The Dominion. 7MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1909. MR. MILLAR SHUFFLES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 426, 8 February 1909, Page 4

The Dominion. 7MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1909. MR. MILLAR SHUFFLES.

The Minister for Railways has given out a statement of railways policy which," coming upon his evasive replies to inquiries concerning the investigation of the Aldington workshops, will strengthen the suspicion that we were all a little precipitate in applauding his strength and sincerity. He haß evidently been-compli-mented in Auckland upon his repudiation of the, "3 per cent, policy" that Sib Joseph Ward has so desporately defended, with such a wealth of plausible rhetoric, for so many years, and he has endeavoured to explain away the inconsistency of his views with the opinion's of his chief. Why he should have been anxious 'to dim the lustre of his own policy by seeking to identify it with the "3 per cent." policy wo do not know; ho might quite safely have continued to say that he is going to make a change. He is reported as having that Sir Joseph Ward, when laying'down' the 3 per cent, policy, based his calculations on the rate of interest on loans then prevailing, but New Zealand had now to'pay one-half per cent, more for.loan money, j and it was necessary that the correspond- j ing increase should bo looked for,from 1 the railways." This is a most unfortunate statement from every point of view. In the .first place,' it is an announcement' that owing to the increased price .of money, Me. Millar has decided on a 3i per cent, policy, and that the result of that policy, owing to a rise of $ per cent, in interest, will bo tho same as the result of the 3 per cent, policy. Me. Millar makes this statement with the idea of conveying that this is what'.ho meant when he nlado his first announcement on the subject.- He must think the public's' intelligence very low, or its.memory very short, if ho expects anybody to believe that a'. "3i per cent, policy" was forecasted in the views which' he expressed as follows on January 26 last: , "The railways ought to pay. . . . The railways must bo made to pay better than 'they have dono. I don't beliovo tho taxpayer ought to bo called upon to help pay for tho working of tho railways, and 1 don't intend to mako that the policy of the Railway Department. >To a' cortain extent it is right to mako tho country as a wholo pay for, the opening up of now districts, hut I do not intend to mako it tho policy of tho Department to carry goods at a los 3. . .' . . I do not say that railways musfc make a profit, but I say thoy ought to pay their own expenses and interest liko ,ony other business and not bo a chargo on tho Consolidated Revenue." Can Me. Miliar explain how the "3i per cont, policy" will relieve the Consolidated' Rovenue of the obligation of assisting to pay the 3| or 4 per cent, duo in interest 1 But thero is another glaring unsoundness in Mr. Millar's now explanation. In order to defend tho old "3 per cent, policy," he has to say that his decision to obtain 3i per cont. is duo to tho fact that Now Zealand had now to pay i per cont. more for loan money. On November. 13 last the Prime Minister violently attacked the critics of the railway finances, thoso "croakers who are finding fault with tho 3 per cent, policy in an outrageous manner," and ho said ho had "on at leaat a scoro of times put on record the definite policy of tho Government, and defended it against the game sort of criti-

cism to which we are again; subjected." la .it only since November 13 last that • money -has advanced by J per cent. 1 Of course it.is not.- Me. Millar had far better have left unattemptcd the impos : sible task of establishing a consistency between the "3 per cent.'policy" and the that the railways "ought',' to, pay their own oxpqnses and interest like any other, business." / .Wo should have., left Unnoticed the lame and absurd statement' of thevMinistor in Auckland, if, we /had-, .thought; that, it was only a'gallant attempt to, save. Sir Joseph, Ward's face; But most people will fear that it is moro than that—that it is/tho/first sympt'om'of a' retreat- from the, bold and: proper determination ."which ...the ..Minister announced on January 26 last: Mr. Millar cannot have a policy consistent in any WB.y whatever, with' Sir. Joseph Ward's and make the railways-pay for themselves at th 3 same. time. Even-a 3l per cent; policy, will leave,a substantial gap in- the: interest oh railway, loans.,: 'Mr.: Millar,; we are- afraid,. is. weakening, and weak-x cning /after having :hims'elf greatly, stimulated/the; public's eagerness for reforrh by,'' his statement last month. '/ / That, he ought ,to know; is a fatal/thing to do. '■' '•'