PRESS COMMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 May 1926, Page 3

PRESS COMMENT.

In practical working, central control in a Minister and a Department is inevitable; the effective administration of

a national scheme makes that imperative. Hut for the full achievement oi educational advance the intelligent sympathy and aid of the whole community arc essential. An opportunity for that is provided in the measure of local service that the school committee tail undoubtedly render; and in the -householders’ meetings, where local educational progress can be reviewed, local needs lie voiced, and the local administrators l-.c- chosen, there resides a potent factor tli ecoinmon weal. It is a thousand pities that this opportunity is not every where used with lull effect.—“ New Zealand Herald.”

If the New Zealand and South Stas Exhibition does not realise all the benefits for this city and this province and this Dominion which were Imped for it from the outset, it will not lie bec-au.se the Exhibition itself has lacked anything of success. Success is much too moderate a word to describe it. It will be'that the whole theory of exhibitions is wrong, that either they do not produce the advantages for a community that are attributed to them, or that the advantages -.ire too dearly bought. The experience of Toronto goes dead against that conclusion. No community would bold exhibitions annually for more than forty years unless very concrete benefits were obtained from them. —Dunedin “Star.”

For generations a very high degree

efficiency luis been discoverable in

industries, in Britain. Even in New Zealand there are secondary industries

which, even before the last tariff revision, were (as they still remain) effi-

cient and profitable. Efficiency and good technique may reap very rich rewards under a high tarifl, but they can lie achieved under a low tariff or under no tariff at all. Indeed, the lower the tarilf the stronger the incentive to efficient, methods, for efficiency then becomes essential to profitable existence. Conversely, efficiency becomes less necessary to profits when profits can be had through a tariff which keeps out the products of intense study of industrial methods and nigh technique.—Christchurch “Press.”

lt will not suffice for the Prime Minister to lay down a line of iction which adopts economy as a general principle, irrespective of the need lor development. The people must lie settled on the land, because increased production is our only salvation. 1 lii.s is no recent discovery. For eleven voirs, we amongst others, have advocated this policy, and what men ot. yision believed eleven years ago even the Government is admitting to-day. It would, of course, he onlv adding to our troubles to settle 1 the land on anv terms but times which promise success to occupiers. Ihe productiio value over a number of average years must lie the test of its worth, but the necessity for -iction appears in such an acute form that the Government, should no longer be permitted to temporise.—“Southland Daily News.” "VYe cannot, as it were, look ever Denmark’s shoulder as she does her sums and copy her answers; lor onis are different sums, and must he solved independently. Naturally there is much to he learned about organisation, but wc shall have to perfect our own; about the. application of science to the problems of farming, hut wc shall nave to discover h.ow to apply it to ours; and perhaps about that very old secret, hard work too. But there is no magic formula to be picked up in Denmark or elsewhere. New Zealand will heat Denmark at butter-making and buttersoiling when she deserves to; but whether she ever does or does not, in on industry supplying one ot the world’s first needs,' competition sl.ou d never grow so rude as to cut friendly co-operation.—Christchurch “1 ress.