THE MINISTERIAL POLICY

Evening Star, Issue 12652, 4 November 1905, Page 6

THE MINISTERIAL POLICY

PRESS COMMENTS. [Spbcial to thb Stab-]

The ' New Zealand Times' says that the Ministerial meeting hust night was an immense, overflowing decision of the able justification of past policy, and the brief but promising exposition of future policy It was also an emphatic expression of jwpular confidence in the Administration. It considers, however, that tiw Premier's tone re the work of the session was just too optimistic, and deplores his edlenoo re Kind tenure. It declares that Sir Joseph Ward's statistics should silence Opposition criticism, and applauds the saMiouaicement of national pensions as an incentive to national thrift, quotng approvingly the Belgian system as the best in Euiope, with subsidies of 60 per cent, on contributions an a voluntary system—contributions which have grown m twenty years of the fund's existence from, two to twenty-five million francs a year. It hopes that the reduction of Cu>*orns taxation, will extend to all tie necessaries of life besides tobacco. It notes that the Premier was silent re a graduated tax.

The 'Post' opens with a jibe to the effect that Mr Seddon, with hbe aid of Sir Jos"ph Ward and a band, had no difficulty in filling the Town Hall, and rerainds him of tie essential difference between'carrying a meeting and carrying on an election. It accuses him of not meeting their challenge to explain his conduct in re Miramar, and declares that So- Jos ph Ward's arguments against the charge of etectioraeering by a rise of wages on the railways were too vague for analysis. The paper is silent about all the larger issues.