Manawatu Evening Standard. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1917. NEW ZEALAND'S FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10104, 11 October 1917, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1917. NEW ZEALAND'S FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES.

The eight members' of the House ol Representatives who refrained from attending the meeting of supporters of the National Government, jointly convened by the Prime Minister and Sir Joseph Ward, arc adopting the ;ittitu<le of those who affect a virtue, whether they possess it or not. To read the reports of their Parliamentary utterances one would almost imagine that Messrs J. T. M. Horusby and Vigor Brown, with the six Labour members, are the only members of the House who aie anxious to do justice to tho men ol the Second Division, and that, in resisting their claims on behalf of its members and their dependants; to increased allowances and pensions, Mr Masse}' and Sir Joseph Ward, and their supporters, are acting in a narrow, niggardly spirit that is deserving of the severest censure. It is time the country realised and understood tho position, and the nature of the heavy financial responsibilities the war is thrusting upon us. It is possible, as the "Standard" has repeatedly pointed out, to so overload the pension's scheme that (as Mr Guthrie put it in the House last evening), "it will sooner or later fall by virtue of its own weight," and. il the scheme tails, as under such circumstances it must, the disappointment will be all the greater. Sir Joseph Ward reminded members yesterday that our w-r liability was' fast approaching the £5U,000,000 mark, and is likely to go considerably beyond that. And, as hj r Joseph further points out, in the v.ar after this war that must certainly tou.e —that is the economic struggle cv commercial war, in which we are again likely to be pitted against Germ iuv -the man who will suffer most, and v"u must inevitably shoulder additional Inrdens of taxation, is "the man -,1 sir til mean.? —the man who makes I >s luiiig by the sweat of his brow. ' It is one thing for Mr Moresby mid Mr * <SM Brown, with their friends of the I nbcvn: Wing, to urge that the Government should increase its-financial obligations beyond the already liberal provision itis making for the men of the Second Division; it is quite another, and more far reaching, proposition to accept the responsibility of finding the money, especially when they are plainly toitl that further expenditure in that direction, must he met bv increased taxation :ii rhe Customs, which nm c t largely affect the pockets of the people.