INTELLIGENT ANTICIPATION.

Southland Times, Issue 19771, 20 February 1923, Page 4

INTELLIGENT ANTICIPATION.

There is something quaint about Mr Wilford’s shrewd move in giving notice to ask the Prime Minister in the dying hours of the recent session if certain legislation would be prepared for the session in June. The Leader of the Opposition in this way has enabled his journalistic friends to declare that he has given Mr Massey a lead which the Prime Minister has been eager to follow, thus affording proof of the manner in which the Liberal Party inspires the Government with its beneficent legislation. Mr Wilford’s question did not go further than general references but the items in his legislative programme are interesting. His plan for the Government was as follows:

(1) For a revision of the whole of the pensions systems of the Dominion; (2) to provide for homes for people on easy terms of payment setting aside a sub stantial sum for the purpose; (3) reform of the electoral system; (4) revaluation of soldiers’ lands; (5) for creation of an appeal committee for civil service; (6) establishment of a State bank and agricultural banks; (7) for a system of assistance to backblocks settlers in the way of medical treatment and dental service; (8) revision of superannuation grants; (9) to deal with unemployment.

Prior to this Mr Massey in reply to Mr Fraser had given a general outline of a new Housing Bill, and earlier in the session the Government’s intention to bring down an electoral reform measure had been revealed in the Governor-General’s speech. Inquiries relating to the revaluation of soldier settlement lands have already been put in the hands of special boards in various parts of the Dominion and the proposal to provide an appeal committee for the public service is so old that it is a remarkable thing that Mr Wilford thought it worth while mentioning it. The unemployment question is one which any ministry must deal with if it occurs. Questions involving State and agricultural banks are amongst those about which Mr Massey gave a dubitative answer because the Reform Party’s programme so far has been opposed to both. If the legislative series presented by Mr Wilford is considered in the light of previous events, however, it becomes clear that the greater part, and the part which may find a place in the Government’s programme for the June session, had already been mentioned by members of the Government as items for future action, so that Mr Wilford by his questions achieved for the most part nothing more effective than some intelligent anticipation of things which had already been made known. It was a cool political manoeuvre—nothing more. At the same time it would be interesting to hear a discussion by experts in economics on the compatibility of cheap land and cheap money when prices of primary products are going up. When prices are stationary it is usually held by economic experts that the cheapening of money or the provision of much money, has the effect of maintaining or of putting up Land values. Perhaps the Liberals can confound the economists, but in the meantime such statements do not appear to be intelligent anticipations.