The Dominion. FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1912, A CATCH-PENNY POLICY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1473, 28 June 1912, Page 6

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1912, A CATCH-PENNY POLICY.

The policy of the Mackenzie Ministry as outlined in the Governor's Speech at the opening of Parliciment yesterday, discloses an attempt to meet the divergent views of all sections of the Ministerial following. The Prime Minister being unhappily dependent on conflicting ele-

ments for support has been driven to throw so|)s to the Socialist bcction of his party which must provoke the strong 'disapproval of the "Moderates" in his variegated following; and he has catered also for his Radical friends with proposals which are not likely to arouse the enthusiasm of either the Moderates or the Labour-Socialists. Tho policy in consequence is a hotch-potch of quite reasonable propositions; doubtful experiments; and wild extravagances. It is a "catch-penny" policy. .The outstanding feature is the evidence it affords of the willingness of tho Government to promise anything that seems likely to win it sufficient support to enable it to cling to office. Being quite untrammelled by guiding principles and amazingly indifferent to the liabilities it may heap on the shoulders of the taxpayers, it has put forward a budget of proposals which almost holds out hopes of the millennium, and which probably has only been excelled by the astounding production with which Sir Joseph Ward saddled his party in his last desperate effort to stave off defeat last February. There are some admirable sentiments sandwiched into the Speech and a few sane and practical ideas. The anxiety professed in tho matter of dovploping waste lands and in the direction of closer settlement will meet _ with universal endorsement. It is vitally necessary to tho prosperity of the whole country that settlement should progress more rapidly and every possible facility bo given to settlers to develop their holdings. But have we not been hearing these splendid professions of Ministers, for something like 20 years while from the back-blocks oomo the despairing cries of the men who, have taken up land and settled on it with their families only to find themselves in the winter months cut off from civilisation by impassable roads; their children debarred from the educational advantages possessed by those more fortunately situated, forced to suffer undue hardship and privation in their fight with the .wilderness, and all because of Governmental neglect. If the hundreds of thousands of pounds that have been wasted by the Continuous Ministry in costly buildings, reckless administration, and needless expenditure for political ends, hud been spent in improving back-bloek roads, the country would have been much better off than it is Ito-clay and much unnecessary suffering would have been avoided. Knowing these things one has little patience with pls.isantsounding professions. Ministers have an unfortunate habit of forgetting their good intentions) until election ;imes come- round. They are too indifferent ordinarily to even expend the full amount, such as it is, that is voted by Parliament for the benefit of those settlers living in the outlying parts of the Dominion. It would be a waste of time and space, however, to attempt to traverse the bewildering assortment of vote-catching devices which constitute tho main portion of the Speech. Many of them are never likely to assume practical shape', while, many more are beyond the region of practical politics for some time to come. Not Mir F.liElitr?! ronsidcniHoii. ijpparontly, has bceu given to tue wkb\

tion of waj:s And lireans: Taxation is to be rcdiVe.ed.; S.oii.cessions: of various kinds,. Which involve, heavv loss ot revenue, We ipttsniisjjd: ftc jiubiicj and at the saiiie time cxp.cndiHire is to be mcrchiHcd %■ adllitions te> Salanes; by tho, p.roasioil «.f vitfibils taeihties for :GQiin.trY settlcfs.; by subventions to,; Friendly and so on. Money is ho inject so loiig as th& inciCEJvZiE Miiristry caii ticko the earalpfite in 1 arlument; .stiffi:ciently to. nmifltain its precarious , hole], pii olHce. The '.■•qekomng can come.laioi'. It is sfg- 1 mficant, bowsvfff;. that tfe Go*eaiment has repiidiated cj.Uite. a. number of the: .pnoß&als qmbddied ill the Speech delivered , at the Lebruaip^pssien;. , % been told that live- j&iGKikziE Ministry, was pledged: to tiie policy set fertlt in that «pee£K. "Jt te,th<i tiid a:s :; soon as they -fftuiid; themsojves in. omee, membprs <oi Jthe ; Stinssti'y ed to rush £bput;;the. Country 'histoid iug to explaiii .clijl not :m----teud to indulgp.;iir■■tfrijf "lire^orks ,,, in the way ofrlegislatibh: which, see.-' jng that the:;p;olicy ? ;th'py Mil pM&id: tnemselves td tip. of npifHmg. : but "nre\vorks^.,seenied ; j : p imply 'that" they gramme laid;-dtt-ivii, 'i or. jfiem .at the■ party caucii% :!But,niiany pebple , .. Bxpected theni ; .i£d;ipme-comj)Mcly into heel when v :P;arli£iment. flict''" : T!iey' have not dpnif sciaPcre |s. ncthiiig; m yesterdays filing ffi&i radical the Legislatiyc?..eQunei;l ptitfiried: iii the Febriiaryir&jjeqchi about! the Bureau b|.| Justice; nothing "State mines for Aupfcijtiicl; : n&tmng-Vg,bQufe a. State iipjK;;.issu^;,inpt-jnng-about] the Standiu£:\;G(iramissi : p;n af. liidus-' trial luvestigafitiir ; ;w:li;ic}v to. so much the working%iah:;;h(itliin^ : :aßout.lftc. , l)i\ofit-shaiung>schemor^yhiQJii-: , 'waS tb'. bring sniploycr andfemplpyp%;;npth'ihg:-abpiit ; . pensions for;': :^udo\vs.;at : sa. ~: other notao!,fcf,eatii'res' .o£'"fchd; liolicy of February■;lasj;:%er;e yesterday's over. refuse k> be^pund^iljy^yiei^re^pljitiftii , unan vparty' 'ciTu.cus in confidentSp6c'ta^ioii;:tMfc ; ;thp. ! members. ifc f,h assß ou ted; vwi lis b '-piiil fied witli sbf Haiid: . > lu'g'lrpci phrases 1 \ itidi--it does; has ovcr-rated_ its^pwefti'lncl^tliafe^hd , contempt it:;lias::sH6w^:ip't ,; ffi; r.:\vjsHesof the partyicainbt;;;6o:,gipssGd; : py<>r, ; but will assisfc;V;tp"^tKe , |3oycninii(*nt J &' undoing. ir'.'&z&iiX'C'C 7 ■'■:■* ''" ■■