The Wanganui Chronicle WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1936. AN HISTORIAN SPEAKS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 279, 25 November 1936, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1936. AN HISTORIAN SPEAKS

one lime a Liberal politician, Mr. Phillip Guedalla lias forsaken the forum for the historian’s study. His biography of the Duke of Wellington, and his editing of the letters which passed between Queen Victoria and .Mr. Gladstone have added lustre to a name which was already illumined by the. history of the Second Empire of France. He has now produced another interesting book in which he essays to draw the attention of his readers to the important phases of world history in the last century. His book entitled “The Hundred Years,” deals interestingly with the many phases of the period, and none less interesting is that which deals with Paris in 1848, after the revolution had successfully sent a King packing- in the February of lhat eventful year. “ Unfortunately changes of regime.” writes Mr. Gucdalla. "however heartening, are powerless to solve all problems, since economic troubles rarely yield to political treatment. A transfer of allegiance, new designs for postage stamps, a change of uniforms, and a fresh coinage will hardly exorcise Ihe spectre of starvation: and so long- as that was present, tin- economic: problem was unsolved. Purely political reforms are quite irrelevant to economic problems, since il is no more enjoyable to starve under a republic than under a monarchy; and a dull mass of discontent remained untouched by the successes of the February Revolution. For while the sky was bright with promise above the. white sails of the Young Republic, a long groundswell of misery ran strongly, and the new ship began to creak. “Starvation was the danger; and a strange economic aberration had done its best to concentrate starvation in the capital. Wellmeaning politicians, faced with the miseries of unemployment, succumbed at once to the temptations of a rash policy of public works without the customary pretence that any ol the works were of the slightest public utility. The Ateliers Nalionatix, a group of ill-conceived establishments where unskilled labour found useless employment at the general expense, were an erratic gesture to which the Republic sought to indicate its kindly feeling’s towards the working class. For there was a growing danger tfiat their paths might diverge, since, it was manifest that the mere proclamation of a new form of Government had failed to satisfy material demands. The foregoing paragraphs from a renowned contemporary English historain should not be lightly passed over by readers in New Zealand. It. might be worth while enquiring in how far the public works now being undertaken in New Zealand are adding to the capacity of the Dominion to increase its output oi material goods! If the Dominion is not increasing- its output, then the public works policy which is at present being pursued is adding’ a capital burden to the economic machine -without a corresponding benefit. In fine, public works may lune to be regarded as luxuries, and the position appears to ho similar to a carpenter who is denied the right to buy fools hid who is nevertheless forced to purchase a Rolls-Royce car.