THE PREMIER ON THE PLATFORM.

Evening Post, Volume LVII, Issue 112, 13 May 1899, Page 4

THE PREMIER ON THE PLATFORM.

The Premier, as is his wont, has departed to the country to declare the usual bogus surplus, and get the start of his crivics by giving his own statement of Treasury figures before the public can be informed by perusal of the full statement of the accounts for the year in the Government Gazette. These are promised for next week, and until they appear the financial results of the year cannot be effectively reviewed. The crux ot the position may, however, be here shortly indicated. The Premier last evening wished his hear- - ers to believe that the transactions for the year showed a surplus of revenue over expenditure of £4iJb,b6l, but reference to iho Financial Statement ot labt year will show that there was brought to credit as "balance at end of year £521,144." How that (bula-ncfc was made up i\ c showed very exhaustively at the time, as v c shall later the so-called surplus declared at Ekctahuna last evening, but we may for the present point out that if the now alleged surplus of £495,861 is subtracted Jtrom the • balance at end of year," £521,144, shown in the last Financial Statement, we reach a deficit of £25,283. The Treasurer, of course, makes all his paper balances oi preceding years do duty tor the current your, and on that system may bo coniidemly expecied to produce a corpulent Mil-plus &o long as he is in office. The l J remier does not appear to have thrown any additional light upon the niiirme scandal; that, we imagine, must bo left for Parliament. The Minister for Marine, accoiding to his chief, is quite iricapuble of the charges laid to his account, but tho Premier apparently did nob adduce any fresh evidence on the subject. Yet there are those who assert that there is documentary evidence in existence that goes to show how potent a* force the Premier was in that transaction Tf this be the ca«e, as we believe, v lie anxious solicitude of Mr. Seddon io vindicate his lieutenant becomes the :i\i>re -intelligible. An important statement in the speech referred to the

Manawatu Railway, and it seems to be one thut should command the attention of the directors of that company. It Ims ! always been a mystery to us that the Government .should appear so averse to any negotiations for purchase of a line so neccassaiy to the railway system of the country. Now the Premier says that in tho face of facts which have come to his knowledge ha is not prepared to purchase the concern. Wbal ;ire these factx, and how can they conflict with the clear rights of the countr/ to acquire the railway under the charter of the company? We hope that Mr. Reddon will at least place Parliament in possession of the position, if the directors me-inwlrile do not think it necebsaa-y to vindicate themselves. The country would cheerfully support the Government in the purchase of the railway, and in face of the agreement we cannot conceive of any difficulty that would not be easily removable.