AT THE TEA TABLE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12101, 9 July 1920, Page 5

AT THE TEA TABLE.

SOME TOPICAL TALKS.'

“The Prime Minister was very non-committal in his reply to the Marton-Levln Railway-deputation,” remarked the Critic. ‘‘l have always admired the skill of the politicians in their dealing with troublesome deputations. ” “It is the skill of the rail-sitter,”'" said the Cynic, “of the comprohaiset; of the man who wants to keep ..the friendship of both parties. I cannot understand why men who get into power do not exercise it firmly., I hate compromise of any kind. A politician is either right or wrong, and if* ho is convinced that he is • right he should not swerve either to the right or to the left. Even if his action was so unpopular as to cause his party to fall he would have the satisfaction of retaining his seifsrespect, and if subsequent events proved he was right, his party would soon regain power. That indeed is why the Massey Party did regain power, because the people during the time they were out of office learned by experience that the broad principles they advocated were right. It is consequently regrettable to find that they sometimes tail in minor matters.” “But Mr Massey,” said the Politician, “pointed out that there is urgent necessity for relieving the congestion in Palmerston, also that there is a labour shortage.” * “Well,” said the Cynic; “Would not the Martou-Levin route ease the. congestion in Palmerston? And will not the labour shortage also affect the Palmerston scheme? That was merely skilful suggestion. lam sorry Mr Massey was not more definite, for it will bo very unsatis factory to Palmerston as well as to this large district, io see_ that nothing is to be done till Ministers can go over the ground after the session. 1 ’

“We want more population in the country, ” remarked the Critic, “but we want productive workers only. We don’t want any more factory hands, because wo are taxed heavily enough already to support those already here. I therefore strongly object to the Labour members' suggestion that we should encourage immigration from Broken Hill.” “I should thinx you would” said the Cynic. “They would only add to the number of the ‘go slows.’ Let Australia keep those variants-of the breed that won’t work. It would be a terrible blander to encourage* the advent of discontented people, though it might be a benefit 'to the Labour leaders to have the anay under their control become more numerous.” “Among other things,” remarked the Critic, “We should have still more people demonstrating against rent paying and calling on the State to supply them with houses.” “I cannot understand,” said’* the Sagd, “why our politicians even listen to such demands, except on the supposition that the people havebecome utterly demoralised by the politicians who taught them to ?rely on the Government. This bousing business, and the subsidies to the millers and the hatter producers are all utterly outside the true functionsof the State. They all mean burden on the taxpayers for the benefit of« individuals. It is no part of the State’s duty to provide people with houses or food at lower than market prices, any more than it would be Its duty to keep them in beer, -tobacco or matches. ” “It is astounding,” said the Cynic, “that the direct taxpayers do* not kick against these impositions and kick hard, so that the politiciansmay realise that they must not extend their actions beyond the limits of good government in the interests of all classes. If the State has tohouse, feed, and m.ake work for any sections of the people, it should certainly assume and exercise the' right of restricting th 3 multiplication of these people. If it does not; a rising birth rate will mean rising taxation. There must either be limit to spoon feeding or restriction of the spoon-fed. ” “I notice,” said the Critic, “that; the British Parliament promptly settled an effort, by.lhe Labour Party there to escape a certain amount'of taxation. The majority of 243 to 45 against the Labour motion for abolition of the tea duty was most emphatic. It is a pity our own Parliament ‘does insist on theCustoms office obtaining revenue fertile Treasury by a revenue tax only on all imports. ” “Wo are getting rather unnecessary details about the American election,” remarked the Critic, ‘ ‘but it is being very clearly shown that Presidents are .merely political party puppets who owe their position to scheming and wire pulling. It does not'seem a"very dignified or admirable method of choosing£the head of a great nation. A President who reflects on hov? he got there must sometimes feel rather ashamed.” “Don’t yon helieve it, ” said the. Cynic. “They soon put on a lot of frills, indeed one of them recently believed he had more right to dictate to the world than even the mad Kaiser fever assumed. I observe,, however, that Cox is a typical American whose principles can be altered if they don’t suit, for he says that so far as Prohibition isconcerced—and Prohibition is a burning question there —he is ready to give the people just what they want. The spirit of one of our old political leaders must have been reincarnated in Yankeeland. ” A JAYE PENNE.