Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1909. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9467, 9 June 1909, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9,1909. EDITORIAL NOTES.

TWO questions were before the members of the House on Monday, and Sir Joseph Ward succeeded in getting them both decided as he wished. On the first, that the Prime Minister should represent the Dominion at the Conference on Defence, there was only one opinion, as all parties vrers agreed that he was the only man who could with any show of reason be sent to England. The second* issue was more debateable. There seemed no cause for holding up the business of the country while Sir Joseph was absent, hnt he had no desire to allow his party to get but of band during his absence, and, therefore, he brought all possible pressure to bear on his followers to cause them to vote for the postponement of the session until September 30th. It was* hardly to be expected that men who had been elected as faithful followers of the present Prime Minister would kick over the traces immediately after their election, and he has, therefore, secured his object by forty-five votes to thirty. We think that Sir Joseph Ward has not much cause for congratulation. It ia true that his followers have proved obedient to the patty whip, but there can'be no doubt that many of them were desirous, both on private and public grounds, that Parliament should meet at the usual time, and only submitted to the postponement of the session under considerable pressure. Such a victory as Sir Joseph WardjJias gained on this occasion is little better than a defeat since it will leave behind a feeling of dissatisfaction in the minds of his supporters which will in the future prove a cause of no small embarrassment to him. The attempt has made to show that all who opposed the adjournment of the House were inspired by parochial motives and werellaoking in patriotism, but patriotism is a word that has been so often used to cover mere party convenience that when used it needs careful examination. In this case patriotism ia used for something more contemptible than even party advantage. It refers merely to the personal desire of a leader who dares not trust his party to be faithful to him during a short absence on the business of the Empire.

BECAUSE one member of the House wants to go Home to shine in the limelight, the other seventy-nine members will have to return to their homes, and the legislation off the country, as well as necessary reforms, must wait till the return of the privileged individual. It is almost a farce to [continue the existence of Parliament under present conditions, because it is evidently ruled by one man, whose party are sufficiently subservient to allow him to do anything—even to suspend the action of Praliament* It shouldSbe provided, if such things are to oconr, that daring [suspension of*work the pay of members shall suspended., Better still, it might also he provided that in fntnce the Honse shall be reduced to say 30 members and the Council to 20 at the outside. We should get better results at much less cost.

THE report that the Chicago Beef Trust is spreading its tentacles so as to control the Argentine Meat supply can cause little surprise, though it may give rise to some anxiety in New Zealand. The reports that Australian and New Zealand Companies have been approached has been denied, and as the Trust hitherto has concerned itself only with beef it seems improbable that steps will be taken ~ at present to acquire control of companies that handle mutton and lamb- The Argentine has already become a serious competitor ip, the market for cheap mutton and'has recently also shown a capacity to produce lamb. If the Trust obtains control of the Argentine freezing works it is not unlikely to extend its operations to include sheep as well as cattle. The only action that can be taken in New Zealand is to endeavour to keep up the quality of our frozen meat and to organise some system to prevent the market being overstocked when prices are low. To attain this end combination [between sellers is required ; in fact it is necessary for New Zealand producers to take a leaf out of'the Trust’s book and follow its methods, at any rate so far as the sale of meat in London is concerned. It is quite possible that such a combine might also —following the methods of the Trust—apply pressure to compel farmers to sell at prices which would not be profitable to them, and the only remedy for this state of affairs is combination on the part of farmers, a line of aotipn in which hitherto they have always failed. ■

THE Mercantile Gazette finds many indications that a trade revival of world-wide extent has begun. It points to the recovery in the shipbuilding industry in Britain, and the “boom” in mining shares on the Stock Exchange, the greater* activity in America where the bank clearings are largely in excess of what they were a year ago, and the greater railway earnings. It would seem that in the near future greater general prosperity will rule, and that a large

amount of capital will become available for use in industry and business enterprise.