Mr Payne and his Friends.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15014, 8 July 1914, Page 8

Mr Payne and his Friends.

Tho member for Grey Lynn must be accounted very lucky. On Friday ho mado a grossly disorderly and improper imputation against tho Prime Minister, which was a most serious breach of the rules of Parliament, and he aggravated his offence by his subsequent conduct. Yesterday ho ■was afforded an opportunity of withdrawing his peccant observation, but he refused to do so, and he was suspended for the day. "The public will bo disposed, we think, to blamo the Prime Minister for xho leniency of his for the punishment was no punishment at all, and amounted 'to little more than a formal registration of the impropriety of Mr Payne's conduct. Good nature is notoriously the most obvious characteristic of the Prime Minister —good nature and a chivalrous unwillingness to press too hardiy evon upon his most venomous detractors—but good nature is a quality which should come second to justice with the Leader of the House. We can only hope that tho incident itself, which is more important than tho ludicrously inadequate ''punishment" of Mr Payia;. may set the Oppositionists thinking, and lead to an amendment of their manners for tho rest of the session.

But something remains to bo said. The- Leader of tbo Opposition, if ho had attended to business and had been in his place on Friday night, might liavo been able to reason with his friend and loyal subject from Grey Lynn; but tho failure of his appeal to Mr Payne yesterday suggests that as an influence for propriety on tho Opposition side be amounts \to nothing. If he chose to do so, ho \might perhaps do something to check tho foul play which is so large a 'part of ' ; progres- " sive" tactics, but hitherto he has shown no disposition to say a word in ceneure of his friends' and followers' uncomely performances. Yesterday he spoko of Mr Payne's offcueo in such a way as to suggest that ho has begun to realise, not only that ho cannot avoid sonic responsibility for tho tactics of tho anti-Reformers, but also that those tactics have beeomo perilous to him. But his'belated reproof of such tactics as Mr Payne's will not acquit the "Liberals." in tho public's mind, of responsibility in tho matter. They were not only accessories before tho fact, by furnishing Mr Payne with a standard of,conduct, but actual accomplices in the offenco and accessories after the fact. Tho chief organ of tho Government, in fin editorial reference, to tho subject, said that "tho small Labour section seemed " to be anxious that Mr Payne should " fight the matter to the bitter ond"But tho fact," it added, "that they "stood alone demonstrated tho strength "of their fueling rather than tho '•'strength of Mr Payne's case." Tho fact is that tho Labour Party did not "stand alone." Mr Payne was defended and excused by several "Wardist

members, one of whom loudly declared that Mr Payne ought to stand to his guns. Indeed. Mr Pay no might i legitimately complain of his "Liberal ,, : allies' action in finally leaving him in the lurch alter teaching him, by example, the unpleasant -'progressive)" trick of slander Jind disorder. Some of the Congressmen who visited the- United Staler battleship Michigan are probably feeling annoyed with the Secretary for the Navy. They may have thought that in their case the recent order against alcoholic drinks would be suspended, and refreshment provided for them out of the ship's medical stores. The. least they expected was a cooling temperance drink on a summer's day. But the captain regretted that he could not give them either liquor or temperance drinks. Not even ginger boor or grape juice (the. beverage- Mr Bryan drinks and provides for his guests of the Diplomatic Corps) could be furnished, for ginger beer contained two per cent, and grape, juice six per cent. of alcohol. So tbo -distinguished visitors bad to fall back on water, tea, or coffee, and the officers must have enjoyed the situation. They had evidently planned to push observance of the order to tho furtherest limits, and if other ships' companies tako up a similar attitude the order may bo brought into ■such ridicule- as will lead to it«> withdrawal. In this connexiou it is interesting to rote that some '"temperance" drinks are richer in alcohol than .some of tho liquors banned by total abstainers. Ginger beer containing two per cent, is mild compared with some* samples of ginger and hop beer that have brought their vendors into Court. Tho'general run of British and German brewery beers contain from three to seven per cent., the majority containing less than Mr Bryan's grape-juice. Munich beer varies from 3.18 to 4.53 per cent., while Berlin weissbier, of which enormous quantities are dm ik, contains only 2.64 per cent., less than half tho percentage in grape-juice But if Mr Bryan entertains tho German Ambassador he does not put weissbier, or any other kind oft German beer, on the table. It is a matter of principle, but, assuming that grape-juice contains six per cent, of alcohol, tho principle seems somewhat illogical. And if Mr Bryan is aware »?f these figures, ho is a hypocrite. In his policy speech, at Bundaberg on Monday, Mr Andrew Fisher dressed the window skilfully to attract the elector. But if tho person whoso patronage is sought is wise he will ask himself whero tho money is to coino from to finance all Mr Fisher's schemes. For instance, Mr Fisher promises State-' owned oversea steamship services. Has ho thought out tho cost of this kind of enterprise? Tho initial cost would b& enormous, and tho Stato would have to compete against shrewd and experienced private owners. Wo have published recently facts and figures relating to the experience of tho Western Australian and Federal Governments in tho shipping business, and tho stato of the Federal shipbuilding yard ; n Sydney. Both Governments have lost money in their snipping enterprises, and the yard is .pronounced by an expert to be in a thoroughly unsatisfactory condition. Such failures do not suggest that the Federal Government would eucceod in an enterprise that requires so much business ability and experience. Then thero is national insurance—an admirable object in principle, but wo .know from Great Britain's experience what it costs the Stato. There is also to bo a uniform railway gauge. Now, the oosfc of making all tho lines in Australia of a uniform 4ft Bin gauge has been estimated at £37,000,000, and if it was decided to begin with the main system from Fremantle to Brisbane that would cost £12,000,000.

Where is all the money coming fromP In addition to these projects there :s the Navy to add to, the Northern Territory to develop. And while Mr Fisher plans on a big scale, Mr Holman, undismayed by the serious condition of the New South Wales finances, has drawn up a programme that must fairly, take the taxpayer's breath, away. The State, says Mr Holman, could spend £12,000,000 of loan money a year for some years to come, but it will have to get along with £3,000,000. This must make Sir Joseph Ward quite envious. Labour in Australia, evidently does not spend much time in counting cost. It dreams of State enterprises and thinks in millions. If only a fraction of all these plans are realised, the taxpayer will feel the pinch sharply. The Federal Treasurer and the State Treasurer will adjust their Budgets independently of eacb. other, each naturally thinking that he has first call on the taxpayer. But the probability is that both Mr Fisher and Mr Holman realise tho impracticability of most of their schemes, and .aro using them as a bunch of carrots for tho donkey.

An excellent example of the "new " stylo" of tho "Liberals" was furnished by tho speech of tho member for Christehurch North in the House yesterday. In a certain weekly journal which most of his friends had not.supposed was Mr Isitt's favourite reading, but which ho seems to Jiavo been driven by his political circumstances iuto patronising, it has been alleged that a curious clause occurred in a certain land transfer contract between certain private persons. Tho allegation is that in the agreement one of the parties contracted to use her best endeavour to promote tho location and erection 'of the Kaikohe railway station on or near to tho land in question. In his blundering way, Mr Tsifcfc pounced upon this as a real "find." which somehow convicted tho Government of tho offences which he and other "Liberals" aio constantly charging against it. No doubt tho journal which ho has taken to studying in order to give his mind tho truo "Liberal" polish, imputed wrongdoing to the Government. At any rato Mr Isitt "wanted to know" what influence tho person concerned in tho contract had with the Government; and "surely it was a* great insult to tho "Kefprm Government that tho suppo- ■' wtion that undue influence could bo " brought to boar upon it could bo put "into the agreement in this way."

It might have boon once upon a time; but Mr Isitt and the other antiReformers have so froely imputed evil motives and an evil character to ibo. Government that things that- might once have beeu thought insulting are- now dismissed

by ihe public as merely absurd. Unfortunately for tho member for Christchurch North's valiant effort to heavo a brick at tho Government, it was pointed out that the site of the railway station was fixed lone before Mr Massey came into office, and Mr Tsitt had the mortification of hearing Mr Forbes hastily explain that no imputation had l»wH made against tho Government. .Mr Bell mentioned that Mr Isitt'.s speech s-et out the alleged facts in almost exactly the order in which they wore set out in tho weekly journal referred to. Now that we. kno.v something of the sources from which tho member for Christchurch North draws his inspiration, much that has scorned strange in his methods becomes quite clear.