WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1929, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS

GO VERN AIENT FJ NAN('E

AIR DAVID JONES’S CRITICISMS.

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, -March 8

Sir Joseph Ward smiled significantly to-day when lie was asked if lie had any comment to offer upon the criticism levelled against the Government’s finance bv Mr David Jones, the mem her for Mid-Canterbury. Ho had no objection at all, lie said, to Air Jones claiming for his own party all the credit for the good things that had befallen the new Government since il assumed office. With so ardent a partisan that was only natural. Per sonally ho was not greatly coiioornoc about tbo distribution of credit, one way or the other. His business a! the moment was to keep the finance of the country in order and towards that end ho would lie glad to have assistance from Air Jones or anyone else. From the summary of his erilies interview with the “Christchurch Press,” -however, he could not gatlie, quite clearly whether he should he raising or reducing the rate of inter ost. The point was one on which he would like to have further information. THE PARTIES. On his return from his week-end trip to Gisborne the Prime Ministei deemed it necessary to explain thal an allusion he made during his absence to tbe relations between the political parties was not intended to imply the existence of any ill-feeling. Stories to the effect that there was “a good understanding” between the IJniteds and Reformers had been passed around until they bad become the foundation for a coalition between tbe two parties. In one of his speeches during his absence Sir Joseph mentioned that no such arrangement was in contemplation, and from this, apparently, sprang the story of personal antagonism. Tbe published summary of bis remarks was unhappily worded with the result that the truth was still further delayed. Sir Joseph is on quite the best of personal terms with his political opponents, with their leaders in particular, Mr Coates and Mr Holland, and both these gentlemen are as frank as the Prime Minister himself is in discussing the political and party positions. NEW ZEALAND BUTTER.

Among people closely associated with the business side oif the dairy industry there have been grave misgivings for some time past concerning the quality of New Zealand produce. Now the statement on the subject made by Mr F. J. Nathan, of Wellington, at the annual conference ol the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Fairy Fatcory Managers’ Association has set half the community thinking about the matter. “Visitors to England,” Mr Nathan declared, “are constantly returning to New Zealand to tell you palatable untruths about the marvels of New Zealand dairy produce. You like to he told that; hut our produce is not the best in the world, and the only man who ever stood up at a public gatheiing and told you the naked truth about the decline in the quality of our produce is Sir Thomas, Clement.” Mr Nathan, largely interested in the dairy industry himself, is so reliable a witness in a matter of this kind that his evidence cannot be set aside as unfounded or exaggerated. A GRAVE SITUATION.

Mr Nathan’s indictment is the subject of wide discussion in the city today. It does not attempt to saddle the blame for what has happened upon any individual; hut it suggests several lines of investigation. Mr Nathan could not refrain wondering whether Mr W. M. Singleton, Director of the Dairy Division, received under a seal otf confidence from ‘the Department’s London representative reports other than those published which would indicate the seriousness of the situation, 'there was, he went on to say, all too little knowledge possessed by the Dairy Division of the exact requirements of England, Canada, the United States and the Continent. Finally he wanted to know how many members of the Division and of the produce graders had visited those markets and qualified themselves at first hand to determine what their buyers wanted. The indictment is so sweeping that it cannot be ignored by the Dairy Control Board which is responsible to the Government for the welfare of a great national industry.