PRESS COMMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 December 1927, Page 4

PRESS COMMENT.

One of our eonlemporaiies, whicli declares that the Government is a l,;ul Government arid that the petrol tax is a had. tax. hazards llie gn - Ibe I Ibe whole of Ibe tax lh:il is , ol.levied in I lie North Island and per i cut of i In' lax that is eolh-'lcd in the South Island will be spent in Ihe nor) It. Thai would not be an cijuitidde expenditure el the ju.eci'ds of I lie tax. I'Orf liiiately ii is possible lo have orenter faith in the fairness ~f the public administration than to credit the likelihood of any such pulpnlhlv unjust, application of the rovenlie produced hy the lax. The work to which this revenue is appropriated win 1 ave til he scheduled and the cxf- nidi tun' will have to he regulated by r . oe n*l idly ■prepared plan. Ihe fund would ho dissipated and more less wasted if it were promiscuously applied to till sorts of hurriedly devised undertakings. Wisely controlled, however, and judiciously and epuilnhlv expended, it should he the means of producing such an improvement m the state of the roads of the Dominion as will repay the whole of the special taxation that is being imposed on the motoring community.— “Otago Daily Times.”

If wine and beer can be proved practically innocuous why should thc\ b. banished from the country.-' H Hies do not create an infinitely more decent condition ol alfuirs they can he ruled out and prohibition ruled in at vhc to! lowing poll. Does the New /'-aland Alliance realK*t,hiuk that Hie adoption ol wines and beers would not make hu sobriety, or is ii afraid that such a system, once established, would he so successful that it would become permanent:' If tlm purpose ol ihe Government ci the pcohihitonists i- i" hiighren th- homes ol the people, thex viiiinoi addm v a -’ingle argument against giving file proposal we advocate reasonable tiial. 11 has been -1:> t ■ 1 year after year lhai tin decision i in Ihe band - >«! the people, hut what mtlnon. have the people in inspiring h-gi dai ion y Fro in the beginning the issue lias been cm am! dried—on the one hand supporting tin- wealthy vested interests, and uii the other an, organisation whose members would sooner See the world’s miseries persist than recede one inch irom their oiieinal purpose.- - ' -'southland New-. What He- farmers are mainly omicrned ~booi i- ihe efliiirvu aid expeditious handling m their produec atiei it

leaves the farm. It is not a ijtiosiioii ol wages, hut tlie irritating conditions that are increasingly imposed hy ihe Court on tin handling of tanners’ |>mditee. The larmci- sees legitimate pm-fii-si that should go to the improvement o: production being'n'iuerei! uwny ihioiigii oni iniial imlentio:- berv.eeti the eiii|,k*ycrs' orgatn.-atiot:.- on the one

h;in<l and labour unions on the other, and lie has no place in the argument. The fanner sees the avenue ot employment being gradually narrowed in the awards that affect his output, while hundreds of men are walking the country looking for work. The tanners teel the evil of the vicious circle, and they want the right to pay lor efficiency, honestly believing that if some of the conditions imposed by the Arbitration Court are relieved the country will reap the benefit in increased prosperity.— Dannevirke “ News."

The action of the banks and other factors have •contributed to reduce the inrush of imported goo.ds, while the prospects of the primary industries, upon which the Dominion depends loithe maintenance of its exports, are dis tjiictly encouraging. The next lew months should see the export trade reach imposing dimensions, and the adverse balance to-day may be wiped out. The improvement in the banking position, as the bulletins issued bv the Chamber ol Commerce have shown, comes some time after that in trade, but it will come. Hut the experience of the past vear should have impressed upon all the necessity for living within our income. The ability ot th ■ Dominion to recuperate (illicitly has: been shown, but that would not pistil any individual or national policy o' extravagance. And it is possible, lvv supporting local industries, to limit the volume ol imports, at the same time assisting the industrial development ol the country.—“ Lyttelton