WATER, OIL, AND IRON.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 64, 13 September 1911, Page 9

WATER, OIL, AND IRON.

Among the ingredients tised by Sir Joseph Ward in his election elixir are water, oil, and iron, of which the iron, as the heaviest element, lies rather at the bottom of the glass. The oil industry seems to be in for some definite encouragement. In addition to the longstanding bonus arrangements, the Government is promising (o remove all Customs duties oft plant, either by direct remission or subsidy equal to the amount of the duty, and in cases where machinery is locally made the manofac* ttirers are to- have "a bonos equal to the amount of the freight." The lan» guage employed by the Prime Mifliste? in reference to iron is vagite. ' His phraseology leaves wide scope for •eventualities. "At the present time," he states, "the Government has an offer to establish the industry in 'New Zealand upon giving an annual contribution for a period of forty year*." Then follows this remarkable sentence. " The condition asking for the contribution"'to be for a long period oi years is one that th© Government is of opinion shotild be reduced and provision made for giving the. Government the right to acquire such works by the Government on terms fair to the owners at anytime on reasonable length of notice being given, for the alternative is to continue the subsidy for a longer period." This statement ie not quit* so intricate as Sir Joseph's alleged explanation of the Coronation , invitation mystery, but it does cry out for some, elud- ! dation. Sir Joseph speaks glibly of an ] army of ten thousand men employed ''in a few years." This country doee not so much require Sir Joseph's optimistic anticipations in the matter as i more definite information about that j offer. lor some time an attempt has been made to raise capital abroad to 'work the Cadman leases, Speaking in Tafatlaki not long before he went to j London this year. Sir Joseph hinted I at a possible development of the iroft j industry there in a comparatively near future, but he does not seem to be now quite so sure of himself, despite his con- I eluding reference to the subject of irott, in the Budget : " Should, however, pri* ] vate enterprise not be attracted to the iron industry on the inducements 1 have stated, the Government will consider immediately the expediency of developing the iroh resources of the Dominion as a State enterprise." The curious treatment of this iron question in the Budget almost excuses an inference that if private capitalists can see a profit in this field the Government will be prepared to\h*lp them, by bonus, to make it. If private people see no prospect of a. profit, then the Government will 'be bold enough to try its hand with the taxpayers' money. We shall take further opportunities to discuss this iron topic. It is pleasant to sea that the. Government has not now so much moonshine mixed with i(« water doctrine. Last year various Ministers of the Crown were "white-horee"' breakere in a hippodrome which extended from Auckland to Invercargill. .They liad j*welled harness to put on the monsters of lake and river. Sir Joseph is still a little exuberant in the Budget, but he does Hot repeat the v ild rhetoric of Motueka's Minister, the Hon. t?. M'Kenzie, "The policy of the Government," says the Prime Minister, '"is to develop one large proposal first, and study results before embarking on a more extended programme." This is not exactly logical, but it ifi So^moh's wisdom compared with some ofshe'Ministerial nonsense uttered last ' session. Prudence ordinarily ehonld not suggest an experiment with a "large proposal. 1 ' The Man who is curious to know whether jumping front a height id a good tonic for hie system will be .wise to refrain, from beginning with a leap from the top of a house. However, the Government's experiment is to be with Lake Coleridge, which has many advantages over most ot the schemes dazzled in the public eye lnst year. Tho Government stilt holds out a lure of push-button M?e and comfort for the inhabitants of towns and cities, and hopee ip folvc (he dom»stic help problem with r. current of eleetiieitv. lrdci-d respectability is ii> l>« assured, in some d<egf t«, by tho nidgic of electricity. "Under (heso comlilion.s (pull the switch or press the button) ths kitchen would become ac clean and eotnlortable as the drawing room/ according to the evangel of Sir Jo&eph Ward, "mid domestic duties would no longer betu- the stigma under which they IsJjour wlitlo existing conditions prevail "'

ditions" a dfAuing-rooni wouMbe rather a strpwfiuity, and thofetfore it may bo cut out to reduco Ihb cost ef liting. There ie no limit to the- pdWfci* of electricity when a Ministerial hand controls tbo current. In the mbaiAiiiw the backblocks eettl<Srs are etill ftv from having kitchen* as clean and as comfottsbio fes dr.wing-1-oonie. They will no doubt be content to wait till the urb*n population is art cited with electrical luxury,