THE OUTLOOK.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2642, 14 January 1908, Page 4

THE OUTLOOK.

Prosperous times, if we may trust figures, continue in New Zealand. Sir Joseph Ward when at Invercargill last week announced that the revenue for the nine months ended December 31, amounted t0£6,307,100, compared with £5,816,000 for the corresponding period of the previous year and he anticipates a probable surplus of £BOO,OOO on March 31st next. This is so far satisfactory. The Premier in his estimates did not follow the puerile, cheap-jack, precedent of under-estimating his revenue and over estimating his expenditure, as has sometimes been done, to produce a surplus. What the Dominion will have to show will, we believe, be a surplus representing an actual increase of revenue over a sum originally estimated on sound not artificial lines. There is every- prospect of good crops, of an abundance of capital seeking investment, of a steady if small immigration and the opening up of now homes. The great northern railway should be finished lefore the end of the year; native lands are to be thrown open for settlement \ steps will be taken to advance the irrigation of Central Otago and other public works pushed towards completion. The cloud upon th# horizon is the recent low price of wool estimated by some at from 40 to 50 per cent. be- s low the prices ruling less lhan twelve months agoi A continuance of these will cause much heart searching. Wool is the backbone of our country's prosperty, not the products of our factories, though it is neither the wool grower nor the meat exporter who receives the most consideration at the hands of our politicians. We also regard the excessive cost of Government as far beyond our necessitias and out of proportion to our needs. The Civil Service, we repeat, of this thinly populated country is outrageously above our wants and entails a burden that is brought home to each individual in the high cost of living—a cost much greater that it was even so recently as three years ago. The sovereign in New Zealand to-day cannot on a moderate estimate purchase as much as sixteen shillings did five years back. We believe there is room for relief, even by legislation, in this direction; the price of wool, however, is not within our control. Politically there is some talk of a split between the Labor and sp-called Liberal party. We say 'so-called' advisedly. We are all liberals in this Dominion. The only line of demarcation is how far are we prepared to go ? This the Government are beginning to find out. The labor wing show indications of going "on their own." They talk of forming, as in England and Australia, an indepentent party. This means either the three party system or a coalition of the Masseyites and Wardites—to use an ugly vulgarism. There is nothing impossible or far stretched in the suggestion. The boundary line between politicians in the Dominion is very thin ; no sacrifice of principle is entailed in coalition. In other words there are but two possible parties in the future both here and in Great Britain. These are Labor (Socialist) and Anti-Labor (Anti-Socialist). We may not like it, but we cannot mu«h longer'halt between two opinions. The country, sooner ar later, and we think sooner, will have to declare under which banner it intends to stand.