EDITORIAL NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10902, 20 October 1911, Page 1

EDITORIAL NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Y\ K have already commented mi the new Old-age Pells ion Old-age Pensions p'roposals as proofs and Others. of tilt' consistency oi' the Humanitarianisin of Liberalism. It is well nwv to turn to the debate in Committee on the measure to show the set-ret of the strength of the Liberal Finance. At the outset one i.s sensible oi' the immense contrast between the reception of-the first Hills and the acclamation accorded to the last one of the line series. The credit for the series is with the Liberals of course, and the strango thing is that the other side are trying to obtain credit for having assisted as Parliamentarians—"Surely we are entitled to the credit of our position as members of Parliament who did their duty"—True: but their idea of duty happened to be to oppose vividly and viciously— as the Prime Minister showed to the great laughter of the Hofiise, bv reading extracts from Mr Allen's, speeches against the first of the Old-age Pension Bills, and by numbering the innumerable votes he recorded against them. But the feature of the present day is the universal consensus of opinion in favor. Not content, however, with favoring, the majority want to show their zeal by adding to the benefits of the scheme of pension before the House. This is the danger, peculiar to - the new time. One after another the'-mem-bers insist on fresh obligations.- They know nothing of the figures of the case*, they ::ro supremely ignorant of the effect of their proposnls. But their proposals are luimanitariaß and they think-

that nothing else matters. They are like the Socialists of 1848 who tried to establish workshops and State factories in Paris-without reference to cost and. prices. They are no better, in fact, than the New Zealand majorities which! dazzled by the golden showers of the Vogel policy of Public Works forgot their necessary connection with the settlement of the land and the introduction vof population. Out of the scramble for money into which the politics of the day descended, there emerged 1 as chief beneficiary land monopoly. But 1 the Liberal Government is superior to the Socialists of 1848 and the fools < of 1871. It has calculated its position : to a nicety—it sees exactly how far it can go with safety—it realises that in • this prudent way it established the 1 original scheme of pensions on lines which admitted of gradual improve- i ments according to the better observa- i tion of the limit of safety. Therefore 1 the Government' resisted the majority 1 of the assaults of the benevolent, accepted a good suggestion or two and 1 carried their measure with but small ■ alteration. It is of course evident that ' the development of the system has not ; yet reached its limits and we must be <

prepared for extensions of the benefits and increases of expenditure accord-' ! ingly. But we may feel tolerably eer- , lain that, with chiefs at tile, helm so fully acquainted with the principles of I steering, the ship of State will bring her cargo through" the most' troubled !

waters in safety. The Liberal regime after twenty-one years is still giving the world' the new lesson that the Democracy is capable of doing business on the soundest, lines. Establish that throughout the world and the reform of social abuses so ardently desired of all can no longer be delayed.

" Stil:. harping- on my daughter!" Still Mr Allen keeps Mr Ailen and the up his crabbed atStniting Funds, tack on the Budget. . ' He began by declaring that the 'large portion of. the sinking funds was left out of the state-, ment of the accounts' of the "indebtedness. He went on."to get pounded by the Prime Minister for his ignorance of tlie fact that certain parts .of the general sinking fund are by law prevented from being put into the general account —and have therefore 'to be shown separately as they are this year in common with other years. From that the.member for Bruce proceeded to repetition, calmly oblivious of the exposure made ;>f his ignorance and want of consideration. Just as if he had not. been answered,, just as. if he had not been exposed, just as if he had not been, swept off the board, he came up again with the same statements absolutely, and these we fear will.be sent-Home and there scattered broadcast to prove that the Budget is unsound : because . its" figures are incorrect. One ceases, to wonder at the heat which the. Prime Minister showed on being obliged to once . again slaughter . his . oft-times, slaughtered enemy. He did slaughter him of course once again. But it is time to ask if the time of Parliament is to be forever occupied with that sort of thing. . .The question .however is really more serious than of. time.-. .Is, it right that charges, proved. over ,and over again to be baseless should .he re-, pestgd - for' ever P.. Jji. <sne" Way it maybe to the advantage of the" admiriistra-' tion—for it .enforces.-the moral that- the enemy of .th.e admiiiisfcra'tion which shines through _a vast variety, "of good; works has nothing-better-to'do thancriticise the details; of' the book-keeping and criticise them wrongly."

No one needs be astonished at the rebellion of Chinamen The Chinese against a Government . Upheaval, which' exists for the; purpose of neglecting "every dutyfor which governments are allowed to exist. A country in which the rivers' are left neglected to such_ an extent as to make inundation periodically the fruitful mother of- famine and pestilence, in which children are allowed to bo sold into slavery by. their parents, in which the means of communication are in the days of railways l what they were in the year One —such a country ha.-s nothing to offer a dynasty on which to fasten a hold. The civilisation moreover is the extreme fruit of a spurious education. Nothing is taught -but • literature and on proficiency in letters <•!: pends the rise of men in civil life. The competitive examination conducted na a gigantic scale has demonstrated to the 'world its thorough inability to deal with the government of mankind. Having descended into the depths of the worst corruption it has nothing to shield it from "the contempt of the people?. Overtaxed at home by the governments and exploited from outside by unscrupulous foreigners, the Chinesa would be worthy of the worst contempt were they not furnishing a respectable (junta, of* people ready and willing to protest against the shameful miscovernment. The.only thing the outsider can do is to thank heaven that the worm has turned, that in his hour of fight lie respects mankind whether foreign or native and understands strategy in a becoming manner.