The Otago Daily Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1922. THE SESSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18591, 27 June 1922, Page 4

The Otago Daily Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1922. THE SESSION.

To-morrow afternoon the concluding, or what has been facetiously termed the electioneering, session of the present Parliament will bo ! opened. The experience of the past suggests that it will be a “talking” as distinguished from a “working” session, and as the legislation of the present Parliament already fills two statute books of record size there is no reason to anticipate that precedent will not be followed this year. In some respects, how(*ver, the session will be interesting. Taxation stands at a level which is prodigiously high, and the national importance of this question will necessarily lead to its bulking very largely in the debates on the finances of the country. In its relation to this matter, the position of the Government, simply because it is the Government, is not an enviable one. Whatever Government happened to ho in power would bo considerably embarrassed at the present time by the twin questions of finance and taxation. On

the one hand the taxpayer seeks and needs relief as speedily as possible in order that industry may not continue to be handicapped to the point of discouragement. On the other hand, there probably exists a decided disinclination to further retrenchment if it can possibly be avoided. In these circumstances, the Official Labour Party has apparently decided'to adopt an opportunist rather than a statesmanlike attitude towards the position. The .Government has endeavoured to conserve the national finances by the adoption of a policy of economy and retrenchment. In the exercise of its , responsibilities in this particular it has incurred a certain loss of popularity with the less thoughtful sections of the people, which blindly imagine that retrenchment was not necessary. For party political purposes the opposition to the policy of retrenchment may be counted tactical wisdom, but real wisdom it is not. Any Government which held office under present conditions would be faced with the vital problem of making expenditure square with revenue, and only an Opposition devoid of the hope of success could afford to mislead its followers with the false argument that the financial difficulties of the Government are imaginary and unreal. There have from time to time been Ministerial suggestions that there would be legislation dealing with taxation during the session, and some colour has' necessarily been given to these suggestions by the constitution during the recess of a .Committee on Taxation, which is this week to complete its report to the Government. In view, however, of the necessity for economy which is still urgent, it seems doubtful whether any substantial remissions of taxation may be anticipated. It may be assumed, also, for the same reason that no legislation of a character involving considerable expenditure , can be undertaken. The Government, for its part, might be ready and willing enough to bring forward proposals, both valuable and important, but the scope of the national activities is plainly circumscribed by the extent of its financial resources. 'While it is undoubtedly true that a much more confident spirit respecting" the future prevails and while there is sound foundation for that confidence, the Government must so shape its policy as to make the situation secure and thus to ensure that there shall be no reaction. This does not imply that there should not be a programme of progressive expansion. A policy of stagnation does not, and cannot, con-, tribute to the development of a young country, and all possible activity should bo shown in the prosecution of reproductive works. While, however, the session will be interesting, the interest will not primarily lie in legislation. It is election year, and the speeches of politicians will be largely influenced by that fact.