The Press. FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 1887.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 6786, 24 June 1887, Page 2

The Press. FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 1887.

The members of the Political Reform Association ought to be satisfied, with the impression, which their programme has produced on tho public mind. It has, of course, met with the approval of all sensible men. It has also, won- j derf ul to relate, met with the approbation of the local Government organ here. Our contemporary devoted an entire column yesterday to prove that if the members returned under the auspices of the Political Reform Association act up to their principles they should give their votes for the present Government. It reviewed at some length the actions of the Jklinistry since they took office, and then-pro-ceeded—"The obvious conclusion it " that the only party pledged to " economy, and likely to give healthy " effect to a policy of retrenchment is " the Government. Is the . Political " Reform Association ready to show its " sincerity by backing the GovernSo far then the public here may bo assumed to be unanimous. The, programme of the Electors' Association is apparently dropped, and the dispute is narrowed down to this one issue : Should those members elected to promote the policy of retrenchment and good government, as laid down in the platform of the Reform Association, support the present Government* or must they look elsewhere for leaders 1 The Government organ answers that question for us. After having laboriously sought to show that every member elected under the auspices of the Reform Association should support the present Government, it jmme diately proceeds to say that such members ■** must inevitably be drawn to " the Atkiusonian side of the House." This is an extraordinary Admission to make. It means this, that although, according to the Government organ's showing, such members should range themselves under the Ministerial leaders, they will do nothing of the kind. By the Atkinsonta** party the Government organ, of course, means the opposite side of the House. That journal will insist on maintaining that all those who are not for the Stout-Vogei, Government are for an Atkinsoniak one. We, of course, make no such admission. We deny absolutely that there are only two sets of leaders before the country, and the electors also know that perfectly well. It is the Stout-Yogbl Government which is on its trial, and should it be defeated, as it is certain to be, it will be time enough then to select men prepared to give effect to the wishes of the country. : 7 We have-said that the Government organ, after attempting to show- that members elected under the auspices of the Political Reform Association, should support. the Government, immediately goes on to admit that they will do nothing of the kind. On the contrary, they will be found on the other side of the House. Now there must surely be some reason for this 1 There must be a lurking suspicion in the public mind that Ministers cannot be implicitly trusted to give effect to tho policy upon which the country has set its heart. Moreover, there are substantial grounds for entertaining such suspicion. Is it not the case that the Government have appealed to the country because the House refused to allow them to impose a quarter of a million of increased taxation { Is it not also the case that nearly every act of retrenchment effected during the last year or two, has been forced upon Ministers by public opinion and a majority in the House of Representatives? Let us take the list of reforms enumerated by the Ministerial organ in yesterday's issue. " The present Government," it says, " has given us the first substantial ' measure of retrenchment yet effected." i But that action was forced upon Ministers. How did they treat Mr. MoxtGOKKBT's motion in 1886 to reduce the estimates by ,675,000 ? They not only opposed h» but declared that it was " mere claptrap to speak of any such " redaction as £75,000 being effected." Again we are told the Government has " obviated the necessity for increased " taxation early in its" career by its "policy with regard to the sinking ; "fund." But was that plan introduced with any such object? We find the . answer in. t.h#> ye— ~ Rfnlpm«nk »_ _Ji'<iK .

the scheme was propounded. After describing the operation to the House tho Treasurer made the following significant remark:—"This means that " without additional further annual " charges than at present, you may "borrow seven and a half additional " millions." Nest, credit is claimed for the Government for the retrenchment effected in the railway department. In reality, however,-the reductions were mainly due to diminished traflic. It would have beeir monstrous to have spent all the money voted for administrative purposes when the traffic en which these estimates were based had fallen off so alarmingly. We now come, however, to the most astonishing sentence in the whole article. The Government, we are told, " has actually stopped the run of " borrowing." It is perfectly true that the run of borrowing has at last received a severe check. But who gave it tli6 check 1 Certainly not the Ministry. A leading member of that Government, only a year and a half ago, did his very best to commit the colony to an extensive scheme of borrowing. " Arc " you going," he said on a public platform, "to give the colony another " chance ? Are you going to follow " the example of New South Wales, " not on the gigantic scale which it " sets you, but on a small and mode- «« rate scale." " You have," he said, "to " consider, and consider very carefully, " the two policies before the country " —one to stop borrowing and make " your public works upon a very slow " and a very small scale, the other to " carry them on with vigour." At that time our contemporary was full of scorn and contempt for those who talked of stopping the run of borrowing;.. "The stern logic of " facts," it said, " and the sound " reasoningof the Treasurer, should have " by this time made it clear to every " one that a progressive policy is the '■ strong medicine which at this june- " ture the colony requires. It is idle— " we hope the practice will be speedily " dropped—to maunder away about the " 'ruinousconsequences of aprogressive " policy,' what misery it has wrought " here and there, and so forth ad in- " finitum. Progress is not a political " beverage; it is a medicine for the " body politic, which at certain periods "it absolutely requires." No tai; then about stopping the " run of borrowing!" But a stoppage has been effected nevertheless. Capt. Russell's resolution started the colony in the right direction, and that motion was carried in spite of Ministerial protests. The last Loan Bill was cut down, and two political railways struck out of the schedule in spite of the efforts of Ministers to retain them. In the face of facts like these, it is useless for tho Ministerial organ to contend that the Government is entitled to any credit for the altered policy of the country. All the reforms worth mentioning have been carried, not only without the Ministerial assistance, but in spite of their opposition. Our contemporary would appear to be conscious of all this when it comes to the conclusion that members elected < under the auspices of the Political Reform Association cannot possibly range themselves in the Ministerial ranks. The admissions of the Goquestion of a number of side issues tending to obscure the real 'poiht in dispute* The programme, of the Political Reform Association has been adopted as the test of the suitability of candidates. We congratulate the Government organ on having at last made up its mind to accept such a wise and comprehensive platform, and when it has grown a little more accustomed to look at things from this new poiht of view, there is no knowing what may happen next. '""•: •