NOTES OF THE DAY
When the Chatham Islanders ask to be transported to Lyttelton to see the Prince of. Wales, the Governmcnt is faced with a proposition in which sentiment pulls one way and plain business considerations another. It is not often that this little outlying community asks for much, and we hope that as favourable an ear as possible will be lent to their request. It is suggested that the Government should arrange for the conveyance to Lyttclton and back of 60 adults and 60 school children from the Islands. As the population at the 1916 census comprised all told only 477 souls—2l9 Europeans and 258 Natives—this represents the dispatch of 25 per cent, of it on holiday. The occasion is an historic one, when excursion trains will be freely run on the mainland, and ; substantial contribution by the State towards the cost of an excursion steamer to enable the patriotic Chatham Islanders to join with the rest of us in our celebrations would be grudged by few people. * * * * The instruction to thc_ profiteering committees to use their own initiative in seeking out the profiteer is one that will be generally commended. What is wanted is independent activity by the tribunals dealing with this question, combined with ample opportunity for the public to briug forward their grievances for investigation. It js thus satisfactory to find that the whole onus of originating inquiry is not cast on the public, but that tribunals are to act generally as guardians of fcho people's interest .in this matter. They have a difficult task, particularly in defining what shall be regarded as a "reasonable" profit. This is a matter on which there is, wide divergence of opinion, but until we have agreed on some definite basis of arriving at it we are not likely to achieve much in our antiprofiteering crusade. The formulation of a sound basis would probably be welcomed as much by the majority of business people as by the public. * I # # 'i Frenzied finance in the boxing world appears to bo likely to lead to the retirement from the ring of Carpentier, the famous young Frenchman, with a modest fortune of £100,000. We cannot recall any instances of members of the learned professions retiring on such a sum on the sunny side of thirty, and if this sort of thing is to continue the parent of the future will have to consider whether to apprentice his son to law, medicine, or prize-fight-ing. The Carpentieu fortune is symptomatic of the tendencies of the times. In last week's Sydney papers, for instance, it was recorded that that city had a shortage of 20,000 houses, and yet members of the Bricklayers' Union were going to the union office paying their clues in the uniform of tramway conductors, as better wages arc offering for this class of unskilled labour than bricklaying. Milk carters are getting practically tho. same rates in Sydney as stone-masons, and so on through the piece. The result is that few people are putting their sons to the lengthy apprenticeships of tho skilled trades.. In these cases the whirligig of time is likely to bring its own revenges a few years hence. * * * * A crucial factor in the revolution in Germany will probably bo the extent to which the revolutionists are able to carry the Army with them. According to The Times they have at present only Prussia on their side. The German Army was estimated in a semi-official statement at tho New Year to number 1,062,000 men. Of this number some 400,000 belonged to the Regular Army, which had stood at half a million in August last, and 000,000 of the remainder were labelled volunteers and civic guards; The significant feature of the German military situation, as set out in The Times review of it, was that while this slight reduction had taken place _in the Regular Army a great militia and volunteer army had been forming at a much faster rate. Within three months of tho signing of tho Peace Treaty the number of German effectives was not to exceed 200,000. and was later to be reduced In 100,000. Other provisions laid it down that the number of police shall not exceed the numbers existing in 1913. The Peace Treaty came into force on January 10, and a very drastic reduction in the German Army is therefore due for completion on April 10. In a few weeks' time there will thus come a real test of the attitude which the new German Government proposes to* adopt to- ( wards its obligations under the Treaty.
It is now thirteen years ago since the Customs tariff had its last gen- i oral revision, and the announce- f ment of Sir William Herries that J the tariff is again to be thoroughly j reviewed is not before its time. At- j tention has been directed from time i to time by the various chambers ' of commerce to the numerous anom- ' alios that have crept in in the course ' of years, and revision is necessary | not only to rectify these but also to ' meet the changes in the direction i and nature of our overseas trade. < Our commercial .relations with the ' late enemy oonntries of Europe will ' also have to be denned as soon as a lead is given as to Imperial policy in this matter. Then again we j shall have to consider the advisableness of giving further protection to encourage the establishment of sec- : ondary industries in the Dominion, A movement is now on foot in Aus tralia with the object of bringing , about the manufacture locally into woollen goods of the whole, of the ; Australian wool clip, the idea being_ to push a concerted scheme to achieve this over a period of fifteen ' years. It should be our ambition also that some day New Zealand, : with its abundant sources of power, shall export the. whole of its wool i clip in a manufactured form. i
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 147, 17 March 1920, Page 6
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992NOTES OF THE DAY Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 147, 17 March 1920, Page 6
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