The Wanganui Chronicle "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." MONDAY, May 3, 1909. THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12212, 3 May 1909, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." MONDAY, May 3, 1909. THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY.

The policy speech delivered by the Prime Minister at Invercargill on. Saturday night is certainly entitled to be characterised as an important deliver? ance, if for no other reason than that it affords the people of New Zealand* an oportunity of estimating, approximately at any rate, the value of the political stock-in-trade of the Ward Government. It was only to be expect-ed-that Sir Joseph Ward would impart to the financial situatin the pleasantest possible aspect, and endeavour to make light of the pinch of depression from which the' Dominipn has suffered and is still suffering. But the men and women who have felt _ the pinch will 'find it difficult to reconcile the Prime Minister's buoyant,optimism with the existing stringency of the money-market, nor will, the presentation of the inevitable surplus make them dream less heavily of their own- contracted overdrafts. Still it is better ibo be hopeful than doleful,' and Sir Joseph can scarcely be blamed for declining to take a pessimistic view of the future. It is to be hoped that his optimism will be justified. In the meantime it is gratifying to know that the Government is apparently disposed to adhere %o the recently enunciated policy of departmental retrenchment, although we do not look upon this policy as the outcome of the depression. Year after year Mr Massey and his supporters on the Opposition benches have protested against the shameful increase in the expenditure oh the" public services. But their ..protests notwithstanding, the prorcess of billet-making went merrily on, certainly not in the public interests, but presumably with the object of widening the influence and strengthening the voting power of the dominant party. -Before Sir Joseph Ward took over the reins of government the magnitude of the army of civil servants had become a scandal, and it was beginning to look as if he, as Prime Minister (intended to> perpetuate an evil against which, as a subordinate Minister, he seemingly had nothing to say. He has, however, been wise enough to recognise that the reorganisation of the departments was a matter of.jsuch urgency as to render its further postponement dangerous; to. his political reputation. He is not prepared to provide the full measure of reform— a politically independent Civil Service Board—and consequently the country must be grateful for the smaller mercy. Sir Joseph's task is not a pleasant one, and, although he,is evidently anxious to make the operation as little painful as possible, he will find it difficult tq convince those w,hose services are dispensed with that their dismissal from the public service, is either equitable or necessary. Another pleasing feature of the Premier's speech is its reiteration of the/ Government's intention to "go slow" in the.matter of legislation. Although Sir Joseph foreshadowed a good many important alterations in existing- laws, some of which will require very serious consideration, he proposes but two important policy measures for the coming session—the already promised National Annuities Bill and a Land Settlement Finance Bill. Here again we are promised. a startling departure from tlie policy of recent years, which has found expression in a mass of ill-considered and imperfect legislation. The Premier's allusion to the need'for more banking institutions, coupled with a somewhat ambiguous reference to the proposed extension of the functions of the Advances to Settlers' Department, will probably set people wondering as to Whether Sir Josepti is moving in: the/ direction of a Siate Bank. There is wisdom in the arguments which he advances against the adoption of a paper currency; but it remains to be seen—after full details of the proposal have been made public-H----whether approval can also be extended to the suggested enlargement of the scope of:the State's lending department. The Premier's proposals for the reform of .our prison system and for the improvement of our bankruptcy laws are, in spirit at least, wholly commendable, and? it is to be hoped that upon investigation -they will prove to be capable of

practical -application to the respective problems they are designed to solve. We are not at all sure that the cause of commercial probity will be sepved by | the suggested abolition of the public j examination of debtors and by the adoption of a policy of privacy, not to say secrecy, in regard to the administration •; of bankrupt estates, and we shall await .'Sir Joseph Ward's justification of these particular proposals with no little interest. Naturally the Prime Minister had something to say about the much discussed "Dreadnought offer." It was . his business to put himself right with the. public, not so much as to the wisdom or otherwise of the offer itself, but rather as to the manner in which the offer was made. Taking the community as a whole, the percentage of objectors td the offered gift of a battleship to the Mother Country at a moment of national emergency is infinitesimal. But there is a large percentage of the population strongly convinced that the Prime Minister should have consulted the representatives of the people before, instead of after, transmitting the offer to the British Government. It | remains to be seen whether Sir Joseph's explanation of his independent actioii is such as to satisfy these people that he acted rightly and in conformity with the fundamental principles of democratic government. In-conclusion, it may be said that in so far as the, policy outlined by the Prime Minister makes for efficiency and economy in administration arid fer^ moderation in legislation it is a distinct' departure .from the tenets- of Seddonism arid a laudable step towards the saner ideals of the Opposition.