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Hokitika Guardian, 15 April 1925, Page 2

France is having a more complicated experience in peace time than in the war period. France lias allowed her finance to hecome so complex a matter, that the tangle is now eternal. France built on making Germany, pay up, hut the process is long drawn-out. and France has found it a costly matter to wait. In the waiting, efforts have been made to tide over the national position with temporary schemes of taxation, not with the object of solving the debt problem, but merely of balancing the budget—carrying on till Germany turned up with the money. This Micawberlike policy has t>een landing France in

a more difficult position than ever, and now the position is so acute, that it is more costly for France to carry on in peace, than it was to finance the war. The temporising has led to a great deflation of the French currency—this in itself has been an enormous loss to France and will take years to recover—the loss mounting up all the time. Yet though this was palpably plain, the make-believe tactics went on, and politics continue in the melting pot. Forties of all shades of political opinion (and there are many political groups in France) have attended to solace the situation, hut all fail. Perhaps if France tried .John Hull’s policy of paying up, a beginning might he made to restore the currency of the country and France would begin to recover her position. Hut France continues to find ex-

cuses for not paying and is antagonising America towards which the unpleasant remark of repudiation has been whispered. France must do the heroic in peace as in war if the country wishes to rehabilitate itself financially.

Tun difference of opinion between the .Minister of Internal Affairs and the new President of the Pacing Conference has proved an interesting controversy, of which we may he sure the last has not been heard. The Pacing Conference was set up liv the Pacing Clubs to ensure the more uniform and effective control of racing in all its aspects. The ruling body has done well. It lias lioen an elaborate piece of machinery in some respects, but it has worked unceasingly for the unity of the nirf :.nd it has accomplished a great deal. Hitherto successive governments have deferred to the Pacing Conference in all matters of detail, and the relations have been reciprocal and well understood. In the latest phase, a palpable breach lias occurred. It has been have deferred to the Pacing Conference lo control the totalisator permits, and the whole agitation for the granting of extra permits enumerated from the

racing bodies which had to make repeated requests to the government for the grant of the permits. Eventually twelve extra permits were granted for racing clubs, and two difficulties arose over the distribution of these. The Act provided that the .Minister ol Internal Adairs may grant twelve licenses to racing clubs to use the totalisator on one day. Coder previous legislation the allocation was left to the Pacing

Coiifercme. On occasions, representatives of the Conference were set up lo advise the Government specially on the matter. Lately two separate reports were compiled for the guidance of the Government. They were pigeon-holed, as also the advice of (lie Conference, and the Minister at considerable cost and delay travelled round the country. II is decision is now history, and the hulk of the permits go to the North Island—as also the spare permits for this season, for which there appears to he quite a number. The principle which is at stake will prompt the Pacing Conference to have a more definite position defined as to the limits of its control, and ill making a decision there is a possibility of ultimate harm being done to the future of the turf by the loss of some of the independent guiding minds who, out ol regard lor the welfare of the sport have given so much time and thought to the detailed

management to ensure purity <>t racing. The Minister on the other hand is as bellicose. Mr Pollard took a firm stand in securing the passing of the hill, and for that reason, as he averred, too. on the floor of the House, he was going to have a say in the allocation of the permits. So far, so good, hut lie did consult the Pacing Conference up to a certain point, and look its advice where it suited and rejected it where it did not. That is just the point on which the split lias taken place. And it now comes to a question ol how lar (he Minister should consult or he guided by the Pacing Conference. Precedent is wholly against Mr Pollard, so that he has taken a course lor which he must account personally. Ministers come mill go, hut in ordinary circumstances the Con fore nco "ill go on lor ever. It Inis it-, constitution built up by vearsot experience, andhasn wealth of detail pertaining to the under working of snort, it is the best informed for the task of administering the details pertaining tooddidetails soccurro affecting racing, and no doubt the present Minister feels ere this he would have been best advised to have left the details to a body which has the machinery and the first-hand information to give the readiest attention to all matters affecting the general welfare of the turf.

Tub fact that the 'Westland booklet lately issued under the auspices of the Canterbury Progress League, is proving so attractive with the public, is proof further of the excellciKe of the publication >a,s an advertising medium. The further fact that supplies are being exhausted, suggest at omo that a reprint should be arranged for as soon as possible. The question is one of finance, and this should he assured, seeing that such excellent value is being given for the expenditure. Business people concerned and the local bodies might bo appealed to further, while in a matt of such general interest, the public would he disposed to help, also, if given an opportunity. It is due to Dr Teichelmanu to say that the production of the booklet and its popular reception, are due in a great measure to his efforts. This result was achieved by the success of his lectures in Christchurch anil elsewhere, and finally by the time and care lie gave to the production of the booklet itself. A first class advertising medium bias been produced, and it should he re-produced in as many copies as possible to advertise the district far and wide. 'Wembley is to reopen next month, and it will he an opportunity lost if a few thousand copies are not on the Xciv Zealand stands there to interest and attract visitors and even settlers to the Dominion, bocal interests are such that another £IOO should he raised without delay to insure 3000 copies of the work being put into circulation inlinediatelv.