PRESS COMMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1927, Page 3

PRESS COMMENT.

Tho policy of starting relief works on the grand scale with .standard rates of wages would not only pile a huge additional burden of debt on the Dominion. but would draw away more and more men front immediately productive industry. In no very long time, such a policy would culminate in economic disaster. Ihe policy now adopted oilers ti vastly hotter hope of getting hack to normal times. The relief works serve their purpose in titling people over a period of stress, and the sooner they can he dispensed with the hotter. -Suggestions that tho fixing of relief rates at a low level represents the first Hep in an attack on national wage standards are merely so much political moonshine*.— “ Wairarapu .Aujc.”

Tbe Government unquestionably aids tin- hospitals system of ibis Dominion very considerably, but it woui'd be quite wrong to suggest lliat this country has nationalised its public hospitals. Voluntarily-aided public hospitals would, unquestionably, lie a failure in New Zealand. Even in Britain such institutions are to-day in sore fin-anei,-il straits. Nor is the population of this Dominion sufficiently large to enable a hospitals system to he conducted successfully without heavy State subsidies and per medium oniY of rating contributions, fees and gift's. At any rate, hospitals expenditure in this Dominion is, to-day. being much more cart-hilly watched than hitherto.— " Gisborne Times.”

The manufacturers are perfectly Irani- in asking tin* public to buy goods made in New Zealand in preference to the imported article, hut tin- New Zealand manufacturer must rest his claim lor support upon the quality of his products and the price at which Incan place them on the market. It may he readily agreed that a strong sentiment should obtain ill favour of satistaetorv quality favoured in our own country and ottered at a reasonable price. The ball mark “ Made in New Zealand ’’ is in itself an asset of eonsidornhi’e value of which nobody can deprive the Dominion manufacturer. ” Hnwera Star.”

There may he something to lie said about the constitution of the Town Planning Board, hut the Act itself is progressive and. under it. if all the evils of past generations in regard to city planning cannot ho overcome, at least it will he possible to prevent blunders in the future, li is important that the public should tie educated up to the fact that town planning is in their own interests. Everybody knows what a regrettable thing it is when a big iron shed or a garage goes up in a beautiful city locality, but this is only one of the evils that town planning wii’l prevent. The zoning of objectionable industries, the location oT oil stores, the width of streets, even the proper situation fora hand rotunda, are all matters which can he taken ill hand systematically and dealt with by experts. —“ Christchurch Mtar.”

The Government says that it is overhauling the Departments with a view to effecting economies, and proposals for reductions in various directions will he awaited with interest, ft is to tie, hoped that considerable savings in the national expenditure will he found possible and that the Government will <lo its duty and not he influenced by statements of an extreme nature by the leaders of the Public Service Association. Tho Ptibi’ic Service is entitled to fair and reasonable treatment: il is not entitled to special privileges which are not shared by the people as a whole.—” Wanganui Herald.”

There can lie little doubt that the railway system will depend more and more, in paying its way, upon longdistance passenger traffic and goods traffic: and, while the convenience of the public which uses branch line and .suburban train services should not be sacrificed, it must become the duty of the Department to develop intensively that kind of business wiiieti in changed times it is best able to conduct. \A o may be satisfied if tlio railways as a whole pay their way, while carrying the burden of financial unprofitable lines; for some of them at least pay tile country indirectly, if they do not pay the Department. The position is rather that the railways should not make a loss, while their service to the public is maintained, than that they should make a profit at the sacrifice of public service. —Christchurch “Sun.”

Judging from the Auckland discussion, the automobile associations are prepared to put up a strong resistance in the event of legislation being brought down to levy a petrol tax. It was mooted out that at the time motorists agreed to the tax on tyres they understood that there was to he no further taxation ; anti it was urged that a charge on petrol is not necessary in the Dominion. Circumsetances alter cases, of course, and doubtless the Now Zealand motorists are taking up their stand on the supposition that in this country such charge would not lie designed to replace the tyre tax, hut would be an additional charge. “Marlborough Express.”

In the ease .of a country like New Zealand the main fund out of wnTcli taxpayers meet the demands mao! c ii them has its origin in a favourable trde balance, the excess of exports over imports. If there are ascertained factors operating in a contrary direction—towards an adverse balance—they will need to he discouraged rattier than encouraged. It is an extremely unpleasant task to uphold the Government in the stand it takes on the wages scale for relief works. AA’hat those who protest against it must ••• cognise is that these will he relief works, possibly superfluous from many aspects, and probably a worse bargain for those who will have to pay for their execution than for those who will be paid under-rate wages for carrying them out.--Dunedin “Star.”

Those who seek to impeach the fairness of the Government’s decision respecting the rates of payment for the relief work offered by it desire to establish a principle that would lower rather than raise the status of labour in the Dominion and would weaken existing incentives to steady work. They ignore, too. the fact that the terms offered by the Government reprsent a minimum and that those engaged on relief work are able to increase their earnings if they showsufficient capacity. Meanwhilte. it is desirable that the Government should make known as early as possible exactly what it proposes in respect of the absorption of unemployed in the execution of public works.—"Otago Times.”

At the present stage the range of our secondary industries is limited—although it is more extensive than many people think—and that affords the consumer an opportunity to keep trade within the Empire, hut. if we are to develop and make provision for a larger population, we must assist those industries which provide the maximum amount of employment. Economic conditions have forced a limitation of purchases overseas of recent months, but a policy of preference or goods manufactured here would enable ns to reduce imports

and assist- industries now struggling against, the competition of overseas manufactures. The improvement noted in the trade of the Dominion since the commencement of the financial year are encouraging, hut there is much to la- done before we shall have built tip that excess of exports which our financial commitments overseas make necessary.—“Lyttelton Times.”

The local authorities who must maintain the highways, and the motorists who provide much of the revenue, have a right to know how much of tlie sum transferred came from the unexpended balance of the South Island and hots much from the North Island; and also how much work thus made possible is to he carried out in the south and how much in the north. The hoard could hardly expect them to accept without protest a policy which jnioht have the eeet of reducing the amount of the maintenance subsidy in the south, it money that was available for the purpose had been transferred to pay for construction work in the north. The transaction, and its probable effects, should lie made the subject of a full and frank explanation.—“ Lyttelton Times.”

If prohibition is carried in New Zealand. we should like to see a decisive verdict, and not an equally divided nation. Tile trouble is that if prohibition is not carried we remain where we are and where we have stuck in the regulation of the liquor traffic for the last 36 years. All the people of New Zealand do is to defeat prohibition every three years and leave things as they are, and that is all they are likely to do as long as the licensing issue condemns candidates for Parliament to he pledgehound on election day. There arc politicians who absolutely decline to pledge themselves to either of the extreme parties on the licensing issue, but they are in a minority in the present Parliament, and therefore moderate opinion is not likely to receive much consideration in the amendment of tho law.—” Damievirke News.”