NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1241, 25 September 1911, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

There is no member of the House of Representatives that tho, Pm:je Minister fears more when financial criticism is the subject of the moment than the member for Bruce, Mr. James Allen. As a rule Mr. Allen seldom touches on a financial question without making some effective hit, and Sir Joseph Ward is particularly sensitive to criticism of his. financial methods. Thus it is that we find him in the House the other night declaring, iu reply to such criticism, that Mr. Allen was ' the grosscstmisrepresenter in the House." It is not necessary to comment on the use of such language in Parliament by the Prime Minister of tho country, but one of his southern journalistic supporters apparently has been impressed by it and says: ■ ' Wβ do not know how Mr. Jamos -Men will answer the Prime Minister's charge against him thai he is "the Rrossest misreprosenter in tho House," but ho can hardly allow tho matter to stand as it is now if he has any regard at all for his personal and political reputation. It is an unfortunate fact; but such an- assertion coming from the Piume Minister of the country really docs not call for reply. No one in or about Parliament really expects it— they have grown accustomed, there to the use of this unpleasant* sort of language by the head of the Government, and it rarely excites comment now. Probably the best reply that 'Mr. Ali-en could make would be that which was once given by Lord Palmerston to. what the southern paper would call tho "charge" made against him by a person who interjected: "You're a liar." Palmerston paused and asked, "Who said that?" "I did," replied the interrupter. "Oh, it was you, was it? Then it doesn't matter," replied "Pam," and went on with his speech.

The signs point to. a very lively contest, fov the Duncdin West scat for which Mr. H. D. Bedford has come forward as the opponent of the Minister for llailways. Mit. Bedfokd, judging by his first election speech, delivered last week, while not adhering strictly to the Reform party's platform, appears to have no doubt that the best public service that anyone can render New Zealand at the present moment is to remove the present Continuous Min-

istry from office. This is a point we have repeatedly emphasised. There arc many hundreds of electors in different constituencies who arc opposed to the Reform party, simply because they have been accustomed to call themselves Liberals and to vote for so-called Liberal candidates, and who yet feel that the Government has outlived its usefulness and is clinging to office by moans of reckless and sometimes dangerous expedients for which tho country will have to pay. The fate of the Government and the fate of the country arc very largely in the hands of this class of electors. If they would but realise, as many undoubtedly are doing, that the defeat of the Government at the coming polls will rid the_ country of the vicious practices which everyone knows have crept into its public life as the inevitable outcome "of the long continuance in office of one party; if they would but realise that to throw the Government out of office would purge and cleanse the "Liberal" party itself—if, in fact, they would rise to a sense of their responsibilities and realise that their first duty is to their country and not to the political party they have been accustomed to vote for aimost as a matter of habit, then, indeed, there would be an upheaval Such as would revolutionise the present political situation, and out of which would develop a national party and a real national spirit. Me. Bedford apparently is alive to such possibilities as these. His summing up of the Government is scathing: Unfortunately, ho said, New Zealand politics just now were at a low ebb. His complaint was that they had degenerated into an unseemly squabble of parties. Tho Government stood naked and unashamed without a. policy on vital questions of State. On tho perplexing problems relating to land, taxation, and cost of living it looked in vain for leadership. The guideposts wore down. The Government had become- a party of circumstances rather than of principles. It lashed itself into a spurious enthusiasm over superficial measures nowiso calculated to, work lasting benefit upon society. Cravenly time after time it had withdrawn from battle nn a question of principle. The energy of Ministers was absorbed in hunting titles—(applause),—juggling with tho High Comniissionership, giving Dreadnoughts without' Parliamentary sanction. (Applause.) Realising that the electors would expect them to think a little about the interests of the country, a Budget was launched which cunningly concealed tho Government's selfish fear to divide the country on any question of principle bv a brave show of glittering promises which, if redeemed, would iiot lighten tho burden of those who had to earn their livings in the Dominion. Against this levity in politics, these tricks of the showman, a spirit of protest was growing in the community. Tho country had been run long enough in the interests of those who controlled thu party game. Every word of this indictment is true. And is such a Government to be trusted to pledge the future of New Zealand? Can honest, sclftespecting Liberals vote for candidates pledged to the continuance in office of such a Government? The public will probably smile a cynical smile when they read this morning the report of the proceedings at tho meeting between the deputation from the Civil Service and the Prime Minister of the country. Nor will they, in the circumstances which exist in New Zealand under the "Liberal" regime, bo very much inclined to blame the Civil Servants for pressing their requests for consideration on!the eve of the general elections. Everyone else is seizing the opportunity to "make hay while the sun shines," and if the country has to pay for the hay-making, what doos it matter so long as it assists the Government to a fresh term of office. No do\ibt there arc people who like to think of the public servants of the country as men and women whoso services should be properly recognised without the necessity for them having to resort to such measures to secure their dues It certainly is very much plcasantar to regard them as being removed from tho .need for going to the head of the, Government at such a time, but the fact cannot be ignored that they have had the classification scheme dangled before them , year after war without it ever matcrialisin.?. they had it draprpfnd out on the eve of the last pener.il flections with "pleasant promises of better times in store for them, and we all know what happened after tho elections. In the Budget recently brought down there I were moro promises of good things for the Civil Service, and if- all that we hear is correct the increases in salaries that will be found on the Supplementary Estimates and under (he classification scheme will rather stagger the country. And what will follow after the elections 1 It is all so transparent, so callously indifferent to public opinion, this attempt to square" the Civil Service on the' eve of the elections, that one can only marvel at the foolishness of it. Why have the Civil Servants been kept waiting for their increases until the eve of the elections ? Have the Civil Servants—have tho public —any doubt a-s to the answer to that question? Could any greater insult bs offered the Civil' Service than to do this thing at this time and in this way?