PRESS COMMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1928, Page 4

PRESS COMMENT

Tho Dominion hag forgotten, or never truly realised, , what' j>rimary production means. We 'have even come to regard the man. on the land, certainly the man in a humble way, as a kind of peasant-navvy wljo, though wo can hardly get on without him, is not otherwise to bo taken very seriously. The secondary producer makes a noise, as lie is of course entitled to; he lias the votes and the organisation to compel Gveriiments to listen to him and to get laws passed that protect him. But until, we all realise that it is the silent and often quite inarticulate farmer whom all Governments should make their first concern, there can be no Mich thing as abiding prosperity, and no such thing therefore as a permanent cure for unemployment. —Christchurch “Press.”

The system of military training now existent in New Zealand is not intended to glorify war, or invest soldiering with a glamour that does not belong to it. The citizen army is organised and equipped for the defence of the country, in the hope that it will never be needed for that purpose, but so that there may be at least some degree erf preparedness should the emergency arise. There is little place in it for purely ceremonial parades, but they are not all waste of time. They encourage and display march discipline, smartness of appearance, a pride in the unit, in short, much that is comprehended by the term esprit de corps. The authorities have not made many demands on tile citizen soldiers of late years for such formal occasions, and it is gratifying to know that the parade held yesterday was (conspicuously successful,--“New Zealand Herald.”

Tt, is said by ‘many observers of current history that the trend of evolution, to say nothing about revolution, favours the growth of republics. This may be true in countries which have experienced the decadence of monarchy but it is far from being applicable to the British Throne and the dominant thought and sentiment of the King’s Empire. Even in those units'of the Empire where the desire for political independence is strongest and is sometimes given something like hysterical expression, the King is alwajs the first citizen as well as the supreme ruler, while the loyalty of the people to ilieir Majesties is the sound core of new nationhood. Indeed, the celebration of the sixty-third anniversary of tho King’s birthday is more exuberant in the Dominions than it is at the loyal heart of the Empire. —Auckland “Sun.”

No politician lias yet risen to eminence, or over attained a position of moderate usefulness, in the Dominion, through criticism which does not stand upon solid principle and accurate fact. A man has almost wilfully to shut his eyes to contend that the financial position of New Zealand is not sound, in the opinion of those best able to judge of such matters, outside its borders. The farmers cannot bo helped bv any erroneous presentation of the finances of the Dominion. Whether Mr Churchill’s policy, in duo proportion, would meet the circumstances, of weakness through undue burdens of the New Zealand farmers, we are not prepared to offer an opinion. It does, however, present, a spring and inspiration for courageous thinking and acting. Certainly the burdens upon the New Zealand farmers are invidious and exacting. They press unduly upon the country’s activities. To relieve those burdens would lie “a necessary act of justice.” It would not he a “favour.”— “Poverty Bay Herald.”

Wo are siu;e it astonished most of our readers to discover that a licensed taxi-driver may not, as a. taxi-driver, carry luggago and luggage alone. The conviction entered in the Magistrate’s Court was no doubt justifiable in law but it is simply intolerable that, there should he such a by-law as that on which the conviction was based. There is no reason in the world why taxicabs should not be permitted' to carry passengers without luggage or luggage without passengers or both together if i,t serves the public convenience that they should do so, and the existence of this prohibitory hy-laiv is just another proof «f the folly of allowing officials to ho'law-makers. Tt is doubtful if-anyone to-day who is not a lawyer or a policeman, or someone closely connected with legal or police work, knows where lie stands in law observance from day to clay or even from hour to hour. So far ns wo know it is not yet an offence to carry parcels in a wheelbarrow, hut we do not know that it will not bo an offence next year or the year after.—Christchurch’' “Press.’’