The Sun MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1919. CHANGE OF TONE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1785, 3 November 1919, Page 6

The Sun MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1919. CHANGE OF TONE.

Mr Austen Chamberlain's anloimceinenf in the Commons that here was to be no new taxation next ear must have come as a surprise—ind a very agreeable surprise. After ill the talk of England being on the erge of bankruptcy and a clamant lemand for a levy on capital, it was mticipated that stern measures vould have to be taken by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to cope vith the financial situation. In the •ircumstances, the fact that the Go'ernment has decided that increased axation will not be necessary in 920 encourages the impression that hings were not quite so black as hey had been painted by the Goernment's critics. But it was not tnly the latter who expressed ipprehension at the darkling propect. Three months ago, Lloyd ieorge and the Chancellor were of he one mind in regard to the instanlity of the country's finances. On hat occasion the Prime Minister :mphasised the tremendous liabiliies which had to be met. For intance, there was an adverse trade talance of between 700 and 800 nilliqns sterling as compared with in effective credit balance of some !00 millions before the War. The National Debt had increased in five ears from 645 millions to 8000 nillions; the annual charge for sinkng fund and interest from 24 nillions to 400 millions, in addition o 100 millions for pensions. Lloyd ieorge pointed out that as against his mountain of debt, the nation had )ut one resource—an increase in H-oduction. However, so far from M'oduction multiplying, there was a 'sensational decrease in output" in ill industries except agriculture. 'We are spending more and earning ess," said the Prime Minister; "coniiiming more and producing less." He varncd his audience that the posiion would have to be redressed, )therwise the economic and finan;ial burden would become unbearible. The Chancellor of the Ex:hequer was even more lugubrious. le foresaw national bankruptcy if he present rate of spending were ;ontinued. The situation was one of gravity; the Budget position was disinctly and seriously less favourable. >o much so, that he hinted strongly it the*possibility of not being able to :arry on without new taxes. That was the substance of the speech referred to by the critics in the cable we publish to-day. In August last :he horizon was desperately overclouded; since then the sky has arightened sufficiently to permit of i more optimistic outlook. England is not in the deeps; or at least not >o dangerously involved as the world liad been led to believe. Just what lias brought about this change of tone it is difficult to say with any legree of certainty. There has been little or no indication that trade has improved within the interim to the extent implied by Mr Chamberlain's reassurance. The big railway strike, though it was settled in a comparatively short period, had a dislocating effect on the national industries. Whether or not the Government's hopefulness is really justified, it is apparent that a determined effort is being made by Ministers to chase away the gloom called down by the August warnings. When the Prime Minister urged on all classes the necessity for strict economy and increased production, he was met with the retort from the majority of the leading newspapers that the Government should first set the example. Notwithstanding that demobilisation had been carried out, the daily expenditure was running into 41 millions per day. "Instead of beginning to repay our colossal debt," observed the "Manchester Guardian," "we are still adding to it.... We move in a vicious circle in which the initiating cause is the huge spending of Government departments." The "Guardian" called for a reconstruction of the Cabinet—which has since taken place—and the formation of a strong Administration which would bring the main sources of economy within its control, Beading to such criticism as this, the Government has slackened its pace in the matter of expenditure. At

Ithe same time, as we have previously [indicated, it has been to considerable [pains to correct the suggestion that 'it was profligate, reckless, and exfpensively bureaucratic. It was only a week ago that Lord Milner submitted an apologia, in which he waved aside the idea that the country was heading for bankruptcy. The British financial position, he averred, was less serious than in any country except, perhaps, the Pnited States and Japan. He ascribed the cause of the panic to the hysterical allegations of certain newspapers: there is a strong section of the Press, led by the Northcliffe journals, which is out after Lloyd George's scalp. The "Daily Mail" disagreed heartily with a number of the appointments to the Coalition, and has not forgiven the Prime Minister for refusing to follow its direction in the distribution of portfolios. All these factors have tended to confuse the issue. No one with a reasonable amount of intelligence would deny England's powers of recuperation. But there were few without an uneasy feeling that her convalescence would be so protracted as to leave her trade rivals with an irrecoverable lead. Still, the Chancellor bids her hope, and she cannot do less than agree with, and act upon, his words. HALF A MILE FOR A TICKET. It will be interesting to see what reply Mr Massey will make to the letter of the Progress League on the sale of railway tickets. That is to say, it will be interesting to see What reply the autocratic officials will permit him to make. Will there be "insuperable difficulties" again, or will the changes asked for merely be "inadvisable at the present juncture"? It would certainly be too reckless a venture in optimism to suppose that the department will see the necessity of facilitating travel. That is not the department's way. Neither is it the N.Z.R. habit to bother much about the feelings of that patient dog the public. From individual officials you certainly get a reasonable measure of courtesy: the booking clerk is quite civil when you can reach him, the guard punches your ticket without a harsh word, and the porter as a rule surrenders your luggage at the journey's end without any unseemly argument. It is quite another matter when the traveller begins to ask silly questions. If he resents standing in a queue for 15 minutes before a train is scheduled to start, or wants to know why it should be necessary to visit the extreme fringe of the city on a Friday because he intends to make a railway journey on Saturday, he is treated with silent and frigid contempt. The department provides the trains, and at least one officer and one diminutive pigeonhole at the last moment for the issue of the necessary permission to get on board. If the public wants anything more generous than that it can find another method of locomotion. And in Christchurch unfortunately the meek and suffering public is in a worse position than in any other centre. In Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin there is a bookingoffice within a few minutes' walk of the business heart of the city: in Christchurch it is necessary to go the biggest part of a mile away from anywhere. And the exasperating feature of the situation is that the Tourist Department has an office in the Square, but neither staff nor authority to render any assistance. We are not sure, indeed, that it has the power even to sell an official railway timetable. It is preposterous and absurd that a Government department should subject the community day after day to such obstruction and vexation as would speedily ruin any private enterprise.