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Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 713, 12 January 1910, Page 4

The dispute in ; the slaughtering trade, with its attendant possibility of . a strike, has within the past day or two assumed a more hopeful aspect. There appears to have beon a misunderstanding as to tho attitude .of the meat companies on the subject. of the: hours of- work. Tho employers apparently are: agreeable to an eight-hours day, with special overtime rates for hours worked beyond that period, and as this question of hours was one of the Tsoro points with_ tho men, tho clearing away of misapprehension on > the point Bhould open the way to a better.: understanding all round; - The amicable settlement of the dispute is a matter of such moment to everyone concerned that it is rather a pity that the whole of the meat freezing companies in the Dominion have not sent representatives.to>_Wellington to confer on the questions raised; Tho Slaughtermen's Unions 1 through-' out the country- are understood to have. sent| delegates, • who have beon in conference nere for some . days past. : . They have ; recognised '■ that slaughtermen in all parts of New Zealand i are affected j but the meat companies do not appear to , have -realised this. At any rate, so far as is known; they. have not j met together to discuss the position;. ■ Gould a 'conferonoe be arranged, and the importance, of the occasion demands that this should be done, it might be possible to cloar up _the disputed issues and a . compromise ■ agreeablo to both parties- might be- concluded. No reasonable effort should be spared in this direction.

■•It.is a.-.little surprising- that the Wollingtoh Chamber of 'Commerce has, not xome forward -to add ' its • weight' to. , the widespread' . protest ! that is being made against the in; convenient and irrogular railway service forced upon the. province by the..Minister..for/ Railways; 'We have no doubt that members of . the Chamber : have a projier sympathy with any reasonable i endeavour ontho part of tho. Minister to make the railways, pay, but.Jthat issue really does, not come into 'the! present q'ues- • tion:,Any. saving that mav be made in cost of running ■ must be considered; in its effect' on the revenueearning .powers of the whole service. It woula be absurd to pretend that which have caused such universal inconvenience to the public, and have aroused such a unanimous protest, can have any other effect than to seriously affect' the revenueWo have pointed ■ out on previous occasions that so long. as railway travelling is made inconvenient the public will make a minimum uso of the railways. We: have also suggested one means by which, through tho alteration of tho hour of departure of the through train from Auckland, some part';of .the existing trouble might be removed. But tho Chambor of. Commerce is composed mainly of l business, men, who should be in a position to know for, themselves the loss and trouble the public have been put.to under the new railway time-table. They must bo aware, through their ■ clients and customers, of liow the whole district, to Taranaki on the one side and to Hawko's Bay on tho other, is being penalised by the action of the Railways Department. Tho paying lines of the districts, mentioned are being mado to bear the burdens of tho nonpaying sections elsewhere. Surely this is; a matter which should receive tho attention of'the Wellington Chambor of' Commerce.- Possibly the holidays have been responsible for the delay; which has ocourrod in its making, its. voioe heard on tho subject, -■. ■ . 1 ■ a ■•-.,■

While all tho talk of tho necessity of increased armaments is going on in Britain and elsewhere tne advocates of pcaco aro not idle. Mr. Edwaed . i Ginn, an American millionairo, is reported to have provided m his will an endowment-of a million dollars ;for:an International School of _ Peaoe, and during tho donor's lifetime he will, himself dovoto tho incomo from this sum, 60,000 dollars, to the purpose. Six years ago Mr. Ginn, who has contributed largely to tho Peace movement, founded an International Library with the object of supplying Peace literaturo in a cheap;and attractive form. It is upon educational work that the School of Pcaco will concontrate its . efforts. Tho American School Peace League; which has for its object "the promotion through, tho schools and -tho educational public of America of the interests of international justice and fraternity," is alroady doing good 'work in this rcspcct. Pcaco conferences and organiiicd campaigns, and .tho publication of a weekly or monthly journal are among tho plans entertained by Mr. Ginn. To quote further his published views: "Ho hopes, to inaugilrato education and publicity enterprises that shall help to offect radical changes in the t Washington atmosphoro and sentiment. Ho will engage, too, from time to time ablo economists and other experts to mako soarching- special -studies : of -such 1 subjects as that of the influence of

'vested interests'in fostering the big navy boom, publishing the results in monographs or articles," Germany, England, and the United States he regards as the. nations . especially charged with the; power and the responsibility to effect the organisathe'world upon principles of justice and reduce the preisent exhausting and portentous armaments. The Peace movement is said to be making great strides in America.

Leablet No. 79. issued by the Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourists, giving the, quantities and values of New Zealand products exported in December, is to hand. The .values of .the,-exports for. the. past month, compared with those of December, 1908, are as under:— ' . ' : v ■ \) . Dec. 1903. Dec. 1908. Bitter 278,180,'' '210,410 Chceso 160,823 115,478 Beef- : 45,494' .-23,930 Mutton . .'48,966 : 70,334 Legs and,pieces......./. 1,469. . . ' 766 fan lbs ; 31,461 24,875 Wheat 16 '27 •Oaf 8 ■ . 4,597 : ■ 8,186 Potatoes .. 108 ; 121 Hemp, . 25,008 . 23,281 Rabbits 10,311 ■ 2,53? Tow _ 1,137 758 Kauri gum 43,430 40,823 Gram and pulse .... 3,031 4,983 H9PS 1,815 . . • . 325 Hidos 16,523 { 18J10 Skins 65,259 51,667 fallow 25,630 19,217 Timber ■ .29,259 . : 29,838 !887,864:,x ' 565,100 Gold 177,064 155,971 .£1,856,625 JE1,365,937 1 For tho month there Was an increaso I of-£492,688, towards which wool conI tributcd £322,764. " 'There arc not 1 many items showing 1 ' decreases,. and i the figures,. on , tho. whole are extremely satisfactory.- : The exports [•for the-nine months; to Deoember 31, 11909, totalled £11,589,063, as compared wtih £8,925,614 for the corresponding period of 1908, showing the substantial- gain;: of £2,063,449, equal to very nearly 30 per cent.