The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8th, 1923. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 December 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) SAT URDAY, DECEMBER Bth, 1923. THE WEEK.

I'm: opening of the Exhibition, now but a week away is exciting a. growing interest. The arrivals during the week, am! the increase of exhibits leave no doubt *us to be huge dimensions of the display. In addition there is the very line buildings and appointments which indicate vet'v pronouncedly what till extensive display the completed exhibition will make. The whole outlook auguis well indeed. The general preparations appear to be progressing most satisfactorily. The smooth running of

the arrangements suggest that everything is well in hand and Hint success seems to he wonderfully well assured. The event is certainly one of very considerable magnitude. Exhibits are Icing drawn from all parts of New Zi aland, is well as from overseas. ! here van ho no eoinplniiK about the lack of patronage. The outside su[>poi t of the large undei taking since it was fust launched, has been most encouraging. The whole undertaking has hct-u tendered primarily possible by the railway which links east with west, and .so the tunnel has heroine a veritable portal of prosperity to the distriet. p is a good beginning and indicates the possibilities fur the future to Westland generally. H says a great ch-al for the probable future of the place to till’d such wliolc--1 carted support to the Exhibition milling from outside. The confidence id the otit.sid-‘ slip] oil will not he placed in vain. Til" C ast carries a population of about 35.000 ) eople. and tlieie i- n'lin for many thousands more. Tin railway is proving a convenience, and as time goes on must lead to gteater improvement, giving the ( cast i huger population. The trade ot this communitv is want It catering tor. and that is why so many are competing' tor it. The Iteiness of the Coast must increase, for with improved facilities t, reach the outside markets. the votuino of | rodm e must grow, ami ill CM liter the return from export, the better will lie the importing trade also. The railway thus creates a mutual benefit, inducing more trade and commerce til th ways. The railway in point of fact has annexed Westland to the South Island definitely. Westland is a land of golden opportunity, and blit. development will become a growing factor in rtiding to the general prosperity. The railway means, too. thin in regard to tourist traffic, Westland will enjoy a volume of traffic it has never vet contemplated a.s possible.

Oi'ii Ihime Minister. Mr asset has In-eu vorv nnn !i at. “home" in the Alotlici laud nil this <;< er-ion. Ho Inis Ikon the doyen of the visiting; Premiers and Inis occupied niiioh of the puhiic o' tout ion. Honors have been accorded knit, ami the Dominion Iras enjoyed in ml: re lleete.-l tdory. Mr Ala-sot's \i-i[ to llolaml vtii- made the most of. tilt! he int-nm-d I tie wrath oi the oritios 1,,- into: veiling in rlie British elections with |ii"-( lownmu-nt .speeches. Mr Massey is too inneli used to political ei itieism in this country for his political tneties to take the British remarks to la ai l. htir while it would he expected at him not to lose an opportunity to s|eak as he thinks, it would have been n.iieh bet ter Tor the proprieties nml For tie- credit of the Dominion, if Tte had refrained altogether from intervening;.. Ih was qnite in the lime-lij'ht as it was, and eonld hove allorded to make a virtu- of political ctbpieite by observing; a discreet sih-m-e while the Homeland settled its own political fate without outside interference. This was more so necessary because the Dominions will he affected to some considerable extent bv the result of the eleetftms.

Tltl (jiiestion of Empiic-wiile preference on the lines ashed tor by the I lenders at the Imperial Conference, wlieieat .Mr Massey was a prominent •pcakcr, will hear issue it Mr Baldwin gets his way on the fiscal proposals. For that reason, Air Alassey having had Ins say at the round table conference it would have been belter to let the issue remain at that. The elections (liming on .so suddenly, not to say unexpectedly, left Air Alassey at a loose end. and the fight being on, our bellicose Premier could not keep out ot the fray. Naturally his feelings went with Hie Conservatives, niul that certainly mis not good manners seeing that he wits: the nation’s guest irrespective of party. The Conferem e itible was 1 lie place for Air Alassey to speak his mind, and there he had full opportunity to express himself. So lar as his duty to the Dominion was concerned it was not necessary to speak outside the Conference room on general politics, and foi that reason. Air Alassey appears to have gone a little too far and rattier o'er-stepped liT.s welcome Home.

\ morns of the subject just referred to. uu> “Mmv Zealand Times’’ remarks. "\rr Massey at lie!la t spoke up stroiliIv for JTotertion. So doing. In* pin.-:-i himself in the British electoral areal. He did so as an active chant ptrti on the Conservative side. The side l-o took matters little in comparisou with ilit* fact that he took a side at a'l. i he fact is astonishing, inasmuch us it is unprecedented and uncalled for. It is, in fact. a. breach of the unwritten law that forbids outsiders from interim ino in the domestic affairs of Britain. By this action Mr Massey has laid himself o;s:-n to criticism, which is likely to he many-headed and unsparing. We need not dismiss this criticism, under its obvious headings of had manners, unwarrantable interference, breach of hospitality, and the rest. This because we do not think it j at all likely that Mr Massey would deliberately commit a breach of manners or force himself into a eonte--l m which he has no place. Tie has always hitherto shown his understanding of his position as an oversea representative. who is in the Old Country for the sole purpose of discussing matters of Imperial concern at- a Conference assembled for that purpose alone. Then, that purpose having been accompliished, hv what reason can Mr Massey justify his interference in the British general election? j

A ixw years ag# tho view of a Labour demagogue that pronpeiity could be brought to the worker by tlie use of tho printing press had strong support in Australian Labour quartern (says the ••‘Argus"). The misery wrought ot Is; to in I{n>-sia- by i iio debasement of tiie currency, ami tho futility of such n line of policy to assist the multitude. lias led tin? So\ iot Administration to go back to gold. In Germany the deliberate depreciation of t lie mark, com billed with had Budgets, has had a tlutil elfeet. First, tho opportunity has been provided for financiers and the great industrialists of tlie country to amass wealth at borne and abroad on an unexampled scale. Their gain has been accompanied by a corresponding degradation of the

masses. Correspondence received hero fioni Germany relates that just, as the mark has depreciated in value, so it lias become more and more difficult for the, salaried and working classes to meet bate living expenses. A loaf of '.lead weighing 311 b. cost in Germany in September 3,000.000 marks, a pound of margarine 23 to 28,000.000 marks, beef 3d.000,000 to 08.000,000 marks a pound, of pork 02.000,G00 marks a lb. High figures, of course, are required to represent wages, as the better class of workmen were being paid from 700 to 1200 million marks a day. blit tlie money went, only a little way, as the piintiug press was ever at work. In the circumstance*;, therefore, it is good news to leant that the conditions prevailing in Russia and Central Europe are inducing Australian Labour leaders to discard their former belief in the efficacy of the note-printing press

as a means of improving the lot of tlie masses. Mr Theodore’s declaration in favour of the Commomvualth returning to the gold standard is the lirst decisive utterance in favour of sound moiiev, lint it is none the less wol-