Secretary, £BOO, and the Second Assistant Secretary, £775, obtain no liso. ihe increases in the uppor ranks of tho clerical division seem to run from nothing to £IOO per annum. Probably those—of whom there are but fow, however, —who get no rise, will bo dissatisfied and will appeal. Thoy slfould, at any rate, for, apart from tho fact that the rise in the cost of living has practically reduced their wagos, thoir being accepted suggests invidious comparisons. The rises ia the lower ranks of the clerical division seem to run from £ls to £SO. But why should not all in similar positions get equal rises I The salaries varied originally, but some have jumped up level with their confreres, while others enjoy only a moderate increase, leaving them still behind more fortunate brethren on tho lists. In the general decision the increase seems to average between £.'lo and £lO, but there appears to be similar discrepancies in the wages of men occupying similar positions. Cadotagot a lit t of from £3O to £.30, aad messago boys ami message girls £l-, their wage being brought up to a modest pound a week. One remarkable feature, of tho classification list, which should commend the Post, and Telegraph Department to the favourable consideration of intelligent young ladies sooking employment, is tho absenco of information regarding tho age of female officers. The age of every man and boy is given, but the gallant Department leaves a blank opposite cvory t'emalo name under (he heading. Age on .'(lst •March, l!)ll). However, the a miable intentions of tbe Department are to some extent stultified, when we read "ppusite a lady's name, 2S years' superannuation service on Hist March, 1019.

The returned giunts of politics, tbo t.'astor iind 'Pollux, or tlie Heavenly Twins of the political firmament of New Zealand, even if lliey split partntTslii]), will doubtless concur in ono tiling. They will liotli tell us that wo are remarkably well oil' compared with the people uf the countries they havo been visiting;. The, cable columns arc full nowadays of strikes and e.oinmotinns mainly caused by tlie excessive costs, iii Britain and Kuropc, of the necessaries of life. Unfortunately, lubour unrest in Britain is assuming a revolutionary aspect. How much of this is due to the preoccupation or apathy ot the Government when asked to deal with tlie disabilities of wage-earners, and how much to a deliberate conspiracy aiming at a revolution, there in uo means of telling at present. But the strike of the police, the second they have tried, appears to have thoroughly alarmed the authorities. The refusal of many giinliaas of the peace to continue the performance of their duties appears to have had as its object the recognition by the Government of the right uf all British policemen to form an association to look after their common iir-tciv-ts. The hurried introduction of a Hill into Parliament to legalise the formation of such an association seems to have cut the ground from under fho feet of the strike leaders, and to have cl.augi'd what was meant to be a universal mutiny of constables into a partial ,-trike in London, Liverpool, Birmingham, ami some other places. The denizens of the slums, especially in Liverpool, took advantage of the absence of police supervision, and had a right royal time of looting and rioting. Soldiers have had to be employed, tanks and machine guns brought into the streets, special constables sworn in, and even war vessels employed to protect property 011 the waterside. Though al. present the Home Government sternly refuses to reiiistante strikers, and the men seem to be disunited, the commotion caused by the loss of the services of a small percentage of the police force will probably necessitate larger bribes to keep quiet the preservers of tho pence. The, Metropolitan Police do not seem to have extensively participated in the recent strike, Perhaps tho provincial police really struck to bring up their wages into: line with the London standard. - The..Metropolitan police struck on August 2,'/, lyiS, mid for two days London was practically policoless. On August 31 a deputation obtained the following terms from the Primo Minister. An increase of wages from 30s to 13s a week, a war bonus of 12s a week, a child's grant war bonus of 2s <id a week, and a pension of 10s a week for widows. A constable also, who had been dismissed, had to be reinstantod unconditionally, while the Commissioner of Police resigned, and waa succeeded by Lieutenant-General fc>ir Neville Macready, ' the present Commissioner of Police.

One of the most notable effects of the lute war was tho deposition ot the British sovereign. We don't me.m George V., but tho golden coin which bears his image and superscription. Where are the beautiful golden sovereigns and Imlf-sovoreigns ? Many gone to America no doubt, some, it is said, melted down into bullion for, tho uso of jewellers, many perhaps hoarded away in various parts of the world. Anyhow tho British Empire has passed from a metallic to a paper currency. By the operation of what ecbiioisls call Giesham's law paper currency lias driven out gold. After miles were made logal tender wo wars committed to the strange experiment of transacting binnen with an iMMS&rtoble

per currency, and so l'ar have come to ' no great harm except a great rise in the cost of living. Tliis rise is now generally attributed by financiers to the inflation of the currency. There is at present far more currency with which to buy goods tlrau there are goods to buy. Consequently currency is depreciated in value as expressed in goods, and it takes more currency to buy goods. In other words the price of everything is high. However, the ordinary wage-earner may take some comfort from the reflection that it is not the first time England has tried an incontrovertible paper currency without being ruined From 171)7 to I*l.} there was hardly a guinea in circulation, yet this period "was remarkable for a great expansion of trade and commerce; though gold almost disappeared from circulation, no ditliculty was found in settling foreign exchanges, and the Government was even able besides to obtain large sums of metallic money to .pay and feed our armies abroad and subsidise those of other States." Too many notes, however, must not be made and ciculated. The war has caused already too great an inflation, and every new loan augments it. If everybody has plenty of money everybody bids against everybody else for desired goods, and up jumps the price of the latter like that of stuff sold by auction at a partiotic bazaar. Paper is the most convenient form of currency, but ' it is made so easily that Governments are always apt to make too much of it. An article in the Quarterly Review for last January states the following as a fact:—"ln August. 1915. in connection with the flotation of the 41 per cent, loan, the Government undertook to make advances to bankers in order to enable them iu their turn to make advances to their clients for the purpose of meeting instalments of subscriptions to that loan." There is an example of modern high finance. The good old British Government, with the great statesmen Asquith and LloydGeorge at the head, lent money to banks to enablo them to lend money to customers, so that the latter could lend it to the Government again. Talk about taking in "one another's washing" and the "vicious circle" after that. Bow can one expect finances to be satisfactory after such financial juggling ? ,