SOME VIEWS ON THE BUDGET.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3597, 9 August 1912, Page 6

SOME VIEWS ON THE BUDGET.

WHAT THE WELLINGTON PAPERS SAY. “THE DOMINION 1 ” IS DELIGHTED By Telegraph—Special Corresponaenv ' AA'ELLINGTON, August . . The “'Dominion” concludes an article on the finance proposal •in the Budget as follows: .“But we have, not space to-day to deal with all the points at which the Alinist-er finds that by applying sheer conimonsense and good management to the finances ’lie can effect savings and improvements that even bn Joseph AVard had no party advantage to gain in' leaving uneffected. The fact is that the incompetence of AVardist finance was quite as notable as tlio disingemiousness of it. Air Allen or anybody else could not touch the national finances without improving them, but it is very satisfactory to know that the new Minister aims at thoroughness in financial reform. He is presented with a position made difficult by incompetence and grossly bad politics but the country is now in a mood to support him and lii-s colleagues in their work of restoring safety and sanity, not to mention honesty, to the financial administration of the nations affairs. “The Budget itself, the “Dominion” says, and this is the policy and programme of the “Tory” and “Reactionary” party, will those pepole in and out of Parliament who, for years, have been declaiming about til© Conservatism of tile Reform party be good enough to point out which of the policy proposals in the Budget presented to Parliament last evening are “reactionary ?” No more democratic and progressive policy has ever been put. forwa rd in this country. It must impress the public, however, not merely on account of its broad and progressive spirit, hut also because of the business-like manner in which the various matters are dealt with- It will appeal to everyone as the plain, straight-for-ward pronouncement of practical men who, having made up their minds as to what is best to he done, d-o not hesitate to make known tlveir intentions regardless of whom they may offend.” “AMURATH AN AMURATH SUCCEEDS,” “\.Z TIMES” IN A DIFFERENT KEY. The “New 1 Zealand Times" strikes a very different note: “Amurath, an Amurath succeeds.” The Budget we had all been encouraged to believe “would introduce a new era into the political history of New Zealand” differs not at all in principle from those we had grown accustomed to. The statement comes from Air Jas. Allen. It might just as well have come from Sir Joseph AVard or Air Thomas ATackenzio. The Government has copied the example of its predecessors slavishly. There is the requisite amount of blandishment, a due proportion of sop and an outline of two or three changes of policy. To a great e.xtent the Alinistry lias wollowed holus bolus the principle they once denounced as utterly mischievous and proceeds to expand these for purposes of their own. They tack on to these appropriated planks of policy projects for changed administration of the Civil Service, for making the Legislative Council elective, and all this is supposed to reveal “sound economic principles,” and to show the great benefit the country will derive from the ascendency of the “reformists.” There is nothing here to provoke the enthusiasm of anyone. There is on the contrary much to be disappointed at. On the Government s proposals “The Times” comments as follows: If Parliament carried on the national business in a more rational way and allowed its Select Committees the authority and scope of those connected with such an institution as the London County Council for instance, there would be no demand for a Civil Service Commissioner • whose appointment must in a sense be regarded as a vote of censure on the Legislature. But, taking the position and procedure as they exist the change contemplated by Alinisters will relieve members of the House from a most distasteful importunity and Alinisters from a form of worry which they should rightly not be "called upon to endure- If the House had greater powers, or, rather, if it had not- bartered its authority away, we would oppose this measure, but in view of all tne circumstances can see no other conclusion than that it represents a desirable step in public policy. Nevertheless Parliament should be careful it does not create conditions infinitely worse than those it proposes to euro. “SOUND, SOLID, AND SENSIBLE.” REMARKS BY THE “EVENING POST.” The “Post” says: “Mr Jas. Allen may be congratulated upon the Budget", which lie submitted to the House of Representatives yesterday. As it is less than a month since lie was sworn in as Alinister for Finance lie has had little time for preparation and the document hears obvious traces of haste, but in the circumstances the wonder is that there arc not many more. A greatdeal of ground is covered by the Minister’s statement and covered in what it- is safe to sav that the country will regard as a sound and satisfactory manner. The shop window is not so attractively dressed as it was by Sir Joseph Ward on the eve of the -election and there is an .entire absence of the rhetoric which was accustomed to run riot in the Budgets of Sir Joseph’s predecessors and made occasional appearances in his own. The disappearance of the rhetoric- will disappoint nobody. Afinancial statement is not a fit place for flowers of speech, and compensation is made for the lack of meretricious attractions by the solid merit that can speak for itself. If not really the “biggest, brightest and best” of budgets as a not entireHv unbiassed critic lias declared, Afr Allen’s is certainly entitled to eulogy as sound, solid find sensible.”