THE NEED, FOR ECONOMY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2540, 14 August 1915, Page 4

THE NEED, FOR ECONOMY

One of the duties of Parliament and the National Ministry will bo to impress on tho public tho need for thrift and economy. We do not know what requests tho Government have received from tho Imperial authorities aa to the financing of our share in the war, but it is an undoubted fact the more of tho burden we arc able to bear tho greater the service we will bo doing the Empire. The Commonwealth Government is now engaged in a heroic effort to meet its war expenditure from its own resources, _ and in this Dominion the public will also have to meet heavy calls. This can bo done without any real difficulty if all unnecessary expenditure is curtailed. In replying to a deputation of co-operative workers on Thursday Mr. Eraser had somo timely words to say on one aspect of the subject. He pointed out that public works at tho present fcimo are largely relief works. To stop them wholly would cause much distress among the men engaged on them, but, as the Minister said, it is difficult to seo just whero tho money is to come from to maintain 4000 or 5000 men on public works. During tho summer large numbers of these men should bo absorbed in harvesting and other work in the country, and it will bo obviously in tho best interests of the State to draft as much as possible wf this surplus labour into gaps left by the departure of men for the front. Whatever co-opera-tion between the Public Works and Labour Departments is needed to secure this end should be arranged without delay. New public buildings, telegraph and telephone extensions, and many of tho other items figuring in the annual lists of public works must for tho time being bo regarded purely as luxuries, things that the State can do without, and should, do without. There are many other directions also in whioh State expenditure can be curtailed without serious hardship. As Parliament will shortly be asking the peoplo to bear additional burdens it will bo a proper thing for members themselves to set an example to the country. _ Apart altogether from tbo salaries of Ministers and private members the cost of Parliament has increased enormously. The financial returns show, for instance, that in the year 1009-10 the Legislative i Departments cost £28,300, while in 1914-15 the expenditure had climbed to £40,757, an increaso of £12,500. There is no denying that tho politicians have contrived to make themselves very comfortablo at tho public expense, and indirectly lo draw very much mora tlwv their nemliw! £3® .1

lamy's, at a shilling a- head, to take one item, ara not of a character found profitable to supply olsewhero at that figure, and similarly with the other little privileges and perquisites of members, small in themselves, but mounting to a. considerable total in the aggregate. The actual amount to be saved by cutting down the cost of Parliament will not be large, but it will be valuable in the example provided to the country. Whatever the politicians ask tho public to submit to we hope they will show the way by doing just a little bit more themselves. Like charity, economy should begin at borne.