The Dominion. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1912. PUBLIC ECONOMY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1371, 23 February 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1912. PUBLIC ECONOMY.

The most remarkable feature of the no-confidence debate has undoubtedly been the entire neglect of tho PJUIIB Minister to defend his-Administra-tion against the charges brought against it. But almost as significant is the neglect of the "Liberal" speakers to say a single word on behalf of the principle of financial economy. It is evident enough that these gentlemen simply do not understand the 'value of prudence in financing a country. The subject does not interest them. When they do glance at it they do so only to ask fatuously where could a saving be made. Either, like Me. J. C. Thomson, they declare that New Zealand is "the most lightly taxed country in the world," or like Me. Payne, that if the expenditure has increased at anyrate the population has increased "pro rata," whatever that may mean. When the Keform party takes charge, it is clear they will be unable to rely upon the "Liberal" Opposition for any assistance in checking the great flood of waste that under the Liberals has sensibly drained away a huge amount of the community's wealth. The statistics of expenditure under the "Liberals" reveal a rate of growth that is manifestly abnormal, and that proves the existence of abnormal thnftlessncss. The new Keform Government will accordingly find it easy to improve tho finances considerably. The "Liberals" have sometimes urged that as services grow and public necessities and public luxuries are more insistently demanded,' the expenditure must increase faster than the population. Of course that is largely rubbish; but the point is that the "Liberals" since Ballance, have never tried to put the brake on, never aimed at making a saving. On the contrary, they encouraged the public to help them to swell the expenditure rate. Their character being what it is, it would have been surprising had they acted otherwise than they have done. Theirs is not the spirit of Gladstone, who said that "it is the mark of a chicken-hearted Chancellor" when he shrinks from economy in detail, and from the ridicule or abuse_ that will be thrown at him for his concern to save "candle-ends and cheese-parings." The saver of public money cannot expect his work to increase his popularity at first, but he has only to persist, and he will find the public with him. The New York Post recently dealt with the difficulties that beset the financial reformer : Spending money is the easv ivny. Thrift, besides, being very difficult, has tho air of being penurious. Tho grand pose, the patriotic attitude [e.g. of the Oivcr of n Dreadnought] seem to go naturally with the lavish habit. Men will givo a passing and perfunctory word of praiso to the President or Governor or Mayor who has kept down outlay, but their heartiest and most sustained interest is in the officials who get great schemes of public improvement under way, and leave the bills to.be taken oare of later. Although it will be easy for the Reform party to save large sums, so gross hasbeen the waste of the "Liborals," it will have to contend against the ceaseless pressure of demands for public outlay. Our New York contemporary snys that the tide of outlay cannot be prevented from rising, and pictures the economise r asking himself if his (iglit is worth while. To this question if. supplies a fine auswer: i Yet it mill never do for li'in to «ny i that the struggle nnnght .Tt-uileth. Put tb<> rnm >f iiav»rf"ly ah'! n> pwsiblo, tag need lot lbs spirit of aeon- j

niny, mid for public men In ho lilloil with it :imt In carry it out, is as great as il ever was. They .should reckon up n;it niil.v what tln-v liuvi- achieved, lnil what Hii'.v have prevented. 'J'he total budget may shmv only small savings, or none; but behind il there may lie many a liny leal; plugged, many a needless' though puffy out lav slapped, ma'.'.v a sneaking raid on (ho Tiinwiit' headed oil'. If even willi men lighting for the taxpayer his lulls incrcas:-, what would they not amount to if Ihe fight had not been made:' l'oiv of the small economies fhal ean be made in the running of a department of government are capable of newspaper glon'ucatum. They do not lend themselves to big headlines. (In llu strenglh o!' them nobody could set up as a popular hero. Vet they are absolutely indispensable if our public, administration is to be kept iu anything like a state of decent efficiency, and if the burden of expenditure and of taxation is nnl to become absolutely crushing, l'oor Uiehard is not yet obsolete. We have got ta have cxcuili'ves nod guardians of (lie public funds who nill insist upon the homely old virtues uf piT.dsnco and saving. Their function miv not be popular, hut we simply can't get on without them. Their reward (hey must look for chiefly in the .sense of a necessary piece of work honestly done; but they may hope for other satisfactions, if not recognition, in such improvements in the way of keeping public accounts, and also of levying taxes, thiil each citizen may know just how much is taken from his pocket-book by Governmental extravagance. When it is remembered that under the. "Liberals" the Departmental expenditure increased by 107 per cent while, the'revenue increased 115 per cent and the population only s'l j:cr cent, it is quite obvious that if "Liberalism" were to remain in office, sullenly vilifying those who fight for economy, or angrily shrilling abuse at them, as they have done all these, years, the country's finances would ultimately topple into ruin. _ AVho will hesitate in making his choice between the "Liberal" party that has done the damage and that has lost the very capacity for financial prudence and honesty or the Reform party which has never wavered in its fight for those essential things'?