The Star. WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1909. MR MASSEY'S PROTEST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9534, 5 May 1909, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1909. MR MASSEY'S PROTEST.

Mr Massey is growing almost querulous in his pessimism. Unlike the leading journals which profess to represent his 'party, anil which upon this occasion did not wait for a lead, from their recognised chief, ho can find no good thing in- the speech which Sir Joseph Ward delivered at Invercargill on Saturday. He complains of '' a want of candour " upon the part of the Prime Minister, " and an evident d«»ire to antioj/we^ criticism of the publio accounts when they make their appearance." It is not very long since the leader of the Opposition was complaiiN ing that tho Government was too frank in taking the publio into its confidence before consulting Parliament, but of course consistency never was a striking ..virtue among men who are prepared to forge any weapon for the purpose of discrediting the' Government. Mr Maasey's grudging approval of the Dreadnought-proposals is discounted by his sneering suggestion that the Government intends to pay for the vessel by " a tax on widows by way of succession duties." This unfair and ungenerous statement is typical of the whole -of his reply, if reply it can be -called, to Sir Joseph Ward's speech. The point which has impressed him most strongly, he complacently informed an interviewer, is that " instead of the vainglorious boasting to which v we .have been accustomed in previous years the Prime Minister has now reached the apologetic -stage. He apologises for the failure of the defence system, for the failure of the Government in c__raection with the settlement of native land, for the falling Customs revenue, and for the necessity of reducing expenditure and the consequent cutting down of the public service." This is almost childish in a man of Mr Massey 's parts. He is, of course, perfectly welcome to describe Sir Joseph Ward's attitude in any' terms he likes, and if it pleases him to apply the word "apologetic" nobody will blame him for his ignorance of the English language. But when he describes the Prime Minister as apologising for positions that have never arisen his protest ceases to be puerile only and beoomes grossly improper. Sir Joseph has never apologised for the failure of the defence system because the defence system has not failed. On the contrary, the Prime Minister has promised an enlarged scheme with which to supplement the existing second line of defence. Neither has he apologised for the falling Customs revenue, for the Customs revenue is not falling. Quite the reverse is occurring, for Sir Joseph was in a position to state at his meeting that the Customs revenue for April was largely in excess of the revenue for the same month last year. No apology has been needed for the cutting down of expenditure and the retrenchment in the publio _ervice for the Government has only been giving effect to the -wishes of the party whioh retains it in power in undertaking these reforms, and the responsibility lies entirely with the country in this respect. The leader of the Opposition has, through long practice, become quite an expert at what he is pleased to characterise "reading between the lines." On this occasion his oryptio studies have ascertained for him that Sir Joseph Ward has admitted that "the Government's system of administration is played out, that it has been weighed in the balance and found wanting, and that something better is required." Nobody will be more surprised than the Prime Minister to learn that he has publicly made this statement, and his party should really take him to task for this disloyalty- Just why he should take Mr Massey into his confidence in this way without consulting his colleagues might very well make the theme of a protest from Christchurch North or Little Waipukumotoroana. But, it ie unnecessary to follow Mr Massey through his singularly feeble protest, which robbed of its wordy redundancies Bimply amounts to a charge that the Prime Minister lias been too reticent and too frank in everything that he haa done. It will require more than an indictment of this sort to chase the smile from the countenance of an. amusied country.