Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1919, Page 2

Very little of an official character seems to be revealed regarding the state of Ireland. From unofficial sources are reports of much internal prosperity coupled with great political upheavals. The situation disclosj ed by the Irish-American delegates, ■ who evidently are of Sinn Fein leanings, ;is certainly disquieting. It was per- | haps something cf a good omen to learn ! the other day that Sir Edward Carson’s I candidate was defeated for one of the

Irish seats, and that Sir Edward had

made the threat if his choice were not returned he would resign the leadership of the Anti-Home Rule party. Probably matters have reached a stage now that it would be a good thing for Ire-

land if the extremist leaders at both ends of the politically unhappy country were to relieve the situation by

their exit from the turmoil. There

must he in Ireland a well-balanced public opinion which has grown tired of

the continual disruption and which would welcome some form of compro-

mise whereby political peace could ho assumed. The new state into which Europe is passing prevents any serious fear of Ireland being duped by a, great power of the continent into a harmful attack on the rest of the United Kingdom and this degree of security should make the granting of a liberal measure of home rule for Ireland less difficult if the recalcitrants would be hut more gracious one to the other. Probably with the peace terms settled and the League of Nations assured, Mr Lloyd George will be in a position to predict a form of home rule all round for the United Kingdom, leaving the main Parliament to exercise its will over the broad interests of the Empire as a whole, with each country dealing exclusively with its own domestic affairs.

j The statement by the Hon. Mr Myers i with regard to the political position as | published yesterday will occasion not a j little discussion throughout the Dominion. The two Ministers in Europe arc going to return post haste at the j earliest moment and their advent may jho looked for next month. Mr. Myers ’ gives two reasons for this accelerated i return. The first is in relation to | “very grave matters of finance”—and j the sooner these are gone into the letj ter, added Mr Myers. This would he I disquieting were it not that hut a few j days ago Mr Myers was telling the j country how well it was off. Probably j the grave matters refer to the incidence of taxation for the immediate fu- | tore or the alarm created in his mind Las to the remarkable increase of salaries t made or being made throughout the | public service. The regular bill to he f met month by month is piling up and j it is quite probable that Mr Myers J ns Acting-Minister of Finance sees trou- ] Lie looming ahead to keep up the pace. | There must be in the near future a j readjustment of the public service, and j certain broad economies practiced to | reduce the heavy expenditure which lias t been accumulating of late years by the 1 growth of one public department upon | another. The ’Government must see to | it that the Defence expenditure and j its allied branches come down with j a run. Other departments will stand 1 investigation to ensure value being dej rived for the cost of their upkeep. This I will he an unpleasant task for any Government to tackle, for retrenchment is the hardest duty to be faced. ;Sir Joseph Ward a few years ago moved to perform the duty, and he paid the penalty by being relieved of office when next before the electors. It will ho thankless work, for whoever has to perform it, but it will he necessarily inevitable at no distant date—of that we arc persuaded.