NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 149, 19 March 1921, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

Yesterday Tim Dominion suggested that: if the New Zealand Miners’ Federation wanted the benefits of the Arbitration Act the best thing it could do would bo to register under it. This morning it is significant to find in the cable messages no less a person than Mr. Storey, Labour Premier of New South Wales, extolling tho advantages of industrial arbitration. Mr. Storey speaks with inside knowledge of the Labour movement, and is its duly selected head in his State. Speaking in London, ho said he had striven to convince Labour leaders in England that sane methods were the only ones likely to be successful, and that while arbitration might not give all that was wanted in all cases, it was, at any rate, better than perpetual round-table conferences which merely saved some Labour delegates to them the necessity of working for a living. To men who have the tired feeling badly, sitting round a table and talking no doubt represents a primrose path through life, even if the talk ends in smoke in nine cases out of ten. Coal can be imported from South Wales to Now Zealand a good deal cheaper than it could be produced here if the miners’ fancy demands were acceded to, and it passes understanding in face of this fact to discover what point there is in asking the mine-owners to consider a six-hour day, a five-day week, and so forth. If the miners’ delegates are paid by the day for their talking there may be method in their madness.

After an interval of eight and a half years Sir Thomas Mackenzie resumes his connection with the Parliament of New Zealand. His appointment to the Legislative Council is a graceful act by the Government, and the country will be glaxl that it is to have- tho benefit of his long experience in handling Now Zealand affairs in London, which should be especially valuable at this juncture. Sir Thomas Mackenzie first entered Parliament in 1887 as member for Clutha, and sat continuously, except for one interval of four years, until his resignation in 1912 to take the High Commissionership. He had six years in office in the Ward Ministry, and proved himself a capable administrator, particularly as Minister of Agriculture. In the minds of many people appointment to the Legislative Council is apt to be regarded as a preliminary to final retirement from public life. There is no ■ reason why this should be so; and the present Parliament provides an instance, in the person of Mr. W. T. Jennings, of a Legislative Councillor who has returned to the representative Chamber none the worse for a eojourn in tho Upper House.

During the last couple of years, organised workers in Australia have forfeited in wages through strikes a sum which would finance a gigantic public works programme, and go far to relievo the present trouble of unemployment in the Commonwealth. The facta aro arrestingly brought out in the latest available return of strike losses. Particulars supplied by the Commonwealth - Statistician show that from the beginning of 1913 to the middle .of last year Australian workers lost through strikes 17,015,747 working days and .£9,964,000 in wages. It is unofficially computed that strikes during the second half of 1920 involved a loss of nearly 112,000,000 in wages, making the total for the eight years close on twelve millions sterling. Tho point to be emphasised. however, is that much more than half of this enormous loss was incurred during the last two years. On the basis slated, the aggregate wagelosses of 1919 and 1920 amounted to more than .£6,800,000 as compared with a corresponding loss of .£5,400,000 during the six years to the end of 1918. Even if the unofficial estimate of a wage-loss of two millions during the second half of 1920 is set aside the Commonwealth Statistician’s figures show that wage-losses during tho eighteen months to June, 1920, almost equalled the corresponding losses of the preceding six years. To these wage-losses, there are, of course, to l>e added other direct losses of enormous amount, and a far-reaching unsettlement and dislocation of industry. It is in this way that the Labour bosses of the Commonwealth prepared for a period which in any case was destined to present serious difficulties where production and employment are concerned.

The stage personality of Charlie Chaplin is more widely known throughout the world than that of any ether human being who’has ever lived. Like many another humorist, it appears that Charlie Chaplin’s ambition is to lie taken seriously, and in a character sketch of him in an American paper, it is stated that ], e is tired of a dog’s life, and would like to end it—by playing Hamlet. He says that ho onoe resolved io retire for good from tho screen, and live by some Italian lake with his violin and Shelley and Keats; but, alas, he went for just one more picture —the last; like the drunkard's eternal last drink and Patti’s eternal farewell. The writer describes how Caruso and Chaplin once met. Mr. Guard, of tho New York Metropolitan Opera House, told Charlie Chaplin that Caruso had described him as the “Caruso of the movies,” and was most anxious to meet him. Chaplin was escorted to tlie star’s dressing-room with a delegation of publicity promoters. lie was ushered in, but tho great Caruso was busv making up at the i. irror and presented only a back view. Standing until his feet got cold, the humour of the assumed superiority of the tenor over the comedian grew on Chaplin, and also the doubtfulness of the compliment in lining termed the “Caruso of the movies.” Finally he walked up to Caruso, looked over his shoulder into the mirror and bawled into his ear, “Greetings from the Caruso of tlie movies to the Charlie Chaplin of tho operatic stage!” Caruso whirled round and presented two angry eyes, and the star of the moving pictures adds: “I did a quick fade.” It would have, been worth something to have been present* at tins historic interview.