PUBLIC OPINION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2533, 21 June 1909, Page 2

PUBLIC OPINION.

THE BROKEN SESSION. TVhile, - it is true that tho country could do with less legislation, especially, of the class that finds its way on to tho Statute Book, it is equally true that there are a number of measures awaiting the appoval of the House that are essential to the progress of the country. Thero is, besides, the parlous state into which the finances of the Dominion have gravitated through extravagance, and the necessity for putting them on a safer footing. It is generally recognised that Sir Joseph Ward is the Prodigal of the Ministerial party, and lie no doubt looks to Mr. Millar to do in his absence what he would hesitate to do were he present. It is fair to Mr. Millar to say that before he joined, the Cabinet he' made frequent references to tho Government’s extravagances, and it is therefore in keeping with liis views that the affairs of a country, like those of an individual, should be run on safe and prudent lines. That has not been done, but a good deal of what has been done is now being undone, to tho hurt of those in Government billets who should never have been there.—“ North Otago Times.” A MILLION NAVY LEAGUERS. The German Navy League, must extort the respectful admiration of every patriotic Briton. With its million members, it is a force that no Government can ignore, a whip that no Minister can despise, and the more one learns of its incessant activity _ the more easy it is to recognise its influence in the increased rapidity in shipbuilding- that has been of late the most significant feature of Germany’s naval policy. Wo could wish that the British League could point to as good a record and that it wielded half as much influence. The effect of its excellent work is minimised by the indifference -of the general public, who fail to recognise the power that they could exercise over the reluctant Governments if the Navy Leaguo spoke with the voices of all who wish to see England’s naval supremacy maintained beyond all question.—Christchurch “Press.”

PARTY v. PATRIOTISM. Will anyone believe that liis attempt to prevent Parliament from sit-tinis actuated by patriotic motives Will they believo that it is in the interests of the Empire? Will they not instead realise what must now bo plain to all —that is, that the Prime Minister’s patriotism does not rise above the level of party; that his constant professions of readiness to sacrifice all to the needs of the. Empire are carefully safeguarded by the reservation that his own party interests must not suffer? —The “Dominion.” THE! DREADNOUGHT DEBT. If the offer stands and the Dominion has to find the money to pay for the battleship, Parliament must see that the burden is equitablj T distributed. The Prime Minister has suggested the imposition of special taxation, both to meet the! interest and to repay tho loan, and -it is not conceivable that the scheme of taxation would relieve the rich at the expense of the poor We agree entirely with Mr Massey that the loan should have a shorter term than sixty years. The debt incurred by this generation m defence oi the Empire ought to be discharged by this veneration and Parliament should aim at its discharge within twenty years at most. 'The Dominion might be called upon to find £200,000 year, sind a. considerable portion of that sum couUl be raised by way of death duties without pressing harshly upon anyone.— •Lyttelton Times.”

LAND SETTLEMENT. The people of this country need open access to the land above all things. Experience lias shown that this cannon be obtained under a system of State leaseholds, and it is to be hoped that ere long wo shall have a freehold settlement scheme in full and successful operation—“ Patea County I ress. GOVERNMENT OFFICE. Now that the Government are getting seriously to work at retrenchment an<f turning' off temporary clerks, it is interesting to see that the* Government Printing Office is being taken in hand. A number of incongruous- periodicals published by different departments are, it is said, to be rolled into one. Hie ridiculous way in which Government publications are hot only compiled and printed at great expense, but transported all over the country and delivered by perspiring postmen to peoplo who have not the least desire to receive them and never read them is a standing scandal. It is a feature of Government Printing Office methods,, too. that while all sorts of unwanted publications are distributed free, gratis, and for nothing, or next door to it to fill and sundry, the Acts of Parliament, with which everybody is theoretically supposed to bo familiar, are sold at a guinea a volume. One buys a Year Book with several times more matter in it for a shilling. While the new Consolidated Statues are being supplied at something like half-price to every justice of the ceace who desires to purchase them, no concession whatever is being made to the public libraries, which have to pay the-full LIJ demanded from the ordinary outsider. —“The Citizen.”

THE CONFERENCE

If New Zealand were a republic for which a president had to be elected, would Sir Joseph Ward get the call. That is a question on which opinions may vary. But there would have been no question on that score in regard to his predecessor. It would have been a case of Seddon first and tho rest nowhere. Yet when the uncrowned King of New Zealand went Home lie did not ask that the work of legislation should be suspended in his absence. Mr. beddon was often accused of arrogance

and ..absolutism, but he neVer wept so far as that. He never assumed that he , was justified in asking, his great parliamentary majorities to knock off discussion and passing of Liberal measures just to suit tho arrangements he luaclo for preaching liis own particular creed of Imperialism. Under the up-to-date Ward dispensation, however, the country is coolly requested to remove from the political stage all the legisativc machinery so that the Prime Minister may pose before the world as the bravo Bov-in-Blue of the Empire, trailing; fliS toy Dreadnought behind him. —“lua-; peka TimesP - THE COUNTRY’S BUSINESS, It was fondly anticipated that tlio present Parliament would be a great improvement'on the Parliaments of recent years. .It was believed by the bulk of the people that it contained a sufficient number of men of principle and courage, to ensure that the Government would, be forced to discontinue tho old bad legislative methods, and that these members were not confined to tho ranks of the Opposition. We have seen no signs of independence of action on the part of such Government members since they came under the control of Ministerial influence m Wellington. They have done their duty to tho Prime Minister; they have placed his wishes in the matter of tho postponement of the session before the interests of the- country; cannot they now insist on reasonable and proper procedure, and do tlieir duty to tho country?—“The Dominion. WANT OF WORK. Our staple industries at the present state of our growth are chiefly pastoral and agricultural, and this means that the demand for labor, or at all events the opportunity for employiiient, lies ratlicr in-the-direction.of tho rural districts than the towns. But to the ordinary worker the t-own presents a far more inviting appealance than the country, and he prefers to wait for work in the town as long as possible rather than risk the inconvenience and hardships of a settlei s life in our back blocks. And thus we arrive at the result that Sir Joseph Ward was lamenting over in Wellington yesterday : the congestion of large, masses of the unemployed in towns, where they accentuate all the evils ef social and industrial over-pressure, and afford a convenient argument to any member of the Opposition who w ants an easy pretext for attacking tho Government of tho day. ‘Auckland Star.” THE UNEMPLOYED. When speaking in Wellington tho other day Sir Joseph Ward suggested that specially favorable terms would be offered to* “retrenched” civil servants who wished to go oil to the. land, but we. hope that the encouragement offered to these gentlemen to make homes for themselves in the country will be extended to every capable worker whether he happens to have occupied a seat in a Government office or not. No one will grudge the retrenched civil servants any reasonable facilities that may be given them for. getting on to the laud, but their ease is certainly no worse than that of hundreds of men who have never had the advantage of regular employment. The great pomt 1 just now. however, is to find work for the idle hands in the country, and we warmly congratulate the Prime Minister upon his sane proposals for the solution of this problem.—“Lyttelton Times.” RETRENCHMENT. We have not heard that the membership of the Upper House is to be cut down by half in order to reduce expenditure, *ind no loss vroulcr accrue to the country were half of its members launched into limbo. Nor have we heard any Minister express his willingness to go on half-pay till the- advent of better times. —“Hokitika Times.” NATIONAL DEFENCE. The best assistance we can render to the Mother Land is to put ourselves in a condition to protect our own country from a hostile raid. This can only be done by efficient land defences and compulsory military training. —“Carterton News.” A RIDICULOUS POSITION. Some eighty members constitute our garliamentary factory; the Upper [ouse does not count. Because one of the eighty wants to go to London, the seventy-nine are expected by him to knock off work and close down the factory for four months. This, of course, is preposterous ; but our legislators do not> appear to see the utter absurdity of the position.— £ ‘ Wairarapa Times.’’