The Dominion SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15.1919. A POLITICAL OBJECTLESSON

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 44, 15 November 1919, Page 6

The Dominion SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15.1919. A POLITICAL OBJECTLESSON

Soiie of the Labour-Socialist extremists who are bidding for political support in this country have been saying a good deal of late about Queensland. They picture that State as a fortunate land, in which a Labour Government—the kind of Labour Government they are anxious to establish in New Zealand—caters assiduously for the needs of the people, and supplies them with cheap meat and many other benefits. The experience of Queensland certainly affords an instructive object-lesson in the results of Labour rule, and nothing better can be desired than tiiat our local extremists should enlarge as fully as possible upon these results. This would be a distinctly unselfish act on their part, for a more damaging exposure of the inefficiency of Labour rule than is afforded in the recent history .of Queensland could not be imagined. As yet their references to Queensland have been marked not by a desiro to reveal-the truth, but by an apparent intention to evado or cover it up. The full facts are, however, so readily available that it is astonishing that such a shallow and easily-exposed deception should be attempted. The actual history of the Labour Government in Queensland, lately deserted by its leader, Mn. llyan, is one of reckless and unbridled extravagance, coupled with an appalling mismanagement of public affairs, and particularly of State trading_ enterprise?. The results of its administration are seen in soaring taxation, and in a greater increase in the cost of living during tho war period than in any other part of Australasia. As the Sydney Bulletin pointed out recently, the condition to which Queensland has been reduced makes it easy to understand why Mr. Evan abandoned the Premiership in order to seek election in a Federal constituency far away from Queensland. Mr. Jlyan's aspirations to the leadership of the Federal Labour Party, it observed, looked like a remarkable case of exchanging tho bone for the shadow. But, tho Bulletin adds, the bone is very bare now. In four dazzling years Mr. Ryan* has used up the resources of Queensland. It is an exhausted oil-well for men of this methods, though tho raro kind of politician with a mania for repairing clcreliels —tho George Turner kind—would lovo to lake it in hand and do a feat of salvage. With tho railway surplus of pre-Ityan limes turned into a deficit of ■£1,400,000 a .year, and a certainty thai it must be indefinitely increased if half the promises to 6upportors uio lo materialise; with all prctenco of oven attempting to earn interest abandoned, and the lines in tho kinds of tho unions; and with most other Stalo enterprise;; in a bad way, scope for nn acth'o spender grew iimiled. Add the fact* that in fivo years Queensland has been changed from the Slate where living was far tho cheapest to tho ono which heals all records tavo Westralia's for dearn<vM, and from a State with less taxes than the average lo ono which is the record rarer, and the reasons wlhv Ryan shouldn't bo avc-rso In dropping tho bono seein fairly eub&tautial. Further illuminating facts were cited bv the Commonwealth Prime Minister (Mr. Hughes) before a Queensland audience, in tho course of a recent tour. Under Mr. Hyatt's .regime (ho said) tho cost of living in Queensland had increased until it was easily Hie .greatest increase during the war, being 61.5 per cent., against; Soulllv Australia's 33 per cent., and the smith's M.-t per eeiil. Taxation had trebled. The number of ruinous industrial disputes had Iwen greatly multiplied. There was more miemploynipnli there than in any other .Slate, and costly and inefficient Government industries burdeucd tho taxpayers. The facts that with Labour extremists in office Queensland has had more than its share of industrial upheavals, and of unemployment, are particularly noteworthy. Excepr tional interest attaches to the movement of food prices in Queensland, the more so in view of assertions by local extremists that the Queensland

I Government lias kept down food j prices in the public interest. The reai position is shown in' official j figures quoted by the New Zealand 'Phlue Minister during last session. These figures showed that from the outbreak of war food supplies increased in price by 51.8 per cent, in Queensland as compared with 3.'f.2 per cent, in New Zealand. The failure of the Queensland Government to keep clown the prices of food supplies is the more striking since it has heavily and most unjustly penalised producers. Fur instance, it commandeers meat at a price, much below export values, and compels producers to bear the whole of the. loss involved.. Recently it requisitioned meat for the State butcheries at the rate of twenty thousand tons per annum. The price allowed is ad. per pound, approximately lid. per pound below export parity, and it is estimated that even if export prices for meat did not rise, as they are expected to, this would mean, a loss to "the Queensland stockmvnors of, roughly, £:)00,000 per annum. Thus while it is piling deficit on deficit in its total operations find failing utterly to cheek the increasing cost of living, the Queensland Government is at the same time penalising industry and hampering production. The most damaging exposure to date of the ruinous extravagance and inefficiency of the Queensland Labour Government is made in the report of the State Auditor-General (Mb. M. H. Robertson) for the financial year 191S-19. This impartial and authoritative presentation of the facts shows that whereas four years ago Queensland hajd a revenue surplus of £3*1,791, there were at the, end of last financial year accumulated deficits totalling £581,4:5, for which no provision had been made. This position has been reached in spite of the fact that in the same period taxation lias been increased by over 190 per cent. A serious and increasing deficit on the railways, which last year were able to contribute only £291,297 out of earnings towards' an interest bill of £1,712,625 is a conspicuous, item in ■the accounts, but in regard to the Government trading enterprises also an almost incredible state of affairs is disclosed. The. Auditor-General mentions, for instance, that up to June 30 last, the expenses of the ■State trawler amounted to £2090, while returns from sales of fish amounted to £130. The case of the State lime pulveriser is also remarkable.. The Government rejected an offer by a company to supply lime, as it was advised that the commodity could bo produced at a cost of ss. Bd. or 6s. per ton. The profit and loss account for the period September to December, 1918, showed that 29 tons of crushed limestone had been produced at a cost of approximately £15 Bs. per ton (as against the estimate of ss. 6d. or 6s. per ton). The cost was subsequently brought down to £4 9s. lOd. per ton or £5, including depreciation and interest, while the product was retailed to the. public at £l 2s. 6d per ton. At this stage the enterprise was discontinued. Another as'pect of Lab'our rule upon which light is thrown by the General is the rapid growth of "relief 1 expenditure—that is to say, money spent.by the Government in relieving distress due to unemployment and other causes. Expenditure in this category amounted in 191819 to nearly, three times as much as in the previous year. Later figures, also cited by the AuditorGeneral, show that this evil outcome of Labour maladministration is rapidly being intensified. During the three months June to August, 1919, relief expenditure throughout the State totalled more than six times as much as during the same three months in 1918 These facts and figures,_ brought out not in the heat of political controversy, but in the dispassionate' report of an independent and responsible official, constitute a damning indictment of Labour misrule in Queensland. They at the same time cast into hitch relief the effrontery of local extremists who openly urge that this country should follow in the footsteps of that unfortunatelysituated State.