Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 22 October 1924, Page 2

Tub Bussian Treaty is sure to be a very prominent feature in the present general election at Home. Elsewhere in this issue is a slatemnt of the inside history as to how the treaty came to he concluded at the eleventh hour, as it were, of the negotiations. A contemporary remarks that Mr Hamsay MacDonald appears to be making out a very poor defence of the agreement between his Government and the Soviet. ‘'At an rate,” he is reported in his opening electjion address to have stated, “two-thirds of the Itussian loan would be spent in British industrial centres.” This may be perfectly true, but the advantage of allowing ltussia to run up a bill in British industrial centres, which, on past experience, she is not unlikely to repudiate is far from being obvious. On the other hand, if the millions the Labour Government is prepared 1* r, venture light-heartedly in Kussia were wisely utilised as credits within the Empire all risk would be eliminated and a. great deal might be done to promote Empire settlement and to broaden permanently the demand for the output of British industries. That Mr Aim Donald and bis colleagues do noL seem to have even seriously eonsidered tlie.se alternative possibilities in itself suggests that they are illquaiified for tbe position of responsible authority they have occupied during the. past, year and are anxious to resume. The contention of the Labour Ministers that the re-estahlishment of trade with ltussia is indispensable as a means of relieving unemployment in Britain is an exaggeration and distortion sullieiently exposed in a statement made by Sir liobert Home ill the course of the hist Budget dehate in tlm House of Commons. People imagined, the former Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer observed on that ocoasion. that Britain did. an enormous trade with Jlussia bc-lore the war. In fact the little country of New Zealand took fiom Britain as much in the way of manufactured goods before the' war as the whole of the teeming population-of ltussia.

Tin: reading question involves milch consideration and torclhought everywhere. The change in motor traction to the faster and heavier machines carries the problem of road construction and maintenance everywhere. An English newspaper of late date remarks that County Councils, and other road authorities in the country, ate greatly concerned over the increasing demands made on the public: funds for tbe strengthening of bridges and improving roads to bear tbe eve:-grow-ing motor traflie. Tbe vast majority of roads in Great Britain were made for horse-drawn traffic; to-day it is est imated there are I .200.0‘H1 meeluiiiieally | ropelled vehicles using them, lull while the problem of repair, and in many ease's entire reeonsti uetioii is big enough as regards roads, it is overshadowed by the urgent no: easily of strengthening bridge'. These works are swallowing vast sums of public money, and am complicated by the fact that owing to the giowth of the new kind of 1 1:1 (li‘ ■. railway lompaiiies IViie'i have made bridges on roads nod. i will'll their lines pa";, are not compelled to strengthen those structures to meet modern requirements. The secretary of the County Councils' Assnciation stated that, they were now negotiating with the railway companies to see if some arrangement could lie arrived at. It is estimated that the cost of roads in Britain for the year is C10.0U0.0011 towards which lnccliani-c'.-illy-propelled vehicles will contribute by licence ices an estimated sum of L'l 1.01H1.0G0. tbe balance' to hi* provided out of public' funds. “The trouble which local authorities ate experiencing.” said the' .secretary of the County Councils' Association, "is not only confined to repairing a road lint also Jo finding a material for mail-making which will stand the abnormal traflie it may be called upon to serve.” .New Zealand in geneial and Westland in particular do not, therefore, occupy a singular position in this matter.