WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 January 1927, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DRESS AT IAIPERIAL CONFERENCE

NEW ZEALAND OVER-LOOKED,

(Special to “ Guardian.”)

WELLINGTON. December 31 The “ Evening Post.” with a ready sense of what interests its readeis atthis season of the year, devotes all editorial to the dress of the Elliptic » representatives at the Imperial Conference. a subject which has been engaging the attention ot several of the trade papers at Home during the last month or two. The “Post ” draws inin the eyes of the “Tailor and Cutter, an organ of fashion which prescribes with traditional authority the cut of a man’s coat and the breadth of- his trousers, and accepts the “ Daily Chronicle’s ’’ summary of this expert s pronouncements. “Mr Baldwin.” the reader is told, “dresses tactlessly; Mr Bruce is criticised for wearing spats. General 1 lertzog wears his buttons parochially instead of Imperially; Mr Churchill's collar and tie are Victorian ; Lord Balfour’s are antiquated, and Lonl Birkenhead dresses epigrammatienll.v.” '*lt is gratifying to the ‘Tost” to find that two-thirds of the offenders, in the eyes of the “ Talor and Cutter” are British statesmen, and that some of the Dominion delegates “ gave Mr Baldwin and his colleagues a lesson in sartorial deportment.” At the Conference of 192.1. Mr Mackenzie King's coat was said to be “ really a poor fit ” and his trousers to “ sadly need an uplift”: hut now the Canadian Minister is at the head of the list of properly attired delegates. MISSING NEW ZEALANDER. The “honours list.” however, is a I cruelly brief one, and the “Tailor and Cutter” evidently is an exacting] critic. “ AVe must- single out the Canadian representatives for special praise.” it- says. “-Mr Mekenzie King, the Prime Minister, and Mr Ernest Lapoint, Minister of .Justice, were both correctly attired for sucll an event. They wore black morning coats and waistcoats and neat trousers,” 'I he “Post” naturally is surprised that .Mr Coates obtains tin mention in this sartorial review, and properly scouts the suggestion that New Zealand s Prime Minister can have failed to look the part he was upholding at the great assembly. “ Where did our Mr Coates come in?” it protests. “It Ids trousers were not neat, they were not in sad need of ail uplift, as Mr Mackenzie King’s had previously been. He did not imitate the’thoughtlessness and tactlessness ’ of Mr Baldwin in wearing a lounge suit on the opening day, nor did lie wear spats like Mr Bruce, or wear his buttons ‘ parochially -’ like General Hertzog. If Mr Coates was able to escape, both t!ie praise and the scorn of the ‘Tailor and Cutter ’ lie must have hit the mean very nicely.” The Prime Minister would he a distinguished figure in any assembly and a quaint tilt he may give his hat and a coy display of his handkerchiefs would not detract from his manly hearing. NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS. Under this heading the “ Dominion ” this morning very -appropriately and verv opportunely makes an eloquent appeal for better relations between Capital and Labour. “ With the more serious of our international problems in a fair way to permanent settlement, the future integrity of our Empire assured by the very practical understanding which ilms been reached the last Conference.” it asks. “ is it not possible for all sections of the British community to unite in resolute and concerted measures which will enable them to proceed unhampered with their industries, their domestic progress and their development?” “Why should it lie possible.” it asks again, “for all hysterical irreconcilable like Cook, the pro-Russian miners’ secretary in England, to precipitate a prolonged struggle which cost the people of the Old Country huge losses and great suffering, and created throughout the Empire a period of commercial uncertainty and financial stringency ? ” But the Reform journal does not appeal to Labour alone for assistance in solving the great problem. “ What is said of the responsibilities of the leaders ot trades unionism applies,” it emphasises, “equally to the leaders of industry. It is their duty to endeavour to promote a better understanding for the common good.” This is the gospel which should he preached from one end of the country to the other at all seasons of the year and particularly at Christinas time. A WORKER’S VIEW. A veteran worker, who has been closely associated with trades unionism for many years, and who has some authority to speak on behalf of his fellows, in the course of an interview this morning said lie was satisfied a majority of the holla fide unionists would be glad to meet die employers lmlf-way in the settlement of their grievances, in the spirit suggested by the " Dominion.” The main difficulty in the way was the narrow selfishness of comparatively small minorities oil both sides. Unfortunately these minorities often contained the pushing and noisy men among the workers and among the employers. They were anxious only to extract the best possible terms for their own side from the other side. This was one ol the difficulties for which the Conciliation and Arbitration Act could not wholly provide and as a result the Act had fallen into disrepute. It still, however, presented the very best means yet offered for adjusting labour disputes, and if the spirit of the framers of the measures could he revived in the present generation, both Labour and Capital would he much better off than they are today, and the production of the countiv would he enormously increased. Abiding industrial peace, this authority soliloquized, was the great need of the world.