The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, NOV. 22nd. 1921. A NON-PARTY CRITIC.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 November 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, NOV. 22nd. 1921. A NON-PARTY CRITIC.

Mu James Cuaioie, the member for Timuru whose political soul is cou.tniitlv vexed bv philosophic iloubts Co,II-

corning the claims of the contending parties, rested one foot oit the Opposition side of the fence on Thursday nlternoon and told the House ol Representatives in sorrow, rather than in anger, what lie thought of the present Government. 11 is story was not a flattering one to Ministers. Air Massey and his colleagues, he said, had not set an example of economy in the days of plenty. They had decked out their offices and the official residences with costly furnislu'ngs; they had encouraged tiie wasteful use of motor ears by departmental officers; they had advanced money for Imilding houses which no one could afford to live in; they had maintained an extiavagant military establishment that trained no soldiers; they had increased salaries already too huge, and they had done ninny other things suggesting that their police was to cat, drink and lie merry while they might, uithout a thought for the morrow. It was Mr Craigie’s picturesque way of putting things, ot course, but it carried with it a sting which no mere party criticism would impart. There was truth, plain and iirefutahle behind the whole indictment. The cessation of the war, instead of bringing a decrease in the departmental expenditure, brought a large increase. Ministers mingled their congratulations ul>oii the arrival of peace ; with an assurance that a long era ol ; unparalleled prosperity had dawned , upon tho country, ami tin* public teak I them a.t their word.

YY’e all know the result. During the first two years of peace we all lived ill a perfect orgy of extravagance. Prices for our products were phenomenally , high, seeming to justify the predictions : of Mr Massey and his colleagues and j we spent ns we never had spent before i It was not till the bottom dropped out of the wool market, meat became un- ■ saleable, and butter prices declined, ! that we began to realise history was I following its inevitable course and bringing in the train of war world-wide j financial stringency ami tjominoreial i depression. Even then Ministers though ! obviously » little alarmed by the unexj pected developments, were readi with cheery words. The scarcity of money and the drop in prices they declared, were only passing phases in the progress of reconstruction. Ten months ago, as a concession to the less sanguine of his financial advisers. the Prime .Minister requested the heads ol departments to cut down their exjiciiiliture as far as they could without impairing the efficiency ol the services thev controlled. The astounding result of this appeal was all increase ot over a million sterling in the departmental expenditure during the following qmir-

Hnt the time lias gone by when it was necessary to say a single word to convince even the most ardent supporter of the Government of its utter failure to keep the expenditure of hist year and the year before within anything like reasonable limits. Rusincss men all over the country at last have been awakened to the. gravity of the situation and are appealing to Mr Massey to push on with all possible speed the economies lie has promised. Business men may lie to some extent biased witnesses, ill this matter, since the enormous increases ill public expenditure have brought upon them burdens of taxation that cannot lie borne indefinitely ; but they have knowledge and experience which none of the Prime AI blister's colleagues possess. Hi the circumstances tin- whole country would be glad to see the Minister taking counsel with the leaders uf commerce and finance and framing his policy along lines which they could approve. A suggestion to this cficct was made by the deputation of business men waited upon ATr Alassey in A\ ellingtoii a little while ago, and though lie seems at the time to have shown no disposition to share his responsibilities with outsiders, it is understood lie since lias expressed his readiness to center with accredited representatives of the commercial and financial interests. The Imperial Government did not hesitate to take a step of this kind when the financial perplexities of the war were taxing its resources to the utmost and there is no reason why our own Government should not tollow so excellent an example.