WITHOUT AUTHORITY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8653, 11 February 1914, Page 6

WITHOUT AUTHORITY

is one important phase of the naval policy question that must not at any time be overlooked. That is that the Tory Government of New Zealand has never been authorised by the people to cast to the winds the time-honoured, patriotic, and statesmanlike system of aiding the Mother Country. The electors of this country have never given the Government of self-styled “Reform’' any right or authority to practically cut the painter and start a local navy of no earthly us© and?at potential expense quite beyond present reckoning. Whatever may be the disposition of the Tory Government and its subservient majority in Parliament, we feel confident that the people as a whole are very largely in favour of one impregnable navy, and are desirous that we should continue to give reasonable financial assistance to keep that navy supreme above those of all or any of Britain’s formidable rivals and prospective enemies. Even if he had secured a preponderance of the votes at the last election, instead of only a small percentage, Mr Massey would not have been morally entitled, by any stretch of the imagination, to have taken the extreme step that he has done m this matter, because the proposition was not put before the people. He will discover that, to his cost. We doubt if even a large part of his own following, either in the House or in the country, can really approve the toy navy fQ*ly> or can help regretting that the Government should have ignored the advice of the highest authorities m wrecking the Liberal policy on thus question which the people had endorsed at several general elections. There are no more loyal people in the British Empire than the people of New Zealand, only they have not the means of showing it through the present Government.