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Press, Volume LII, Issue 15537, 13 March 1916, Page 6

In his spccch at Invercargill last Thursday Sir Joseph Ward remarked upon, the anomaly of a public demand for more taxation. Wc are afraid, however, that Sir Joseph has not quite realised the nature of that demand. Very few people indeed are saying "Tax me." Honest people aro certainly saying that the Government should imposo higher taxation all round, and they aro perfectly willing to shoulder an extra burden if some attempt is made to make those pay who arc not now paying any war taxation at all. Tlio loudest voices arc those of the people who do not want to pay anything, the people who claim that the riso in the price of meat absolves them from all duty in the matter. The .anomaly that Sir Joseph has observed is as nothing to the anomaly of a, scheme of war taxation which ensures that 90 per cent. Or so of the public are let. off scot-free.

While it is perfectly true that only such, taxation should bo imposed as will meet the requirements of the State, there arc other •truths to bo kept in mind. One is, that as much of the war expenditure as possible should be paid for out of current revenue. New Zealand cannot, any more than Great Britain, raise the whole cost of the war to her by taxation, but a larger proportion of the cost could be so raised. If new taxation, of a just and general kind, were imposed, there would be so much less to be borrowed. The interest bill would be less, and the country would benefit from the thrift which would be made necessary. The case for further taxation is very strong; but it is not stronger than the case against any further taxation that does not embody the principle that everyone should pay his share. No servico that has ever been rendered to New Zealand by any Government in the past would be greater than the service that Sir Joseph "Ward and Mr Massey could render if they were to decide that they would stand or fall together by a taxation plan on the British model.

The defeat of the Coalition nominee in the East Herts by-e!ection by Mr Pcmberton-Billing, the aviator, who stood as an independent candidate, is an unpleasant little knock for the Government. Mr Pemberton-Biiling ran at Mile End in January, and put up an uncommonly good fight, being beaten by only 376 votes on a poll of 3606. He stood a$ an advocate of more energetic

measures in aerial warfare, offensive and defensive 1 , but lie secured tlie sup- 1 port of many people who are not concerned about that question. The "Westminster Gazette" said his support came from "the. nervous people, tlie people who want longer hours for drinking, and the people who are convinced that something (they do not know precisely ought to be done." These people aro ' evidently increasing in numbers, and the result in East Herts is a plain notice to the Government that there is no little public dissatisfaction. $ There is a remarkable letter by Ruskin. written sixty-two years ago, in tie current "Strand Magazine." It was apparently addressed to it military friend lighting in the Crimea, and it contained the following passage '•Some day Europe niay perhaps perceive, must perceive in due time, but perhaps by fcaTful teaching, that civilI i S cd nations should settle their quarrels as civilised men do, on terms, and with choice of weapons, and that to tiirht with Greek fire and rams and any others of your cursed Woolwich apparatus is just as if two gentlemen, instead of fighting with sword or pistol, went each first to his apothecary to fill his pockets with nitric acid and fulminating silver, to be thrown in his antagonist's face. Do .you know if you don'T mend youi manners you'll soon come to poisoned bullets. "iou're all straight on the way to it." There is more than a suspicion that at one time in the fighting in Flanders the German shrapnel bullets were poisoned. But not even Ruskin's prophetic cvo could foresee the use of poisonous gas.