The Dominion TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1919. A WELCOME MISSION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 87, 7 January 1919, Page 6

The Dominion TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1919. A WELCOME MISSION

The tour of the French _ Mission which is at present visiting this country is clearly distinguished from one of mere courtesy. Ifc has its. place in the broadening and deepening of " international •' relationships which the war has occasioned and made possible and which will potently influence the future of mankind. Our own part as a Dominion in this_ great development may be relatively small, but we would show ourselves dull and irresponsive to the finest things of life if wc did not eagerly grasp at such an opportunity as the visit of General PAu'and his colleagues affords of getting into closer and more intimate touch with a nation which in many ways has set an example worthy of- universal emulation. The warm welcome extended to the members of the mission on their arrival in Wellington yesterday sincerely reflected the estimation in which they and their nation are held in this country. The reception accorded them is one more proof added to many that France is not without guerdon and recompense .for what she endured in the fearful ordeal- of. the war. She suffered as few nations have suffered without yielding to their fate, but to-day sho is regarded all over the world with feelings of admiration and respect such as few natious have been able to command. Generally speaking, the task of instituting comparisons between what was attempted - and achieved by Allied nations in the war is one that even the future historian may be glad to evade, but' it is not in doubt that France, in some respects will always be accorded pre-emin-ence. Desperately handicapped as she was by her early lossesof population,' territory, and mines, tier initial effort on land ranks' with that of'the British Navy at sea as a'factor indispensable to the defensive stand of the Allied nations and the' effective development of • their resources.

These facts arc as familiar as. those -of the. comradeship between the French and British armies which grew ever closer until -the hour of victory and will not end with victory. In a sense, General Pau and his colleagues were set a very simple task. Apart from their personal claims to. consideration, as the accredited representatives ;of France, they were assured of a heartfelt welcome',wherever they cared to halt in their world-tour of the Eng-lish-speaking countries. ■ Throughout these countries the name -~ of France is held, everywhere in the highest honour. ;But though the members of the mission found their way thus paved for them, it does not by_any means follow that their tour will be barren of practical results. An actual meeting with such men_ as General Pau and his companions is a rare privilege, arid must tend to deepen .sentiments, of friendship already firmly rooted. The leader of the French Mission— a war-bitten-veteran of 1870, who is also a veteran of 1914—admirably personifies all that is best in France and not least the idealism which makes.the nation great.., His .colleagues, .though. men of varied attairimenfa, all. share ..with- him the distinction of having served their country in the field: Apart from the detail aspects of their mission, such men are well qualified to broaden and intensify the' friendship in which France is ah'eady united/with this and other Englishspeaking countries.

It is, of course, natural that the relationship now established ' with France_ should lead to new develop-ments-in various directions. It certainly ought to lead to new developments- in trade, though the scale upon which these are destined to take shape is meantime an -open question. In regard' to such matters, the members of the mission concerned with business enterprise profess themselves intent, rather upon inquiries than upon proposals or suggestions._ But .their general idea, where this country is concerned, that it should be'possible for France to take over the trade foiv merly conducted with Germany should gain ready approval. As will be seen from the figures published in another column, possibilities in this direction are not unimportant. Before the war New Zealand imported more than three times as much' from • Germany as, from France, and her exports to France were only half. the value of those sent to Germany. The arguments for the freest possible trading interchange with our well-tried Allies are in themselves almost conclusive. France offers a market for wool, and may presently offer a subsidiary market for frozen meat. The outlook meantime is rather uncertain. .Future conditions of international trade are likely to be heavily influenced by the decisions of the Allies at the Poace Conference, and individual' nations, naturally, 'will reshape their commercial policy as far as may be necessary in ligtit of these decisions.' Such relations as have been established 'between France- and the British Empire tend as naturally, however, to an increased .traffic in commodities as to the freer exchange of ideas, and it is unlikely that anything done at the Peace Conference will hinder one process or the other. AVhatever France and the Empire may do as time goes on in the way of the mutual development of material interests, we have much to learn from France and from such worthy representatives of her greatness as the members of the mission now in the. Dominion.

The Registrar of tho Arbitration Court yesterday received tho award of the Arbitration Court in the recently settled dispute concerning the Wellington. Uniteu Storemen's Union. The agreement is to operate from October 21, 1918, to Sc. tember 30, 1919. It provides for an' eight-hour day on five days of the week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and' four hours on Saturday—B to 12. Casual workers employed in stores'are not to receive less than lsj 6d. an hour, and permanent hands a minimum of .£3 10s. a week. Workers employed handling manure are for the time they are so employed to receive 3d. an hour extra. The employer is given the right to dismiss any permanent hand without notice on payment, of ono week's wages. OvertinVo will be paid at the following rates:—Six to 10 p.m., and 7 to 8 a.m., 2s. Id. per hour; from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., 3s. per hour. A war bonus of sd. per hour is to bo paid to casual workers, and ss. a week to permanent hands. Any disypute arieiug has to be reforrod to a Disputes Committee consisting of two representatives from each side, with a chairman to be mutually agreed upon. The decision of the majority of the committee is to be final and binding.