The regrets expressed in the "North-China Daily News'? concerning the closing of the Shanghai Australian Commissioner's office have been duly cabled to this country. The rush with the Estimates possibly prevented the matter being more fully ventilate ed, but the general impression is that the office was closed for quite insufficient political reasons, Mr. E. S. Little Certainly made himself most obnoxious to the Country political party and its organizations by pointing out the deficiencies in the marketing of fruit. This party sought to sacrifice him to their hatred of the late Prime Minister, who appointed him, and his criticisms served to strengthen them in their determination to get rid of kim. But their abolishing the entire office savours greatly, if one may use he simile without offence, of the Chinese who burnt down' his house to roast a pig. Up to this point there has been no more discussion of the matter in Parliament, and it is possible that there will not be this session.
Reports from India and other parts of the East re coming in and these are as cvademnatory of the Australian exporter's methods or want of method as those of Mr. Little. The Minister for Trade and Customs has made a definite pronouncement against Commissioners and in favour of subsidies to steamship companies, but he hedges this with the de mand that exporters should place before him a definite proposition. As there is no such proposition from this side, and the real remedy for the lack of trade lies where Mr. Little and others placed it, we may assume that the policy of drift is now to be renewed. It is significant that while we want to increase our fruit export trade, whether of fresh, canned or preserved fruits, the best advice we get from the local Country party, and those' sections of the press which attack the system of Comunissioners, is that the people of Australia should eat more fruit. It is difficult to imagine a more hopeless attitude.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.