DOMINION TOPICS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 81, 29 December 1934, Page 16

DOMINION TOPICS

Holiday Toilers. It is often forgotten that for a considerable number of people the holiday means the necessity to work for longer hours and at greater pressure than at any other time of the year. This work falls with the greatest severity on the staffs of the railways, post. office 'and the local tramways Public servants are expected to be always good-tem-pered and smiling, and they deserve the very highest praise for the splendid way in which they respond to these demands. The railways have to cope with an amount of traffic double or treble the usual amount, and this year it has been greater than ever. Similarly the post office has to deal with a far greater amount of letters, telegrams and telephone messages Letter carriers are seen pedalling along on their bicycles at unusual hours with heavy loads of letters and parcels. Ths public has been glad to note that in the great heat that has prevailed they have 1 been allowed to discard their coats.—“Taranaki Herald.” Tourism.

Mr Malcolm MacDouald, M.P., who has now concluded his tour of the Dominion, draws attention to the opportunity of attracting a large volume of tourist traffic from Europe. He is of the opinion that New Zealand is too modest about the attractions it can offer, visitors, and he sees no reason why there should not be a great development of the country, as a tourist resort. Coming from an emissary of the British Government, Mr MacDonald’s remarks carry weight. Months ago. organisations interested in the tourist business made recommennations to the Minister in charge of the Tourist Department that, If adopted, would place the whole system of attracting and catering for tourists on a much more effective footing. The ill-health of the Minister delayed consideration of these proposals by Cabinet, but it is earnestly to be hoped that once the holidays are over an announcement will be made on the subject—. Christchurch “Sun.” A Fair Deal for All.

.If the principles of sound democracy were applied to the control of the people’s business many of the troubles from which we have suffered, and continue to suffer, would be' avoided. There is only one right in politics, as in everything else, and that is a fair deal for all classes, which connotes disof all forms of preferences ia the distribution of the country’s blessings. The depression was man-made, and it should be the purpose of the younger generations to discover the causes of this grim phenomenon n’" 1 to-resolve that no such condition wiil again be permitted to develop. It c. be done, and it should be done. While we are satisfied that it is impossible to entirely eliminate party from p Cities, we do feel that the inculcation of the sane viewpoint will lead to practically a universal consensus of opinion on matters affecting the State. Extremists could not exist in a country that cast aside all silly prejudices.— “Southland Daily News.” Two Loaves. > 1 .

North Island opponents of the sliding scale of duty that has been retained by the Government in spite of the violence of criticism of certain interests in non-wheat-growing districts, ought to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the story of two loaves told by Dr. Hilgendorf, before the Wheat Research Institute. It has been repeatedly suggested that if the sliding scale of duties were abolished, the price of bread would be substantially reduced. Tye loaves, one slightly larger than the other, were displayed bv Dr'. Hilgendorf before the committee of the Wheat Research Institute. The difference in size which was just noticeable, represents the quantity of bread the consumer would receive for his sixpence if the wheat duties were entirely removed. In other words, the demonstration staged before the Wheat Research Institute revealed the amount contributed by the consumer to keep alive the wheat-grow-ing, milling and attendant industries. —“Timaru Herold.” Christinas Trade.

The closing days of 1934 will no doubt hold a strong place in tlie memory of New Zealanders by reason of the very definite manifestations of returning confidence with which they have been accompanied. The jostling crowds with which our streets have been packed for day after day bear eloquent estimony to the revival of the holiday spirit, while the weather has been more than usually kind—in fact, the generosity of 1 warmth and sunshine has been almost embarrassing. Although the Christmas rush and the holiday trade confer rather a temporary stimulation upon business and trade, they are also capable of very noticeable permanent effects. Vigour and buoyancy, like depression, tend to remain after their immediate cause has disappeared, and it is not unreasonable to expect that there will be a considerable Improvement in feeling after the holidays. The country should be in a mood for the important and serious work which lies ahead for 1935—“Waikato Times.” Trade with the East.

It has been emphasised by more than one member of the Government that lack of shipping facilities is a serious obstacle to trade between New Zealand and the Far East; yet in Australia Mr Masters discovers that shipping companies are not merely willing but anxious to provide these facilities. It may reasonably be asked why these things were not discovered before. The Government can pei-haps plead that the various produce marketing boards had some responsibilities in the matter and that most of them and the Dairy Produce Control Board in particular, consistently adopted a defeatist attitude. It must be emphasised that at present a large market for New Zealand produce in the Far East is not necessary and not to be expected. The point is that the disposal of even a small surplus of dairy produce or meat created by the operation of British quota restrictions now presents very serious difficulties. A footing on some alternative market would make it. possible to view the prospect of quotas with much greater equanamity.—“The Press,” Christchurch.

Empire Communications. There are many cross-currents and new influences in Empire relations nowadays. Their old simplicity has gone. But whatever shape they take, speedy and easy means of communication cannot fail to be a beneficient influence. It has been recorded in authoritativehistory that the constant communication, by letter, between the colonists of the eighteen-forties and onwards ar.d their relatives who stayed at .Home, profoundly influenced the colonial policy of those days. It made the colonial Empire a living and a vital thing to the newly enfranchised voters. That close personal link may no longer exist, but its absence makes the means of ready communication between Britain ani the colonies grown into Dominions all the more important. The Empire air mail successfully launched thus has a deep significance.—“N.Z. Herald.” The King’s Message. '

Whatever the imperfections of the Empire broadcast may be, while it is still impracticable to send an instant message from the outlying parts of the Empire, there can be no question that the broadcast has an Imperial significance far beyond anything ever contemplated in the world before in the opportunity that it presents to the King to send a message to the whole of the people of the realm and Empire. In this there is the feeling of direct and immediate contact between the King in his home and his subjects in theirs. This year’s message strikes the keynote that the festival of the family can be carried into the lives of the people of the Empire, and that, bound to the King and to one another in the spirit of one great family, they can overcome" their anxieties and carry one another's burdens in the spirit which Christmas enshrines. —Christchurch “Star.” Wool Substitutes.

Te development of wool substitutes opens up a tremendous prospect, but it must be remembered that substitutes for woollen clothing are already on the market, and have developed a strong competition. When changing fashion i brought a substitute silk on to the market, or perhaps it would be sounder to say that synthetic silk brought about a change in fashion, there was a lessening in the demand for wool, and there was a great falling off in the demand for cotton, but it is to be noticed that the cottou growers set about their problem by the employment of research agents to devise new means of reinstating cotton goods in popular demand, and the production of new colours. new cotton fabrics did much to , improve the situation, for the produe- j ers. Wool, to some extent, has recov- 1 ered from the flrst challenge of the synthetic silk, and the world still waits the production of a synthetic wool which will have enough of the virtues of wool to make it a substitute. — “Southland Times.” Quotas. It is not altogether easy to see that the British Government’s scheme will work out eventually to the advantage of the Dominions. Mr. Walter Elliot, the British Minister <?f Agriculture, thinks that it will. He would have us believe, that the Dominions will not only benefit, in the long run through adherence at the present time to the quota policy,' but will actually, through the gradual improvement in prices, secure in the near future a larger return for a reduced shipment than their unrestricted shipments have yielded them. Mr Elliot’s expectations concerning the outcome of his agricultural policy have not always been realised at Home. Even if that were not so, the producers in Australia and New Zealand may hesitate to accept his predictions with reference to the effect of the short-term policy, operating for the first quarter , of the,New Year, and may even be not very sanguine about the effect of the subsequent long-term policy, under t which, according to the indications that have now been given, there will be. a 'differentiate of levy in favour of the Dominions. —“Otago Daily Times.” Bank Deposits. The fall of about £1,000,000 in deposits last month is said to be due to seasonal movements; but the continued fall of fixed deposits, which have, dropped by £2',200,000 since July, is difficult to understand. There have been no loan issues that might have absorbed some of this money, and the figures relating to mortgages do not disclose any marked activity in that direction. Doubtless, with fixed deposit rates now so low, depositors are looking carefully for other means of investment, and probably there have been transfers, substantial in the aggregate, to the Post Office Savings Bank. The annual figures should prove interesting, for the marked decline in the deposits of the trading banks with the Central Bank is difficult to understand. Since October they have fallen by . nearly '£3,000,000. while, in the same time, the note issue has increased by barely £500,000. The average weekly bank debits to customers’ accounts last month was nearly £1,000,000 above the average for November. 1933, and that clearly indicates more activ e domestic trading.—“ Christchurch Times.” Australia and New Zealand.

There is no doubt that, what with exchange and sales tax, the cost of British goods in this country must constitute a tremendous bar to trade. There, are some lines of goods which New Zealand requires and must import, and in these Australia is becoming—has already become in many instances—a competitor with Britain on very advantageous terms because the Australian and New Zealand pounds are practically on a parity, and there is no tall exchange to operate as an additional duty. Australia’s secondary industries now produce on a scale which makes outside markets imperative for disposal of outputs, and there is not the slightest doubt about her regarding New Zealand as one of the markets to be cultivated. At a guess we should say that the recent Canberra Conference between Messrs. Coates and Masters on the one hand and Federal Ministers on the other centred round this aspect rather than on the oranges versus potatoes controversy which bulks largest in the popular mind. Evidently as a deadlock, at least temporary, was reached the New Zealand Ministers were actuated by loyalty to Britain. —Dunedin "Star.’’