The Hokitika Guardian WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21st, 1921. PARLIMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 September 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21st, 1921. PARLIMENT.

Pahuamknt, which opens to-iin*vow, will enter upon a very impurtant session. There is mucli work before the House, and work of a very difficult character. The chief phase of the business will lie financial. There is a depleted Treasury, despite the kcaiy taxation of the past—taxation which Mr Massey has promised to reduce. Tbe lYitnei Minister will not bo at bin post <>r a -fortnight or so, so that (hr pieliminary business wall be souiewlwt tame. Hamlet will be missing and only bis ghost will walk. Money will , have t>o be found in considerable bulk, mid further borrowing appears to l»e inev.itable. Curtailment of expenditure by strict economy is not going to give very immediate relief, because the reductions, such as they are have been unduly delayed. In eases such as the I railway economies, we kn’pw also, that j tbe reduction in svrvices, lias melmt I likewise reduct-wm in income, so that I the last stage is no better than the first. There is to be tariff reform J but this will be largely a higher tariff'. | In the ordinary course customs’ re- ; venue will show 1 a heavy decline for the ! reason tlmt imports have dropped ' heavily. Increases are bound to come i in regard to luxuries, so that wines, : beers and -spirits, imported clothing, : motor cars, etc., will yield more, but Government will need to be careful as regards increased taxation ostensibly to further secondary industries. That course but means adding to the cost <sf living without any adequate effect in easing tbe taxpayer. No doubt there will be efforts to increase revenue from other taxpaying sources, and probably some new avenues will bo found. The

need for money is likely to be so pr< ssing that the Government will levy wiierever it can. Public, works have to b* maintained to check the unemployment drift, and houses have to be piovided to provide for tbe increasing population. These two sources alone will require large sums of money to satisfy tbe demands, and to finance the affairs of the country, generally tbe Minister of Finniwe will have i very difficult problem to grapple with. Then Mr Massey will recpiiro to shape a poliev as an outcom,. of the late Imperial Conference. He must propound important domestic and local !!o;ly legislation. Altogether there is tha pr»mise of a long drawn out session, whose limits will be governed in tbe main bv the financial issues wnvh arise. The Government will have matters largely its own way. Tin 1 Opposition is a bouse divided against iiself. it is in four ((Harters, and lias ml promise of cohesion. Also, it lacks tbe distinctive leadership necessary to dir. oet well organised attacks. This v. ill be all in favour of tbe Government no far as making its way losds troublesome, but at- tbe moment flic political and fliiiancial position of tbe country calls for healthy and constructive criticism, rather tlian fractious opposition. As the mid-way session of tbe lif,. of the present Parliament the session should In- most useful, and as it presents so many matters of great importance it should attain that degree of importance.