PRESS COMMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 3 January 1929, Page 8

PRESS COMMENT

Every year the Government of the day, near the end of the session, brings down a ’Public Works Statement, accompanied hy an enormous amount of “Estimates.” Those Estimates contain thousands of items of ail sorts and kinds, and the Mouse of Representatives is supposed to examine them and pass judgment upon them. Actually the House does not examine them at all. It cannot do so, for the reason that no single member knows anything whatever about 09 items in 101). He may know in a vague way, concerning a tiny fraction of the whole, that it refers to parts of his own constituency. Concerning the rest he knows nothing, and cares less. The result is that the Estimates are always passed without being examined or understood by the House. Nor have the Estimates ever been examined or understood hy the Government of the day. They are prepared by the Public Works Department, which bases its programme upon the reports of district officials, assisted by the suggestions and requests ol local bodies and local members of Parliament.—Christchurch “ Press.”

It is a trui.un that this Dominion is but half developed, and Air .1. E. Strachan is undoubtedly in the right when ho says that “if more people 'ould lie diverted to raising wheat ind butter and wool we would go further towards paying our debts.” The present problem Tor New Zealand is to effort an increase in the proportion of urimary products, and this can only he done through a “back to the land policy. The persistence of unemployment m our cities is ample evidence that there is a serious disproportion in the balance of population. Wore this a manufacturing country, the parallel between progress and centralsution might he more justified ; but at our present stage of development it -annot he over-emphasised that the drift to the town should he a matter of grave concern. Christchurch Star.”

Every year brings its crop of drowning accidents, the larger proportion of which would he avoided by more general efficiency in swimming. Mere learning to swim is not enough. Of nothing else so much as swimming is it true that a little knowledge, only tempting the practitioner to take risks, is a dangerous thing. The host way in which the assistance of teachers can he improved lies in giving more encouragement to their pupils to continue their practice of the art aftei they have ceased to attend the hatha is classes, and encouraging them to gain the distance certificates, which are the test of and stimulus to proficiency.—Dunedin “ Star.”

A scri ms difference of opinion over Sir Joseph Ward's railway construction policy is inevitable. A great deal of money is to be spent on lines that cannot possibly return adequate revenue for many years to come. In the meantime the unemployed will rejoice in increased rates ol pay for relief works. It is an occasion for legitimate rejoicing. Although he is certainly living up to his promises in this direct ion, Sir Joseph has already boon accused of repudiating part of his policy. As far as some of his ambitious railway schemes are concerned, it might bo better if he were to do so. —Auckland “ Sun.”

It seems probable tlmt tlie* estimate given by tlie Prime Minister in Parliament of tlie cost of tlie completion of tbe railway lines, tin* speedy prosecution of which is provided for in the United Party’s programme, is much too low. It was. of course, only an approximate estimate, since surveys of some of the proposed routes have to he undertaken before any definite idea can he obtained ol the ox. pendituro that will be involved in the construction of the lines. Moreover, the basis upon which the estimates have been made is a matter ol importance. If the calculations are founded on the assumption that the railways are to lie built by efficient labour and with due regard to economy, and if the work is actually to bo done inefficiently and uiieconomically, there is obviously the room lor a considerable margin. While the Government is committed to the programme of railway construction that embraces the lines we have mentioned, the taxpayers are likely to he mistaken if thev suppose that the completion of the lines will lead to an improvement in the financial results of tin? railway system as a whole. —“ Otago Daily Times.”

The South island Main Trunk lino, which it is proposed to survey (again) at once, and which is included in the .works definitely determined upon, has made no progress lor several years, although alternative surveys have been considered. Put the linking of Pariiasssus in the south and Wharanui in the north is essential'if the South ItJand railway system is to he complete, and on that account., despite the two and a half million pounds that the work will cost, and the small hope of any considerable through traffic between Canterbury and Marlborough, this part of the Dominion is more likely to favour than to criticise the decision to resume building the main trunk lino. —Christchurch ” Sun.

Are educational facilities with a thoroughly agricultural bias being provided for the supply of that 2(5 per cent of male breadwinners—the percentage should lie higher—engaged in the various rural industries It is extremely doubtful. There is s'TTT too great a tendency to education lor professions, even Tor secondary industries.—“ New Zealand Herald.”

Unemployment should be ending in this country now that its first cause has ended and the balance ol trade for months has been on the proper side. It may well he that what protracts it is not a depression, hut an over-timidity, which prevents them from .spending what they could afford to do. A new outlook and a new confidence are needed which will make development once more the watchword, providing new avenues for employment in both town and country, and that outlook is most likely to be encouraged by the advent of a new Government, with its programme designed to stir up the stagnant pools. Dunedin “Evening Star.”

It is not uncommon for speakers to take the line that the successful hoy at school is often a failure afterwards, and that the school failure gets the prizes of life. Either this proves nothing at all. except what everybody knows, that careers have ups and downs, or it suggests what is quite untrue, that there is a necessary connection between success at school and failure afterwards, between failure at school and later success. Tf speakers really believe this, which is surely incredible, theirs is a very audacious holding of the educational platfoim. What they are saying, to scholars and educators, is that educational values are all wrong; and yet they do not suggest what are the right ones. Christchurch “ Sun.”

Sir Joseph Ward, on his own admission, can do no more than Air Downie Stewart was doing and could do. Sensible people, however, will feel as little resentment as surprise. Indeed.- they will he glad that, although he might have been less ungracious to his piedecessor in doing it. Sir Joseph Ward did admit so promptly that his plan to provide unlimited cheap money at no cost to the taxpayer, could not he carried out. His promise was largely responsible if or the defeat of the Coates Government, and that will he remembered. Hut the country may he the gainer in the end, because it cannot but he wholesome that the electors should realise that politicians cannot work miracles, and that public finance is conditioned by facts that cannot bo talked or advertised away. lar too many people have tailed to realise this, and have believed that national prosperity can he created hy sleight ol hand, just as far too many people have believed that “ the State” has but tact in order that comfort and 'abundance may appear. —Christchurch “ Press.”

In the past New Zealand has been pathetically deppiulent upon her primary produce, and market setbacks have brought slumps through which the whole country has suffered. 'Hie Dominion has been too much like a man fighting with one hand; a spectacular effort when the arm is strong; hut the wise man leaves nothing to chance and uses two. With a healthy bode of secondary industries developed and encouraged to the utmost there would he much less danger of a return m I)lack years such as P)2!) and 1920. Certain depressions are more or less inevitable, but the blow can always he minimised. "With days ol returning prosperity the whole count]j ">b be in a position to aid the secondary industries. Money should he available to help the enterprising manulacturor. and the people themselves, having increased spending powei, "' * * through trade patriotism, have an opportunity of taking a sound insurance policy against a return of the economic miseries of the past. Auckland “ Sun.”

Including Mr Atmoro there aic - members in the l ni,ted Party. lh |J teen have been given Ministerial rank, another nominated as Chairman </ Committees, and two more appointed party whips. 1 welve only remain .-s simply members of Parliament. It l‘ not impossible that the authoritatii e. announcement of a vacancy hi the Labi not provoked so much competition among them lor the honour that then clamour could be appeased only by an emphatic intimation that the vacancy had been abolished. However, the House of Representatives requires Mi select committees, two of which have the Speaker as chairman. The rolnainin ; dozen members of the parity may therefore expect to secure at leas, two official positions each, in- which they will find opportunity for a ' great deal of useful work, even if it does not 'ring them very prominently under public notice. — “New Zealand Herald.

The flotation of a loan is in reality a delicate financial transaction, and it has always been necessary in the past, and it may always he necessary in future, to select carol idly the time at which a loan is placed cn the mark'd at Home. Sir Joseph Ward seems to have discovered that the time is not opportune for raising fresh loan in London On this account he is being forced into a change of his plans one "effect of which will apparentlv lie that he will raise a loan in New Zealand, and thus secure for Government use some of the large sums that are available in the Dominion for investment.—" Otago Daily Times.”