TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 9, 10 July 1912, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Disappointment invaded various faces in . *3m> House of EepwYesterday in sentafcivos yestei-day (Parliament, afternoon, and'suddenly drove out all hope of excitement. On and on for an. hour, from the meetins time at 2.30 till the adjournment at 3.30, ooople in the unplejusantlrcrowded galleries were in expectation of something to fasten itself on the memory for life. They craved for that popular article termed a "sensation" or "somewhat of a sensation." They eagerly wished to be exalted to peaks oommandiHg a splendid ponorama, and they fell on a flat. Formal affairs consumed nearly an hour, and tho principal business of th« day was despatched in two or three minuteß. Messrs. Mackenzie and Massey calmly and briefly gave the words which officially marked the change of regime, and history wa* made as quietly as a tide ebbs and flows in a windless sheltered bay. The retiring Ministers had cleared their desks as much as possible, and reports clustered on the table of the House. It was a curious mixture of the ordinary and the extraordinary, on ,a basis of vice-versa — that is, the really extraordinary part of the programme went off in a very ordinary manner, and things of ordinary occurrence received an extraordinary emphasis. Thus the New South Wales local government report, with the comments of the Hon. G. W. Russell and Sir 1 Joseph Ward, was peculiarly drawn out for such a day. Mr. Russell found two occasions to make himself conspicuous, and indicated that it would need to be a very large bushel to hide his light. His effort at seeking pro. minence on the afternoon of the more or less official demise of the Liberal Government was mentioned subsequently among political speculators as indicating that Avon's member was looking for ; the Leadership of the new Opposition. It was an afternoon of peace, except that Mr. L. M. Isitt introduced a party note, which the members of the late Opposition ignored. Each side was busy with its own thoughts for the future which will bring days less tranquil than yesterday. Soon the apple of difscord will be throwji on the iloor of tho House, and much allegation and recrimination will be Hansardised. The retiring Minister of Finance (the , Hon. A. M. Myers) The Financial 'and his predecessor in Outlook. this department (Sir Joseph Ward) were at pains yesterday afternoon to assure the new Government that it was starting its career with the finances in a state ot splendid health and a prospect of continuous robustness. Mr Myers estimated the revenue at £11,014,909 for the current financial year (ending on 31st March next) and the expenditure at £10,737,958. This would leave a credit balance of £276,951, and with the £807, 276 brought forward on 31st March last the country should have a surplus of £1,084,227. Sir Joseph Ward remarked that the Massey Government would accordingly start on an "excellent wicket" financially. The gentlemen on the opposite benches did not seem to be thrilled by either the statement of Mr. Myers or the commentary of Sir Joseph. "What about liabilities?" interjected Mr. James Allen, and Sir" Joseph '6 answer was a vague statement in which the clearest sentence was a contention that there was nothing in the point. Similarly, there was not a very satisfactory response to a question by Mr. Allen, "How much for public works?" when the list of unexhausted loan authorities, amounting to £4,750,000, was read. Sir Joseph indicated '- that the amount availablel f or public works would be shown in the £4,500,000 loan, of which definite details have not yet been given. The estimates of revenue and expenditure submitted by Mr. Myers yesterday are, of course, on the present basis of taxation and general policy, at) practised by the late Government and its predecessors.* A very different policy is projected by Mr. Massey. We are not satisfied that the finances are quite as rosy as they were painted yesterday by two exMinisters, though we have no gloomy forebodings about the outlook. The country is in good heart, and it will con tinue to progress healthily, if something like industrial peace is restored, and if the new Government is as good as its promise about the closer settlement of large areaß of land. Mr. Massey has to remember his motto : "Settlement, more settlement, still more settlement." Wellington had a Minister (Sir John Findlay) in the Ward Ministerial Cabinet, but it > is Wellington. many a, year since the Capital had a Minister stationed in the House of Representatives. After the drought comes the deluge — three at onoe, comprising Messrs. Herdman and Fieher (electea by the people) and Mr. H. D. Bell, chosen by Mr. Massey and hie advisers to lead the Legislative Council. Thus Wellington ha« the very conspicuous distinction of three Ministers, while not one of the sister cities has a single representative. Chrietchurch and Auckland were, of course, out of court — Christchurch for the simple reason that its representatives are all Liberals (of the Mon-Ma«s&y brand) and Auckland because the Maseeyites from the Queen, City and adjacent district are new members of the Reform Party. Dunedin's chances aro reduced to Mr. G< M. Thomson, but it ie very unlikely that the tenth portfolio will be allotted to that gentleman. Here, surely, is a policy of statecraft to make the capital a "Government Wellington/ instead of ,the old-time "Opposition Wellington." Labour's advance in general and municipal politic* has been, principally in Wellington, but in the general field Mr. Massey may hope to keep Labour in check with three Ministers. We do not suggest that he had this design, because it was oxpectod that 'Messrs. Herdman and Bell would have portfolios, and the addition of Mr. l<isher can have an explanation separate from any desire on the part of the Government to get a strong grip of Wellington. However, it may safely be anticipated that the presence of throe Wellington representatives in the Ministry will cause very sharp ey«s to be trained on this locality from other quarters, lest this district should seem to be too well favoured by comparison with other districts not co largely represented in Cabinet. Time, however, will show whether any unpleasant parochial clamour will be raised. In the session of February, in the recess, and during the recent Labours Role. No-conlideuco debate, Labour members declared that they -would preserve their intKviduality as a party. Since the breakup of the. Liberal Party, completed on Saturday morning, Labour spokesmen, here and in other centres, hay© stud that Labour will be a distinct Opposition entity. It is said that Labour will not be absorbed by any other Radical body, but that other Radical elements will be merged in "United Labour," aa Mr. G. Foivids recently vnan. Labour j fctill nim a.fc absolute, .golitdcol &dsga£d- j

ence — a resolution which prepared th« way for Saturday's debacHV— and the plans are laid for extensive, continuous organising work. When tlie "Reform Party" haa done all tho reforming that it yearns to do, it must choose a distinctive party name, as the other terra, which valuably helped to bring Mr. Maesey onward, will be then more or loss meaningless. Will ifc be the Democratic Party, or the Liberal Paiiy, or the Progressive Party (a name now used by the defeated Liberate)? The press whioh supports Mr. Massey holds that the opponents of ith© "Reform Party" have forfeited their title to the name Liberal, and they hint that the new Government will be known as the Liberal Party. Such a development is Sossible here, as it has been in Australia, n New South Wales not long ago thore w«re fchrea parties— Conservativfc, Liberal, and Labour. Now there are two — Liberal aud Labour, or non-Radical arid Radical. Labour's plan here may ultimately have the effect of forcing into one main group all the men who are not official Labour representatives. The Seddonian system of a Liberal-Labour Federation has been • broken up-— and Labour is out for Labour, on no middle course, but there is not yet a recognised leader. In th« meantime, the Labour policy;, divorced from genuine Liberalism — which is the policy of moderation and rational progress — helps Mr. Massey to fortify his position. In a lecture tt> a meeting of the Infiuranoa Institute last The Huge Fire night, Mr. F. 0. Loss. Cray commented on a curious anomaly ia this country. He referred to the notorious apathy of the public's represent** tives in relation to fires. Again and again /The Post and other journals have pointed to the enormous firo loss in New Zealand— now about 10b a year per head of the population of one million— and a perusal of official reporte shows that carelessness is responsible for a large amount of destruction, of which the cost has to be borne, eventually/ by the whole public. We are sure that if enquiries urbjj fires were not nearly so rare as they are now tlie enormous annual bill would be materially reduced. The authorities of the United States, v afflicted with an annual fire loss slightly over 10s a headfive times as much as in any country of Europe — ar« making a stir to educate tho public. A roport recently issued by the State Fir© Marshal of Wisconsin remarks.—"Over half of the fir© loss of this State is due to grosh carelewnesa aud negligence of its people, and a part of the loss is due to fires wilfully set. How to reduce incendiarism, ana how to make an indifferent public more careful, and so reduce to the minimum th© loss due to preventable fires, is the work and mission of tho State Fire Marshal, and his assistants." One of the methods of rousing the public in America Ik by the aid of the press, by bulletins, by public lectures, oy cards, letters, and posters. Such a campaign can do much good, but the best hole is the publicity of a searching enquiry into the causes of fires. . I