The Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1920. THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS EMPLOYEES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue XXXXI, 15 June 1920, Page 4

The Star.

TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1920. THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS EMPLOYEES.

delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, E'thain, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley.

• A position of very great difficulty has . arisen for the Government, and Mr ■ Massey and hia colleagues are being ■ more severely tested than probably • any Cabinet in New Zealand has yet been. The high cost of living brought | about through the war has not been solved by any Government in the world, nor do we believe it can he solved by any other method than by greatly increased production of the necessaries of life and strict economy and care on the part of consumers. Extremists talk of what Governments should have done, and put forward many theories, but surely those leaders do not claim to be more clever than the great leaders who brought the Allies safely through the war. It will not ease the position or lighten the burden if people do no more than theorise and grumble at the state of affairs. There is not much cleverness in destructive criticism, and certainly no progress. It does not matter a straw what might have been if such a course had been taken; what matters is whether or not the people as a whole are prepared to put forth their whole energies into bringing about muchneeded improvements which no government or section can of itself effect. The facts, so often stated before, are simply these: The world used up its supplies, to win the war; there is an unprecedented shortage of many things which are necessary for human welfare and comfort; only hard and consistent work by all the people can restore the various countries and ease the burdens which the war placed upon them. These facts, are, we think, generally recognised; why then are they, not being acted upon? Why, if it is necessary to produce more, is Labor constantly agitating for shorter hours? If Labor were logical the agitation would be for longer, not shorter, hours, so that the position might be improved more speedily. The more one studies the many factors which have contributed to the present difficulties, the more is-one honestly convinced that the world has more to blame extreme Labor for than it has to blame anybody else. In our own Dominion tradesunionists have gained increased pay— nobody will deny that they hav c been justified in securing a fair living wage —but have not several of the unions followed a "go-slow" policy when the circumstances demand a "go-quick" policy? The result is well known. Highly-paid Labor—we do not for a moment think that Labor should mot be highly paid—has.not done all it could by increasing production to ease the cost of living, and to-day there are . thousands of people of fixed and classified salaries feeling the heavy burden. The railwaymen are having their pay and conditions improved; the Post and Telegraph officers have appealed successfully to the -Government for improvements, which in the rank and file they deserve. Yet the settlement of these matters is not as simple as many people- may think. The expenditure on the country's administration is going up rapidly, and the burden of taxation is likely to become heavier rather than lighter. During the war period it was necessary to make stiff demands upon taxpayers, and it was hoped that after a, reasonable period following the war it would be possible to ease the position. A few of the increases in cost of administration may well be quoted' here. The cost of the Agricultural Department rose from £240,464 in 1918-19 to £818,566 in 1919-20. Defence administration rose from £416,427 to £502,465; Health Department from £318,808 to £556,899. The greatest increase is in the Railway Department's expenditure, which has risen by I £890,000. Altogether Departmental ex-. | penditure has increased by £2,937,714, I and there is more to come. The railwaymen are to receive higher pay, and the Post and Telegraph officers are to be granted increases, so that increased revenue will need-to be found in the coming year to meet the charges. Where it is to come from is the important question, and doubtless the Government will have to raise its charges to the public who use its facilities. The day of the. penny postage and the sixpenny telegram has' gone, for some time at least, and the Government will have to increase its railway fares- and freights and postal and telegraphic charges sufficiently to meet the increasing cost of administration. Unfortunately the passing-it-on method but tends to perpetuate the "vicious circle," but we fear that there is no other method which can be applied at the present time so that the extra burden may be evenly distributed. Each Department should be made to pay its way if possible, and to do that the general public must expect to pay more for the services it uses.