PRECEPT AND EXAMPLE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15975, 18 November 1919, Page 4

PRECEPT AND EXAMPLE.

A pkw days ago the Chronicle expressed much concern about the financial affairs of Queensland, and declared Jhat that State under a Labour wa« rapidiy on the “road to ruin.’'* It proceeded to advise the electors of New Zealand to beware and not elect a Government which would treat this country’s financial affairs in the same manner as Queensland was being treated. Of course the Chronicle was referring to the Official Labour Party <>f New Zealand, but its advice is like a two-edged sword; it cuts deeply into tho party of which it is so ardent a champion. Here are some figures taken from the official publication, “Abstract of Statistics,” which show that; under the Reform administration the finances of tho country are imt in the conaiiion that they ought to be. »Afer reading tlx*, figures, wc have no doubt that the thinking elector win come to the conclusion fiat a change of Government is desirable and necessary At the end of September, the half of the tm.-eci.al year- 1919-20, tho excess of expenditure over revenue in tho Consolidated Fund of New Zealand was £2,2’)3.57-l. This huge earn was nearly twice the sr?c of the deficit that existed for the first half of the financial year 1918-19, when its was ,£1,195,789. For the month of September this year tie excess of expenditure was £286,627, as compared with that of £227,53-1 for the corresponding month last year. Mr Massey stated in tho House of Parliament on October 22nd that economy was a cardinal plank in the policy of tho Government. F'pon the showing of the above figures, it appears as if the leader of the Reformers was making a virtue out of a r.eufsity.