THE PREMIER’S OPTIMISM.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2250, 23 July 1908, Page 2

THE PREMIER’S OPTIMISM.

Sir Joseph Ward is certainly possessed of an extraordinary degreo of optimism. When the "financial crisis in the United States produced monetary tightness in Britain and on the Continent, our sanguine Premier enjoined us to “Hoed not;” the wave of depression would never find its way to Maori]and. When prominent business men land leading newspapers urged a policy, of caution under the circumstances, Sir Joseph laughed their utterances to scorn, and publicly held up the cautious ones to contempt -as malignant individuals who were basely endeavoring to ruin the credit of the country for political purposes. When, finally, the depression actually, made itself -felt locally, the head of the Government was in no w-ays chagrined at his false prophecy. He still' banged the big drum, if possible, louder than ever. “Our marvellous country,” our “boundless resources,” our over expanding “revenuo” and “record surpluses,” these wero the keynotes of his outpourings the while bankers were calling in tlieir money and reducing overdrafts, -as a practical demonstration of the real position. Just now we have another instance of the same kind of tiling. For various reasons there are more' unemployed in the Dominion -at the present time than there have been for some considerable time. Meetings of those unable to find work have been held during the past few days in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Timaru, yot Sir Joseph had the calm effrontery when deputation ised oil tlio matter, to declare th.it the Government had a. large amount of work required to bo done, and that no man need bo out «jT work who legitimately required it-. In other words. Sir Joseph stigmatises tlio hundreds of men who have taken part in the demonstration as “loafers” -and those Mayors who have testified to the contrary •must he wondering what their personal reputation is worth. This disinclination to face things as they are, and instead to be perpetually painting everything in the most roseate hpes may tickle-tlio cars of the public, but it is in reality one of the worst heritages which the Ward administration lias accepted from its predecessors.