PUBLIC OPINION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2500, 13 May 1909, Page 7

PUBLIC OPINION.

LONDON WOOL MARKET.

Bcneficient results must follow the satisfactory opening of the London May wool sales. An advance of a penny or three-ha’-pence a pound in wool is, of course, desirable from the growers’ point of view, but the value of the rise cannot at the present juncture be estimated in sterling alone. It will not only bring more ready money into the country, but will put heart into the people, and still further establish the confidence of the investor of both Britain and Newt Zealand. It may cause him to slacken his purse strings ■a little more. They have been fairly taunt for some months past. There is no more uncertain thing than the wool market. Take the 1901-2 season, and it will be found that coarse wools were selling in New Zealand at to 4-Jd per lb and yet since that period the same class of wools have touched the highest level on record for' their own particular qualities. Adding Id per lb for frieght and other charges, such "wool would fetch 41 d to ssd in London. To-day the prices may range for coarse wools from 8d to lid. Tomorrow the ebullition of the European political cauldron may send the price down a penny or twopence a pound. In nothing else is propnecy so often at fault in the wool market. Given _ a steady wool market and a firm price for wheat, New Zealand, it is hoped, will, this time next year, have forgotten the commercial dullness of the early part of 1909.—“ Evening Post.”

THE ARBITRATION LAW. The case against preference is this: That it is an interference with one of the primary rights of man for the law to say that before an individual shall be permitted to work ho must be a member of a certain organisation; that it is as much an outrage to discriminate against a non-unionist as against a unionist; that it is no proper function of the State to say that if an individual will not conform to a certain arbitrary industrial test he shall starve. The strongest argument against preference is, however, afforded by the unions themselves. Their actions at the time of the Blackball strike, when they joined in chorus in rejoicing at an infraction of the law, and urged its continual defiance, was most excellent evidence of -what compulsory preference to unionists would lead to. In endeavoring to guard against this strangleliold on industry Judge Sim says the employers are “silly.” There is no ■accounting for opinion, as his Honor would readily admit if the comment of the bulk of the employers were submitted to him.—“ Wellington Times.” AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. Agricultural science is of great value, and it will assist farmers’ sons to make the best use of their practical knowledge of farming. Without the latter a farmer can hardly hope for. success, while in a good many cases it would be found that theory alone is a hindrance rather than a help. Farmers themselves do not. as a rule, appreciate the value of the teaching of scientific agriculture as they should. They prefer their own methods, and they will not admit that scientific teaching will ensure for them heavier crops of gram, or stock of better quality. This is a mistaken view, and when the benefits of agricultural science are better understood it will give way to more en-. lightened ideas.—“Timaru Post.” THE EXERTION WAGE. If workers set themselves, by a policy of deliberately low output, to maiie the enterprises of employers unprofitable, the logical result of such a course can only bo to terminate these enterprises, and so cast off their own source of employment. The interests of employers and employees, as has been pointd out'so often, must always be interdependent to a ,great extent, and the worker is able, by exerting his tull capacity, to assist his employer s entmprise and increase his own earnings at the same time.—“ The Dominion.” POULTRY FARMS. Even in its last annual report the Poultry Department, which was to educate settlers in rearing profitable poultry, admits that it has been buying good egg-laying strains of birds from the various private competitions held in the Dominion! This admission shows pointedly the utter- failure of the Department to carry out the work it was started to do—“ Cambridge pendent.” THE SOCIAL ORDER.

If the Socialists encourage social disorder, they are rendering impossible

their own programme of the suppression of the present commercial disorder by a State regulated system. One may not agree with them, yet one cannot think them to ho such unspeakable fools as to do all that. —“Rotorua Times.” DREDGING AT LYTTELTON. If the advocates of the Canal are wise they will amend their attitude towards those who do not agree with them before they succeed in provoking such hostility to the scheme as will doom it to certain defeat. It will also be well if they remember that no matter what fortune awaits the Canal project, Lyttelton must remain for years to come the port—and the only port—for the trade of Christchurch and the surrounding districts. Even if the Canal were to he commenced this year, it would be a very considerable time before it would he opened for traffic, quite long enough to let much of the trade which it would otherwise secure drift to other ports, if in the meantime the dredging of the waterway at Lyttelton were neglected. Dredging costs the Board a good round sum annually, but there will be no necessity. to sell the dredges even if the Canal is constructed —there will he plenty for them to do in keeping the channel open.—Christchurch “Press.”