THE PREMIER IN CANTERBURY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 220, 10 June 1908, Page 4

THE PREMIER IN CANTERBURY.

The public will probably have come to the conclusion that Sin Joseph Ward's speeches in his electioneering tours need not be taken too seriously. Those attending his meetings in Waimate, Cheviot, Ohristchurch, and other places do not want to have their spirits damped by passionless warnings that all ilesh is grass and that there are spots on the sun. Bib JOSEPII realises that very well, and ho seldom says a word that jars upon (ho harmonious atmosphere of a gathering assembled for no other purpose than the pleasure' of seem? a Prwe Ministeb and

basking in the sunshine of his assurances that this is the best of all possible worlds'. It is little wonder that Sir Joseph, as a man of infinite tact and a reputation to sustain for saying the thing most agreeable to an audience, was shocked when ho found that tho Melbourne Ape had actually printed a report of his Wellington speech last April under the heading " The Premier Despondent." " Anyono present at his meeting in Wellington," he said, " would say lie was anything but despondent." And no doubt Bin Joseph is right and the Aye wrong. Whenever it is pointed out that the drought, the bush and grass lircs, the fall in wool and hemp, and tho American financial disturbances have necessarily, even if only temporarily, affected this country's high prosperity, the Prime Minister is quick with his outcry concerning disloyal slander. .His own presentation of the finances of tho colony is not always quite so candid as one would cxpcct from one who so severely censures " misrepresentation." On April 30 last, for example, the following paragraph appeared in the British Press:

Router's Agency is informed that tho High Commissioner for New Zealand has received tho following telegram from liis Government:—"■ Wellington, Now Zealand, April 29, The Prime Minister in a public speech yesterday, stated tho revenue for the financial year, ending 31st March last, was £9,055,9-10 and exceeded by £656,870 that of last year. Ho stated the total amount from ordinary revenue paid to the Public Works Fund by the Liboral Administration since 1891 was £6,430,000. The amount of expenditure on public works for tho financial year ending 31st March was £1,886,590. Ho also said this financial year was the most successful on record. After providing for all expenditure, including tho payment from ordinary revenue of £800,000 to public works, and for £150,000 paid off permanent debt by tho redemption of Treasury bills, there was still a balanco available of £850>000." In this message there is no mention of the increase in expenditure, and there is no reference to the astounding growth of the Public Debt, which accounts in part for that £6,430,000 paid to the Public Works Fund. . Oldarly the message was intended to leave the impression that the Public Works Fund was built up out of the excesses of real revenue over expenditure. Similar in kind was the statement of the Prime Minister at Cheviot that "the only incrcaso which had been made [in taxation] was in the graduated tax on estates over £-10,000 in value, but against this there had- been concessions and reductions amounting to i 11,500,000 given to the people of the country." That statement also may be cabled Home. How will anybody at Home deduce from it the real truth, which is that the amount of taxation squeezed out of tho public has risen from £2,591,126 in' 1900 to £4,264,555 in 1907, a rise of 16.7 per cent, per head of the population 1 Wo cannot understand the Prime Minister's persistent confusing of the issue. Sir Joseph hates " blue funk," and'there is no occasion for "croaking," but nobody will think tho less of liis courage if ho will face the real situation fairly instead of indulging in these .constant extravagant outbursts.. It is not a painful situation: tho country is very prosperous, thanks to willing hands and a kindly Providence. But reckless optimism, and tho imprud-ence-it begets, will do infinitely more harm than tho "dismal croaking" that tho .Prime Minister assails, but that nobody but ho has ever heard;

• For the rest, the Pbime Minister's Canterbury speeches are, if not very helpful, yet at least generally innocuous. He was as determined as ever to give no hearing to the peoplo who, if he is to be believed, are urging him with all their strength to spend £250,000,000 in buying up everything imsight. Upon this point he is firm, if not passionate, but he is neither firm nor definite on a question which is a little nearer to realities than the astonishing adventure which ho says he will not, cannot,, and must not under-, take. We refer to the Arbitration Act. .Wo would gladly exchange all, his vehement refusals to perform a wildly impossible task, which nobody expects that anybody will' ever perform in this, world, for one little helpful and tangible declaration of. intention with respect to the industrial crisis. He will not shoot down the sun and moon, he says., Very credit--1 able to his statesmanship, but' were there rfliy misgivings in the public mind on the point 1 If he does desire to allay a deep public curiosity, ho 'might tell us what lie is going to do about the strike fever. . \ - ■■■.«■