MR JAMES ALLEN AT MILTON

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13741, 24 May 1910, Page 6

MR JAMES ALLEN AT MILTON

In his speech to his constituents at Milton last night, Mr James Allen took occasion to point out how events have justified many of the Opposition criticisms to which the. Prime. Minister so strongly objects. . The latest'and most striking instanco of this nature, j as Mr. Allen showed, was in connection with tho Government expenditure. The Opposition have often asserted that the Government are, wasteful and extravagant; tho Government have as often denied the charge and yet the Prime Minister assorted last year that a quarter of a million could be saved by retrenchment in the Public Son ice without affecting its efficiency, thereby admitting the truth of. tho Opposition's allegations. It is nothing to the point that the promised saving was not made, and that even the reduction in tho charges by nearly £100,000 was largely due to th© ahsenco from last year's expendi. ture of non-recurring items that appeared in the previous year's votes. The head of the Government confessed that-the cost of tho PuSlic Service was greater by £250,000 than it need be. The Opposition never said more than that. The correctness of tho Opposition's criticisms of the financial soundness of tho various superannuation schemes is seen in tho fact tliat last year tho taxpayers had to find altogether £57,000 in order to make the schemes financial, and even then it is doubtful whether in every case the amount provided by the State is sufficient to main- ; tain the fund in a sound position. There are two opinions as to the value of | sinking funds for the liquidation of public debts, but thoso membors of the Opposition who have criticised the absence of sinking funds for our loans havo lately had the satisfaction of seeing Sir Joseph Ward come round to their way of thinking. On the great question of home defence the Government have undoubtedly, as Mr Allen put it, accepted a lead from some of tho Opposition. The Prime Minister did not always believe in universal compulsory trailing but his.' conversion to sounder views is so much a matter for satisfaction that no "one will want to quote against him his former utterances on tho subject. He has now taken up an attitude which is generally approved, and on that question at least Mr Allen is prepared to take to tho piatform in his support. There may be, thero no doubt are, details in tho general scheme which are capable of improvement, hut that is inevitable in connection with first putting into operation so large a scheme, and experienco will no doubt show many points which may bo strengthened. The main thing is to got the scheme accepted and put into force—it will be time enough then to polish it up. In his appeal to employers in regard to the defenco question, Mr Allen touched on a matter which will hat*, a very important bearing on the success of the scheme. As he said, there arc bound to bo some difficulties to oe met, but they can be disposed of with little trouble if the community is inspired by true patriotism—by a keen desire to fit itself for the defence of our country and a resolve not to let trivial inconveniences i stand in the way of accomplishing that purpose. What Switzerland can do in this matter is surely not beyond the will or the power of New Zealand to do, and, as Mr Allen showed, in Switzerland, which is eminently an industrial and manufacturing country, it is found that universal military training "does not '* involve any appreciable interference " with employment, and is regarded by "employers and employed alike as not '"only the just and natural system for

" tho defence of the country, but as a "valuable contribution to physical and " industrial education.'* Some slight interference with the conduct of industry and commerce is, perhaps, inevitable, particularly at the outset, but if viewed in the pyoper light it will be recognised a3 merely the price of an efficient means of internal protection to the whole community.