PRESS COMMENTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1928, Page 3

PRESS COMMENTS.

Industrial unionism, as directed and practised in Australia, has become a discredited movement. It may aim at progress, hut it succeeds only in hitting disaster. Instead of the various unions working harmoniously and honestly together for the benefit of the workers as a. whole, they quarrel with ono another prod precipitate strife with employers on the faintest shadow of a grievance. One set of lenders calls another sot a party of bushrangers, and there is no wisdom in any of them. It is to bo hoped that the maritime unions and waterside workers will make the l>est of a had bargain and get hack to true unionism.—The Auckland “Sun.”

The Empire Marketing Board controls a wide field. If a separate organisation were set up for every branch of its activities, the result would be grotesque. The American farm relief scheme proposed one body to handle half-a-dozen products, including such different commodities as wheat and cotton. Xciv Zealand, with an incomparably smaller population and output, would be well advised to accept these examples, and drastically reduce the numerous and expensive control hoards. “New Zealand Herald.”

Nothing will make men honest who are dishonest, or make them wise if they are inherently foolish. Up to a point—the point at which the rest of the community finally loses patience—almost any body of unionists can repudiate an agreement if they do so in concert; which means, ol course, that certain groups of unionists will go on repudiating them. In other words, the Arbitration Court can no longer even pretend to be a security against disorder. It is a wage-fixing machine and almost nothing else, and if we go on supposing that it has power to prevent strikes we are simply playing into the hands of outlaws and ruffians. —CTiristelmreh “Press.”

The disappearance of tho nrochdiscussed wing forward suggests that the current interpretation of the rules in South Africa may make our ordinary tactics impossible, and this suspicion is confirmed by tho change* in the scrum formation, which suggests that tho rules about putting the hall in the scrum and hooking may lie interpreted differently as well. AVe would remind our readers that the team includes many experienced and competent players, and that it would be a great mistake to imagine that such an experiment lias been made rashly or at random. Until we know more about the matter it would he wise to reserve judgment.—Auckland "Star.”

Naturally our players will be keen to brine back a good record of games won, and the South Africans will lie n.s anxious to establish a good record for tho word it of Rugby in the Union, but Now Zealand will be well satisfied with a record of games played in the true spirit of football, win or lose. Keenness must not be allowed to develop into antagonism, or partisanship into enmity. The Finlayson incident, admittedly unpleasant, may awaken both South Africans and New Zealanders, players and public, to the danger of placing too much importance on the outcome of the matches, and of overlooking the real and friendly purpose which me tour was designed to serve.—“T.vttelton Tiines.”

There is no . reason why areas of good land averaging from 50 to 150 acres should not he utilised for fattening lambs, and there is no end to the potentialities of a small area if intensively farmed. What top-dressing has done on some of the poorer lands in .Southland the proper use of fertilisers would do on the better class lands that should be devoted to the scheme under discussion. The various communities which realise the heavy losses suffered to business through unemployment should not permit the Government to weaken in this matter. So many schemes of a promising nature have been outlined and forgotten that we fear for this most promising of all.—“ Southland News.”

The trade boom during and innnediatelv after the war. besides the loans raised for the war. increased this drain of wealth into non-productive channels beyond what the producers, the workers, could supply. Our bankers might well have taken note of this fact and sought to reduce the burden; instead they raised the rate of interest and it appears from the renort of the speeches that the beads of the Bank of New Zealand are still unwilling to reduce the rate to what it was. Action in that direction - would be much more appreciated by farmers tlian gratuitous criticisms of tile well-known faults of the education system and the Customs tariff. Inspite of the academic bias given to education at. present there are thousands of youths who would be drawn to tlie free and independent life of the farm if it offered a fair reward to talents and effort.—aikato Times.”