Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY MAY 8th., 1920. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 May 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY MAY Bth., 1920. THE WEEK.

Thk coming of the Prince is the all absorbing event, not alone in this farilung outpost of the British Empire hut m other larger and important centres of the Dominion also. Princ? Eduard has made a notable impression wherever his travels have taker, him. His set purpose in the presen: Empire iour is for his own benefit—to know the constituent countries and to meet the people and understand their aims and aspirations. Judging by the whole-hearted welcome accorded the Prince in the North Island, the Royal visitor has made an >'mpression of a marked character. He ;s to be amongst us next- weekf and the only factor to assure a wonderful success is the weather. The folk all ii]i and down the Coast are on the tip-toe of excitement and the greatest interest is being manifested in the visit. In his public speech at Wellington, the Prince of Wales spoke appropriately. 'Apart from his pleasantries, his remarks on the Empire outlook were admirably timed and were a very pertinent- review of the actual situation. Speaking of the difficult times, he 6aid they mint settle their disputes with commonseme and fairness to all. Th"e y must not let their local controversies effect the common devotion to British justice, freedom and unity of the great Empire which their hands had made. It was a fine vision. The Empire is wh it the people have made it. Now is the testing time whether they are to mar their own handiwork or out of the welter of the war fashion it to greater importance than ever. This was not a message alone to the people of this Dominion, but should resound Empire wide. Hie Prince is bent on -Jmilding aright.

Thl Stratford election result supplies lather cold comfort to the Government. The substance of the political position is that within a brief period the Government has lost two Ministerial seats—Sir James Allen by his departure, and the election in his stead of a political opponent, and now Major Hine permanently supplanted also by a political opponent. Mr Hine was defeated at the General Election, but the poll was upset by some irregularity affecting a free picture entert rani cut ! To an extent the numerical strength of the Government is not seriously affected, but its prestige is affected by losing tlio seat at a second time of asking. It show's a very !e----tei-mined attitude on the part of the Stratford electors, seeing that Mr Hine had prospective Cabinet rank. If there was any writing on the wall visible after the Bruce election, it should he discernible now in rather bolder type. Mr Massey must, ho impressed by the position in so far that ho must now complete his Cabinet, and getting to getber a full team, begin in reality to | carry on the Government. Too much I has been left to one or two members i and too much deferred, and the leeway I is noticeable. Acts of omission ■ a flier 1 than commission appear to be the gravamom of the Government’s offen ’o, and it is probably on this account that the votes of the people are setting in against the party in power. The v ting was greater than at the general election—an unusual circumstance and the polling was greater in favor of the Opposition candidate—which is like wise very significant.

In the course of an interview with thf (P. and T. officers, this week, Mr Massey had to deal with another dissatisfied branch of the civil service. He <Vnlt with the general situation in language which was fair and which gave a. good public view of the real outlook. It was beyond any power < r earth to keep prices down after a

great war, but profiteering was being stopped and he believed but for legislntion and the work of the Board of Trade and the tribunals, prices would be higher. He knew the position \\i.w a difficult one, especially for those who had not their own homes. Teat

New Zealand bad been successful v.as proved by the fact that the cost of liv- ‘ , , r mg was lower here than m any civil./- , , ~ i, T -m cd country in the world. In France r ■ ~ . tfie increase was four tunes as great ,• , . ffl Britain three tunes and even m „ , . . , Canada was much more. Australia was

nearest and occasionally was a- point or ! two better, because that country had been able to grow all its own wheat, He believed they would get back to very much lower prices than now in twelve or eitheen months’ time/ but they would not get back to normal, 1.0cause the war bad brought a higher standard of living. If the country i-» . ,i . i wero to avoid depression there must re , , , i i.* ltivss extravagance and more product! vi. mi . ~. 11, • . Their population had been very mans- . ~/.~ i xi b v tnous during the war, and that *r. , , rm, • i;„i :if dustry must Continue. Their liabdities had increased, during the w,r. ; so that they must find an additional sevon millions annually, five millm * for interest and -sinking fund and run

millions for war pensions. He agr. c<l with the principle of making payments to postal officials to compensate for the increased cost of living, but to do > they would have, to obtain more revenue from the Revenue Departments'. 'Uieir request was a matter for the Cabinet to consider, but he would submit it and give them a reply in a week or f'v>. He had promised to deal with the railway societies first, and that promise must be fulfilled before lie could take up this matter. On the general subject of satisfying i the demands of the civil service for in- : creased pay the Christchurch “Press” makes the obvious remark that there is 1 only one source from which the’Govern- ■ ment can give increased pay to railwaymen, post and telegraph officers, school teachers, and the whole of the Civil Service, >and that source is the pocket of the general public, of which every Go- ] vernment employee is a member. New! Zealand’s expenditure has increased literally by leaps and bounds during the past few years, and it still increases. How many people, we wonder, realise that our liabilities now impose on us the necessity of paying an additional seven millions annually? Or if any realise it, lion- many act as though it was any concern of theirs. No one wants any worker in New Zealand, whatever his occupation may be, to be paid less than will keep him and those dependent on him in comfort. But there is a great difference between the higher standard of living which recent years have brought about and the extravagance that is visible in so many directions. If the country ware to avoid a depression, said Mr Massey, there must be less extravagance rrd more production. There are clear indications that the public must be prepared to meet still heav’er charges. The Prime Minister said plainly that to meet the claims of Government servants' for higher pay, more revenue

would have to be obtained. We may expect increases in railway fares and freights, there may be an increase in

postal and telegraphic rates, and no

one would be greatly surprised if, instead of reducing the income tax by removing the special war tax, the Gov-

s eminent found it necessary to retain it e at its present figure. This is not an 1 argument against the payment of a do--1 cent living "’age, but it is a very strong a reason for the practice of public and t private economy, a virtue which of late s seems to have.fallen into almost com. - plete disuse. - Mil Hughes, the Federal Prime Minis* ? ter, has lost no time in calling a conference of employers and employees to ) consider the present industrial situa- > tion, and to suggest measures or met- ; hods of work for overcoming industrial tension. Mr. W. T. Willington, in whom (says the Sydney Herald), the manufacturers of Australia have a representative capable of expressing, willingly, liberal views at the congress of associated chambers, welcomed the proposal for a conference, with a preference for conferring with thoughtful representatives of Labour. Mr Hughes in the House of Representatives, pointed to the only way to industrial peace when he said that peace would never exist until Capital recognised Labour as

ii partner in industry. The Laboui cheers which greeted his assertion cmjjhasised the truth of it. But the fad that men are partners does not necessarily mean that there is peace between them, only that the probabilities are that there will bo peace since their interests should be identical instead of being divergent as they are when they are competitors. Partners' quarrel among themselves just as families do. but as it is to their interest to agree and work amicably together they generally do. Where quarrels take place they generally arise because one partner is so working his share of the business as to get an undue advantage for himself, or else there is disagreement as to the proper working of the business. Ho we must not be certain that there will be peace should Capital recognise Labour as a partner. All that can bo hop. ed for is that, with a recognised- partnership, the self-interest of each will make for peace, will cause the partners to work amicably each with the other.The indispensability of each partner will also be a. powerful influence towards the maintenance of peace. Capital knows that Labour is indispensable. Labour has to recognise that Capital is indispensable to the progress or even to the maintenance of industry.