The Press Thursday, May 19, 1932. Naval Expenditure.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20550, 19 May 1932, Page 8

The Press Thursday, May 19, 1932. Naval Expenditure.

A Wellington telegram to-day reports the Prime Minister's announcement that the Government has decided, against the recommendation of, the Expenditure Commission, to continue the present annual contribution towards the Singapore Base and not to transfer the New Zealand Naval Squadron to Admiralty control. If the Government's " definite assurance " that the Base will be completed means also that the rate of construction is not being slowed up, so that any deficiency in tho Dominion's contribution would have to be made up by the British taxpayer, the first decision needs no further support than that. The annual contribution has already been cut from £125,000 to £IOO,OOO, after a slightly humiliating appeal for relief, and the Dominion could not without shame ease its own shoulders by increasing the load on others, already much more than twice as heavily burdened. But it is a little unfortunate that Mr Forbes gives no reason at all for the second . decision. It would have been useful to know whether it was taken merely because surrender of control would have been a sacrifice of pride, or because it was found that neither economy nor efficiency would have been sei'ved by the change. Provided that the Dominion's proportion of the expenditure remained unaltered, no saving and no gain in efficiency paid for by a little loss of independent pride would have cost too much. At the same time, though every means of cutting fairly avoidable expense must be sought and examined, neither the Government nor the people of New Zealand can allow themselves to forget that their contribution to Imperial naval defence is disproportionately low and sorts badly with the principle of equality within the Empire. The present figure is about 9s a head, while the British figure is about 22s 6d a head. Two years ago Mr HoreBelisha, a member of the -National Government to-day, said while speaking on the Naval Estimates that "if "Mr Ramsay Mac Donald had the " courage of Mr Snowden, he would "tell the Dominion statesmen that we "were all brothers and should share "our common obligations; and he "should-,ask the Dominions if they "were prepared to do away with the " paradoxical disparity whereby citizens of Great Britain pay 25s each "for protection, whereas thfc South " Africans pay 4d or 5d and Canadians "Is 6d." At that time Australia was paying about 7s, New Zealand about 10s; and while New Zealand could look complacently enough at the other Dominion figures, the British comparison was, as now, a little distressing.