THE GOVERNOR’S SPEECH.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4084, 23 June 1900, Page 4

THE GOVERNOR’S SPEECH.

• This year the Speech which opened the business of Parliament 'was' unusually long. Naturally so, for it is the first speech in our history in which tho Imperial note predominates. Hitherto, colonial loyalty has been a matter of sentiment; now it has become a matter of services rendered, by expenditure of blood and treasure. 'The services are of a kind legitimately entitled to a full third of tho Governor’s Speech. Thus, also, it has mipponed that, perhaps for the first time, the chief interest of this customary utterance belongs .rather to the past than to the future. The reference to the past has in it, of course, no clement ot surprise. It is matter of recent history. Parliament is, no doubt, glad to be reminded 1 that New Zealand led the way in sending a contingent of troops- to the support of the Empire, and is. ready to approve of everything done in that connection. Publie opinion for its part, has, by the medium of cheers, rockets arid bunting, already approved. What the sequel is to be is not so clear. One shape it is to take is vaguoly’outlincd as “the establishment of a fully-equipped reserve force for Imperial, and ' colonial purposes, wiinin jiyescfibsd limits, and on terms to be arranged between the Imperial authorities,and this colony.” As ( the Speech delicately puts it, the proposal is “worthy of consideration.” Too much depends'on the terms, on the “ purposes,” on the “prescribed: limits,” for any expression of opinion to bo made in the ,of these conditions. The underlying principle itself, moreover, cannot bo taken, for granted without’ some' fortification of definite reasons. Regarding the future- of certain islands of tho subject that belongs also to those Imperial developments that are being brought by the growth of tho Empire—there was at one

time a fear in some quarters lest the Premier might have done something during his late visit to the Islands to commit the colony to • some definite course. That was dispelled) after Mr Snddon’s return, when it became known that he had at Fiji and Rarotonga struck the only possible right note on tho subject, viz., that the first move towards closer relations with this colony must come from the Islands. Public opinion will agree with the reasons which have caused 1 the inclusion in the Governor’s Speech of the statement that this colony should be prepared for the additional burden of duty entailed by the consummation of such a policy. It will at the syne time agree with the Premier that tho first move must he made in tho Islands.

In domestic affairs, the chief interest will probably centre around three things. These are—(l) The proposals to be made regarding the “more vigorous prosecution of railway construction, especially between centres of population”; (2) the hope expressed that the House may <7 at no distant date consider the incidence of direct taxation, with a view of reducing Customs duties levied on the necessaries of life”; (3) the nature of the attention and consideration to he given to the increased administrative work, “ the outcome of the popular will,” which unduly taxes the energies of Ministers. In all three the Government appears to have been guided by the light of Mr Gladstone’s maxim that the Queen’s Speech is a thing devised to conceal thought. In the* matter of the first, the question is. not to be left without supplementary : light/ for 1 : the order paper of the House is already flooded with notices of questions and resolutions; of which Mr. Wilford’s will [perhaps cause most comment by its .neglect to place’ the Blenheira-Hurunui extension.in h;s list of’proposed works, while that which may bo expected to prove mosb valuable is Mr Stevens’s motion for "full definite information on all

important points, which is necessary to arrive at a just conclusion on the subject of the Kortli island Trunk Railway. This railway problem already promises to be the hardest of the session. Regarding the second mailer, it will be generally admitted that the reduction of taxation on the necessaries of life is a legitimate and fiscally sound consequence of the record surplus. There never will be a better opportunity man now oilers for deciding that great question with an undisturbed mind. For the third subject, wo take it that as no proposal for increasing the emoluments of Ministers can diminish the undue tax upon their energies, there will probably bo a proposal to increase the number of Ministers. . Again, it may be said that there could be. no hoitor time than the present for tho discussion of such a proposal. Tho rest of the programme is not largo, when local government is taken out of it, as it probably will bo. The number of local governing bodies is certainly large, but it is nearly as certain that they will all go on governing some time longer—go on for ever, if .they have to wait for somebody to devise a more “ assured finance ” than they now enjoy. Labour legislation does not press, with the exception of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Taw, and no one will bo disappointed if the vague promises in t)us respect arc, with the above exception, followed by vaguer performance. Commerce is more important than all those matters, and it is time for commerce to get a fair share of political attention.: The question of new markets, and the closely-allied question of increasing the natural production, agricultural, pastoral and mineral—tho latter is, im connection with the coal supply, a “burning” question just now—deserve all the attention bespoken ' for them in the Speech, and more. Therefore, the references to the cable and mail services and tho improvement in the statu; of Chambers of Commerce are all in the right direction. So is the announced determination to go on, vigorously with the successful policy lines .of laud resumption ■and advances to settlers, both of which will require to “replenish the bunkers”, before going much further on their course. If the sossi on, getting through the other work above referred to, is confined to those matters,, with a little necessary consolidation of statutes thrown in, it ought to be useful without being too long.