ECONOMIC COMMISSION

Hokitika Guardian, 11 January 1929, Page 5

ECONOMIC COMMISSION

COMMENT ON REPORT

(United Press Association.—My Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

(Received this day at 12.2/5. p.m.) LONDON, January 10.

Financial circles generally approve of the tone of the Duckham report, which is regarded as fair and businesslike, hut important men are disinclined to comment on the brief cabled summary, preferring to wait till they have seen the full report. One or two point out much of the cabled summary seems obvious. They express gratification that the mission after a personal experience in Australia endorses the opinions frequently expressed here regarding borrowing, expenditure and costs of production. The report reveals little not known here. Men Tillctt said he was loath to comment as Labour was not invited to co-operate. The report was obviously materialistic in tone. If Labour had been invited it would have looked at the matter from more angles than mere materialistic.

FURTHER COMMENT

LONDON. Jan. 10.

The “Morning Rost” editorially says;—“Whether or not Australia accepts the advice offered we are confident some ol the best brains in the Commonwealth are in cordial agreement with the Commission, it mostly deprecates ill-considered development. into which politicians rush, not only in Australia, hut elsewhere, not enquiring whether it will pa\ in money, hut whether if will pay in vote's, hence the large stable of white elephants which would have ruined a country with less nnlural wealth than Australia. England cannot afford to |,lame Australia for the economic policy of high protection, since she forced the policy upon Australia h.v abolishing the old wise preferential system we are now labouring to restore.

Australia with no single industrial centre, but a very wide scattered population, is ill suited to that sort of development, but if England wants to modify her policy she must offer something substantial in return. As far as the railways are concerned, it would he foolish to build more until uniformity is reached. One guago and less politics are the chief needs of Australia.”