The Evening Star THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1910.

Evening Star, Issue 14318, 17 March 1910, Page 4

The Evening Star THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1910.

Considering our distance from the, scene of action, and the Hon. C. C. Bowen rather scrappy chnracon ter of the. cabled intolHome Politics, ligonce, comment on the course of events in the Imperial Parliament must needs bo tentative and provisional; but we think it may bo sail that most people at this end of the world, whether inclined to the Liberal or to tho Unionist way of thinking, have been puzzled, not to say irritated, by the Ministerial method of dealing with the financial situation. It would almost seem as though Mr Asquith and his colleagues had been, if not in the sulks, at least in a state of mind more closely related to factious devices than to the desire of carrying on “ tho King’s Government ” (to use the time-honored phrase) with effective despatch and on stable lines. Tho object of their financial policy for the time being appears to bo to accentuate as much as possible tho difficulty created by tho rejection of last year’s Budget in the House of Lords, instead of (as patriotic feeling might have suggested) doing what they can to minimise the loss and inconvenience. Last year they were afraid of the House of Lords; this year they are afraid of the House of Commons. They are anxious about Mr Rodmond and the whisky duties; and also they aro determined that financial affairs shall be kept in as awkward a condition as possible, with a view to hampering tho action of any Government that may succeed them in case of defeat. It is an unheroic and rather unedifying policy, regarded from an impartial standpoint. That sagacious and experienced observer, tho Hon. 0. C. Bowen, Speaker of tho Now Zealand Legislative Council, has been expounding his view of tho situation to a representative of tho Christchurch ‘ Press,’ and his remarks aro certainly worthy of notice. Asked for his opinion regarding tho action of the Asquith Government in taking Supply for six weeks only, instead of five or six months (to cover the session, according to usual practice), Mr Bowen observed: It appears to mo that the pith of the matter is that tho Government’s action is a bit of sharp practice, designed by a dying Government to embarrass the Government who are to follow them. Evidently the suspicion is that tho present Government aro not strong enough to i carry on tho King’s Government, and in taking Supply for six weeks only intend leaving the incoming Government without any money, and compelling them to 1 put tho whole financial position into the pot again—in other words, compelling the new Government to appeal to tho ■ country for funds. j

And the Speaker of the Council went on to suggest that the Government, obviously having no confidence in their nominal majority in the House of Commons, ought either to resign or ask for a dissolution, instead of marking time and (we may add) waiting, like Mv Micawbor, for something to turn up. It appears to me that it would be a more straightforward thing if the Government asked for a dissolution at once, rather than carry on by the unsatisfactory adoption of half-measures; it would certainly bo more'satisfactory to appeal to the country than to ask the King for guarantees, which means, practically, that the King would bo asked to assent to whatever is done by the Government, These remarks certainly express the feeling of a great many people who are not unsympathetic in regard to the main lines of Liberal policy, but who have regretfully been unable to admire the policy of the Government since the cloeo of the General Election.