THE VOICE OF THE PRESS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19786, 9 March 1927, Page 12

THE VOICE OF THE PRESS

WHAT THE PAPERS ARE SAYING

TOWN PLANNING. A matter that should receive early attention is that of giving effect to th? Town Planning Act of last session. The Municipal Conference, at its recent meeting, maffe no veryAelptui contribution to the discussion of this question, but it is open to individual boroughs to make good and effective use of their powers under the new legislation. There appears to be a danger that town planning may be given a slow and difficult start in this country simply because its advantages are not commonly known and understood. There have been some suggestions by members of local bodies and others that town planning involves heavy expenditure, or even fanciful extravagance. but any sueh suggestion will fall to the ground as soon as it is fairly examined. Town planning has one of its strongest claims to consideration in the fact that it is a potent means of saving money and avoiding waste and extravagance. This is true not only where municipal administration is concerned, but with regard to the development and use of private property. Land is never put to more profitable use than when it is cut up and developed in accordance with a well-considered town planning scheme. These facts will become familiar as enterprising municipalities apply town planning principles to the areas under their control.— ‘ ‘ Wairararapa Age. 7 ’

r IMPERIAL PREFERENCE W? may admit, that in this country —and the same is true of Australia — we are not doing all we could to help British trade. Britain takes 80 per cent, of our exports: we take rather under 50 per cent, of our imports from Britain. We are taking far too much from the rnited States which takes far too little from us. We do give a tariff preference to British goods, but it isxlearlv not big enough. In Britain, while they can not at present give us sueh preference, they are Irving to promote a public demand for Empire products. We have done practically nothing in that direction. Our shops are filled with goods of foreign origin, although in many cases British goods could have been secured. The facts are well* known, and are generally regretted. Everyone in theory will admite the desirableness of co-operation between the Old Country and the Dominions. Everyone must see that if we do not support British industry we are reducing the market for our own produce. . But the individual buyer takes what is offered him and rarely inquires where it comes from. We ought to encourage co-opera-tion here, just as it is being encouraged at Home. It is only by the practice of mutual help, and by promoting interImperial trade that we can hope to maintain the strength and prosperity of the Empire.—“Hawke’s Bay Herald.’’

WAGES AND SALES No reasonable objects to the payment of high wages, providing the service rendered in return for such payment leaves him a sufficient margin for the profitable conduct of his own business. Too many people, unfortunately, both in New Zealand and in Australia seem to think that industries can be conducted without such a return, overlooking the important fact that sales are dependent not only upon the laws of supply and demand, but upon the cost of production. If any line of trade goods becomes too costly, such goods only find a very limited market and that on unprofitable trading conditions. —“Manawatu Standard.” DOMINION PUBLICITY Tf there are, in the ranks of the small English capitalist, mon who would improve their own prospects and at the same time bring fresh energy and an increased flow of money to the Dominions, it seems that those who interest themselves in Empire settlement and development would render a great service to the cause if they made New Zealand better known to the class of prospective settler to whom we refer here. The organisation of tours by the sons of those Englishmen provides a new channel of publicity for the Dominion which would prove very effective from every point of view and one that this country should seek to use. Tf it were necessary to make reasonable concessions to enable such a touring party to include New Zealand in its itinerary, it would be polite for the Government to use some of the funds earmarked for publicity purposes for [that object.—“Hawera Star.”

SETTLING LABOUR DISPUTES The idea which is now coming to the front is that means should be found of ascertaining readily and reliably the economic facts of an industry in which wage claims are under consideration, and that the claims shall be considered dispassionately in the light of indisputable knowledge. For the purpose of ascertaining the economic position of an industry, it is suggested that an authoritative panel of scientific investigators should be established, having the confidence of both sides. Even that method would be quite useless, unless both the employers and the workers actually abide by decisions made. There must be a submission of this kind before any solution of the problem is possible.— “Taranaki Daily News.” PREVENTIVE RELIEF. The Minister of Health has been commendably bold in urging that the larger Hospital Boards should make provision for the vocational training of applicants for relief. Experience proves that many applicants come to the boards because of an incapacity that is not primarily or chiefly physical. They lack what may be termed occupational fitness. They have insufficient means of subsistence because they have not the aptitude for efficient work. They are the “dead water” at the bottom of the fluctuating tide of unemployment; whatever change may take place in its level, they persistently contribute to it. They have an urgent claim to practical sympathy, and they get it. Yet it must be admitted that the mere dispensing of monetary and kindred relief, to help them in their pressing distress, is not the highest or truest form of “charitable aid.”—“New Zealand Herald.”

NATIVE FLORA. A great deal of the diminution of 'New Zealand’s native flora is due to cause over which the people have little or no control, but it does not follow that much cannot be done to preserve it. At the Nurserymen’s Conference in January it was suggested that a native bush reserve should be established. The practicability of this proposal, and the objection that climatic diversity forbids the successful formation of one reserve, may be left for expert discussion. But even if it be practicable or even if several such areas were to be established, this plan would by no means prove effective in bringing about the desired preservation of so much that is unique in its beauty. What is required is a popular inculcation of appreciation of the glories of the bush and of native flora in general.—“Ashburton Guardian. ” THE FREEZING INDUSTRY. The Arbitration Court has granted increases all round to the workers employed in the handling and slaughtering of stock. These increases of course, will be a further tax on the farmers, for the freezing companies are not going to pav them. While wo have no feelings of envy towards the men whose wages are going up, we feel genuinely sorry for the farmers, for with the lower prices for lamb and mutton and the other products of the farm, coupled with the heavy tax on the primary production caused through the high cost of things generally and the higher taxation, they are scarcely in a position to face a further financial load. The members of the Arbitration Court probably know their business, and we should hesitate to pass judgment on them; but we shall be very much surprised if there is not an outcry from one end of the country to the other over this new award. One thing we hope, that the industry will work peacefully, and that there will be no further wrangling between the companies and the men. All parties should abide by the award until it can be altered in a lawful and proper way.—“Feilding Star.” THE ARBITRATION COURT. We mentioned some weeks since, the opinion of a New Zealander, who, in answer to a question put him in New York, averred that seventy per cent, of the Dominion workmen were as decent a lot of people as could be found in any part, of the world, and once having entered into a contract regarding hours, wages, etc., would faithfully carry it out. Referring to this, a large employer of New Zealand labour called upon us and said: “I wish to correct a mistake which appeared in the ‘Mercantile Gazette’ recently, which stated that seventy per cent of the workmen in New Zealand would scrupulously carry out any undertaking they entered into with their employer. I wish to assure you that I am certain that ninety, not seventy, per cent, of our Dominion workers are honourable, straightforward men and women, and would honour tbmr bond.” We have no doubt the correction was justified, and, if so, compulsory arbitration is clearly not wanted for nine-tenths of our labour people, and the other ten per cent, unfortunately accepts the compulsory award only if they consider it suits them. If it does not, they treat it with contempt, knowing there is no danger of punishment. Of what use, then, is the whole paraphernalia of a Court, which is unable to invoke the usual legal sanctions to compel those who defy its lawful commands to obey the law. If nine-tenths of our people require no compulsion, and the other tenth cannot be compelled to carry out the award, what justification is there for the existence of the Court? What good docs it serve?—“Mercantile Gazette.” ELECTION OF LOCAL BODIES The present system of electing a full council every two years has serious weaknesses. Continuity of policy and administration might be better secured if the custom followed by private companies of retiring a proportion of their directors in rotation were adopted. Private companies have followed this system because it enables the shareholders to keep a check on the directors without undue disturbance of policy and administration. If a certain proportion of the councillors were to retire at stated intervals the election to fill their places would enable the public from time to time to express its opinion more effectively. Such a system would have the additional value of preventing a complete turnover of policy, with its reaction upon the general programme of civic enterprises, as the result of a block faction victory. At the same time, it should enable a fair balance of interests in the council to be maintained. The plan would involve legislative amendments which the Government would be disinclined to undertake without general approval. But it is well worth considering as one aspect of the general question of municipal reform which must be faced if we are to keep abreast of the times. The city should be run as a business, not as a political system—- ‘ ‘ Dominion. ’ ’ RADIO TRAFFIC. Amateurs in radio in New Zealand are beginning to fear the threat that commercial radio traffic will intrude into wave lengths where they have been hitherto unmolested. The popular expansion of the science, with al! it means, demands the regulation of radio traffic before its volume increases. The science is a green twig in this country. We can give it a good start by studying the lessons to be learned from the first and foremost country in the radio field, the United States of America. There the clash of different interests using radio has been obviated by allotting separate wave bands. Not only is the province of the amateur safeguarded with a frequency channel, but eighteen other interests, including those of the Press, the Government, and general and educational experimenters, have a wave band allotted them. If the New Zealand Government be on the side of those who crowd amateurs off the air, the only conclusion one can come to is that the Government does not understand the position. In the interests of science, of national progress, and of international goodwill, it should be protecting and nursing the very section that it threatens to persecute.— , Christchurch ‘ ‘ Sun. ’ ’