NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1871, 3 October 1913, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The recent speech of Mit. Redmond has given a decided rebuff to the movement in favour of holding _ a conference with the object of arriving at a settlement by consent of tho Home Rule question. The Nationalist leader was quite ■ uncompromising, and-later information indicates that the Liberal party, taken as a whole, is opposed to the proposal. It is obviously useless to go on with the conference movement unless all parties are prepared to bo represented and to mate some concessions. The latest suggestion comes from Lord St. Aldwyn, who proposes that both parties should discuss the question of an appeal to the people on tho understanding that if the electors should declare in favour of the scheme the House of Lords would not oppose the passing of the Bill next- year. _ This is_ a very reasonable suggestion, but it is scouted by Mr. Redmond, who holds the Government in the hollow of his hand. Mr. Asquith has more than 'once emphatically refused to submit ' the Home Rule Bill to the judgment of the people. Of late he has been remarkably silent on the question, but it is expected that the Cabinet will consider the conference proposal about the middle of tho_ present month. The Government is in an extremely difficult position, for even if it went to tho country and tho people endorsed the Bill, Sir Edward Carson declares that Ulster would still resist being governed by a Dublin Parliament. The reconciliation of the conflicting parties at present appears to be an insolublo problem.

The methods of some of the antiReformers should enable tho public to form an excellent idea of the lack of merit in their criticism of the Government. Much, for instance, has been said and written about the action of the Massey Government in connection with the Advances to Settlers Department. The anti-Rc-formers have ignored the state of the country's finances when the Reform Government took office, and also the condition of the money markets of the world. It did not matter in the least to them that they had left the new Government with heavy commitments to meet and a.scarcity of.funds in some oi the Departments to meet these commitments. Even the fact that the Government had been in office during only nine out of the twelve months of the financial year did not cause them to pause and consider the unfairness of saddling; the Government with the responsibility of the whole of the year's advances by comparing them with the loans made during the preceding twelve months. It is not customary for anti-Reformers to take into account anything which may discount thoir own Criticism, and so thoy ignored all the circumstances, regardless of tho injustice tuey were doing their opponents. When they quoted the amount advanced by the Ward Government during its last year of office they were a httlo indiscreet, because it naturally causod questions to be asked. Was tho amount advanced that year below or above the average advance made by the Ward Government? Tno official records, of course, show that it was enormously greater than the sum advanced in any previous year. The actual amount advanced was £■2,174,085. Tho previous year it was £i A 201.31(k An 4 tho ye.ax pefore that

£1,095,120. The reason for the tre-1 mendous increase in 1911-12 was the desperate position of the Ward GovIt was striving by every means within its power to retain office and amongst other things was endeavouring to sweeten the electorates by lavish advances and loan expenditure. Having failed in its purpose of bribing the electors, and having to the best of its ability depleted the various funds, its supporters now turn round and attackits successors in office for not maintaining tho same pace. Had tho Ward Government continued in office it would have found itself utterly unable to keep going at tho pace it set in election year; and members of the Opposition now in Parliament know this quite well. They have only to cast their minds back to the time of tho general election preceding that of 1911. Tho same course was then pursued by tho _ Ward Government. Money was lavishly spent, and loans advanced to a greater extent than ever before; and what followed 1 Everyone knows that the elections were no sooner over and the Government returned to office than there was a sudden discovery . that retrenchment was necessary. Hundreds of Civil Servants were filled with consternation at tho intimation that there were to be wholesale dismissals. According to Sir Joseph Ward's own statement in tho Budget ol 1909 the total number of employees _ affected by tho reductions put into operation was 940. Tho Reform Government, when it came into office, found itself confronted with financial difficulties croated by_ it-s predecessors, but it did not rush into any panicky retrenchment scheme It laid itself out to cautiously build up a sound finance, and the results it has been able to place before Parliament go to show a greatly improved position, and one which must give satisfaction to all who have given any study to tho country 8 finance. Our anti-Reform friends should really bo more careful in their methods of attack, or they will lay themselves open to reprisals which will include unpleasant reminders of happenings they no doubt hope have been forgotten by tho general public.

It is certainly desirable that the City Council should adopt a welldefined and consistent policy in dealing with the Town Belt. This is practically what' was advocated _bv the deputation of citizens which waited upon the council last night. It was not suggested that tho council should rigidly refuse to consider any proposal to lease portions of the Belt, but that, as Dr. Newman remarked, it should be dealt with in a systematic manner, and not handed out nieccmeal. This was the keynote of the deputation's request. Tho speakers did not object to a leaso being granted to the .uawn Tennis Association, but oontended that tho cutting out of tho particular piece of ground in question would spoil the adjacent area. Councillor Atkinson has given notice of a motion to resQina tho resolution granting a lease of a portion of the Pirie Street_ Reserve to the Lawn Tennis Association, and declaring that no further leases be granted until a report has been prepared dealing with the whole matter: but the motion was not reached at last night's meeting. _ The suggestions of the deputation deserve tho careful consideration of tho council. The Town Belt is a very valuable city property, and should be used to the best advantage from the point of view of the general public. This can only be done by adopting a well-thought-out policy, and having a scheme drawn up dealing with the whole area. Whether the lease to tho Lawn Tennis Association is cancelled or not, future action should certainly be based _ upon a systematic and comprehensive plan.