The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 1919. THE LEADERS' RETURN.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 183, 4 August 1919, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 1919. THE LEADERS' RETURN.

For the cause that lacks assistance. For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward arrive home from the Peace Conference to morrow, and the first thought of New Zealanders should be to thank them for their recent services to the Dominion and the Empire. We have no sympathy with the foolish talk of our political leaders 'gadding about" the world and enjoying themselves while urgent problems lie untouched at home. It is quite true that the country has suffered by their prolonged absence during the war, but it was one of those caees in which smaller interests must give way to larger. Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward made their trip to England during the war as a matter of duty, and it ie thoughtless and ungrateful to suggest any other motive. During the war they were called on to give their advice on Imperial questions of the highest moment, bearing on war and peace, and in the last few months they have helped to frame the peace settlement. This was the inoet difficult task that diplomatists have ever had, and one should bo glad that New Zealand's representatives had a hand in it. Our two leaders were no mere figure-heads in Paris; they not only worked hard at some of the details of the cettlement, but they kept clearly before the British Government and the Conference what they regarded as the Dominion view of thoeo aspects of the settlement which especially affected New Zealand. We ■have been compelled to criticise their handling of Pacific problems, hut it is due to them to remind our readers that on the main point at issue they were insistent; they lost no opportunity of declaring that the German colonies should not revert to Germany. This was the most important question directly affecting New Zealand, and Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph never wavered on it. For the rest, although one may not agree with everything they have done abroad, one should recognise that these two overworked statesmen have done their duty well on the whole, and to the best of their conscience and ability. But the two leaders will quickly discover that while the country is, or should be, grateful to them for their services abroad, it is very dissatisfied with their Government. It is dissatisfied with it for sins of omission and commission, for its slowness and lack v of imagination, its faulty administration, its record in repatriation, its extravagance, and its general failure to rise to the opportunities of a. new time. People are more tired of the rank and file of politicians than ever before, and throughout the country there ie a demand for a change. It is a demand not only for new measures, but for new men. Public opiijton favours a vigorous and fearless progressive policy, carried out by men of character. How Mr- Massey and Sir Joseph Ward will adapt themselves to these new conditions the immediate future will show. We have no more ■ faith than previously in the continuance of the Coalition as a remedy for our political ills. What the country wants is a statesmanlike progressive programme, entrusted to capable men, and we do not believe that the principal backers of Reform can, or will, present such a programme. But while the parties are sorting themselves out and preparing for that general election which alone can clear the air, there is urgent work to be dono. During the coming session problems of repatriation, immigration, public works, and finance must be grappled with courageously. We hope that when Mr. Masscy and Sir Joseph U'ard have recovered from the shock of the mess into which the Government has landed itself in their absence, they will at once address themselves to the tasks of rapidly de-militarising New Zealand and making rigid economy the order of the day in all Government Departments. There is evidence that the expertaiturc of the Defence Department is still unnecessarily high. For instance, the annexe to the Auckland Hospital used to be managed, free of charge, by the hospital superintendent, a civilian, assisted by a paid medical and surgical staff of four doctors, in addition to the honorary visiting staff. The Defence Department ha.s done away with this system and appointed a military medical officer of high rank—and high , salary— with some half a dozen well-paid subordinates. The Tesult is that this one institution, n we are informed, is costing about £6000 a year in doctors' salaries. Probably the same state of affairs exists in similar institutions about the country. There is no good reason why most of these doctors should not be demobilised. Their retention in khaki and the maintenance of these large, well-paid staffs is an example of that policy of wasteful militarism to which the Department seems wedded, and against which the progressive elements in the country must fight if they wish to get economy and a return to freedom based on the subordination of military to civil interests. We commend this whole question of complete demobilisation and economy in .Defence administration to the immediate attention of our returning leaders-