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NOTES OF THE DAY

The one outstanding feature _of the discussion on the Cost of Living in the House of Representatives yesterday was the cviacnt desire on all sides that some practical measures should be devised to cope with the profiteering evil as speedily as possible. At the same time there was an air of resentful helplessness permeating'the debate. As Sir John Findlav very truly remarked the problem has baffled economists all over the world, and he might have added that those who so confidently advocate short-cut routes to a solution have a very poor conception of the difficulties which confront those who attempfcto deal with it on just dncl sound lines. The Board _of Trade came in for sonto unmerited abuse from certain members, and Mr. Mac Donald, who has been in charge of the Department, very properly defended it. The Board has not done all that was expected of it; indeed, it had not the power; but it has done some very useiul work, and probably if fuller publicity had been given to its efforts it would be in higher credit with the public. Tho cne bright spot in the situation is the proposal of Mr. Massey to increase the powers of the Board and strengthen its hands. _ Wider authority in tho matter of investigating alleged abuses is plainly needed; but the Government could with advantage go still further, and, as was suggested, make the Board independent of political control. The Board would, of course, have to act within the powers conferred' by statute and under the guidance of the advice of.the Crown law officers; moreover, _ the Ministerial head should be in a position to recommend investigation of matters brought under his notice. But tho Board should be free to act on its own independent judgment and carry the responsibility for failure to so. act. Mr. Massey's Bill will be awaited with interest. He has indicated that there will be no halfmeasures in it. It is an opportunity for him to show that he means business.

# * , ft * The wild and oftentimes hysterical ravings with which the official journal of tho Labour extremists is accustomed to feed the appetite' of its readers for sensation have of late developed into a crescendo of lbusive sludge of a quite shuddoriome type. The general public, who mow too little of the nauseous stuff pith which tho journal in question

ancl those whose views it voices. seek to distort current happenings and. inflame class passion, are prone to treat these outpourings with tolerant contempt. Possibly there would be less of tolerance in their view of those who are clamouring for their support for Labour-Socialist candidates at the forthcoming elections if they .realised how very different is the, side presented to them from tho public platform _to that which has prominence within the circles of extreme Labour's own immediate following. A sample of a particularly foul slander of our returncd-soldicr members of Parliament which appears in the current issue of the Maoriland Worker well illustrates both the distorted and unwholesome point of view of the paper quoted, and the style of language which presumably appeals to its readers. The article in question deals' with tho pending release from gaol of Mb. P. Webb, ex-M.P., who preferred to go .to gaol rather thau fight for his country. His four brother-members referred to volunteered'for service; two Were badly wounded; a third

had hiv health permanently shattered through hardships endured flhile on active service;/ while the fourth also was on active service until nearing tjie end of the war. Arid the official organ of the Labour extremists thus compares them:— < Paddy -will find -when he comes out that the boys think more of 'iim than ever. When one thicks of those other; M.P.'s who pretended to go to the war, hut never got near enough to 6mell any* thing stronger than rum, one must, smile ' at the hypocrisy of these' gallant warriors. Paddy was willing to die if need be for his principles; that is .the sort of man we can depend upon, and not the loud-mouthed, gut-rob-bers who would "rat" a dead dog for ita fleas! Bon't worry, Paddy," wo, 'the workers, are going to put "paid" to ono or two little accounts in the near future. The' point which the average man and woman has to bear in mind is not merely that this is a vile ancl wanton -slander of four gallant'men, returned soldiers, but that it reflects' the point, of view of those who are seeking to secure control of the government of the country in the name of-Labour.

*. * ' The attitude of Parliament and people in this country towards the peace settlement was long since so clearly defined that the proceedings in- both Houses on Tuesday, when the Treaty of Versailles was ratified, became little more than a formality. Nevertheless, the ratification of the.Treaty definitely marks the transition of the Dominion from its former standing to one little removed from independent nationhood. Speaking for the British Government in the House of Commons not long ago, Mr. Bonar Law stated that the' Dominions were or. the same footing in the League of Njitions as the smaller sovereign nations. The responsibilities thus undertaken are certainly not to lie lightly-regarded, but there is the strongest_ possible justification for undertaking them. _As a party to the Treaty of Versailles and to the League of Nations Covenant which it embodies the Dominion takes its stand with those nations in the world which are pledged to an organised effort to maintain peace and uphold justice in international relationships. Even if national selfrespect permitted any other course, mere prudence might dictatc unqualified support of this great, and worthy effort. To refuse support to the League of Nations is in off cot to invite the establishment of conditions in which the worlil would bo doomed irrevocably to wars even more terrible than, that from which it lately emerged.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19190904.2.12

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 291, 4 September 1919, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
987

NOTES OF THE DAY Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 291, 4 September 1919, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 291, 4 September 1919, Page 4

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