Untitled

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 566, 22 July 1909, Page 4

In their speeches at tho Press Conferonce, Lord Crewb and Sir Edward Grey both dealt with tho liability of political speeches \to distortion through condensation for cablo purposes- Ah amusing illustration of the dangers that beset the politician in this respect is reported to-day, although tho blamo does not appear to iionlith tho cable at. all. Tho othor day a: message arrived,, in which Lord < Lansdowne wae reported as having, objected to -the dpctrinc that the Lords should swallow i the Financo Bill whole; .'.'without mincing." It occurred to us that an error had been r made in 'transmission, , : and 'that.we ;had better substitute '"wincing;"..as being- : mdrc likely to represent what the noble Lord had said. U,no of our'Dunedin con tern- : poraries adopted the same course, but the other newspapers followed "the cable "copy." When, next day, another cable message reported Mk. Churchill as having replied to Lord Lansdowne with a "play 'po words/ , and references to eating mince, we felt that Lord Lansdowne must have "\ said "mincing" after all, as reported by the British papers. Now we, have Lord Lansuowne explaining that "wincing" .was the word he used. He rises again in our esteem,, and we. only await i Mr.;• Churchill's rejoinder. It is only the other day that Mn. AsQuiTH-was reported by most'of the newspapers as having spoken of Britain's "forty-three Dreadnoughts." It was very promptly shown'that he had spoken of i "forty; '\> pre-Dreadnoughts," but not so promptly, as; to prevent an indignant "Big' Navy" man from accusing the Prime Minister of • reckless . exaggeration. Most of thepo mistakes,'/ 0/ course, are visible at once:to the eye of, common sense.' The' nioral seems to be the old one; iße cautious';when; you read a: condensation. ; ' ; ■', ■■: . : ;.:'■■■'.'■.'■,

Nobody wilL blame tho North Cantorbury Executive of the Farmere ,, 'Union for placing on' record its gratification at thei Government's decision to curtail expenses. It is another thing, however,' to feel gratified at the : actual , manner of thb retrenchment. But that; is .another story. 'What required emphasis, and ivory properly received emphasis at the. hands of two of, the. speakers : t6 rMR. : Leadley'S motion, is the fact that while the Government is entitled to some credit in. ,the matter, it is quite, wrpngio suggest that the 'waste which' 'has- necessitated .'/ia-: trenchment is not,tho work of the Government itself-Here is a table which .will help, tho public to understand thow the •blame should bti - apportioned (the "annual appropriations are the cost of tho Departments);. ~,,■ . '}.'■■. ....•.: ■■•'■; "■'■■■■.'■

"..'. <;' Seddon.Government.. . v : ;~ •■.■;■.'' :: ■'.':■)■'.-..■.: Annual;.: .Increase , over : ' ' ■' •■' :.•"•' : appropriations, '.'previous year. -.':■■:■- : ;■■■. ■'■: .■.. ■■■&■ '•■' Y■■ ■ :■'£', , :■■■■■ . 1904-5 3,964,930 ' - 144,666. ~ ;,''.; 1905-6- 4,252,233 ,; .287,303 / .;■./ WAKD;G6VEnNMENT. .. .: . ;:.'l[[- ' ';■ : 1905-7 '", 4,736,806 , ' 484.573 :"• ■ '•' 1907-8 5,035,344 " -348,538 M' :J 1908-9 . 5,575,483:/ ; 490,139: ;;, In three years, , that is. to say, '■ the Ward Government raised the "annual appropriations" from '£4,252,233-to; £5,575,483 —an increase of £1,323,260.. If the figure had remained at- the lever at which Mr Seddon left it, the cost for the , past three years -would have been; £12,780,699. But the methods of the Ward ; Government 'resulted in. the actual total .being £15,397,633. The Government,; that is to say, has wasted £2,640,934 o v n the Departments alone in ' three years. And . oven now it'only proposesto "save £250,000; a year"—after-; wasting. over £800,000 a year.\ ■'■}. '■ : ' .. ;■■.;■ .";■' ■■.-':: ..'■'■.:..:. ;

- 'The Minister for Education,.explains elsewhere the procedure;followed by his Department: in connection w.ith the work of ascertaining the ; whereabouts - ; and mode of living of; ex-inmates of the State Industrial SchoolsY._ His statement of the position certainly in a ' measure, discounts the : assertions v published in pur. issue of-yesterday . as to > the length pf .time that the Jjepartment ; endeavours to keep trace of. those who have passed through the Industrial Schools. We are pleased to : learn that this espionage is only maintained for , a limited time. \V, T e have no doubt that the Do-, partment would not wittingly cause pain to those over whom it has exercised control and who may be-now leading upright and.honest lives/but we certainly cannot see'how this is .to be avoided in a great many cases if delicate inquiries such as must be necessary.; to meet the requirements of the Department aro entrusted to the rank and file of the police force. If these inquiries are considered necessary,' 'there 1 - should bo- some! dofinite understanding that only men of known discretion and tact should be deputed to carryjout the work, v '.•.'", ''■ ■ ■■''■'■ '