WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1924, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

TARIFFS AND TRADE. FORD FEVER 111 T.ME’S VIEWS. [Special To Tice Guardian.] AV KF FI NOT ON, an. •!. Lord I.everhiilme was the guest of liomiiir at tin- llolarv C'lulj luncheon yi■'ler<lay and in an address acknowledging the courtesy of liis hosts ho expressed some opinions eoinsorniiig tarilfs and trade which cannot have been altogether palatable to those among them favourable to "preferenee" and “protection.” He confessed

him-elf a free-trader and a strong believer in tin- virtues of co-partnership and mutual help, which, as everyone knows, are the chief corner stones of the gre at businesses that have been built up under his inspiration and direction. In bis fifty-seven years of business experience, be said, after denouncing the restraint of trade by tariffs, he had never known the sein'd; policy to be the best policy. If the staff of n business was to be interested beyond the mere question of wages, then it mu A be interested in the mic-,t-ss of the hii-ine--. He was satisfied that in his own busine-s its greatest element oi strength in weathering the storms of the post-war period had been in the system of co-partnership. The svstem was strong, solid and humane and it won through on those lines. Ford Feverliuline’s hearers applauded his remark's courteously, hut obviously with luanv mental reservations. THE PROTECTIONISTS’ VIEW. The ' Dominion" this morning gives slmrl-shriit to Ids lordship's advocacy of free-trade. "Ford Foverhtilmc's address," it says, "was in great part a statement of the classic ease for treetrade, a ease which the people of ills Dominions in common with those o! nearly all countries except Great Uri tain, have examined and found wanting. If he makes good use of his opportunities during his present lour of the Empire, Ford Feverhulme will have no difficulty in satisfying himself that in discarding the policy of five trade, the people of the Dominions have acted from a thoroughly practical standpoint. New Zealanders, for instance, are well aware that their problems o!

over-sea transport are accentuated by the extent to which the volume i i their export produce exceeds that < f their imports from abroad. Wry lew of them, however, will accept tlm dictuin that the remedy for this stale <1 affairs is to abolish tariff duties. Carried to its logical conclusion here and in other parts of (he Empire, this policy would reduce the Dominions to the status of so many sheep-walks, dairy farms and plantation areas, offering little scope for an increase of population by immigration, and offering correspondingly limited markets for the products ol flic British manufacturing industry.'' The arguments on both sides are familiar enough, but neither side finds those of the other convincing. *11? AETHER MYERS. \A cllingtoii, the scene of his pnfiiical labours, no less lhan .Auckland, the city of his adoption and the chief -e----cipient of his benefactions, will join heartily with his personal friends in

congratulating Fir Arthur '.Mycr- upon lie- further honour lie has received it the hands of 11i- Majesty the King. Hilly those who knew Sir Arthur intimately and watched his work closely realised to the full the very great value of tile services lie rendered to tile Do minion and tin Empire :is a member of i lie National Cabinet during the war period. There was not a Minister i!' the ( rmvn during that critical and try-

ing l line that devoled him-elf more assiduously and more capably !,< the .iitere-t- of tile (Oiintry. or who made greater personal sacrifice,- in hi- desire to promt ie and piii -i rve ibe w elf of tin community and tin- nation. When a-, ting a.. Minister of I'inams during hit Joseph Ward - , n: i emla ecc ai tie. Real.- C onlcrcm.v be sho.n-d a geld,:.-, for figure- am! administration i:o less remarkable than that of bis absent chief. Sir Arthur still is a young man. a- politicians go, and New Zealand would e.lndlv welcome him back to its Parliament. KEEP TO THE FEET. Wellington, which began so well with the observance ol its new "keep to the left" by-law, lias fallen away from grace sadly during the holiday season. Practically the old "go as you please” custom has been resumed and crowding, jostling and delay are as prevalent as they wen- before I lie City Council attempted lo repair ils neglect of many years. "As the long white lines down the centre of the pavements glow fainter under the smirching of thousands of feel.” says the "Dominion." "it has been noticed that -die deeply ingrained habit of keeping to the right is reasserting itself. Careful stock of how the new by-law was being observed was taken yesterday, and M a rough guess fully hi per cent cl pedestrians were disobeying the new by-law and thereby here and there causing confusion.*’. The truth of the

matter is that alter its first mile elforl to -ecurc observance of the new by-law the Council bus been content to let. the matter drift, and the public has well-nigh forgotten the effort ever was made. Now a vigorous “roundup” b.v the police will he required to save it from utter oblivion and neglect.