FLATTERING ATTENTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 497, 3 May 1909, Page 6

FLATTERING ATTENTIONS.

We. supposo The Dominion should feel flattered at the attentions it receives from the Prime Minister; Sir Joseph Waud seldom goes on a speech-making tour without, devoting some notice to this paper, and although he frequently misrepresents its attitude on public questions, it is pleasing to find that he takes its criticism to heart.' Commenting -on Saturday on tho possibilities connected with his speech to be delivered in Invcrcargill tho same evening, we remarked that he would probably announco that the revenue had not reached that of the corresponding, quarter of the previous year, while tho expenditure would show an increase. Also that his surplus would probably bo less than one-third of that of the previous year. Sir Joseph is apparently so interested in, our views that ho had, the article telegraphed through to him,to Invercargill, and quoted from it during his speech. The quotation he used was with reference to tho expenditure, which we had anticipated would show an increase. Results proved that we.-were wrong in this/respect. Eow far wrong the figures will show. The actual expenditure fof the quarter was £2,333,577, as against £2,337,352. On a total of nearly two and a half millions wo were wrong to the extent of £3770. Sir Joseph Ward did not tell his audience that we were correct as to the revenue and also as tooths surplus! Instead, he tried' to lead his audience to'believe'that; the quotation from our' columns was part of an article decrying ', the credit. of the country. It is ' 'all part of the same old method of attempting to discredit a critic by imputing unworthy motives,: and so endeavouring to inflamo public feeling against him. What would his audience have thought had he told them that the paper from which the article /.was dipped had again, and again during tho past few months insisted that the .surplus at the end of the year would bo in excess of-the Prime Minister's estimate? Who was decrying tho credit-r-the Prime. Minister, who. persisted in understating: his probable surplus, or the paper which; exposed his tactics 1 Did/anyone accuse : Sir Joseph Ward of decrying the credit of the country when he stated ,to Parliament last year'that ho anticipated a drop in revenue of £70,000 and a falling away in his . surplus from £767,0130 to £70,0001 Of course not. But Sir Joseph was hard pressed on Saturday ovening, and-he fell "back on tho hackneyed catch-cry of his party when it cannot answer criticism by fair means. Ho is welcome to whatever satisfaction ho may derive from these tactics. Our satisfaction" comes from the I 'fict that for the first time iii.at-least.ten-years the' expenditure for the March quarter has not. shown an increase over the corresponding quarter of the , previous year.. We'based our calculations on the fact that'this increase had been a regular feature, and on the known extravagance of the Government. That ' our anticipation was not realised proves; that/ our influence ,as a .curb oh Ministers ial .extravagance is even greater than we imagined, for it would seem to shbw that the Government.is taking our advico to heart in- a direction, where jit : iB least susccptiblo to sound counsel.