NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1294, 24 November 1911, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Captain Fabf.r, who gave an account—which has yet to be contradicted, so far as the essentials aro concerned—of the recent perilous development of the Anglo-German situation, will be distressed to learn—if ho ever does learn—that the Dunedin iS'lar has spoken of him with even greater ferocity than the Skibbcreen Eagle, used in its famous warning to the Tsar. The Dunedin paper is indignant at the suggestion that Britain could be caught napping, and it concludes its article with a statement thai; no thoughtful Imperialist in New Zealand will be able to read without a sensation of nausea. Tho statement is as follows: —

The only antidote [to disturbing speeches like Captain FaberV), therefore, we call commend for the, perverted influence of theso outbieaks is a steadv, confident, self-reliant faith in the honesty, ability, and genius of our race to meet fearlessly any external danger, from whatever source it may come.

The only antidote! New Zealand is to do nothing but trust steadily and confidently to the honesty, ability, and genius of. Britain for protection! There can be no higher aim than to pay to Britain a small fraction annually of what wc borrow from Britain, and leave the. old Motherland to attend to the enemy while wc riot along on loans! Such is the patriotism, such the decency, such the honour of "Liberalism/" Prudence? Bah! Self-reliance? Pooh ! Self-denial ? Itubbish ! What has "Liberalism" to do with such coarse common things'?

>'- In a spccch in Whitfield's Tabernacle last month—the place from tho pulpit of which Sir. John I'indlav informed poor John Bull that he did not know anything about liberty— Mn. Lloyd-George made a remarkable spccch about his Insurance Bill. The principle of the Bill is supported by a majority in Britain, but thp Chancellor has made of its details such an appalling muddle of injustice and unsound finance that- its hostile critics, range from Me. Philip Snowden at one end to the <Spcctalor at the other. Mr. LloydGeorge complained bitterly of Mr. Balfour's refusal to support him, and of overybody else for embarrassing and hindering him. In spite of them all, however, he said, "the Billis going through this year. I will fight it through or I will fall." His whole speech had almost a Ward-ish flavour, although as an educated man Mr. Lloyd-George does not use the unpleasant and inappropriate phrases that are the peculiar property of our Phime Minister. Commenting upon the spcech, the Speciaior said: "It strikes us as the utterance of a frightened man—a man who is in deadly fear that he may bo going to fail. People do not liave resort to such over-emphasis and screaming exaggeration unless they feel their position is precarious." This is very true. We have had occasion to remark on such evidence of alarm in our own Prime Minister —particularly during the past week or two. _ It would be pleasantcr to see one in his position fjee the prospects of defeat with a little better show of dignity.

Gods and men must join in weeping for the Attorney-General in his distress. In his salad days—"thirteen years ago, long before I had given any study to politics," although he was then 35 years old—lie wrote a lecture 011 politicians—"a bantering discussion, in which appeared certain Machiavellian maxims and aphorisms," such as "Skilful veneer looks as well as solid mahogany and costs less." And now lie is greatly upset because everybody is quoting these maxims against him, and is indignantly denouncing his critics, thus:

"Mr. Mai.-ey had a cony of.this book; I think I sent him a copy of it. Ho knows perfectly well that I had no thought of teaching this .Machiavellian doctrino as my own political principles. It is not in Teason that any intelligent man should misunderstand the book, and yet is is gravely put to the peoplo of New Zealand by the Leader of the Opposition that these rules represent mv solid teaching in good faith. Mr. Massoy is sedulously repeating ,this sort of thing all through the Dominion, And for him to misrepresent it and mc in tho way he has dono is, I submit, grossly unfair." Dear, dear ! That is really too terrible. To have jested, and then to find one's jest rebounding: it is hard luck. To have to go about imploring people to bolicve ifc was all a joke—could there be a more painful fate?, But the richest joke of all is that tho'unhappy jester believes that we have all been taking the Machiavellianism of liis lecture au. a rand scricitx. What amused the public was the delicious fashion in which Sir John, the serious "candidate," fitted the scornful picture drawn by Dr. Findlay the jester of 13 years ago. To write a satire, and then, 13 years later, to grow into the object of it— really, it is a freak of circumstance that should arouse the awe, rather than either the laughter or the tears, of men.

It is distinctly funny to see flic Prime Minister driven, in his anxiety to play any card he can find, to announce that the Government has at last drafted a Local Government Kill "of 521 clauses." Of its nature he docs not give any hint at all. He c.xpects to get back to power—or. mi he says—and he says the Bill will appear next year. The public, we fancy, will merely smile at tho announcement. True local government reform will never como while ths

present Administration holds the reins. It will come only when that Administration is cast out. In ISfKJ Mr. Seddox said "a general measure of local government was very much needed, and he hoped to see it dealt with next session." That was seventeen years ago. Next session nothing was done. In 1895 the Governor's Speech said "public opinion demands" that the problem of local government reform be faced without further delay. That was fifteen ycrirs ago. Nothing was done. In 189(3, in 1897, in 1899, local government reform was promised, but nothing was done. In 1000 the Governor's Speech contained the usual promise, and actually hoped Parliament "would not shrink from the task." Nothing was done. In 1904, in 1905, and in 190G the promises were renewed and broken. In 1907 the subject was again referred to in the Governor's Speech, and again in 1903 a Bill was promised. And the promises were broken Finally the introduction of the Bill was promised in tho Governor's Speech this year. It was not introduced. And now the Prwe Minister has.the elfrontary to repeat this seventeen-year-old and seventecn-times-broken promise. Could anything more pitifully emphasise his desperation? As we have said, local government re,form will never come while this seventeen times proven false "Liberalism" is in charge of affairs. For it is only by staving it off, and nurturing the parasitic tribe of "roads and bridges" members that the Administration can hold office. Local government reform would kill Wardism as sunlight kills fungus. Does any sane person believe that the seventeen times proven false "Liberalism" is to believed on the eighteenth occasion?

It would bo affectation on our part to pretend regret at the action of t-ho Ministerialist press in suppressing Mr. Massey's Winton specch, for their action has materially helped to open the eves of many people and has secured'many more votes for Bcform. Nor aro wc sorry that our "Liberal" friends have iost their heads so completely as to continue these tactics. Yesterday we reported a specch by Sut Joseph AVard at Taumarnnui and one by M-n. Massey at Palmcrston. Wc gave the Piume Minister a column and .1 half, ami Mi:. Massey just half thr.t space, although his spcech was worth at least as much snacc as the Pjujie Minister's. Our evening contemporary gave exactly the same spac( to cach of the two leaders—a column and a third. The official Ministerialist mouthpiece, however, gave a column and three-quarters altogethei to Sin Joseph Ward, and only onequarter of a column to Mit. Massey. The Leader of the Opposition should i) 0 well pleased with this proof that our "Liberal" friends aro so alarmed and so desperate that they cannot even sec tne_ advantages of fail play. The public no doubt has already drawn its conclusion as to the treatment that is deserved by a party that resorts to such tactics.