THE VOICE OF THE PRESS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19774, 23 February 1927, Page 13

THE VOICE OF THE PRESS

WHAT THE PAPERS ARE SAYING'

BACK TO THE LAND There have been evidences throughout the years that the lure of the towns is irresistible to the majority, and perhaps more so in this age than in any stage that civilisation has reached. This all has a derogatory influence upon agricultural development, and a young country like New Zealand cannot afford to have the lifeblood of its primary industry sapped. Many answers as to the various causes for the urban drift may be given and many remedies suggested, but it is undeniable that the best brains of the thinking world have not reached a solution of the problem.—Waikato “Times.” GOSPEL OF HOPEFULNESS People who are anxious to see the unemployment difficulty removed must be gratified with the recent indications that the problem is being met in the proper spirit. The Prime Minister is giving a good lead in his speeches to those who wish to check pessimism, and we have no doubt that, when he has had time to formulate proposals, his actions will be equally encouraging. In the meantime he is doing no mean service by preaching a gospel of hopc•fulness. A gloomy outlook does not help us, and it increases our difficulties, because there are always those who will go to extremes in stopping works and shortening staffs. Prudence and economy should not be confused with panic and the parsimony that is really wasteful. —Wellington “Post.” BRITISH COAL STRIKE The cost to Britain of the coal strike, directly and indirectly, may be set down as between three and four ■hundred millions. But the oversea© dominions suffered also. New Zealand exports were affected. To some extent our present unemployment difficulties are the result of the most foolish and the most costly strike in the industrial history of the world. In the end the strikers had to return to work on terms inferior to those offered them before the actual strike commenced. To attain (or to fail to) this the miners lost 140,000,000 working days. But Moscow and Cook willed it, and there’s an end.—Napier “Daily Telegraph.” NEW ZEALAND-MADE GOODS It has been the experience of practically every country in the world that in its early industrial days there has

existed among its people a crushing prejudice against its own manufactures. It seems part of human nature to regard the goods that the other man makes as better than those of one’s, countrymen. So out of the country the money goes, in flow the imports, and an adverse trade balance appears. It must not be inferred that we claim that every article made in New Zealand is as good as or better than the imported article. In a young country such as ours everything approaching perfection in manufacturing comes with experience. But in many lines New Zealand docs stand supreme and still her citizens persist in paying more for inferior imported articles.—-South-land ** Times.” “AUSTRALASIA” It is interesting to learn that the movement in New Zealand against the use of the word “Australasia” has had substantial results. The High Commissioner in London reports that both he and his predecessor have done everything possible to remove the word from the British Press, and Str James Parr is able to say that its use in Britain is becoming rare. The New Zealand objection implies no hostility Australia. It is simply that “Australasia” deprives New Zealand of her separate identity. 11 Australasia” is sometimes a useful word, ana. as Tennyson and William Watson have shown—“by the long wash of Australasian seas,” and “the iris of the Australasian spray”—it can be used beautifully. Generally speaking, however, it conceals our independence and importance, and helps to spreacT the idea that we are an appanage of Australia. New Zealand objects to it, not from vanity, but from a proper sense of self-respect and self-protec-tion.—Auckland “Star.” FARMERS AND MILLERS It is very desirable, that farmers and millers should work hand in hand; but until the miller gives some proof that he will not desert the farmer after using him, he should not be allowed a very important place in the farmer’s calculations. The farmer’s first, last, and only concern at this stage should be to fight for himself. No one else is in danger, no one else’s success or failure will seriously affect the general public. It was actually announced by a miller solemnly, and as if in answer to a general belief to the contrary, that the millers did not oppose dumping duties, or intend taking any line of action against the farmers. The

important questions are: What have tAey done to help the farmer, ana what do they now propose to do in return for the help he is giving them If the millers axe the fanners’ friends, they should give some clear proof of friendship before being carried any further on the grower’s back.—Christ cSkarch “Press.” CIVIC ELECTIONS We have never subscribed to the doctrine that political issues are involved in purely local elections. The City Council is the body appointed to administer the affairs o* the £lty, control and extend many public services, and advance the general interests. Ninetenths of the matters which come f up for consideration are of purely local importance, many requiring financial ability and others business acumen. That being the case, the need is for councillors fitted to undertake the work in the best interests of the-citi-zens. During the course of a campaign inevitably many issues arise, but the election is really the duty laid upon the people to elect a chairman and board of directors to handle the business affairs of the city. The money to be spent is the money of the civic shareholders, and they should be as careful in selecting the council which fs to carry out the work as they would be in the selection of any other trustees. —Lyttelton “Times.” PROTECTION OF MILLERS An attempt to persuade the Government to prohibit the importation of flour was made by a deputation in Wellington, ostensibly representing farmers, millers, and merchants. This proposal exceeds in effrontery that made by a similar deputation, though it did not include wheatgrowers, last February, when a request was made that wheat should be admitted dutyfree, the tariff on flour being maintained. The extraordinary feature is that any representative farmers should be associated with such a proposition. The great body of rural opinion is very plainly opposed to the granting of increased protection to secondary industry; it would be interesting to knowhow much sympathy there is among farmers of the rest of the Dominion for the efforts of Canterbury farmers to secure absolute protection for the flour-milling industry.—“ New Zealand Herald. ’ ’ AN UNECONOMIC POSITION Neither private nor Government finance can accomplish the impossible, and the demands made upon both by labour to-day have set up the uneconomic position in which the farming and allied industries find themselves, forced to dispense with labour, which they could and would employ were its cost less. The higher wages demanded in these post-war days would not matter so much were the returns commensurate with the increase, but many employers and would-be employers have found to their cost that the return is quite inadequate to meet the increased cost arising out of higher

3 wages, fewer hours of work, the goI slow policy adopted by a certain class . of worker and the growing inefficiency ‘of labour. Should the Government , undertake relief works, as it probably ■ will do, it can hardly continue the - rates of payment on the scale demanded by the unions, and any proposal to introduce the dole system, which has proved such an incentive to continued unemployment in the Motherland with a certain class of worker, should . be strenuously resisted.— Manawatu “Standard.” M.P.’s AJSTD DONATIONS By hearty and unanimous vote, mem. bers of the New Zealand Parliament,, Reform, Liberal, and Labour, would certainly approve of one of the recom mendations passed at a sitting of the Australian Electoral Commission. Tins is to the effect that legislators should be debarred from making any gifts or subscriptions to any individual or body of individuals, such a,s sporting or .charitable bodies. The only point likely to bo disputed is the correct term for such gifts. The Commission, with brutal candour, calls them bribes. Most M.P.’s, in private, of course. 1 must feel disposed to brand the. whole system as something akin to blackmail and extortion. Among sporting bodies, at any rate, the custom is to class the gifts or subscriptions as a legitimate and very satisfactory source of revenue. The poor M.P. is generally elected patron, president or vice-presi-dent, and the guineas must follow. Even. ex-M.P.’s, prominent business men, retired farmers and merchants are drawn into the net. A different system is desirable, but it will be hard to bring about. Only prohibitive legislation would completely free politicians from the tax.—Christchurch ”Star.” AFFORESTATION In addition to the commercial value of forests, they are of vital import- 1 ance in the life of every nation, because of their influence on the water , supply and agriculture, and the general welfare of the community. It is now generally accepted by those competent to judge that at least 30 per cent, of Che area of any country should consist of forest land. The present forest area of New Zealand is approximately 18 per cent, of the whole, and it is therefore essential, for climatic reasons alone, to lose no further time in establishing forests. We have long held the opinion that the Government should shape their immigration policy so as to develop a wide expansion of forestry. We have the land lying idle upon which capital expenditure m forestry would within the period of an ordinary long-dated loan bring handsome returns to the State. Ana the establishment of forests would lead to large employment of labour. It is calculated that one man is required to every 100 acres in the primary establishment of a forest and that subsequently, ‘when the forests reach the utility stage every 15 acres will give permanent employment to one worker. —Poverty Bay “Herald.” VISITS BY BRITISH MINISTERS It would be a highly advantageous thing if it were rendered possible not only for a member of the British Government to visit the dominions every year but also for a representative of the Opposition to do so. The Empire Parliamentary Association is performing a service of considerable value in securing that delegations from the Parliaments within the Empire shall make periodical visits to portions of the Empire other than their own. For example, it cannot be doubted that what was learned by the members of the British Parliament who visited Australia last year under the auspices of this Association constituted a revelation to them, not only of the vastness of the Commonwealth and of its wealth but also of the complexity of some of the problems which the people of that continent have to solve. There is no educative influence more important than that which is provided by travelling if only the traveller has eyes to see and ears to hear. It would be in the interest of the Empire as a whole if the widest possible facilities were offered to its public men to visit the countries of which their knowledge is merely that obtained at second hand and to examine on the spot the conditions that obtain in those countries and that may even bo peculiar to them.—Otago “Daily Times.” WADE’S WORM FIGS. These terrible parasites sap the strength and vitality from the body. WADE’S WORM FIGS should be given immediately the pAsence of worms is suspected. Pleasant to take; absolutely harmlew. gentle and prompt in action. WADE’S WORM FIGS are obtainable from chemists and stores.