The Star. TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1917. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12067, 24 July 1917, Page 4

The Star. TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1917. EDITORIAL NOTES.

i THE COMING BUDGET. The Budget, which we are promised ; may be brought down by Sir Joseph iWard during the coming week, is naturally arousing a considerable amount of interest, as it is widely recognised that it will bo an epoch-making document, •nd will materially influenco the country in its attitude towards the National .Government. Even under peace concliItions, when there was little necessity to imaterially alter the incidence of taxation, and when radical changes in the : national polioy were not looked for, Budgets aroused no inconsiderable ' amount of interest, as even in normal ! years there ai*e invariably changes , which affect some section of the convinunity, Prospective changes in the • Customs duties without exception s arouse widespread interest, and the ; proposals are usually critically examined with a view to discovering whether tho Government of the day is inclined to place any additional burdens of taxation on the wage-earner or on the wealthy, and its class sympathies are assessed accordingly. The Budgets of the last few years havo been delivered under quite exceptional circumstances. The position brought about by war conditions have made heavy additional taxation necessary, but it must bo admitted that, taking the proposals of the Government as a, whele, they have not met with anything like general approbation. The task of levying taxation equitably is not at any time an easy matter, and no doubt, however desirous fho framer of a Budget might be, when liia schemes are brought into active operation it is nearly always found Jbhat, inadvertently perhaps, no provision had been made for certain contingencies, with the result that the bew levy has borne: hardly upon certain

classes or certain industries. Of course, once a Law 1 is placed on the Statute; Book, even though it is bad, it miusti remain there till Parliament sees fit to repcnjl or abolish it, and those coming within its scope are under the necessity of obeying it. Attention has frequently been drawn to the slipshod form in which many laws reach tho Statute Book; indeed, sometimes an Act of Parliament is found, on being dissected by the Judges, to mean something very different from what the authors intended. Much of war legislation which has been passed during the last three years has unquestionably been faulty: taxation has noti always been placed on the right shoulders; but it is to be hoped that in his coming Budget Sir Joseph Ward will do something to mete out even-handed justice to all classes.

There can be no doubt but the country would welcome radical changes in the system of taxation, and the placing of the chief burdens of taxation on tho shoulders best able to bear them. Hitherto the wealthy classes of tho country have escaped far too lightly, while those least able to bear it have been asked to pay out of all proportion to their means. Wo are aware that even at this moment there is something in the nature- of a conspiracy among n- section of the members of the House to compel the Government to repeal the Excess Profits Tax, and during the last few months there has been systematic organisation with that end in view. We do not claim that there aro not inconsistencies and perhaps isolated hardships in connection with this tax, but it cannot, we think, be contended by any person not desirous of escaping his fair share of taxation that the system is wrong. The defects can easily be remedied. After it has been in operation for a year or more the officials of the Taxation Department' must have- discovered wherein any weaknesses or inequalities lie, and there should be no difficulty in remedying such defects. But to abolish the tax at the instigation of those who arc endeavouring to escape paying their just shara of the expenses of tho war, and placo it on shoulders less well able to bear it, is something in the nature of a scandal, and w 0 hope the Minister of Finance -will stand firm and resist this miserable attempt to shirk responsibilities. We are quite satisfied that at tho present moment the great majority of the people of the country would gladly welcome a bold policy of taxation, in which the wealth of the country should be made to pay its frill quota. Not only should the Excess Profits Tax not bo reduced, but it could without causing hardship to anyone bo materially increased. The country is looking to tho Minister of Finance for a strong and bold lead, and will be bitterly disappointed if h e fails to rise to the occasion. After his close association with Mr Lloyd George and the other leaders of the Old Land, Sir Joseph Ward should be prepared to follow their example and initiate a bold and statesmanlike, policy. For some years the Dominion's political leaders have lagged sadly behind public opinion in tho matter of progressive legislation, and it. is quite time that the position were altered, and that our political leaders showed the road to the Promised Land. REDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS. Under normal conditions, in view of the general election which should take place towards the close of the year, the .Representation Commissioners would now be at work deliminatiug the new constituencies in accordance with tho census taken recently, but since the House lias decreed the prolongation of its own existence, it was not generally anticipated that thr* work would be taken in baud for some time. However, we are now informed, on the authority of the Minister of Internal Affairs, under whose control the doctoral Department is, that Cabinet has instructed tho Commissioners to proceed with their work. Whether this somewhat unexpected haste to readjust the boundaries of the electorates foreshadows an early appeal to the country, or whether it is- merely a precautionary measure on the part of the Government in case- of emergencies, will 1.0 a matter of widespread speculation. Rut in view of tho possibility of an rppeal to the people it should be tho care of all to see that the rolls are kept up to date and that the name of every eligible person is enrolled. An election at the present jnnctuio would, we are afraid, prove unsatisfactory m many ways. Up to tho present no piovision has been made in case of an election to enable the men at the front to exercise iheii* votes, and considering the many spheres of action of tho New Zealamlers at the fiont it is admitted that there are many difficulties in the way of securing an expression of opinion from them. While this is the case it is universally admitted that to hold an election without making provision for ".he parlicinntion of the soldiers at the front would be nothing more nor less than a disgrace, since it would, as a lnatter of fact, be depriving our defenders of tho voice in the country's government which they have earned on so many hard fought fields, whilst a potent voice in tho Government would be given to shirkers and even aliens, who were deemed unworthy of bjing entrusted with a riflo. If an election takes place before our men return from their mission at the front it is imperative that provision, irrespective of cost, should be made to enable tlu-m to make their voices heard. Under a National Government tho problem presents difficulties which were not experienced m the case of tho recent elections in the Comonw?alth. There the scldiers were inforn cd as to the political pa/ties to which the various candidates belonged, and they \oted accordingly, the votes being cs'O for party rather than for individual:-';; but here, if the party truce continues, there would nob be the same line of demarcation. But no doubt the difficulty could be overcomo.

The last census returns; revealed the fact that the drift of population towards the north still continues, and now the- population of the North Islam 1 exceeds that of the- South by nea'.iy two hundred thousand. Time was when the South was far in the lead, but with the removal of the bush in the North., and with a scarcity of virgin lands in the South, the drift of population set in strongly northwards, and every year

witnesses great accessions to the North Island's inhabitants. The figures reveal the fact that) between 1911 and the taking of tho last census the population of the North L=>rand increased by nearly SO,OOO, while that of tho South is now larger by only 4000 compared witn what it was six years ago. The result of this will, of course, be that the South Island will suffer a loss in her representation, probably to the extent of three members, whilst Auckland will benefit most by the change. In the past the work of the Representation Commissioners has seldom given general satisfaction, and it is improbable that the results qf their coming labours will be materially different from that of past years. Speaking in the House of Representatives a few days ago Mr Nosworthy expressed a hope that tho Prime Minister would prevent the Commissioners from " skating nbout all over the country," and urged that something should he done to preserve greater community of interests in than had been done in tho past. However, as Mr Russell pointed out, the Government has no power to interfere in the matter, since the duties of the Commissioners are statutory. It must be admitted that in tho past the delimination of electorates as far ns Canterbury is, concerned has been far from satisfactory, since community of interests has apparently never received any consideration, and it behoves tho gentlemen to whom the task has this year been entrusted that they should pay much greater attention to this vital point than has been done in the past.

BRITISH WORKERS' GRIEVANCES.

Tho report of trio Commission of Inquiry into the industrial unrest in Britain make* it clear that, the leading cause of tho workers' dissatisfaction with existing conditions is the increased cost of living and tho unequal distribution of food. While many British individuals and corporations are profiting by tho war to an unprecedented degree, making millions upon millions of money out of their fellow-countrymen's and their Allies' necessities, the lot of tho wage-earner has in no way neons improved even by the increased wages "iven in munitions and other works, since the cost of food and clothing has increased out of all proportion to earnings. The commission's investigations have prompted it to recommend an immediate reduction of food prices as the first step towards allaying the justifiable discontent of th G working peopie. The town workers aro those most directly affected by the excessive cost of food, but it is evident that farm employees havo very sound reason for protest against their condition in respect of wages. It is extraordinary to discover, from the cabled reports, that tho Government is opposing a proposal to increase tho farm labourer's wage from 25s to 30s per week, an inexplicable opposition indeed in view of the fact that the Corn Production Bill provides farmers with a large bonus to stimulate graingrowing, and of the fact also that farm, ers aro making big profits at present war prices for all kinds of products. In munitions supply, as in other Kvar' contract work, there is undoubtedly a vast amnMnt of profiteering, and the workpeople, with sound reason, are heginning to revolt against, the conditions which make- them machines rather than partners in tho business. The Administration will !)o compelled to give labour a much larger share, in tho management and conduct of affairs, in State business as well as in industrial matters, replacing to a considerable extent tho conservative and non-progres-sive clement winch continues to regard the wage-earner much as hp was regarded in tho mid-Victorian era.

From the latest London newspapers to hand this week it appears that the labour unrest has made itself felt in iiritaiii to an extent only faintly indicated in the cable messages. King George himself has exhibited a desire to learn tho reasons for the growing dissatisfaction of tin* at the unequal conditions of life, and he recently had a conversation with Mr Will Thorno, M.P.. who on a, visit to Buckingham Palace told th« King "some solid, homely truths," to use the Labour member's own expression. " I discussed with him," said MiThome, describing the interview, " some of tho causes which underlie the industrial unrest in this country, and referred to some of the tilings which I think must come about if industrial unrest is to be avoided in the future. I told his Majesty, plainly and frankly, what was tiie popular opinion of high food prices and the profiteering which is notoriously going on, and said that rows must bo expected so long as the prices of foodstulfs remain uncontrolled for the workpeople and controlled in the interests of tho traders. Tho King, I' thought-, showed considerable'knowledge of many matters affecting the workers generally, and his pointed references to them showed that he understood keenly and appreciatively some of the causes of unrest in the labour world. Certainly ho had r.o misgivings about my own point of view." There. i> no question of the loyalty and patriotic devotion of the workers of Britain. Their labours and their heroic sacrifices have sufficiently proven their solidarity for the Empire's and the Allies' cause. But the Administration must come to recognise the gravity of the workers' position and the gravity also of the Government's plight if tho wage-earners should decide to make a united effort to icdross matters in their own way. 'J lie revolt in Britain against profiteering and its attendant evils should.carry its lesson also for oitr own Government, Tho patience of tho people has been tried almost beyond endurance, and tho time is quickly coming when Ministerial excuses will no longer suffice.