POLITICAL.

Gisborne Times, 17 October 1908, Page 7

POLITICAL.

THE GOVERNMENT POLICY.

A 'KEEN CRITICISM

The -Government which for long has claimed that it has been “leading the van of civilisation” arid blazing new tracks for the benefit of older countries (says 'the “.Dominion”) has , shown an inclination of late to pay £ut4ain European States the compliy ment of imitation. Germany ;is a bio to 'point with pride to the fact that the Second Ballot system lias received the approval of New .Zealand. ...Russia —or rather the reactionaries who long for a return to the old regime—can face' the world again with the proud consciousness that the New Zealand Government attempted to “gag” the press and destroy the ancient right of public meeting. And Turkey, remembering the “gag” clause of the Second Ballot Bill, must bo having some misgivings about the wisdom of establishing popular freedom, and doubting whether, An liberating the press, she is really -a progressive thing. In comparisons between NewrQpjbamiKl r and,-the European States, | lK ; appropriate and inetructm Tuesda' a comparison, between «th\ • and New Zealand Govern-. La if La their handling of agrarian qtthitions. On August 3 last the London “Times printetKa four-column account of Mi \V T Stead of an interview which he had had with M, Stolypm, the strong Russian Prime Minister who is struggling manfully to restore orclei and progress in liis country. M. Stolypin assured' Mr Stead that it was quite wrong to suppose that lie had made little progress m dealing with the agarian problem. On the contrary, enough .had been done to quieten down tbe country districts, and “if we were to desist in the carrying out of our agrarian forms we should have again. to -face a recurrence of the jacqueries from which we suffered so much two years ago.” The first act of the. Govern- ■ ment, gaid the. Prime Minister, had "been “to assert the principle that the peasants must everywhere ' be converted into freeholders. . .... That is to say, we regard the institution of the Mir, with its communal ownership, under which no peasant is not secure that the labor which 'he has invested in his holding may not- be. transferred to his neighbor, as fatal to economic progress. The foundation stone of our agrarian policy is the substitution of private for collective ownership, for experience shows that communal holding weakens -the sense of property and develops anarchical notions.”" Russia, that is to say, is finding the key to agrarian peace and economic progress in the land’ policy to which the New Zealand Government is strongly opposed, and against which it lias legislated with the utmost zeal. THE DEFENCE OF NEW ZEALAND The (Christchurch “Press,” after pointing out that, in the event of the .present- European complications resulting in .war, it would be difficult for the British Empire to avoid being involved, refers as follows to the defences of New Zealand: —It is unnecessary for us to repeat the ofttold tale of the absence of organisation which prevails in our defence arrangements, of the break-clown in V the volunteer system, of the money wasted to no purpose, which would furnish us with a really effective defence force were it properly used. We want, fin the first place, the Defence Deportment run on business lines, so that a small defensive army ' cou'ld' be equipped in every particular ready to take the field, should >an emergency arise, to repel raids on any part of our coast. But,, in addition, we require a large reserve trained to arms, who coulcl be called upon to o-.-e in the last ditch if need be. -o keep the foe out of our native land —a reserve so large that we could spare a considerable number of efficient fighters, who, in the event . of grave emergency, would cheerfully volunteer for service overseas in the Empire’s cause. Such a reserve •■would be created did we adopt some system of. national training, such a.s has been H frequently- advocated in these columns. The criminal (apathy of t.lu Government tin regard to this important question, however, makes us fear that they will take no>steps m the direction until it is too liate. The suddenness with which the present crisis liras ‘arisen Shows how little warning >is to be expected at any time before an actual outbreak of war may startle us. -The folly of a nation which neglects its preparation for defence until the enemy is (at its gates, while it wastes time in ilegist,dative “fads” of every description, ''and squanders .'.money in a hundred useless ways, would (be beyond belief did we not see a lamentable instance ’ R<> near at hand. The Government are evidently too busy thinking of electione&Hng tit the present time to devote any 'attention to national training or (defence, but these are questions which should be put to evefv candidate at the coming general election, no matter what other questions are left unasked. NATIONAL ANNUITIES. to the National Provident Fund Bill, introduced by the Government at the close of the session, rt'he “Dominion” remarks: Til© insurance companies noing business in. deferred annuities do not find that ihrandh of their activates very profitable, and yet the rates an the new Bill are very matermlly lower than, the rates of the private companies The general taxpayer, that 'is to "say, will be called upon to supply the money to make up the deficiencies. If a large company, which rcr nuires 'n- quarterly premium of to 4s from a contributor beginning his payments at the age of 21 for an annuity of £lO4, can make hardly any proht even with economical ad mini strata on, it is clear that somebody i snake up' the deficiency 'whei/ p _ t< ’ vornment, which does not Age an"°" ' nomy in: administration, \ .xpiires what is equal to a quarterly fremium S ess than £2 4s. And if that com- ' nv were obliged to return the premiums of anybody who ceased to contribute his payments, as the Government proposes to do under tho Bill, . it is clear that a higher premium than £3 4s. would 'l)o charged. J ihe has the appearance, therefore, of a nronosal. to give some people cheap benefits at. the expense of the. genenaltfisipaybr. 'lt is conceivable ? that. If tho- fund w?re -largely patronised

the annual grant front tho.’ Consolidate,Fund might in time reach an -enormous and intolerable figure, far beyond ian-y qvving that ,might be 'effected 'from a diminution of the per capita toil of old ago pensioners.'

UNBUSINESS-LIKE FINANCE. A writer in the Wellington “Post” recently estimated that fully threequarters of a million of tlio Public Works expenditure is wrongly charged. He ‘admits that.if it were paid for out of ordinary revenue the alleged “surplus” would be wiped out, but that would bo a benefit. The glittering figures with which the Premier decks that blessed" word “surplus” serve no purpose beyond hypnotising tho people into believing that they are much better off than is actually the case. A surplus that is created by paying for; repairs' and depreciation of public works out of borrowed instead of out of earned money is no surplus at all, and the Government that carries out such a policy is like a maai who shows a profit on his year’s trading by the simple process of borrowing money to pay his rent and buy his. stock. Methods which i,are not good enough for private business should not be made the methods on which flag business of New Zealand is conducted.

THE LAND POLICY. ' Mr D. Jones, a candidate for the Ashburton, scat, remarked recently that the present administration were defeatinghe purpose of the original close settlement policy of the late Hon. William Rolleston paid-Sir John McKenzie. The leasehold element in the early settlements had led to more land speculation .than in any other form of tenure. • The original settlers had been allowed to sell out at a heavy premium, aml tho country was left with ,a less desirable settler. On Culvefden the Government were spending £IOO,OOO for the settlement of 29 people, and men were permitted to enter who had large means. He contended that the policy was never intended for the benefit of men with large means, but for the small man and the worker, yet the Government were not adhering to that, policy. Last session a clause Hid been passed in the Land-Bill, 'a clause which prevented the people from getting land they wanted on fair terms. Now the owners were allowed to give their own value of the land, and the Government paid 124-per cent, above that valuation. The opportunity should be given to the Government, as before, to take land on an arbitration basis.- The new clause was decidedly a retrograde step. The only explanation he could see was that the Government feared the.financial strain involved an the acquiring of the large estates, and had therefore put it beyond their powtu-t-o acquire land.

NOTES. Mr Broadband, -Secretary, of tin-. Canterbury Employees’ Association recently remarked that he was aware that they had public ir.cn who had dono great service to the country, and they must be fihaaikful fm that but, as everyone knew, the bulk of the people wanted to be led, and if our ablest citizens could not take them in hand they would 'fall into the hands of the professional politicians, many of whose principles were not above suspicion. ® On all hands (says an exchange) it is recognised that there ought to be a complete change of policy in regard to tho Dominion’s representation in Loudon. As we have urged on many previous occasions, it- is high time that new offices were taken in a more central position, that greater attention was paid to the commercial interests of the Dominion; and that ia more vigorous and aggressive policy was . adopted both in the matter of securing, a better.market for our products, and attracting the best class 'cf population to our shores.

In a recent paper Air ißroadhead, secretary hif tlhe .Canterbury Employers’ Association, after referring to the fact that in 1906 no fCwer (than 2000 laws and ordinances were passed within the British Empire,/went on to say that it was a remarkable sign of the times that in anost off the young countries of the world, and also in some old ones, persistent attempts were being made to have all sorts of social- problems dealt with by means of legislation. The .people had been long .accustomed to have it dinned into their ears that what they required was plenty of legislation. What they really required to he told was ifhat they could do much better for themselves without legislation. A certain quantity of domestic legislation was, of. course, necessary,, but in these days tho legisiaitive machine was run to death. And what was the result? The result was a cry for more of it. It certainly did not produce happiness 'and contentment, among tbe people. Legislation could not reform human nature, and until human .nature was reformed. Hie labor problem and some other knotty .social problems could never properly be solved.

The big programme of work that was outlined in tbe Governor’s speech (says the Christchurch “Press”) is not, -of. course, represented on-the new. Statute Book; a good deal of it wag® only put in for show-window purposes, and if tbe display failed to •make it-he (intended impression the reason must ibe found in the belief of tbe public, confirmed by past experience, that not half tlie measures' proposed in the Speech' are ever meant to bo pushed forward. Some of these clays a New Zealand Ministry will indicate in the Speech from the Throne Just those measures that it intends Parliament to deal .with, but fit will be no Government presided over by the present Premier. The Wellington “Post” has the following lively comment on tho legislative “scramble” nt the cncl of the session.: —The Legislative, eels, flounders, stickle-backs, whitebait, 'whales, cod, and butter-fish, have jumped out of the frying-pan-, where they were sizzling with Act hash, but -have arrived only In a hotter place, tho fire of the electorates. The legie. lators- have been Acting for the country’s good or ill, and now they a io about to act for themselves. The Acting was .strenuous enough last, week, but the acting- without the-capital latter"will be still more arduous for many of them. The Parliamentary school broke up for tho summer work ; at will be a Vacation for only a few, who have announced that they will not attempt to fill a seat. 'At midnight on ' Saturday 'and at midgigbt

on Sunday most of'the legislators folded their spare garments, .packed up, and at ole silently away to tlio South wild the North.