ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu journal. Published Every Morning. SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1907.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 103, 4 May 1907, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu journal. Published Every Morning. SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1907.

"When the general Government began the process of shirking its responsibilities and throwing them on the shoulders of the local bodies —at the cost of the ratepayers —it tempered the blow somewhat by providing for payment of certain subsidies on rates collected. But each year has seen some new burden cast on the local bodies, and now a Socialistic Ministry is in office its members are eager to compel ratepayers to do without subsidies, and specially tax themselves still more heavily for public works, The desire to compel this further sacrifice is no doubt one of the reasons why the valuations, on which rating is based, have been artificially raised on the slightest pretext. In former times, with far less general revenue, the Government of the day made and maintained the main roads and built the bridges, but since then, whenever a public work is required the settlers have to mortgage their properties to the State for forty-one years to secure the repayment of principal and payment of interest at a price which gives a slight profit to the State. The other day the Minister, speaking at Tauranga, went a step further, and told a deputation from a local body who applied for a subsidy on a loan raised by the county for bridges, that "personally he was opposed to the subsidy system altogether, believing the Government should lend money for public works to local bodies at per cent and make up the difference from the consolidated fund. The counties would rate themselves accordingly, and the money would be more carefully spent." The inference he apparently sought to convey was that local bodies had not I been spending money carefully, and he wishes to teach them thrift and good management. No doubt from 1 the ministerial point of view the expenditure by the local bodies has been made in an extraordinary manner. They have actually been spending on roads and bridges and other useful and necessary public works, not on, exhibitions or increased salaries of members (as a rule they get no salaries if they belong to local bodies). J?hey have not even spent millioniPon useless departments to create billets for their friends and supporters. These benighted people have really believed that money contributed by their taxpayers should be spent for the benefit of the people. The idea is ridiculous to any Minister who knows his business, and it is high H time that members of local bodies were taught that revenue should be used to buy \otes or reward sup porters. For what else do the ordinary taxpayers exist 1

We believe it will take more than the specious pleading of the Australian Premiers to convince the British people that it is desirable to have an. instalment of protection, and abandon the principle of freedom of trade which has so substantially aided Britain in the development of her commerce and industry. Even the plausible arguments and the fiery eloquence of Mr Chamberlain at the last elections failed to induce the majority to enter upon the suicidal policy he advocated. The Daily News, which voices the sentiments of the party who defeated Mr Chamberlain and his following, has put the matter concisely when it says it " hopes Mr Deakin will carry away a message that England will be glad to give the colonies freetrade, a free navy, common citizenship, and the cheapest money, but would not tax food or restrict industry." The latter is precisely what Mr Deakin and some of the others are asking Britain to do, and unfortunately they are unable to realise what would be the effect of the action they advocate. Mr Deakin appears to be under the impression that when a country has teeming millions .of population, all that is necessary is for its people to be employed in working for one another. He would, no doubt, fail to see the joke in Rev. Sydney Smith's story of the people of a locality who lived by taking in each other's washing, but such a mode of gaining wealth would be quite as successful as the policy he advocates, and that Australia and New Zealand are already practising to some extent. Our Premier expressed a hope that ere long a committee of experts will be appointed to report on the steps necessary for development of trade relations between all parts of the Empire. If those experts are really skilled in political economy their recommendation will

certainly be that all that is necessary s for the colonies to levy revenue tariff only on British goods. This ivill then give Britain a profitable market in all her colonies, and the iemand for colonial products would increase with the greater prosperity of the Motherland, and the huge development of her industry and trade consequent of the advantages she would thus gain. The colonies would also gain by obtaining cheaper supplies and by the enormous expansion «of their trade and commerce, and of all their natural industries. " Preference "means restriction somehow and somewhere, and it is not restriction that is needed, but greater freedom. An Empire worldwide in its extent, and with no barriers against trade between any portions of it, would, indeed, be Ibased on solid foundation, and would •have nothing to fear from any com- j petitor. j Of the leaders in politics in Australasia who have attended the Imperial Conference, our Premier, Sir Joseph ; Ward, has unquestionably put up the best record for soundness and clearness of views and for evident desire to achieve good results. Nothing could be more in accord with public opinion here than his remarks on our dependence on the Imperial Navy, our duty to assist in its maintenance, and our lack of desire' to imitate Australia in wishing to have a few boats of its own to play with. That Sir Joseph used the occasion to impress on the Admiralty the desirability of • aiding in the provision of docking, coaling and repairing facilities at our ports, and developing our coalfields, is also deserving of commendation. His advice as to the class of immigrants required in New Zealand was also sound, while if his suggestions that cheaper cable services and faster steamers should be available are acted upon, this colony and the Motherland must mutually benefit. It is, perhaps, to be regretted that Sir Joseph did not also undertake to endeavour to show New Zealanders that the greatest benefit of all would be derived by both if New Zealand substantially lowered the tariff on British s*oods so that British manufacturers would find profitable markets here, and wo should get cheaper supplies, while the consequent increased volume of trade would result in cheaper freights and greater general activity. But, on the whole, Sir Joseph has done very well, and "in the future may do even better. He has' certainly avoided the errors and childish practices of Mr Deakin and Sir William Lyne, and has worthily upheld the reputation of the country he represents.