NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 75, 21 December 1921, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

Mr. Massey must be highly gratified at the reception accorded his Meat Pool scheme in the House of Rcprwentativcs. In theso days of multi-party divisions in our Parliament anything approaching unanimity on any important policy departure is a most rare occurrence; yet on this question of creating a Meat Pool members yesterday were practically in complete agreement. There are bound to bo differences of opinion as to details, but the broad principle of the scheme has found endorsement from all parties. This is a good beginning. Tho putting of tho scheme into practical shape will not be a simple matter, but the recommendations of the committee of country members which has been giving the matter consideration will form a useful basis to work on. Tho personnel of the board of management here and of tho associated board in London is, of course, of vital importance. The method of selection has yet to be determined, but presumably care will bo taken to ensure that all the interests directly concerned will be represented by the most able and experienced men available. It may bo found when the scheme is in working order that it is desirable to extend it with a view to eliminating tho middleman in London and reducing the wide margin between the present wholesale and retail prices. However, it is a matter for congratulation that a start has at last been made in the right direction, and that it is meeting with the support it deserves. * * *

This morning it is announced that tho Irish settlement must bo ratified by a Parliament of Southern Ireland constituted 1 under tho Government of Ireland Act. It is not quito clear whether, if tho announcement is correct, the feeling of tho people must necessarily bo taken by tho holding of a general elec-, tion. Tho Dail Eireann, which is now considering the terms of tho settlement, comprises in its ranks most of tho members of tho Parliament of Southern Ireland elected some months ago, but it includes also persons representing the Sinn Feincrs in Ulster, and the nonSinn Fein population in the South had no voice in its creation. Tho legally established Irish Parliament has never met, and its members have never been sworn in. After a certain number of unsuccessful attempts have been made to create it tho whole scheme under the Act was to lapse, but it does not appear that that stage has been reached, and it seemd that, if the. duly elected members answer tho summons, a constitutional Parliament for the South of Ireland can be assembled immediately, and tho settlement ratified forthwith. On tho other hand it seems to bo equally in the power of tho Viceroy, to call upon tho electors to choose a now Parliament in lieu of that which failed to answer tho summons to meet in session. Ihe interesting and important point thus may arise whether tho Dail Eireann or tho Imperial Government is to have the final voice in saying that an appeal to tho electors shall take place before the treaty is ratified.

Some hopes are held out in the latest cablegrams on the subject that the Allies will be able to agree speedily upon a united policy in bringing pressure to bear on Germany to meet her reparation obligations. It is, of course, obvious that the Allies must bestir themselves without delay unless they are content to allow Germany to default on a seal* which would give her a long start on a career of systematic evasion. The twenty-five millions sterling due in January, in place of which she is said to have offered only ten millions, is a quarterly instalment o£ the fixed annual annuity, and if she were allowed to tender only two-fifths of this instalment she would no doubt be encouraged to offer an even smaller proportion of the succeeding instalment which falls due in April. Much the same, of course, would apply to other payments based on the movement of German export trade. How far future payments will be made really difficult by the more or less wilful disorganisation of German finance may be an open question, but there is no doubt that at the moment she is holding considerable resources in reserve. Apart from the heavy credit balances in foreign countries to which recent cablegrams have alluded, evidence has been offered that the German Government is not only refraining from the imposition of necessary taxation, but is undertaking a great deal of expenditure which might easily be deferred or terminated. Large sums, for instance, are being spent on railway schemes, bread subsidies, and miners’ cottages. Si’4b outlays, ns one writer observed not long ago, ought to be deferred, abolished, or entrusted to private enterprise by a State in the position of Germany today.

Here nnd in other parts of the Dominion the war on rats is being intensified, but still greater nnd more comprehensive efforts aro demanded in view of the warning issued by the Minister of Public Health in tho House of Representatives yesterday. In spite of the drastic fumigation of intere colonial ships and other precautions, Mr. Parr stated, tho danger that plague may be introduced from Australia is serious nnd imminent, and ho had previously declared that in the event of the disease being introduced, it would depend upon the action taken by the authorities, the shopkeepers, and tho householders of New Zealand whether there should be only a few cases or an epidemic. Evidently the circumstances do not admit of trifling, and public opinion will solidly support tho Minister end Health authorities in taking strong action against the owners of premises of any kind who fail to satisfy requirements either as regards the extermination of rats or tho establishment of sanitary conditions. Particular heed ought -io be given to the Minister’s injunction that there should be no lessening of effort during the holidays.