The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1885. Ministers

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 144, 21 May 1885, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1885. Ministers

In an article commenting on the craving of Otago for more Government expenditure, the Chjistchurch Press says that " The chances are that Ministers have been earnestly striving to conciliate all parts of the colony to the best of their ability and the means at their disposal ; although we cannot help thinking that Otago has, all things considered, received excellent treatment. Be that, however, as it may, the Otago meeting, and the ominous mutterings heard in other directions, point to the fact that the public of New Zealand are beginning to ask anxiously when the prosperity so freely promised last session is going to commence. Ministers, of course, will not be prepared to admit that their efforts to finance the country out of its difficulties have utterly failed. But it will require all the skill and ingenuity which they possess to convince the House that the policy Bills of last session have been productive of the beneficial results which Ministers so confidently predicted would flow from them." We are of opinion that Ministers will be quite equal to the occasion, and able to show that the colony is in a more prosperous condition than when they took office. The circumstances which led to the expenditure on works of defence were, we need hardly say, almost entirely beyond the control of Ministers. Tho only point that can be raised, then, on this subject is as to whether the expense could not have been avoided. The reply to that is very easily to be found. The example of the other colonies who led the van in preparing to meet the attacks of the armed cruisers of an enemy, and the demands made by the residents of all the principal ports of this colony to be put on an equal footing, made any other course impossible. It would have been almost criminal had New Zealand been left defenceless or dependant only on the British men of war to guard her ports from probable destruction. The question of war or poace with Russia is no nearer settlement to-day than it was two months ago. Whatever financial difficulties Ministers will have to overcome are not of their creating. We observe that it is rumoured they may propose to bring up the income tax to the same level as in 1883-4, and to put an addition to the tax on sugar. We heartily approve of the former, and think it was a blunder on the part of the Colonial Treasurer over to reduce it. But an additional tax on the " poor man's breakfast table " would do Sir Julius far more injury than a gross error in diplomacy. He will find it much easier to defeat his opponents in the House than silence the clamour which would be raised if the price of sugar be increased.