THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 14, 2 January 1891, Page 16

THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

NLY prophets can foretell the future ; and consequently our judgment as to what is to happen when Parliament shall meet in a few days can rest on mere probabilities. Our readers, therelore, will take it for what, in their estimation, it is worth. As yet, no man can tell whether or not S : r H. Atkinson has a majority, and this renders the future very uncertain. One thing however, is not uncertain. No party can expect to have a sufficient, a working majority in the House of Representatives. From this, one of two things is inevitable either there must be a coalition executive, or there must be another general election before long. Coalitions are seldom, if ever, strong Governments, and can be hardly expected to do much more than keep things going. There is no initiative in them ; no hope of a go-ahead policy. One thing there is which bars our political way — the country is in straits financially, as things are at present barely able to pay its way. without any margin with which to help either public works or the settlement of the land. Nor are things likely to be more prosperous so long as the present absurd education system continues. The expense of this is so great, and growing greater so fast, that every other interest in the country is suffering in consequence. And for what is all this . xtravagance aud nonsense ? Is it not possible to secure a primary education for all children of a school age, without burdening the consolidated revenue to the tune of nearly half a million sterling annually ? Where is the necessity or wisdom of insisting on giving a free education to the children of well-to-do people ? Where ? echo answers. Does it not appear absurd to compel the entire country to provide means whereby the children of strong farmers and independent shopkeepers are enabled to receive education without calling on their parents either to pay fees or school rates ? Under the present ridiculous system a farmer with five hundred or a thousand acres, and a shopkeeper with perhaps £IO,UOO in the bank, is called upon to pay no more for the education of his children than all the single young men and women of the country. And the absurdity of all this becomes more striking when it is borne in mind that the people who pay smart fees for the education of their children in denominational and private schools are, after doing so, compelled to pay as much for the education of other people's children as these other people themselves pay. Anything more irrational, unjust, contemptible and mean it would be impossible to conceive. Politicians are sometimes heard to say that free education is about the only thing the working man gets for his taxes, but what right has he to profit by the money of Catholic working men, who, like brave and conscientous men, pay for the education of their children in Catholic schools. If children are sufficiently educated the Government has no right to interfere in the matter in any way. Government was not established for the purpose of becoming the schoolmaster of the country, but to secure the lives and properties of the people, and help on the development of the resources of the land as a means to the preservation of life and property. If, indeed, children were not being sufficiently educated, as ignorance would be a menace to life and property, Government has the power to compel people to tducate (Leir children, and it able, to pay ior this, education, and ii

not able, to assist them from public funds. But when the Government goes beyond this, and compels people, who, being alive to their obligations as to tbe cdi.cation of their children, provide sufficient education for them at their own expense, to provide funds to give a free education to the children of well-to-do people, it becomes a tyrant — unjust and impolitic. A natural, a religious, and a social obligation rests on all parents to educate their children, and to provide the means necessary to do so ; and when the State steps in and liberates parents from these obligations, and compels all to contribute equally for this purpose, it is guilty of unfairness and injustice to all the other members of the community. But this unfairness and injustice become enormously aggravated when Government, as in the case of Catholics, compels paients who provide education for their own children at their own expense to contribute large sums of money to give free education to the children of other people, who, in most instances, are much better off; more independent than they are themselves. And what is the consequence of this to" the community at large ? It is obvious that in pursuing such a policy the Government is adding to injustice and foul play — an attempt to do the impossible. No Government, not even the richest in the world, could from its consolidated revenue provide means to give a free education to all the children of a nation. An attempt to do this must inevitably end in national bankrupty. What Government can do, and ought to do, is to compel well-to-do people to pay a fair amount of school rates, and then out of the consolidated revenue, in consideration of those who can pay no rates, to vote annually a sum out of the general revenue in aid of the rates. Were this done, and the rates of ind.viduals given to the schools to which they send their children, and also a pro mta share of the subsidy of the general Government, justice would be done to all ; there would be no complaints, and the Government would secure a state of things at once wise and politic. By such an arrangement as this a considerable saving would be made and a large amount secured to aid in settlement and the developement of all the resources of the country. There is also another way in which a considerable saving could be affected. There are too many administrators of school funds, and, consequently, too much expense arising from this multiplicity of administrators. There is no necessity for so many School Boards and committees. School Boards might be abolished, or if allowed to exist, the committees might be abolished. A Minister of Education and school committees could easily do all that requires to be done in the way of administration, or it might be a Minister and a very few School Boards. Then in towns and suburbs, one committee could easily do all the work that is now done by four or live, or, perhaps, six committees. Looking at the entire machinery, a dispassionate observer would be forced to the conclusion that our present system of education is simply ludicrous : an army of men administrating funds which they do not provide ; an army of men seriously engaged in doin^; work which could be better and more wisely done by half-a-do/m men of common sense, and done at tbe one-hundreth part of the present expense. We have no doubt that until our education system is put upon a jubt, equitable, and rational basis there will be no prosperity in the country, no general settlement of the land, no stop to emigration, and no lasting peace among classes. Until this is done the Government cannot expect to have the monetary means of promoting public works or the development of the abounding resources of the country. Until this is done nothing can be expected but stagnation, dissatisfaction, and the diminution of the population of the country ; nothing but instability in the executive of the country, and perpetual and abortive appeals to the constituencies.