Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1872.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1257, 24 February 1872, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1872.

The question how far a Government niay be influenced by popular sentiment in adopting an economical policy, or in continuing in one of unwarrantable extravagance, is one of the highest importance to a community. So long as funds come to hand easily—no matter whether by means of loans or from re •yemje—and popular apathy is displayed as to, the manner in which they are expended, so long will any Government |)e guilty of a wasteful expenditure of such funds. The temptation lies altogether on that side of the question. It \s very pleasant no doubt to reward friends by bestowing upon them lueraappointments, and the desire for pffiee and its emoluments is so natural to huinanity that it is not to be wonflere4 at if we find public funds appropriated to that purpose, and also to the quieting of troublesome opponents. We Jiave pointed out two conditions under "whjch this culpable, though somewhat natural, line of conduct on the part of a (government may exist—the ease with funds come to hand, an. 4 the apathy of the public on the question of their expenditure. One of pur minci-

pal objections to the borrowing policy of tlje Government was founded upon, the first, and the line of argument adopted in our leading article of Wednesday last was based upon the second. It is evident to. ns that if the people's representatives had refused their sanction to the raising of the Vogel loan, the extravagance of the Goveynra.ent must have come to an endj and means have been, adopted of reducing the cost of government to the means of the Colony. Many there were \vh,o shut their eyes to a truth which wai yet sufficient ly obvious to all who chose to observe it, that the handling of the borrowed millions would prove so great a temptation to those into whose power it would fall as to encourage the continuance of a wasteful expenditure, which had alreadyplungedtheColony into, heavy embarrasments. Circumstances have shown that such fear was well founded. It, mattered little that revenue fell short when there was cash in hand provided by the loan, and item after item was placed to its account which should have been provided for from current revenue. The temptation to excessive expenditure from this cause existing in its intensity, it follows that if we would see it checked, we should do all in our power to bring into operation a wholesome public sentiment such as shall cause the Government to adopt a course of policy more consistent with the interest of the community. We find our grand objection to the system of indirect taxation so generally adopted by modern Governments in the encouragement it offers to wasteful expenditure on the part of the Government. It is quite true that in ninetynine cases out of a hundred it does not occur to the tax-payer, when he gives an enhanced price for a dutiable article, that he is paying a tax; but the fact of his paying it remains nevertheless, and he is paying at the same time in a way which, though less irksome, because done blindly, is yet more burdensome to him, because more costly, than a direct system, and at the same time without the check on the Government, afforded by direct taxation. The people would not be so apathetic on the subject of the cost of Government did they know and feel what that cost is. The very " conspicuousness" of direct taxation is an argument in its favor. In private life it would be anbearable to pay for the necessaries of daily consumption in such a way ~Nq man leaves his purse open to liis butcher, his baker, or his tailor, to help themselves from at their discretion, and without his knowledge as to the amount taken. Yet this is pretty much the way in which the people allow themselves, to be taxed for the expense of Government.