The Star. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1921. THE ADDREBB-IN-REPLY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16543, 29 September 1921, Page 6

The Star. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1921. THE ADDREBB-IN-REPLY.

Though tho Loader of the Opposition cannot carry hie amendment to the Address-in-Reply he iq giving the Flo.ise an opportunity to exercise its critical faculties. It is the duty of every member of Parliament to closely Scrutinise the policy and actions of the Government, and especially does that duty rest upon member* of the Opposition. It ia highly desirable that at the beginning of the session the House should give some expression to the growing dissatisfaction of the public the position of affairs. The no-confidence motion will be defeated by sheer weight of numbers, but the debate will have achieved its object if it rouses the Government, to some appreciation of tire attitude and feeling of the people Tt is rather a significant fact that the financial administration has not a single defender. There is, in fact, a universal acknowledgment that financially the Government is in very serious straits. The demand for economy has become more and more insistent, but the Government ts poverty stricken of ideas when it attempts to face the question. Mr Wilford naturally enough directed his principal attack to this most vulnerable point, f.rd there was no attempt made ill the reply to be either convincing or comf#mng. It. is stating the position very miklly to say that there is no reasonable check kept on expenditure, and that wasteful expenditure isoocurring in public departments The Minister of Finance says that the country must live within its revenue, but the public will look iu vain for any evidence that a s» riou r. attempt is being made to achieve that end. It is admitted that thtro is a deficiency of four and a half millions for the five months ended August 30 There has been a decrease in revenue of nearly one and a half millions and an increase in expenditure of more than two millions over the same period. The country simply cannot stand this process indefinitely, and unless there is a serious and effective effort to stem the tide disaster must follow. On the present figures last year’s record of expenditure will bo surpassed without the excuse of the surplus to back ifc. The spirit of extravagance which was abroad during the war years lias not been exorcised. The Government shows no inclination to face the inevitable day of reckoning, and its economy measures so far have been simply farcical. The fact is that th'* Government is afraid that the drastic measures which are required will add to its unpopularity, ignoring the circumstance that it is the trustee of the public funds,, which should be protected from the squanderers. It prefers to await the report of the Economy Committee, which, it is said, will submit to Parliament drastic recommendations to bring expenditure within reach of the revenue. That is a task which should have been discharged by the Government long ago if the Government had not been too spineless to do a thing which might cost it some votes. Mr Wilford properly referred to the Government’s paucity of performance in other directions as compared with its pre-election promises, but the crux of the position is the financial chaos into which the Government lias steered. The Government does not know where it is, and with its big civil list to be satisfied it is beginning t-o regard all other requests for funds with positive hostility.