NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1318, 22 December 1911, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

It is quite in keeping with the methods which have grown up under the Continuous Ministry (liat the Ward Administration,' although beaten at the polls and plainly in a minority in the new Parliament, should endeavour to cling to office, as long as possible. Snt Joskpu Ward knows that he does not command a majority in the Parliament just elected; that there is a majority pledged to vote against him on a no-confidence motion: und that the country has decided emphatically against Wardism. Yet so little regard has he for public opinion that instead of frankly admitting (he position, he has persisted in playing for time in the hope no doubt of winning over votes by such means as remain to a defeated Government. Wo had hoped that the Waup Administration would realise that the days of government by trickery and wire-pulling had passed. That the public want open dealing and straightforwardness in place of secrecy ami duplicity. The promise was made that tho Prime Ministku would announce on Wednesday last the course the Government intended to take. He knew then tho position, but instead of informing the public ot his intentions he postponed his announcement until to-day. We mav or may not got it to-dav." The Government may desire further time for bargaining. But what a sorry spectacle the "Liberal" party presents alter a continuous reign of over 20 years. The rank and file of its members know that the Waisd Administration have been condemned by the. people; they know that Sin .losMMi n-AHD must cither resign or call Parliament together—they knew tbia a week ago,' for even if the whole of the Maori votes went to the Government, Ministers were in a minority And yet their leaders strive, to add'a few days more to the twentv years' monopoly of office the party" has enjoyed. Wo have no doubt that when out Joseph Ward does announce his intentions it will be found that his proposal is to summon Parliament to decide his fate at tho end of January or early in February. Also we are equally confident that when the test comes he. will find himself in a minority of three or five.

Of the big and rliflicult questions ahead of the British Government the franchise is the one most prominent just now, hut it is Home Bule that alono really matters. The latest files bring us no nearer understanding even the broad lines of the Bill which the Government has in its mind, if, indeed, it has anv definite Bill in its mind at all. In the meantime the financial aspect of Home Itule has come to be recognised as the decisive one—next, of course, to the position of Ulster. The repeated statement that Ireland has in the past century contributed £;!00,000,000 to Imperial expenditure is roughly true, but it is very misleading. It works out at &5,000,000 a vear on the average. In 1593 Mil.'Gladstone proposed a settlement, on the basis of an Irish contribution of between 4 aud 5 per cent., and Sir, William Hakcourt in the same year put ih, figure at £2,276,000. This was a peace year, when the Imperial defence expenditure was not half what it now amounts to. On this basis, as the Spectator points out, "Ireland at the present time ought to contribute approximately £4,000,000 a year." There is, therefore, nothing in Mis. Redmond's £300,000.000, though it sounds appalling „„ a ,',].,;. form. If we were to calculate England's contribution during 100 years the figures would seem far more terrific. As a matter of fact Ireland has during the past three years con-J tributed nothing to Imperial cxp"n-! diture, but has been a charge of' over half a million a year on the Exchequer. The Spectator recalls a '.00-much-owrlooked fact, namely that under the Act of Union Ireland was required to contribute UJ per cent, of the. common exnenditurc of the United Kingdom, and since Ireland's population was then half ps large as Great Britain's, the bargain meant that each inhabitant of Great Britain had to pay on (lie average • W times as much as each inhabitant;' of Ireland. In actual practice Ireland never contributed llj per cent, j Nobody wishes to press the* figures ' against Ireland, but it is onlv right | to remember that so far from Dcarim'' a burden Ireland has, financially" I had her burdens borne by Great Bri-1 tain. * |

No announcement lias vet been made lvprdiiig tho result of the ballot in winch members of lliu \Vol|inglnu Wliin-f Lalxnirers' Union recently voted on tlic ciuestion of cnucelliust the rc'tistralinn of tho union under tho provisions of tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Tho paners have boon counted, but only tho officials of tho union know at present how tho votinjt went. It js understood that the information will not be made public until tho conference of waterside workers and Ihoir employers, which is (o assemble at llunodiu on .l:\nuiiry 10. has concluded its deliberations. Oriitinallv it was pronosed I hat the conference should, open this month, but tho dale of npeniiiir was |His(ponnl in order that as many unions and employers as jios-ibli! inistht be given au onpurlunily of I alii nit Pari. It is hoped thai, as ail outcome of (ho conference-, something in the shape of a nalional aitrcomenl; mav be evolved which will govern (lie conditions of wutorridc employment at all Dominion ports.