WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 25 June 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE CRITIC ABROAD. SIR HAROLD BEAUCHAMP IN CANADA. (Special to " Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, June 22.

Somo statements concerning New Zealand made by Sir Harold Beanchamp to a Vancouver representative of the “Evening Post” when passing through Canadi last month do not represent the Dominion in a eery favourable light for the contemplation of its older sister across the Pacific. The (newspaper man in introducing his story makes a. point of emphasising tho Lull-mark it bears. “Regarded here as the leading financial critic in New Zealand,” he says, “Sir Harold’s observations on finance and attendant pluses of the progress of the Dominion are carefully noted. J*or, 1)0 it said, New Zealand is very frequently quoted in the press of Canada for the stability of its finances and the success of its public undertakings, such as hydro-electricity.” In the circumstances it is not surprising to learn that the interviewer was more than a little astonished when the Dominion’s “leading financial critic” turned “tho spotlight of bis criticism upon bis own country.” New Zealanders themselves, Sir Harold told the faithful chronicler, wore compelled to ■admit that their standard of living was excessively high and that they spent an inordinate amount irt the pursuit of pleasure. Horse racing, be remarked, was their “long suit ’ and in this profitless pursuit they spent £OOO,OOO a year in taxation to the State alone.

A CHEERLESS OUTLOOK. After deploring the hypocrisy of the Government in accepting this contribution to its revenue, while forbidding the publication of dividends, Sir Harold proceeded to graver disclosures for the delectation of New Zealanders’ kinsmen abroad. After a quarter of a century of prosperity, he said, the Dominion is face to face with a slump. He estimates a decline <d £10,000,000, “if not more” in the value ol the exports for the fiscal year ending on \ii ircli 31. 1027. ■'This means.” lie declared with the confidence of the financial prophet, “Chat there must, he a considerable shortening of sail if the financial equilibrium of the Ship oi State is to be preserved, and of course such a policy will be unpalatable to those wlu> believe in the principle ol enjoying to-day and leaving to-morrow to take care of itself.”. Flouting the opinion of the Hon. W. Peniber Reeves, who made a careful examination of the postiion during his recent visit to the Dominion, Sir Harold believes many of the farmers of the country to be in a perilous position. “A large number of them,” he told the Vancouver journalists, “arc in

difficulties, and are clamouring to tho i lovcrnnieut for assistance. They got six millions through the Advances Department last y«.tr, but still, like Oliver Twist, they are clamouring lor more.” And so on and so on. IRRESPONSIBILITY.

Tho head cf a large financial institution in Wellington when a.-kotl today if this gloomy picture lairly icpresented the condition of the country, was inclined to regard Sir Hardd Beauchamp, when be went travelling, rather as a humourist titan as a prophet. "As soon as Sir Harold gels out e.f Wellington,” he said, “be begins to conjure up bogies of ere kind and another to keep this country in order. He laves talking to newspaper men, whether at home or abroad, and the newspaper men always find him with a story to tell. Twenty years ago, even during ilic mar, he did good services to the country in this respect keeping it well advised as to the movements of the final icial barometer and its indications. But with lessened responsibilities and probably with more leisure, he has become, in a benevolent kind of way,

a persistent scare monger. We all are preparing as best we can for a decline in the prices for our primary products and wei all luivc difficulties on our hands we Jo not shout from the house-tops; hut having prepared for trouble to the best of our ability we are not inviting it to hurry along.” This appears to he the general nitiiude towards Sir Harold’s travelling predictions, a vigilant reliance upon the resiiiireesOif the Dominion to pull through. THE PD LIT I CAL VTEW. Ministers of the Crwon just now are not pirlicularly anxious L> discuss in detail the various questions raised l.y Sir Harold Beauchamp, but a member of the House of Representatives, v. ho may hr; taken to represent the views of the average, politician, thinks Sir fibroid might have selected a, more appropriate time and place for the launching of his criticism of the Dominion. This authority, a farmer him-

self, denounces strongly the implication that the farmers have wrung six millions in a single yWr from the Government and still are clamouring for more. It is of a piece he says, with the assertion that the Government is guilty of hypocrisy in accepting taxation iron) the tot alisator and then forbidding the publication of dividends. The taxation, he points out is part of the country's fiscal policy and the suppression of the publication of dividends is the act of a section of Parliament with which Sir Harold

himself is understood to lie sympathetically associated. “Why Sir Harold should go to Canada to cry ‘stinking

fish,’ this indignant individual said in discussing the Vancouver story, “I don’t know, blit he ought to hoar it when he comes had; to New Zealand.” This is not argument, perhaps, but it is a natural retort to tlie traveller's aspersions.