PRESS COMMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 7 August 1928, Page 4

PRESS COMMENT

As otic commentator said recently, | it is a matter for regret that in pur- s suanee of its policy tho Country Party, E through its representatives, continues j to decry a Government which has done i more for the farmers in tho country | than any Administration has done since | the inception of responsible Govern- I ment, and speaking frankly, more than ! any future Government will he able | to accomplish if the Country Party j pursues its ill-advised tactics. If then : the New Zealand farmers seek un- ] wisely t-o undermine the foundation" of stable government by forming another political party, the advocates of a plunge into the maelstrom of party politics should pursue their ill-advised tactics. But if the New Zealand

Farmers’- Union seek* to retain its place ns a powerful influence wliicli cun be marshalled in support of the legitimate interests of the farming interests, it should seek first the maintenance of stable government, and secondly, the preservation of its orgairsation from the menace of party strife, and thus maintain the prestige and power the Union has won during its long and useful life as an organisation designed to safeguard the interests of the man on the land.—Timarn “He aid.” The principle of unemployment insurance should he that the rate of benefit is less than what the worker would earn normally, and there is thus little temptation to remain idle. This is the English system. Tt is interesting to- note her an important tribute to the value of unemployment insurance by a well-known Conservative weekly in England. The “Saturday Review’’ says that a considerable part df the increase o-f trade in Great Britain, both in imports and in home production. is directly attributable to the large extension of social services which has been carried through in recent years. Insurance of workers has in this sense proved to- be also an insurance of trade. The more- of the population that are secured above the poverty line the greater becomes the purchasing power of the community.— Auckland “Star.”

A different method of dealing with the Samoan natives will have to be the rule if more satisfactory conditions are wanted. The Government lay stress on the statement that the traders’ complaint wa.s that too much was given for copra and that in consequence they lost their profit, and further that the white men resented prohibition. These are not matters to sot the natives on edge. If the Government gave more for copra than the traders would give the natives were not likely to complain, and prohibition did not affect them. The causes of discontent must he looked for elsewhere. We do net pretend to know what they are, but it will be a difficult matter to re-establish confidence, and if there is to be talk of a stronger measure it will not be done at all. If

there were active disturbances force might achieve something; against passive resistance it is quite helpless.— “Waikato Times..”