WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1930, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

MASSEY MEMORIAL

DOMINION’S TRJ.B UTE

(Special Correspondent A

WELLINGTON, Sopt. 22

The unveiling of the memorial at Point Halswell last week to the memory of the Right Hon. W. F. Massey was one ol the most impressive tributes to the personal qualities and national services of a deceased statesman ever witnessed in this country. It was not the magnitude of the crowd gathered around the striking pile of marble, nor the novelty ol a Prime Minister being committed to a resting place among the bare lulls surrounding the capital v city that impressed the casual visitor. It was the wholeheartedness of the gathering, emphasised by the obvious sincerity of the speakers—His Excellency the Governor-General, the Acting Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Leader ol the Labour Party—that imparted a. universal sense of recognition and appreciation to the whole proceedings. The passage of the years, while it h.au not lessened either the faith or the knowledge of the political friends ol the dead statesman, had left his political opponents at 'Point HaUweii on Friday without any reproaches of the past. V ESS'IM 1 S.\i DEPRECATED. The “Dominion” this morning takes a rather more rosy view of Sir Otto Niemeyer’s allusions to New Zealand’s financial condition than it did on one or two occasions last week 1 . £t gives prominence to S ; ir Otto s statement in Christchurch to the effect that there iis no occasion to worry about the future of New Zealand and declares that this country “is more happily situated than many other countries and that he is quite confident about its future.” But that he may keep in harmony with all the critics he makes it plain that his confidence does not necessarily include the present or the immediate future. He did' not feel sure, lie told his Christchurch interviewer, that the bottom of the depression had been reached in New Zealand. “That,’’ lie tsaid, “depends upon what happens in the rest ol the world, a qualification which did not commit him to any particular prediction as a. prophet. There are good \reasons to believe, however, that at the moment New Zealand is in a much hotter financial position than :is its neighbour across the Tasman »Sea, foi instance. THE: BUTTER PROBLEM. ’ ° 5. The Prime Minister, now ;i on his way to London and within a day or two of the great metropolis, .is nothing if he is not optimistic. . He teems, however, to have grave apprehensions as to the attitude of the Panadian Government towards: New Zealand, butter, and, maybe towards other products of "this country. “The increases in the blitter duty,” he told the newspapers on his arrival at Ottawa., “were an unexpected, factor. Our discussions with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Trade in Canada could be only brief. The Government was busy with the tariff measure and the business of Hie House. It was therefore decided tr continue our discussions in London. When business is carried from Ottawa to l London the Canadian icpresentatives are likely to be ver; wary in making any concessions to New Zealand that had not been approved by the Canadian producers And after all New Zealand has not been stinting in the protection it has extended to its wheat growers, Iruit growers and other producers who arc jealo'-s of their own markets. .WHALING INDUSTRY. , At the annual concert of the New. Zealand Institute of Marine and Power Engineers held on Saturday evening Mr Galloway suggested that a State lottery should be set up to raise funds lor the establishment ol a company to develop the whaling industry foreigners are exploiting on the verge of New Zealand waters. “To me 'it ip disturbing,” he said, “to see New Zealand goods carried by ships flying a foreign flag. Yesterday there left our harbour a fleet or whale-chasers. There is a great fortune leaving our shores annually, here are the fruits of one of our most promising industries gathered in by foreigners.” The contemplation (>j a fleet of British vessels gatherum thin harvest of wealth is certainly an attractive one: hut just why the capital required for such an undertak I . n should he obtained by a State lot. terv is not plain to the average investor. What might be worth investigating would l.e the rights og the Dominion in the whaling seas, and the probability of bringing their haivest to profitable account.