The Patea County Press, With which in incorporated The Paten Mail. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16, 1908. Finance and the Navy.

Patea Mail, Volume XXIX, 16 December 1908, Page 2

The Patea County Press, With which in incorporated The Paten Mail.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16, 1908. Finance and the Navy.

“Be Just ami Fear Not.”

Ik the Quarterly Review appears an important article entitled “Our Endangered Sea Supremacy.” “ As a naval Power, England,” it is argued, “stands at the cross-roads in. her history. She is face to face with a crisis which threatens her naval supremacy. Whether it be or be not admitted that the Dreadnought marked a fresh era in naval armaments, the outlook is one of extreme gravity. Since this ship made her appearance, embodying new principles of offence and defence, the British Government have built, or ordered, twelve of the largest battle units; Germany has begun ten ships of more or less corresponding character; France and the United States have authorised six each, and other nations have not been inactive. This statement of fact is in itself sufficiently grave) to cause deep-seated anxiety"; but a more serious feature of the outlook, it in held, is the attitude which the British Government hag assumed tow. ids armaments generally, and the manner in which Mr Asquith and his colleagues, in endeavoring to placate the Socialistic section of their supporters, have forced the United Kingdom into a position of extreme financial difficulty. “Finance ns in truth the key to the situation.” Attention is culled to the fact that for three years apparent surpluses have been secured by postponin'.; necessary expenditure on the navy. On new construction alone economies, either misleading or t'-inponuy, have been made, amountin'.;- in the past three years to upwards of £9,000,000 sterling, in comparison with the expenditure in 1904, There have been other economies in the naval votes of this period which are duo to improved administration, but the sums which have been diverted from the construction of now ships have not been legitimate permanent economies. From year to year the Government has chosen, for its own ends, to ignore the naval crisis which has been appro-.ching. No provision has been made fur the adequate maintenance of the fleet in future years, but the Chancellor of the Exch-qu°r threatens rimt lie will, wh-n he comes to properit is new Budget, have to make a raid nj.ou ‘other people's henroosts’; in other wu-nb-, ch-dtn! and income are to be furthered p'undered, and the victims are to be told that the operations are imcerrafv in the interest oi the fleet. The general idea which nppamii \y uivlm lies the Government’s plan i - lu relieve rite working classes j of nil pari and lot: in rite d-fence of the conn fry by ret timing to them in old-ago pensions and other doles the fmn o'dbctod from them in indirect tiix-nion. In phuo* of the old Radical conn la in t of ‘ taxation without represent -lion ’ we c!i!:U have Uio extremely dangerous ard unmoral condition of ‘ representation without taxation,’ except, slid; as ihe working classes pay voluntarily over rite bars of public

houses and clubs. In these condilions u .British democracy, practically freed from financial responsibility for its acts, must prove a positive peril to the peace of the world. In the hour of passion, such as now and again sweeps through a nation, it would possess the power to foment war without the restraining influence which either personal service or taxation for war exerts.”