Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18th. 1919. THE WEEK .

Hokitika Guardian, 18 October 1919, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18th. 1919. THE WEEK .

The national campaign inaugurated in Britain in support of the League of Nations movement, ha.s hit upon the happy idea of constituting 'Armistice Day to be'League of Nations Day. It was at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 that the Allies—virtually a League of Nations for defensive purposes—had the extreme gratification of witnessing the end of the fighting. The conclusion of was forced upon the enemy by the omnipotence of the Allies, and it would be very fitting were that day to bo celebrated in the future jointly as a celebration in which all the Allies had a place and honor. Moreover, it would, by its joint character of celebration, be a reminder of what the alliance of nations 'had done, and recognising it in that spirit, it would be something of a guarantee that for the future the LeaI gue of Nations would be no less zealI ous and determined in coming together for tlie common purpose of maintaining peace. In the right co-operative spirit the League will be a bulwark securing the world’s peace. It is ah ideal possible of accomplishment if the Great Powers unite for the purpose which has been so admirably expressed in the constituion of the League. Something more than peace will he enforced. International % order and good will, will be fostered, and instead of statesmanship and expenditure being directed toward the maintenance of an armed ppace such as the world .know in-pre-war days, the money and brains of the jCouutry will be directed in an opposite direction, and breathing a new atmosphere and enjoying a new found security, the world will go very well then. It is worth aiming for.

As an evidence of how confounding the news is in regard to Russia,, there is the disclosure this week that even the SBritiph press stooped to alctual deception to cloud the (situation. It is a trite saying that all is fair in war, but one wonders if “fairness” warranted the press of Britain to stooping to subterfuge over the matter. The disclosure of the action at this juncture so close to the event, and with affairs in Russia, still in the melting pot, appears to be as stupid as the action itself. We are told that the object was io deceive the enemy, but it now appears that the enemy being on the spot would know more than the intriguing editors in London, who appear to have brought the Fourth Estate into plaint disrepute. It would have been preferable to ignore the position altogether, than thus to stoop to a camouflaging action which while it was intended mainly to deceive, was a deliberate misconstruction of the truth. In other days the press of Britain in regard to defence matters held a high repute. The press could be trusted to keep national secrets, which it were advisable should not be disclosed nor commented upon. Here the position is reversed in an orgy of duplicity, and the action and consequent disclosure is not to the credit of the reputation of the press. It may be that out of the Great War a new code of ethics lias been devised. Britain had its publicity propaganda in the later days of the war, and perhaps some of the “new” journalists born in the emergency of the hour, are carrying on imitating all that was worse in enemy press tactics. If so, the sooner the old order is reverted to the better:

In the light of the recent disclosures it would bo idle to speculate oil affairs Russian. It is true, probably, that all the British troop's have been evacuated from the inhospitable region of Northern Russia, an escape for which the rest of the Empire with some consideration for its countrymen will be devoutly thankful. This concession to tlie position is without regard to the fact of whether or not Britain should have hung on and rallied to the support of the loyal Russians. One cannot judge of to facts of the true situation now, because we have been deceived even by our own press. It is possibly true, also, that Golt?. a forces are Germanising Courlaml andother parts, of Western Russia, seeking to establish tliemselve in a region where they would hope to escape from, the penalties of the Pence Treaty. The Baltic provinces are adjacent to Germany, and tho unsettlement within Germany would have the effect of driving many across the borders to another country where they might have some escape from tlie taxation and restriction which will fall upon them if they remain in the Fatherland. Dcnikcn’s advance on Moscow is affirmed over and over again, and this will mean tho steadying discount of Bolshevism which has been tlie uprooting force for the internal disruption of Russia, Russia is a ventablo storm centre, and its final settlement will he a long drawn out task. There is much misery ahead of Russia still with starvation and bloodshed to emphasise tho dread situation. Russia it would appear would afford the League of Nations its first field for national operation once the new reign of peace is firmly established.

Lord Jellieoc’s official report touching on naval defence has been published ns far as possible. Certain matters must be necessarily confidential for the private information of the Government. Of that dicloscd it would appear the distinguished naval officer is fully alive to the naval situation affecting the world’s waters. New Zealand is primarily concerned with the Pacific, but we know from experience when a great war happens nowadays,, all ocean highways are a matter of general courtern. Uhou]gh the recent great war broke out on the other side of the world, it is a fact that enemy mines were placed in these antipodian waters and from the naval history of the war not any part of the world’s waters were free from possible enemy visitations. In this regard Lord Jellicoo is on sound ground in holding that there should be no independent fleet, I but that the Empire Fleet should be I i

co-ordinated, and any division in New Zealand should be but a branch of tlie major service controlled from the Empire’s headquarters. * It appears to be an admirable suggestion also that the Dominion should become essentially a

maritime power. Our insular position places ns at tlie service of the sea for material means of transport. Our industrial life depends on tlie sea routes being kept intact, and as New Zealand is now a necessary contributor to the Empire’s food supply, this country, should be associated, with the rest of the nation in maintaining its life intact, i The cost is to be within the region : of a million a year, an expenditure at | the' present juncture largely of the nature of an insurance fund. A million does not sound as formidable as it onde did, and- if this modest sum will "void the crowded millions wl’kli a war involves, it will indeed be money well spent.

I I i ! It is or should bc( common ground for [ all who are concerned about the welfare j of the Dominion that it is importantthat there should be an -ncrease 'n pro- ; duction from industry. Not otherwise can the country meet the obligations which have been imposed upon it by the war. The extent to which the permanent charges that have annually to be met out of the publics rev alues have been swelled is relatively j enormous. The payments in interest and sinking fund in respect of the public debt in the year before the war broke out were £2,887,981. Last year they were £6,086,769. The difference between these figures is £3,198,778. To this must, however, bo added the debt of honour which has annually to be discharged in the form of Avar pensions. For the past financial year the sum of £1,199,544 was paid in pensions. In interest and sinking fund and in war pensions, therefore the dominion had to provide in the past financial year a sum of £4,398,332 over and above the amount it had to provide in tho .year before the war. This fresh expenditure constitutes one of the war i legacies. It represents only a propor- \ tion of the increased expenditure Avhich imust annually he met by the dominion. What the total Avill be uiien the last commitment in connection Avith the war has been discharged and when the total .pension liability has been ascertained is a matter of conjecture. It may safely be assumed, however,, that the permanent charges upon tho public revenues have been increased—necessarily increased—through the occurrences < the past five years by several millions It is foolish to suppose that this in creased annua} charge, which is a, re curring annual charge, since it Lai been added practically in permanence t<

the public expenditure, can be met in any way other than by increased production. And increased production can he secured only by harder work and more intensive cultivation. There is a. small section of people, remarks a Dune- . din paper, (and the same comment ap- j plies here), who are disposed to sneer at a statement of this kind. They declare, that that much-abused word “production” is being overworked. But they do not tell us how, other than by production, the heavy obligations which the dominion has undertaken are to be fulfilled. There is in fact no alternative to increasing our production if the* country is not to be oppressed by the* burden of its liabilities. j The subscriptions to the Victory War Loan have been less liberal than might havo been inferred from the statement which was made on the subject by the Minister of Finance last week. It is now stated that the amount for which

applications have been received so far is. j £8,000,000. Apparently other sub- j scriptions have still to be taken into account, but it may be concluded that

the loan has been under-subscribed to. the extent of about two million. Tn these circumstances the Minister lias

stated quite definitely that the provisions of the Finance Act under which investments in the loan may he comi pulsorily exacted from those who havenot subscribed to -the extent of their ability will be put into force. As the deposits, other than those of the Government itself, in the trading banks on the 30th September last exceeded £9,600,000 ,4t Will be seen that it isnot from a lack of available funds in. flip country, (says the Otago Daily Times), that the loan has not been satisfactorily floated. Nor can it be suggested that the yield in the case of those who benefit through the fact that income-taxation is not collected on theproceeds of the investment is not sufficiently attractive. No investment stock*; quoted on the Stock Exchanges of the dominion give a return equal to that which an investment in the war loan yields to a taxpayer whose income* brings him within one of the higher grades of taxation. The explanation of the fact that the loan has not been, fully subscribed must consist simply in: the withdrawal of the impelling force* that assured the success of the loanswhich were issued during the currency' of the war. It is a different kind of\ driving power that the Minister now proposes to exercise in the use of whatono knows as the compulsory clauses of i the Finance Act. It may be suspected that there was never publicly supposed to be any'danger of the enforcement of ’ these clauses. ‘ j

A meeting of supporters of Mr T, E. Y. Seddon in the coming generaF election will be held in the Ivoiterangi (Public Hall on Wednesday next at 8 p.m. Ladies are specially invited to attend. Mr P. C. Webb is announced in this issue to address meetings at the OperaHouse I-loiktika on Tuesday, and Kokatabi Public Hall on Wednesday evenings at -8 o’clock, on the subject of* “Labor's aims and objects; and thenerd of a. Labor daily paper.” The funeral of the late Mr John M - N. Anderson of Woodstock took place* i yesterday and was largely attended by relatives and friends from all parts of the district. The Lev. Father Clancy conducted the service at the Church and graveside, many floral emblems being j placed on the grave. j i

Mr. P. B. Lomax, who is announced as an Independent Democratic candidate for Motueka, is a member of Motuekn Borough Council, member of the Harbour Board,.also Chairman and Director of Motueka Lime Company Ltd

Mr Albert E. (“Dick”) Stephens, well known in New Zealand about twenty years ago, died at Launceston lose month. He was born in Melbourne and when only a lad he joined, in company with his brother, Alfred, and his sister Lily, Mr. Tom Pollard’s Opera Company, touring with this well-known combination all over Australia and New Zealand.

On Monday afternoon, says the Westport ‘News”, a bull in a paddock on the western side of the Buller river, was set on to by some dogs, and making off in -great haste it went right through a fence and plunged into the river, which, at the time Vas at flood tide. The bull swam across the river and landed on the spit, or island, as it was at the time, causing some whitebait fishers to scatter. The bull swam across to the protection wall, but could get no grip there and so turned ut> stream and after some difli- | culty, lauded on the town side. Meantime the owners came in search and I after a bit of a hunt secured the beast and led it home again. Many Hokitika Grocers would make excellent Members of Parliament hut it would he a distinct National loss to take them from their present posii tions while they are so busy supplying 1 families with the pure “Golden Rule i Soap, “Golden Rule” Candles, Golden i Rule” Tea, “Golden Rule” Wn|mg ,1 Tablets, “Keep Smiling” Boot Polish, I “Keep Smiling” Pumice Soap and the famous “NO RUBBING” Laundry I Help.

Just arrived, another lot of “chic” millinery, crepe do chine blouses, am the new Aquarock and all-Bri-isl rainster rain coat, at Schroder and Co. Inspection cordially invited.—Adv . The Famous North British Belting is , without equal for all mining machinery, i wood-working and iron-working machm- ; ery; beet British manufacture Ask | your local dealer to give you full details with regard to prices and particulars. Although each season it is becoming more difficult in obtaining satisfactory supplies of reliable hosiery, Schroder and Co., through their agents, have secured sufficient for local requirements, New sports hose in black cream, cashmere, black and coloured cashmere hose, silk hose,' glissiuna hose, in all shades children’s half and three quarter hose in great variety are showing A visit to the house will prove to your satisfaction.—A dvt.