NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 59, 3 December 1919, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

Some of the questions raised of late in regard to the Pukeoru Sanatorium are of a contentious character, hut as a whole the discussion centring on that institution ought to serve a useful purpose in directing attention to the needs of a class of returned soldiers who have an exceptional claim to public sympathy and to all the practical help that is possible. In a recent statement on behalf of the patients it is represented that on leaving the sanatorium they are by. no means assured of an opportunity of taking up the open-air life in which they have best prospects of improving, or of recovering normal health. This obviously is a matter in which special standards ought to apply. The Government would be more than warranted in incurring any reasonable expenditure in enabling tubercular ex-soldiers to enter upon suitable open-air work. Market gardening has been mentioned in this connection, but it seems rather unlikely that men in delicate health would be able to undertake as laborious an occupation with profit and advantage. In most eases their needs would probablv be better met bv finding them work in public gardens, and parkr,, including those controlled by (lie Tourist Department. Nurseries also might afford suitable employment, and_ in view of the attention now beini ■r'ven to forestry the scope of work "ffering in this direction' ought to he. considerable.

In view of the presold condition of the cables it is good news to bear that the imperial Government, is again considering schemes for the completion of the Imperial wireless chain. A lonsc-suffprinfC public ninv be pardoned for honinsr that i:he. matter will pet hevond the staare of eonsideretum "-Uh n» litt'e delay «s., possible. The S'jihini Mnrvtnn Jhriihl la-l wee'-- directed attention to the fact that over twelve months eg<> the Marconi Company announced its readiness, without requiring cither subsidy or inonopolv. to establish ''ireel, communication with Hngbind at a third li-ss I linn the present cable rate af. (he outset., and ultimate!;; at threepence a word. All thai (he eompanv has been "lde (o elicit from the f'ommon wealth authorities so *ar is <h" formal rcnlv that "the, mailer is under <itn«.kler.'tlion." Cabinet will do well lo -'onside l- - further steps can lie taken at (his end lo bring pressure to bear for the enrly establishment- of this direct and chea.P means of communication with IMtain, wh'ch must vastly assist in the resumption of more normal business relations.

T'tr wn prnVileni is unttrr examination in New I-inuHi Wales from an unusually rr>rficr'l point of view. It is announced this morning that the, State Government Ims a"cepted tlii Poan! of Trade's declaration of n living wapc of 17s. ;i. work. Tips wage is on r.ltn needa of a family of hiislvwd. wife, and two children. Mid it- is an increase ol 17s. a week on the present minimum v.-age. This represents n serious, additional burden io industries competing with tnosr- in other States, and has caused much concern in Sydney. The State Government therefore recently brought in a (Jhild Maintenance Bill mi tier which employers would lie called upon pr pay a sum of Bs. per week per adult employee into a fund, and from this fund payment? would be made to all men who had children. The man who a-ctually had the, wife and . two children would get the £3 17?,. decided upon as necessary, the single man, or man with a wife only, would get and the man with live children would get , about £i 3 The _ idea makes :t lame break with exist'n.f; methods of payment, and its reception has not been enthusiastic. If the State Government adheres to its intention to apply it the experiment will certainly be well worth watching.

The air race to Australia continues a neek-and-neck event between the Frenchman Ponr.ET and the Australian Ross-Smitk. Though they started at different times, their Hi.glits across Asia have been made almost, together, and on the present stage from Rangoon to Singapore only they set out within twenty-five minutes of each other. A little' bad luck may destroy or delay the most experienced airman, and the contest is one in which the victory is still very much undecided, though POt'i,ft seems to be having the worst of luck just now. We are not much concerned as f o which of the competitors is to be the first to arrive, but our renders will join v. ; tli us in ho'iiuK full, these, two pioneers, ill what 'Wore many eed (, s mav be one of th n great. ;i>v 'ntdnvavs of the world, mav both be fated to lai'd ft> r " and «ound on Australian soil. The world can illafford to lose such men.

* * # * LarO!;i: candidates leave no room for doubt as to the treatment they would mete out to the farmer if tliey got into power. In a. characteristically unfair statement one of them observed oil Monday night that the Government cave •9840,000 to the butter producers whili> it refused to devote a sniailel 1 sum to bringing ordinary widows' nensions into line. with those granted to ci)idemii! widows and orphans. This is a particularly _ unpleasant attempt to place a simple act of justice in an odious light. _ There_ is much to be said for increasing widows' pensions beyond the point to which they were raised last session, but this does npt alter the fact ihat the butter producers got no more than their bare due. The Government, gave them nothing. What it did was to. refund an

amount unjustly extorted from them in order to lower th«' urice of initter on ttie local market. Tlv tTX thus levied 011 one °eciion oi (lie community wis all the more unfair since ninnv of Hie butter producers are no better off (linn tinavcrasji* citv worker. Verv often ilie. nwegate incn'iK of 'i dairy fnv;iier ;iihl his f.'inilv is lii'.'lrr than i.lifife of a city worker only lvcai'se a[l «>r most members of i.he family hp.ve ;\ nart in earnimr U. Tn condemning the net of inline done to butter iivoduivN T.nbonr "nndidates are arguing ll>n t; a. havd-woid-ins; sent ion'of ll"' (;oini>i"nitv should h<> sino-i-.fl out for rien«l taxation from 'hi rest of the neumunity :<■ exempt.

ATfiiwixn to IV Labour-Social-ist candidate for Ol.'tki (lie Lejrrdsilive Council is "an old man's home, but a home of \vbi>h Hie inmates can do a ccmnt, of h:i''m bv lilneki'itr 11 r:ren( 1 ■' needed b'tr'skThis candidal'; ourrht, lo hv-T an i 11 tees'''u? tun" coiupavtiur notes with Mk. -f. T. r l .''!,, sometimes mentioned us prospective

leader of the Labour Party, who was content to spend nearly thirteen years in the "old man's home" and only retired to eontcst a Diinedin seat in the present election.