HIS BROTHER'S BLOOD.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 103, 2 May 1889, Page 4

HIS BROTHER'S BLOOD.

Very curious and not a little significaait are the eulogies expressed by a large section of the New Zealand press upon the Premier's wonderful surplus. The possibility of there being such a thing as a surplus was hardly anticipated by the most ardent supporters of the present Government, therefore the publication of the official announcement declaring that at last New Zealand had entered the straight financial path, and was not only living within her means, but had something to spare, was . received with little more than satisfaction throughout the colony. The Wellington Government official organ very curiously makes some comments upon this unexpected favourable turn in our financial affairs under the son&ewhatstartiingheading, "TbeMeaning of the Surplus." It seems extraordinary in tihe face of it that a national surplus should render necessary a semi-official- explanation as to what it really means. We could understand a Colonial Treasurer, findiiig himself unexpectedly face to face with a big deficiency, taking great pains to explain to his supporters and the public that the unfortunate fact was due entirely to caupes uncontrollable by him ; but why such pains should be taken to prove "the meaning of the surplus " is beyond our comprehension. An ordinary national surplus of revenue over expenditure is a matter of such a simple character, it seems passing strange that it should be considered necessary to publish to the world what the " meaning'"' of the surplus is.

The thought that naturally strikes the reader on seeing an explanation of this character is, "Oh, then this surplus is something different bo that enjoyed by other nations," and on investigation he will find as we pointed out the other evening, that what we have is nob a surplus of revenue, but a saving of expenditure. However, the official organ to which we have referred states what it terms a " solid fact," that is, that the colony '"'in its fixed determination to pay its way honestly henceforth, has by rigid retrenchment in expenditure, and by accepting- an extra burden in tiie way of special taxation been able to show instead of a deficit of £528,000, a surplus of £77,288," aud our contemporary then calmly and judicially assumes that this result "represents the voluntary self-sacrifice on the part of the New Zealand people for the sake of establishing a sounder, more wholesome, and more honest system of public finance than had obtained previously." And then comes the climax; "and this," he saj s, " ought to be widely known."

In deference to the wishes of our contemporary we propose to assir/t in widely disseminating his views, thou gh we have not arrived at precisely the same conclusions as he has. We take very strong exception in the first instance to the " voluntary self-sacrifice "he speaks .about. The resulthasnotcomeabout byself'-sacrifice, but by bhafcpeculiarsortof sacrificedn which many patriots delight, and which consists in shedding the last drop of bis brother's blood but saving his own skin.. If a plebescite of the people of New Zealand were taken, how many would say tbc.tit gave them real pleasure to be bled so severely through theCu.toms duties that they were compelled to do without all the luxuries of life, and stint themselves of several of tb>e necessities, because they knew that by doing so the finances of the colony would be eventually adjusted without forcing those to contribute who had wholly - benefited' by the large loan expenditure, who had in consequence amassed great wealth, a:nd many hundreds of whom were now living abroad in the greatest luxury ? Would a r_ an with a wife and family in receipt o£ thirty shillings or two pounds a week say, *■ Yes, I like having from 5s to 7s6d a week dii.ducted from my weekly wages, which is about the amount now filched from me throw gh the Customs. This barely leaves me enough to live upon, it is true, and last year I had sickness in my family, and one of my children died, as . the doctor said from insufficient nourishment ; but still it is a source of greab gratification to me that a sounder, more wholesome and more honest system of public finance is being inaugurated, and if, in order to make the system more perfect, you would like to take a f6\v more shillings a week, by all means do so ; more of us will die, no doubt, but is it not sweet and precious to die for one's country ?"

Our contemporary must have smiled when he wrote of the self-sacrificing conduct of the retrenched officials, for they also are supposed to have voluntarily selfsacrificed themselves for the public good. Those of our readers who may be intimate witli any of this particular class of patriots, are aware that though they were compelled to face the inevitable, they nevertheless expressed themselves very freely about a Government that could do such things, and about the country that could back them up in their iniquity. We can understand the saciifice when all good citizens voluntarily in the hour of need come forward and give according to their ability stinting themselves to pull their country out of some serious difficulty. This has been done again and again, but there is something almost grotesque were it not so serious in applying, tho term voluntary selfsacrifice to those who are compelled to pay whether they like ib or not.