The New Zealand Times. MONDAY, JULY 17, 1911. MR. MASSEY’S MISTAKES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7854, 17 July 1911, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. MONDAY, JULY 17, 1911. MR. MASSEY’S MISTAKES

One of the blunders Mir Massey makes is to suppose he can conceal his political colour beneath a veneer of Liberalism. Time was when bo was not ashamed to be known as a Conservative. Until quite recently he openly fought against the popular cause, denouncing old ago pensions as an unsafe incursion into the realm of economics; characterising the State provision of cheaper money for settlers as “ pawnbroking ” ; opposing industrial legislation as fntile interference with the law of supply and demand, and the compulsory purchase of private estates for closer settlement as confiscation, Mr Massey pursued these tactics Cos ho himself reminded us the other day) for seventeen years. Now he realises their hopelessness, and a change comes o’er the scene. Instead of Mr Massey being the hero of all that is left of Toryism in this country we are suddenly asked to accept him as a prophet preaching “ advanced democracy ” 1 He would relieve the burden of debt and taxation from tho aching shoulders of the people. He would reduce the qualifying ago for pensions to women. He would cut down the cost of living by lifting the Customs taxes off necessaries of life. Hastily folding his Conservative robes and snatching a few feathers from Mr Lloyd George’s plumage, he would even provide insurance against unemployment. One may wonder whether the leader of the Opposition seriously believes tho electors are to be caught with chaff of this sort. What are the lessons of the past? Suppose we look into the very Important question of taxation. It is not necessary to argue that sufficient reform has been achieved in regard to this fundamental phase of politics. There is much more to bo done than has yet book attempted, and the days are not slowly approaching when tho most serious labours of Parliament

will bo in this direction. For tho present. however, it is opportune to mention that the efforts of Liberalism have gone since 1891 towards transferring to other areas of impost the load of taxation placed by tho Conservatives upon tho primary requirements of life. During the years that have passed since tho Conservatives were repudiated by tho people tho proportion of tile Customs duties levied upon , food and non-alcoholic drinks lias been diminished in this way : 1891 20.05 per cent. 1909 3.93 per cent. The volume of revenue raised through the Customs has increased, it is true; but tho rates of duty have been decreased from time to time, so that tho proportion of taxation derived from Customs and excise duties has dropped in ten years like this: Per cent. of total. 1900-1 74.47 1909-10 As Mr Roderick McKenzie pointed out at Wakefield the other evening, j the community has been saved a. huge sum of money by reduced tariff duties, I the difference for the last year between what was collected and what 1 would have been collected had tho! Conservative tariff been maintained amounting to no loss than £690,435. j The moment this appeared in print Mr [ Massey claimed a share in undoing tho work of his own party, and from this we learn that his record of achievement in lessening tho cost of living consists in having persuaded Parliament to remove" tho import duty on fencing wire. We believe

that if this is the only suggestion Mr Massey has had to make in seventeen years for lessening the cost of living ho has very little to boast about. Not many people want to ©at fencing wire, plain or barbed. Instead of making questionable claims te (list.motion in regard to ' fencing wire it would be better if, Mr Massey •told us in definite terms what step in public policy he is prepared to advocate as a means of reducing the cost of living. Wo say this because a precise statement of intention is understandable. His present generalities defy analysis. Once more, will he tell ns how much taxation should bo removed from articles of common use and how the revenue so forfeited should be raised ?