MANIFESTO BY "A STORMY PETREL."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1383, 8 March 1912, Page 3

MANIFESTO BY "A STORMY PETREL."

Sir,—The general election that took L place over two mouths ago, brought into prominence some important features r which should not be lost sight of by both ■ sides of the present Parliament at the 1 present juncture: (1) The necessity for an investigation of t the country's affairs and finance by a , new Government. I (2) The necessity for ending the system ■ of "dumb doics." 1 (.1) The necessity of members generally f . voting for measures and not men: so as. to ensure stability of Government, (t) The uilvisnblencss of Riving Labour " its fair representation in Cabinet. (f>i The necessity for putting aside finally the bad principle of one-man- Govcrumeiit; or that of (lie Prime Minister al- . luraliiu: (» himself so many portfolios (!>) The rottenness or having "faddists , in power. . (7) The strong call for a Cabinet; of x soiiil level-headed men, amongst whom the portfolios would be severally and resI pcotivoly divided. • (S) The primary fact that whether Mns- ' si-v or Ward is Prime Minister, there are onlv two dividing lines in politics here. as 'in Australia, namely Liberal ami U- • bnnr. The is-tie therefore really i<. at. the liiomeiil. whether it shall be YNanl :i = 1 I'rime Minister. Finance Minister, lieii fence Minuter, .Minister of l.iunU. 10-,-2 master-General, etc., etc., etc-or whov liter it -hull bo Mnssey as Pniuo Miuislor. and his various able sulleaguoj each

lespcstively tilling the other portfolios of fiower. Willi regard to Hie policy disclosed in the Governor's Speech—every word of "hich, by the way. appears to have been penned in the language uf one and tho same. man. II) The question of local government has been a burning one for years, obviously .-helved for the deliberate purpose of bribing or threatening constituencies. (-) The scheme for Provincial Councils contains political elements which would engender far-reaching corruptions, as in the case of the foiled Stales system of home rule for each province. The local piildic bodies ought to be regulated upon such a looting as would place public works altogether beyond (lie leach of political patronage, and quite outside (he sphere of practical politics. The linanco of local public bodies should simply Like Iho form of an automatic process, based upon actuarial and statistical science. Speaking roughly, whatever, the national revenue or the nation's moneylenders can fairly allocate to public works for the whole Dominion, should bo automatically appropriated to (he various public local bodies in proportion to the effect they exercise upon the economics of town and country: this Io be ascertained from ft scientific source trienaiallv. Ct) The Legislative Council should be composed in such a wav as will make the title M.L.C. a greater'honour than that of M.l'. Nominations should be a proportion elected by themselves, a proportion elected by the House of Representative--, and n. small proportion in equal numbers elected by the Government and the Opposition of the day. II) Land demands one man Io fill solely (he office of Minister of Lands; a man of firmness, ability, and high integrity. (5) Native lands should be governed in full Cabinet only, as there are questions involving the proper and due rcprcsentalion of the Ma:ris themselves, questions involving Finance, Justice, Health. Nolive and othi-r Land Settlement, Education, as well as the functions of the Native Minister. (6) Land and Income Tax.—The simpler the methods, and the more equitable, the more readily will town and country adopt any reasonable propositions. At present all is confusion, both to farmers and cilizeos—an endless process of complicated returns, compiled in more or less haphazard fashion—everyone asking everyone else h--jw to do it, and what to do. The mortgage lax is widely condemned. The raising of the exemption in land tax will unduly encourage land speculation. All land should be taxed. As to incomes,' it would (alee a born genius to disclose the incomes of a vast majority cf farmers and tradesmen. (T) ("rgout social and industrial problems assuredly require firm and drastic treatment. They certainly do not give force at present to the phrase: "The outlook is more promising, and contentment and happiness obtain everywhere.'.' Parliament should deal with these, under (he guidance d sensible legislation proposed by a sound and stablo Government. The royal road is not by "a' Standing Commission of' Industrial Investigation." (S) The proposal to remove Mr. Justice Sim from the Presidency of the Arbitration Court will produce widespread indignation throughout the Dominion. His wise, firm, and just ruling forms an object lesson of fearless and impartial administration of the present Act. It were far better to continue his Presidency under any amended Act. and to affirm Iho principle' that tho President of tho Arbitration Ccurl shall necessarily be . a Supreme Court Judge, but' that some practical and recognised authority in economic science shall act as his adviser. It seems clear that because a few of the Labour agitators have been rebuked Ivy, and are in consequence hostile to, Mr. Justice Sim, the proposed weak policy is put forward as a sop to these agitators. (9) A State guarantee of employees' capital in their employers' business, upon condition that the workers and employers jointly indemnify tho State* against loss—in regard to all suitable industrial enterprises—is a proposal fraught with mischief. In tho first place, it affords an absurd answer to the question: When is a guarantee n:t a guarantee? Answer: When -a guarantor is indemnified against loss. .11 gives a section of the public a pre-eminent advantage over the great bulk of the public. The workers involved would clearly not be of much, if any, ticc to their employers in the event of any State claim for indemnity against loss. It is a further interference with the liberty of the subject, a further tampering with private enterprise, a further scaring away -cf the capital that is wanted to be drawn to the country. One can understand that in some industrial enterprises, -the State might well assist (hose industries when, by so doing, the interests of the whole nalion are served. Hut, for the rest, it should be left entirely to employers.' to deal with their employees, if they choose m to do, in the matter of workers', capital and workers' profit-sharing. In some instances it. would prove feasible and desirable—whilst in others it would lie downright folly Hint would result in disaster to all concerned. (10) As for the mining industry, the wav in which the miners' claims have for so 'manv vears been, shelved is a discredit to the Government that now proposes to submit, important proposals for the benefit, of these workers, and for the improvement of this big industry. (Ill' A.reduction in the duty on tobacco is surely tho height of absurdity. It is a luxury, not a food. Whether it be the fat cigar of a wealthy man, or the briar of the ordinary citizen, or the smoke eujoved bv the worker,, tobacco is a luxury just ns much as any slimululing beverage is. Tho. tendsney should be to increase (he tariff on luxuries, and to reduce the tariff on foodstuffs and many articles in Iho daily use of all tho people. Certainly tlie tariff should be revised on expert scientific lines, though with due preference to British goods, of which tho Dominion could not have enough, seeing that in event of'war the protection of

New Zealand would depend so greatty upon the Motherland's goodwill to this little island kingdom of ours-. IliiTlw railway concessions in fares and freights should have been in full going order years ago. And also Ihe speed of the railwavs should have been increased years ago. iiabica and children up to It years ai-o evidently in for a better time "now than formerl'v, and one rejoices to know it. illii The education system, from the pi-imarv school to the University, should be free onlv to those who pass the nccr-s----fiit-v tests from point to point. And Vila nation should atlai-h emoluments at various stages• attained, so that the poorest mav lind tin; door open In the various degrees". It is an anomaly that a H.A. or an M.A. degree has In be so heavily paid lor l>v its recipient. The nation may well be proud of men who attain degrees, and suitable- State grants should bo furthcoming io those who do. Hducntiou is altogether overdone, however. It: has crowded out specialisation. The lesson of centuries is that specialisation is the true crown of genius in respect of a nation's greatness in the matter of arts and crafts and good workmanship. Free technical colleges in the direction of all arts and crafts, of agriculture, and of all manual work, should similarly be open .to all, with sufficient inducements to compel specialisation and to encourage distinct ire genius. ill) It is very questionable whether (he success that has attended Slate enterprises in New Zealand has not dealt a severe blow to private, enterprises in New Zealand. The Dominion now only hits a population of about a miilion. j'l is probable that if the people had been allowed to go ahead without tho.-e Slate enterprises, (ho population would long ago have attained dimensions proportionate to the national debt, it has to bear. 'The small happy family desired by Iho Socialist spells stagnancy anil barrenness, whether in family or national life. These horrid things are now staring the country in the face, and an investigation of (lie causes by a. coterie of scientific economists might considerably shako Iho people's opinions as to the wisdom of regarding with somnolent equanimity the establishment of so many Slale. enterprises. (15) The functions of Government are becoming alarmingly lost sight of, in a portentous desire on Iho part of some Governments to pose in the nlliludoof humanitarians, which, put; in plain Khglish. means an 'occasional immense sop to the public in return for being retained in a, position of rule. The lust of power gels n hold of some men, and Iho true functions of Government are no longer in proper and healthy oxorcbe.—l am, ele., STORMY" PETREL. I'ebruary K, mi'J.