Grey River Argus and Blackball News THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 1922. MASSEY’S SPECULATIONS.

Grey River Argus, 8 June 1922, Page 4

Grey River Argus and Blackball News

THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 1922. MASSEY’S SPECULATIONS.

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Tt appears his followers have persuaded the Prime Minister he can say nothing that is amiss, and has only to talk away to persuade everybody else. He made some cryptical contradictory utterances about war clouds in Christchurch. The next war, he fancied, would emanate from northern Europe—presumably because a guilty conscience suggests Germany and Russia, driven to unite in adversity for self-help against persecution by their late conquerors, might be naturally expected to cherish a desire for revenge. Now, as showing what slight reliance is to be placed ou the aforementioned Masseyite excursion into the realms of prophecy, we read of the Prime Minister saying—on the same day as he talked about another war—• that he “believed that through all the past years the British Empire had been protected by Divin ee Providence for some special purpose that had not been revealed; but he believed it was to bring a lasting peace into the world.’’ When is this “lasting peace’’ going to commence? Evidently not for another half-century, even if Russia and Germany are now being forced by adversity into the position of having to plan another Amageddon! Mr Massey during his recent tour of the South Island, has been boasting about the financial wisdom of his Government, but he cannot deny their policy has caused railway revenue to decline to zero, and the customs and income tax revenue to drop £5,000,000 last year. He ends up with a deficit of £333,000 and yet says his financial policy is successful! It 1 is like his rail-sitting on the question of peace. The people are

expected, like children, to swallow whatever the head of the Government tells them. As to immigration, no secret is made of the Government’s intention to accelerate it in the spring. Another of the pet ideas fostered by Mr Massey is that this country should not import from countries outside the Empire, unless it is absolutely impossible to get what is required within the Empire; but how can he expect to develop trade with foreign countries unless a balance is maintained? in the final analysis, there must be an exchange of goods between the Empire and other countries or else no trade at all; so that, if this country exports to America and refuses to import from there, it means that some other port of the Empire must import from America even to premit of our exporting meat, wool, or dairy produce to her. Why, then, should New Zealand deny itself the benefits of cheaper goods from any country- if it be merely to allow some other port of the Empire to obtain such benefits? Mr Massey has often spoken of the desirability of developing secondary indusi tries in thi< country, but what has he done towards this, beyond talking about it? As a matter of fact, his only concern seems to be the classes who export primary products. He knows that if New Zealand has a big excess of exports over imports, she must continue to import just the commodities that maintain secondary industries. The fact that some exporters have London bank balances, or property abroad, does not mean the development of New Zeai land. Why the Government has import'ed £500,000 worth of coal recently, yet it claims to be the friend of local industry! Tt was “an insurance against trouble,” we are told, and the coal is still to be used—or not used, perhaps, in order that it shall remain as “an insurance against trouble! ” Although railway fares have been raised 40 per cent, the lines have failed to give any increase in revenue, but. have instead shown losses; and it is no excuse for the Prime Minister to say the railways have not done very well in some Australian states, because two wrongs do not make a right. The moneyed classes and their press are at present pelting Mr Massey with verbal bouquets in anticipation of further wage cuts, and reductions in taxation. The mass of the people can depend upon it that their exploitation is the underlying aim of all this lying flattery. They are asked to believe that black is white. If their intelligence is unequal to discerning the deception practiced on them, however, by the Party in power, then who shall blame the Tory politicians for so accurately taking their measure?