NOTES OP THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 181, 27 April 1920, Page 6

NOTES OP THE DAY

One of the least attractive aftermaths of the war has been an abundant crop of naval and military apologists. Yesterday and to-day we have had the Gallipoli failure resurrected by General Sir lan Hamilton and Mil. Winston Chljrcihll. Both these gentlemen are agreed that the general idea of forcing the Dardanelles was essentially sound. Both are at some pains to demonstrate that whoever may be to blame it is not they. Sir lan Hamilton fihds much in an "if"—." ... if the reins of British direction had been held in London instead of in Paris and on the West front." , Mr. Churchill, _in an able arid characteristic article .on Lord Kitchener, deftly takes the opportunity to unload as much as. possible of the odium of the failure. "A decisive and fatal dilemma" i'n Loud Kitchener's, war administration, _we are tolrl, arose in his handling of- the Dardanelles campaign. He realised its possibilities, but yielded to the demand for men and munitions for France. On the other the report of the Dardanelles Commissioa' made it plain that a principal cause of failure was an under-estimation of tho difficulties of tho campaign. The most prominent undor-estimator of those difficulties was undoubtedly , no loss n person than Mr. Winston Churchill himself.

The Imperial Food Controller has taken a first, step towels the restoration of normal conditions in the meat trade by the revocation of' the order fixing the retail pricos for imported ■ mutton. It is likely that it will be necessary to go further if any marked impression is to be made on the glut in the cold stores._ A British meat trade estimate is that with consumption at tho. present level the Government mutton will not be cleared off until the middle of next year at tho earliest. It is contended that the present wholesale price of ninepenco a pound is much too high to create a i demand for the meat, much of which has been in storage two years or more. With the wholesale/price down to sixpence a pound a more rapid clearance would result, but a loss to the Imperial Government would ensuo of, it is estimated, from £7,000,000' to £10,000,000. It is now_ being urged that it would be a wise policy on the part of tho ■Home Government't3 cut this loss and empty the stores and rcstoro normal conditions. The present congestion with the interminable delays to shipping is only! too rapidly reflected in higher freights and shipping charges all round, and the total burden on the public must far outweigh the loss that would follow from getting rid of the stored meat for what it will fetch.

The contest for the vacancies on the Eastbourne Borough Council is 'i, matter of much more than local interest to that suburb. The bayrt on the eastern shores of the harbour arc among the most attractive residential areas within easy roach of the city. Although the "total acrnage of building land in the borough is not large, there is still much room for development. The first essential in an up-to-date terry service with sound and enterprising business, management. Considerate difference of opinion has existed in Eastbourne as to the advisability of putting in a new boiler in the Duchess or of purchasing a now and faster steamer. It seems now, however, to be generally recognised that the purchase of a'modern ferry steamer vould be much the sounder investm-nt. The Duchess has done good service, and though her value in tho council's books stands at only £800 C, it should not be difficult to dispose of her for considerably more than that, despite her twenty-three years. It is to lie hopod that Thursday's elections will mark the end of the dissensions in tho Eastbourne Borough Council, and that the electors will be wise enough to avail themselves of tho best business ability offering for the conduct of their undertakings. The reelection of Mit. Mathei! as Mayor df Die borough at this juncture would seem to be a wise stop. * # * ?r

It is an unusual spectacle to find a financier aecustoi.'icd to making deals in real estate of several .millions at a time entering into business in the retail clothing trade. This is what Mr; Mallaby-

Deelev, M.P., 1b doing in London. After having periodically dazzled the public by buying up slices of London for sums beyond the dreams of avarice, he recently announced that he was starting on a campaign against profiteering in the tailoring trade. The ruling prices for men's suits, he said, wero i wholly unwarranted, find after investigating the position he purchased three large clothing factories, bought large stocks of good cloth, and arranged 'for the manufacture of more. The upshot was the appearanco of large advertisements in the London papers announcing men's suits finished to measure at from $2 17s. 6d. to £4 17s. 6d. each. _ The factories can turn out 5000 suits and overcoats a week, and if the scheme is successful- it is promised that the output Mill he increased to 10,000 suits a "veek. On the first 100,000 Mil. Malmby-Deeley expects to make no orofit. After that he anticipates a profit at the same prices, and the building up of a business of great magnitude. It is not surprising to learn that the tailoring trade generally foretells financial failure for the millionaire M.IVs experiment.