PRESS OPINIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 23, 22 October 1907, Page 9

PRESS OPINIONS.

THE -ELECTORAL DISTRICT. ■~ The Representation Commissioners have recommended thaty owing to the change in rcIntivo numbers, tho South' Island shall'loso three constituencies, and-tho .North 'Island shall .gain .three; ~with the obvious result that, 'as the '-'House is' now equally-'.'divided,' tho North will have six more seats than the Soiith in the' nest Parliament. This, is, of course;-:a perfectly logical and cquitablo aTrangomentj ( and it would : hardly! be worth' comment except in the way ; of congratulation, if it were riot for "the fact that strong opposition is bemg' y worked up against the contemof South Island politioiaris and members "of' Parliament 1 . ; . .'., 'Apparently what they- p'roposo'' is'that'the South Island should'be allowed to retain all the hiembors to r whom ,it is now entitled, arid' that the North Island should have three more than its'quota, so'as'.to' give it tho majority of six over the South; ; which tho Representation Commissioners intended it to receive. There are 1 two : -practical objections to 'this course: ! In the' hrst-'pla'co'a majority of six in a House of 86 is. not so large a fraction of the- total membership as a majority of C in -a' House of 80. • The new arrangement would, therefore, bo an insiduous way of robbing the North-of a portion of that political natural outcome of the growth of; population'.- But in tho second place,;; the 'increase in; the total meriibership of the'House-would'mean an additional public expenditure of nearly £2000 a year in.'salaries;alpne.;'' Why should the country be called* upon to add to its heavy pecuniary liabilities ; merely : to, satisfy the desire of the South to. retain the ascendancy which it has sp:lorig ■enjoyed, and which now; in the natural^order of things; is'destined to pass away ?r-r"Auckland Star." - .

" THE TRAMWAYS BILL.;; \\, : . Whatever ;riecessity'there may be for the Bili in tho.'case, of.a. city like. Auckland, where' the. tramways are. private •: property, there is noneior applyingit,in. Christchurch, where, the .tramways, are owned by the municipality, and are managed by a body of citizens •elected for, that purpose by.their fellow citizens.. ,*;'/. The.pfoposah.to,-give"the Minister power,, to "'alter ..plans', approved by the Public ; Works .Department, .even., after the work'is'carjied out, and to add to tho rolling Btock/ at ;;tho. Board's-expense,;if ho thinks the traffic'requires.it; is proporly regarded as wholly unjustifiable, i It is difficult :' enough,' as it is|. to satisfy .the Public Works Department, arid it will bo riionstrous if the hardlywon Order's-in-Couricil are/to be over-ridden by. the Minister, whenever ho choosesto set Jhis knowledge of Jpcalconditions, w;liich must be small,' against: that "of the Board, which is. lntiriiate'and extensive. ... If- the Gov- , ernment "are going to,'prevent overcrowding under any ; thoy should begin with 'tKe| railway.'' service) Jfor ', it; is by, no means uriknown-, on''excursion, trains, - Wo look to >the, ! local members of Parliament, who know the good work.done by the Board and the publicconfidence that 'it enjoys, to support it''in' its opioositibn to admeasure that ; no .'one 'has.' asked' for, and that", i if carried," would, add; greatly'to "the cost and difficulty .of ■ administering, (1 the -, ; tramway,; • service.— "Christchurch Press." '"' -

THE'COALITION: RUMOUR;.'.',..-,' V V' A coalition r.of-Government supporters and Oppositionists, would have :to, be made without Sir-Joseph./Ward, ,and s'o,longias hei'reniains Premier„'it wiir.be by* reason, of Liberal support, notjby.the help of (.the present Opposition. •'Moreover,, tb.9,coalition suggestion is ' ridiculous. ,ori .'its, facts...'. The present is the. strongest'combination-that has boon' . in oiDce for years, and. it has a sufficient body of loyal'supporters to.keep it in office. It would have,-absolutely nothing.;.to gain by' •joining .; ( fprces with,, : the;:. Opposition, '. and r frankly,-we. find it hard-to name oiio Opposi--1 tion : member ..whose,., inclusion would/ strengthen the''Cabinet .on.'.tho personal side. i;,. . The Government.,'canno't:, make more' progress than Pa'rhament.,,wilk. allow, and the Labour leaders' w;ho are.,criticising it: so, adversely .would; do their cause far more,good by undertaking-, to, ~ educate .some of. the constituencies, -.especially, Cin.y.th'e- -North rlsJand T that' have,: been: slipping, back from true Liberalism..; Tlie activity of .the, Political Labour League' ih.,Chrstchurch'isa-little ctfrious,;, because: there is ho .district -in the dominion more solidly Liberal,than' this city. fK T lts A ne ie^ou. r .hoqd., .Thosei. members- of the LeagueYwho'are trying to,use its organisation for the gratification .of their ,ownpersonal doing; the workers .'a po Sl ,se ?' IC , e ~ -"-; ',' ■,- n 3 c fe.: b ' e a v .My. 'little, .difference.,of ': opinion among moderate-minded citizens upon the .evil effect of a;Three-party system :such as .has grown ;up in;the/Australian Parliaments, --Nor.can;there be very.;much"; doubt that, - unless steps are, take'it'to counteract it, ? similar'Tstate::6f';political:.'affairs /will, arise in-Now' Zealand comparatively »« a f future.; ; For 'there''is'every evidence • *.*/;; Socialistic party, is making.'extensive and.deliberate preparations to play the same part in the politics oHhe: Dominion that the various Labour parties have been playing in the local and,' Federal.politics of. ; the ■Australian States,,iiAnticipatingr, such :'a development, Mr;, Wiley j. of Mauku,-makes a proposal which,is.deserving,of consideration. • He •asserts.'that ./.'as. there- is iw groat political principle,at.issue.-between .tho- Premier and the Leader,of the Opposition," it ought to bo possible for them-'.to unite'.their forces and thus to prevcnt>themselves from being at the mercy of .ji', Socialistic ~;■.- -. This suggestion-should not.be passed over with in-' difference-by ,;.any,,who set' country above party./.Good citizens,may differ upon matters of detail, without endangering that sound government; which 'is an essential:condition'of all liberty.,and of>all prosperity.'. But they '. ought to -:'bo much; moro disposed to waive .what arc .usually .minor differences than to sacrifice.tho,best intorests Of the country. Coalitions cannot _be:.instantaneously> brought ( about, but-iwhen the possibility iand reason-. ; ableness of coalition between Moderates is generally rccognised,.tliere'is a practical remedy always available as an antidote to the machinations ;0f 'extremists,' whoso hopes der)ond: upon.-playing off, moderate parties'against one another.—"New 'Zealand Times.".

■'■■ LYTTELTON TUNNEL.RATES., Wo are always'being'told that we suffer no undue'handicap and that there is no such thing as a ; tunnel rate','and: yet : an'independent, comparison 'shows .that the Lyttelton rates are actually' -from' 30 to • 50 per ■ cent higher than-.'thbse''charged on other' port lines. . .■:■.• It would:bo a great help to have a clear statement from the Department as to the basis on whieh the rates are" calculated. . vr The'passenger'rates anr exorbitant compared-.with those on tho tramways, and the policy of-the Department has always been to drive aw:ay;all but those who aro compelled to uso^ the.line. Tho servico really ought to' have bcen.clectrifiod.twenty years' ago. As for tho,distance on.which the rates.are calculated) .there is no reason, beyond dopark mental conservatism, for treating it as'soveii miles, seeing that the., measured distance is nearer six. miles. It -ought to havo some bearing on, the,position.that the people'of Canterbury,constructed, this line themselves and handed it over to the colony debt free' ■it is one .of, tho, most .profitable lines in, tho Bolony, ana; it,; enjoys '.a monopoly of tho »rrying,trade between Christchurch. and tho Wa. — Lyttelton Times.'' '...;-Y '■■.'.' STATE' COAL.■•'-'■'■' - _ The statement of accounts which was published last August; with the certificate of the Auditor-General, showed .that .■'. the sale of £9354 worth of coal at the local depot during the nine ended on' March 31 had rcsulted:in a loss of £50 18s. Id., which it is safe to,say, did not represent'more than 2d. or 3d. a ton on tho quantity of coal passed through the yards. .The coal-dealers, however, maintain, without any'apology to the Auditor-General, that tho accounts did not show tho real position, and that there was an actual loss of from' £200 to £300 on the nine months' transactions/ The larger figure, assuming that 6000 tons were handled, would mean a loss of-Is. >a ton, and this, after all,'would not be a very alarming result, considering that the depot had to be established in the face of keen competition, and that all .the initial expenses had to be oharged

to so;short,a period. It is too early yet to pronounco a final opinion upon the State's excursion into the coal trade, but thero is no ground, wo think, for tho taxpayers to fear that it is going to land thorn into, a serious financial disaster.—" Lyttelton Timos." .BLACKMAILING THE FARMER.' Wo regret to see that the. Government have insisted on retaining .the power in the Land Act' Amondniont Bill, to purchaso compulsorily land for settlement ; at the. land tax 'valuation, so faY as the unimproved value is concerned, plus cortain percentages according to tho size of the property. The value.of tho, improvements.;is to bo.settled by the Coin-, .pensation Court. That is an improvement .upon the Bill-as; drafted, and we cannot understand why the vGovornmont -will not allow the,entire value of tho land taken assessed by a fair and impartial tribunal. Iho •farmer, in making out .his valuation m future will have to consider not what is the .fair valuo for taxing purposes, but what value ho must putl on bis property to pro.'vent the Government; from taking; it from Mm against his will. .To the extent by .which this exceeds tho fair taxing valuo of the land this means that he is annually paying blackmail to the Government so that he can bo sure of continuing to call, his homo his own — Christchurch "Press." THE LAND BALLOTS. The Government has contracted the most unfortunate habit of regarding its estates as though they.were of the character.of pnyato property j which, when once disposed -or, is ot no further, value, to-tho old proprietor. In consequence, it holds tenaciously to tho Crown lands and seeni3.to consider it sound policy to dribble them into tho ballotingrooms, comforting itself with the reflection that they will not run away, and with-tho assumption that thoy will become' moro and more valuable and desirablo as the years glide by. This is quite .an, unsound policy. We may quarrel'over the form of tenure, but surely there should be.no quarrel as to.tho desirability of somo form of use,.and no question, as to.-thc-immense gain •to ■ the Estate 'of any and'Overy form of'land settlement. We consider the Freehold most advantageous ,to the State because under 1< reehold the agriculturist is encouraged to do his best and ■to mako the -land as .permanently productive as ho possibly can. But under Leasehold also production can-bo carried on, though less effectively. The great fault in administration, the'groat error in legislation, is to tie the land'.up and to prevent production: altogether, And the proof that in ?<ow Zealand land is being.tied up and production; being prevented is that while there arc m the Dominion millions of fertile acres or virgin land, in- tho balloting-rooms there : is. a scrambling of the land-hungry and in Parlia.ment a discussion as to:>what shall be shown by the badgered Land Boards. —" New Zealand Berald'.'h ' . ' : :,| i DEAR BREAD. ' . : 1 It is profitless to rail at either millers or bakers, and inveigh against them for .unduly, exploiting the public purso... In a fluctuating arid'excited market,' such .'as. wp have beon experiencing for the past live or six.months the adjustment, of profits is an extremely difficult matter. , Undoubtedly there aro millers who, having, in their wisdom bought ; wbeat early,-liavo profited by the transaction. On the other, hand,, there are millers •who-" stood off " from "the. market,- fearing ■a decline, and have in c6iiscquenco.;bcen selling flbuf at an actual oss k^ 1 ? ™V business man.who has.to take the risk of the market when it goes against him is entitled -.to-reap'some, measure of benefit when it goes •in his favour. And ibis!shows tho ousness" of, legislative,interference with; the laws of supply and demand. . ... .Hut this Wi -that' if the' mil or and, 'farmer aro.to be deprived of the present piotectivo 'duty on wheat and flour, .then surely consistency, demands £ that, .such .nchistriesi as the- manufactures of, boots. and shoes and .molten goods should b^subjecUo.tlKv same treatment,--" .Otago Daily Times. . ,

•,, .' THE M'CULLOUGH CASE: V There was really no other course open to tthc'.'Governmont .'but, to .dismiss Mr. M Cullough in dofaulti.of-aniuudertakmgiromhnn to- observe the regulation prohibiting per-'sons-in tho Railway, Department from displaying any political activity. . . . But as a member of the House / remarked Mr. M'Cullough is merely an incident, and the onlv phase. 6f:"his case which is of' any importance is'that'which touches the justice of the- principle that, tho oyernment .in. its : 'new-born zearseek's.to'lay-down. AU may tako'it from the M'Cullough case that the Government:is -going -to; try, and.. suppress, all -political'- activity on the part of .persons 'employed' by " : tho State. ..'-It has never .succeeded in doihg'so in-the past, and it is rather surprising to note from tho discussion in;the HousoV when-leavers granted Mr. Barclay to introduce, his. Bill.Vthat member after member got up and referred to the political-activity of, State employees in his particular-electorate. . AVe do,-not believe for a moment that the Government is able iW compel observance of the regulation it has vindicated at thooxpense of.Mr. MOullouMi, and it will bo .broken again and 'agarn every- time' the country, or any particular" part; of it, is agitated over burning public questions. .At.best it cannot any'thing more than make an example of a few persons whose partisanship' carries,them a little too far, and who. thus draw attention to'their activity. Nor is.it at all desirable 'to'compel public servants to submit .to pohtica: emasculation. No:possible.harm can result froni their taking an intelligent interest in politics, and from the expression or their., political opinions .within • reasonable limits, 'and wo are satisfied that.sooner or later the ■rirtit to do so will bo 'conceded.—Christch"rch "Truth."' '■ ~.,. ir , '!<■ is a little difficult for tho public to realise, perhaps, that the present Administration is a new ono, and is not bound by tho toleranco of its predecessors: Mr. Scddon seems always to have been very unwilling to. impose restrictions on the. freedom of Civil Servants except when it threatened to interfere with tho efficiency of tho administration. H'. clearly regarded the artisans and mechanicians, moreover; as being outside the scope of the regulation relating to the political activities of Stato employees. The present Government, should have taken this fact into consideration 1 , and should have-issued a genera' warning'that-it intended to administer the regulations strictly. The most unpleasant features of the McCiillough incident would thus have been avoided, and there would-have been no accusations of harshness against tho Government. Mr. McCnllough, we understand, is by no means alone in having 'incurred the censure of the Government. In'6llo department quite a number of employees were placed under suspension' until 'they gave tho assurance which, Mr. McCnllough declined to give. This fact will not firrveut the Labour leaders from making poitxal capital out of the affair, but in all unbiassed minds it will absolve tho Government from the charge of unjust discrimination. To our way of thinking, tho regulation thff has been put into operation is a bad one! Thero is no imaginable excuso for applying to mechanics a rule that was clearly designed to affect only the administrative portions of the Civil Service.—"Lyttelton Times."