The Star. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1922. THE VULNERABLE POINT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16819, 23 August 1922, Page 6

The Star. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1922. THE VULNERABLE POINT.

The Budget debate was opened last evening by Mr T. M. Wilford, Loader of the Opposition, in a speech which was at once effective and moderate It is rather interesting to reflect that in their Opposition years Mr Massey anil his lieutenants attacked the finance or the Liberal Party, and sought to prove that the- country was being plunged into disaster under the Liberal 'Administration. Sir James Allen, who posed a; the financial expert of the Reformers. used to conjure up the most depressing pictures of the results of Liberal finance. He deplored the borrowing which was taking place, conveni ently ignoring the fact that the loans for the most part were used for reproductive purposes. The Reformers scorned the idea that Sir Joseph Ward had any merits as a financier, and gave the country the impression that if ever they came into power they would adopt what they described as “ a bold self reliant policy.” The Reformers have achieved office, but the country is still awaiting the advent of their self-re-liant policy, and for some glimmerings r-f the financial geniu-s they kept in hiding when they were in Opposition. The fact is that the Government has absolutely failed to make good its promises, rts financial operations have not the confidence of its own supporters, many of whom would gladly see Sir Joseph Ward installed as Minister of Finance. While the war was "responsible for a big addition to the Public Debt, the Government has borrowed whenever it could, and it is still talking, as Mr Wilford pointed out, of more loans and taxes. The commercial community is becoming increasingly restive under the

strain, but it will look in vain to the Massev Government for relief. Taxation is at its maximum, and there is an almost universal demand that it should bo reduced. The reply of the Government suggests that it has no constructive ideas on the subject, and that the representations of the Taxation Commission have no chance of acceptance. The Budget showed that the Government had no intention of keeping its expenditure within its revenue, though v ere was a pious admission that that wa*, the correct thing to do. The past year’s deficit was made up by a trans fer from accumulated surpluses, which had been carefully concealed, and the

uticipated deficit this year will he similarly extinguished. The Government has not the slightest notions of economy, and it will continue to ex ploit the taxpayers just as long, a 6 the taxpayers* will tolerate it. Mr Wilford made an interesting reference to the attempts of the Prime Minister and others to link Liberalism to Bolshevism and disloyalty. The subject has been worn threadbare, but when it is reviv ec! by Mr Massey himself some notice must he taken of it. If the Reformer* really believe that Liberals are Bollieviks they have ’ess intelligence than their worst enemy would credit them with. Some Reformers have actually suggested that it is unpatriotic and disVva] to oppose Mr Massey. The Liberal Party ha* no cause to be ashamed of its war record either in the House or the country, and the reflections cast on it are puerile in the extreme. We have email patience with people who are so highly suspicious of other people’s loyalty that they measure everybody by their own foot-rule. The protest made by Mr Wilford was both timely and necessary, and it should end a species of accusation which is as false as it is offensive and ridiculous. The, Govern ment 'npnorters might more profitablv turn ’their energies to the defence of the Budget, which needs all the sup port they can give it.