THE PRIME MINISTER'S JOURNEY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 545, 28 June 1909, Page 6

THE PRIME MINISTER'S JOURNEY.

WHYt \/ ■'/",>..■ '/'■ Sir, —There are many mnmurings and much discontent disturbing the social and political atmosphere at present. Many complain on account of the-lack of employment, and others aro in a state of despondency becauso'tbcy have received their'dismissal from an extravagant Governments oinpioy at the hands of & suddenly ropontant and hard-up Ministry. What intensities tho discontent is the fact that Parliament is shirt down while tho Premier jaunts abroad, Cabinet Ministers, members, of Parliament, and many inGoverninoni"officials in ;high pay enjoy a period of ease, and. splendoor.'on full honoraria and salaries while others halfstarvo. . i _•! ._ -.. '' ■ : ;'.'..J i 't ■"' If Ministers'* and membera of Parliament want to neglect tho countryV business'' for four or five months let them, or those of them who favour this proposal, withhold their , hands from taking their salaries and pay for tho period named, or devote the" respective amounts in relieving too distress of this city and other places throughout the Dominion. Tho is ready to cut down expenses and ' sack'' ompkreeea—let them apply' &e pnnring knife -to; wifimserres and show : tfeeir patriotism and jsympaihy with their lesssavoured fellows. . '>• ■•.■;.:-"

There must t* some special;reason far, Sir Joseph going Homo, Thai ParEsjnenfc ehcrald suspend during Ins absence would,of course, give emphasis.to.lns own and the importance :of nussion to but (rarefy Sir Josoph does cot. hanker after stage efforts .when tho Donrinioii'a weU-being and the Empire'o eoßdarityare in questionr -Sir Joseph himself would scorn the suggestion. Can' it be that he desires to obtain some personal advantage in the' shape of titular dißtinctkm, in return'for'having committed Now Zealand_ to pay' away 'four' millions— equal to a gift of one hundred and eighty nmlkms sterling, people of Great Britain—towards imvinfainiTig Britain's supremacy on tie Beasf , It most not Be 'thought that Bit Joseph would dip his tmternishod flag, so to speak, to buy honours with other folk's money., ' No; thoro must be some other reason. The formation of an Imperial Council of.Dofence representative of all portions of tho Empire is certain'of formation soon or late and to bio the representative <rf Eeniatrves may be "called", by the British Government'and'"paid" by' their, respective countries £2500 .to '£5000 a 'year each. . I have :• heard .'that ' Sir ■ Joseph :is "siclr" of politics: the'; men surrounding 'him > are pigmies m Vho wants a change, and this prospedtwith a residence in' London is pleasing to him no doubt; ; Still, Sir Joseph loves this country, and it would bo a heartbreak for him to tear himself away, even were "personal advantage .to ensile. .; : Thore must" bo some other reason for the suspension of Parliament and the. flight of Sir, Joseph to.the flesh-pots of Engl»nd.Ho; wants to, take part in; the Defence, Conference. But he cannot surely do more than confirm.tho offer of "one Dreadnought and' two if necessary*'.from iho Dominion when he gets ; there. What else' can he do 2. He can say.ditto to the great naval and military authorities if- permitted, .but he can' dp that in New Zealand by cable if bis "opinion is urgently needed. , '. '\ ■■ No; there must bo some pt&er. reason. Is this country in need of money, and .are the Defence Conference, the honour of a barony. and the calling of Sir Joseph'to tho Imperial Council only excuses for tho main unstated object of his, mission? When I think that tho Hon. Hall-Jones, Sir Eobert' Stout, or Col. Da vies could repnyent New Zealand at the Defence Conference equally ; well '.'with Sir Josoph >. and when I think that the Liberal party'has runithe ship of State perilously near the rocks, and of the. necessity of raising of moro money to pay..for Dread-; noughts to keep ; .tho .party.; going, and, in power, I am forced to, the conclusion that,it is "money" for tho Doikinion, of oounio, that Sir Joseph is really after.' Ho has promised , the country to' .cut down thoexpenditure by £260,000 and has done so on paper already to the tuno ! of £187,000 per annum—equal nearly' to 5J millions 'at'3J per cent.—so ,we ought to bo worth a fur-, thor advance over" and above >the'' Dreadnoughts of one and a half millions, and this is the amount that is wanted to square tho yards, tho financial yards, bo to speak, of New Zealand. ' ■ •" i ' . ■" \ ' , „i

. Tho reason why Sir Joseph does not nanounco this aa tho real reason for his escape this winter from tho distressful scones''that his will enact in his absence is, that he ; may return like the sunshino;,in Spring with a burden of loan money-to help ropair tho oxisting depression, and gladden' the hearts of all classes. If Sir Joseph' wouldhavo the courage to say this and to; declare openly that' Parliament must have' moro money beforo it: can carry on, then we' would all sympathise with him in his oh* doavronr, and pray "God-Bpeod" to his misl sion. As it is, ho is going away from a dispirited, disconiontod, and rebellious rebellious' against.his regime—and■"further .honour and personal odvaotago will avail Uiia nothing should bo"■ retnrn without bay-

ing OTOcossfnlly! 'ffloatof! an abundance of money for this hard-up, dobt-bordonod Dominion. Any persona] honour or advantage |wiU hasten his political extinction.-—I am, etc., -ilViiVj.'.. ■■: <:' ■ )i t ~ ■;. .-'■■/' :■;;'. ivi;« ■ JOHN BLUHT. ; Wellington, Juno 14, 1909. ! [Portions of this' letter' have'been omitted. ' ■' >■ Its length^hassdelayod.its. publication,] •;