NOTES ON THE ELECTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 333, 21 October 1908, Page 4

NOTES ON THE ELECTIONS.

People still remember with pleasure the famous occasion on which the Hon. It. M'Nab declared that he had "nailed his flag to the mast," and the subsequent revelation that this desperate couragc was very similar to that displayed by Mil. Snodgrass when he began to tako of£ his coat with great deliberation, at the same time announcing in a loud voice that 'ho was "going to begin." There has been a fresh development in Mr. M'Nab's attitude towards the land question, which the Government, declared that it had "settled for all time." Mr. M'Nab has evidently been reading the pigriH of tho times again, nod ho ia agftin prepared to compromise with his cour-

age. We find the following passage in the report of his speech at a banquet held in Kaponga last week: The spoakor did not ssggost that tbey had reached finality as regarded land legislation. Finality in legislation ho regarded as finality in anything else—the stoppage before retrogression set in. What system of land logislation or land policy was going to be followed in 10 or 20 years hence ho did not pretend to ho able to say. In politics snfhcient for the day was the evil thereof. The land legislation must remain on tho Statute Book for a number of years, and then they would see whether the opinion of tho country was towards freehold or leasehold. They would allow things to develop, and probably tho administration would bo in somebody else's hands before a change were made. Here at last we have tho whole land policy of the Government: "In politics sufficient for the day was the evil thereof." He implies that it is possible that the opinion of the country may not be towards leasehold. But that did not deter the Government from forcing the leasehold policy upon the country. The Government, in fact, is ready to chango its opinions if it will pay to do so. Just now the valiant Minister is realising that the opinion of the country is in favour of the freehold, and lo 1 he is ready to r.ail any colours you liko to tho mast. Away with pigheaded prejudices, mißcallcd principles 1 What if there is a right and a wrong way of doing things? What if the freehold policy is cither right or wrong? There is no finality in anything: nothing is stable: principles vary. All is mutable—especially a Government in search of votes. In his speech at Palmerston North, tho Prime Minister made his usual reference to The Dominion, .which, he says, "has all along adopted an unreasonable attitude towards Government finance." We are sorry we cannot be more obliging, but we have more respect for plain fact than for a handsome compliment, and we- may take : thc opportunity of pointing out how exactly Sir Joseph Ward's own figures bear out our opinion that the figures relating, to the public finances for the half-year > ended September 30 aro "unusual and disturbing." Ho estimates that the revenue for the year will bo £8,985,000, and the/expenditure £8,878,346 plus £25,000; interest on new loans, or £8,903,346, leaving' a balance of £81,654. Of this balance, he proposes to take £32,154, which,' with £767,849 carried over from the past year, will enable £800,003, say £800,000, to bo transferred to the Public Works Fund, leaving a surplus of £49,500. The record of recent surpluses will accordingly bo as follows: £ 1000 605,351 1001 427,213 1002 270,488 ■ 1903 303,905 '• 1904 345,835 • 1905 ... i ... 761,036 1906 .... ... 788,795 1907 717,825 1908 767,849 1909 49,500 And the Prime Minister is angry because we say that this year's figures are unusual. Tho Government was enabled in the year 1905-6 to make tho ' usual transfer to tho Public Works Fund and yet show a surplus of £788,795 b'ccauso it had £761,036 in hand at the beginning of the year; in 1906-7 it was able to repeat tho operation; and again in 1907-8. But in 1908-9, although it began with the usual £700,000 odd, it can only sho~w even on the sanguine expectation of the Prime Minister, £49,500. The problem presents itself: If, beginning -with a credit balance of £767,849, the Government ends with a surplus of' only £49,500, calculate the position that will be roached at the closo of the year 1909-10, for which period thero will be only a credit balance of £49,500 brought forward. 'We should not complain if tho closer balancing of' incomings an'd outgoings had resulted from a paying off of the ordinary public debt, or from a romission of taxation. But the debt is increasing by millions, and the taxation per head bas reached tho staggering and record figure of £5 os. 4d. J

The Ministerialist M. P. seeking reelection is so accustomed to receiving votes of thanks and confidence at the conclusion of -his speeches that when the pleasant sequence is harshly interrupted he is liable to be thrown off his guard, and to reveal the true state of his. mind. The result is sometimes shockingly instructive. At the conclusion of a 'speech by Mr. C. E. Major, M.P., ; at Alton, the. customary vote of thanks and confidence was proposed and defeated, a voto of thanks only being carried. Then, according to the Eawera Star,' Mr. Major let the rebellious people of' Alton into a secret, i It was, he said, the first voto of the kind that had been passed in his political career, "and, furthermore," says the Star, "he assured us that he was surprised and sorry for us, as when a district had no confidence in the Government they were apt to find that the Government had no confidence in them, and it would be to their, loss." Mr. Major is a very faithful Government supporter, and he has been in Parliament-long enough to know the mind of the Government in these mattors. Of courso, Mr. Major said no more, though he said it more plainly, than Mr. Seddon said on the historic occasion at Whangarci, wken he informed his audience that the Government could not be expected to look so favourably on a district that returned an Opposition candidate as on one'which remained faithful. . The public knows now, thanks to the revolt of , the Alton people, the price of returning an Opposition candidate to Parliament. We shall not be surprised if Hawera and a good many other districts elect to pay that price. It is satisfactory to have tho evidence of a man who knows respecting the election policy of the Government.

The campaign for the Central seat was opened last evening by Mr. Fisher at tho Druids' Hall, and the supporters of the sitting member have no cause to complain of the reception accorded their candidate. A keen and possibly a bitter contest has been looked forward to for this seat. Mr. Fisher and Mr. Histor have been at loggerheads in municipal politics for some time past, and their encounters have taken place "with the gloves off." Both can hit hard and; both have done so, and it was fully expected that the present contest would not be confined to genoral politics. Mr. Fisher's speech last evening was, in the circumstance's, singular for the fact that'it contained no reference to his opponent or to the Woodward Street transaction. It was confined entirely to political questions which have oocupiod tho attention of Parliauiout during the aeusion just]

ended or to matters of interest now receiving the attention of the electors. Most people will agree'that Mr. Fisher acted wisely in relegating to the background the old-standing feud between himself and his opponent. The public arc thoroughly familiar with the circumstances of the transaction, and have no doubt formed their opinions concerning it, and a recapitulation of the wholo businoss can do little good, and would only serve to obscure the real issue before the electors. As to last night's address, Mr. Fisher touched on some important issues, but the greater part of his time was taken up in replying to interjections. Off these he scored in an effective fashion, and wa3.rewarded with a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence. The meeting might be regarded as a preliminary skirmish, and as such must have proved satisfactory to the candidate's friends. It is probable that Mr. Fisher will score more heavily than his opponent at these meetings, but Mr. Hislop is an excellent organiser, and a vigorous contest is certain.