NEED FOR ECONOMY

Hokitika Guardian, 6 March 1928, Page 4

NEED FOR ECONOMY

(Lyttelton Times.) ; i .Ministers of the Crown who have started out on a campaign to justify tlie ways of the Government to the si people of New Zealand are not rising » to any great height in their argument. V The .Minister of Lands has been get- e, ting Ifimself into hot water in the C north, and we understand that he is coining to the South Island, perhaps in o the hope that the temperature of Lis immersion will he lower here. And on Wednesday night the Minister of Fin- t a lice gave the Dunedin electors what r might he termed a hath of figures, p Extra-sessional speeches have become a so very uncommon in recent years that we are bound to welcome the efforts of ii the Government to revive some sort of n interest in polities. Air Downio Stew- - art is usually so level-beaded that Cabinet could not do better than entrust the justification of its actions to him. t It is not his fault altogether that the ri story lie has to tell is a depressing one and that the merits of his ease are h almost non-existent. t The country has been passing v through a period of depression, unem- ri ployment is very prevalent, particu- d larly in the north, and the whole com- S 1 munity is feeling the effects of the do- s ' tlation of land values and the writing- u off of evaporated profits. The whole of the Illume, or even the greater part, >• cannot he laid at the door of the Goveminent. But when that admission I has been made, there remain the (hinges that have not been answered, 11 and that the Alinister of Film nee last " night made no attempt to answer. Except that imperatively-neeiled provision 11 is being mafic to absorb the unem- E ployed, the Government behaves and P has behaved, as if the country were still in the lull-tide of a boom. Every S( section of the community finds itself compelled to retrench—every section, '' that is, excepting the workers who on- s ' joy the protection of the Arbitration *' Court. Industry, suffering under 1 heavy taxation and increasing costs, is struggling to keep the machines '' moving and the workers employed ; larmers who remain on their lands are hard put to it to meet interest on mortgages, and are compelled to dispense with labour they really require; retailers have had to face a diminishing turnover; and everyone, while meeting the conditions as cheerlully as possible, is earnestly endeavouring to make the necessary adjustment. This, (j it will be admitted, is a fair statement j of the position. I But what of the Government? It j goes unconcernedly on, as il times had j not changed in the least and we were enjoying those merry, carc-lroe days p when no one bothered about the change from a Co note. Of retrenchment there () is not the least bint, or suspicion ol a p sign. There is not even a suggestion p in Air Dnwnie Stewart’s speech ol the i Government’s intention to reduce its p swollen expenditure. Borrowings, lie (M said, would be tapered off, but of a re- j v (Inetion in departmental expenditure or , the curtailment of multitudinous ox- ! travagances, there was not one word. 1 Surely .Ministers must realise that o while they are enjoining the people to n lie thrifty and economical 1 , it is their > u houudeii duty also to save the people’s s] money. This is election year, and \ Governments in election years do not, as a rule, risk unpopularity. But even 1 v if this were not election year we do ”• not believe that Ministers have the ' s( courage to retrench. Ihe obligation is ;t primarily on the Alinister ot finance, t He is the man responsible to I’arlia- w incut and to the people for the ex- S | penditure of public money. A mem- j] orandum from him addressed to the ministerial heads of Departments call- p ing upon them to reduce departmental expenditure at once, and to refuse their approval to any but the most- f, needed expenditure, would surely have some effect. But the inspiration must p. come from him.

There seems to be an impression in political circles, and also in some of flic Departments, that the services that have grown up cannot he curtailed without injury to the country. This is a pure illusion. \Ye have tar ton much government in this country; tar too many inspectors and inspectors’ staffs; ton many inquisitions; too many correspondence branches accumulating voluminous files; too much stationery in the departments; too much statistical redundance; too much time and energy given over to labours that add nothing to the production ol wealth or to administrative efficiency. This is a broad generalisation, and the Minister -of Kinaucc will perhaps retort by asking us to provide him with facts and figures. But it is his job, not ours. And while ho is carrying it out he might remind his colleagues that they are in office as trustees, under an obligation conscientiously to serve the country and to conserve its interests to the best of their ability, and consequently. at a time like this, charged with the responsibility ol cutting down all waste and all extravagance to the lowest point possible. There is going to he no reduction of taxation this year. That is the burden of the Minister’s message. If he will take our advice to heart, the (fin-eminent will he able to face constituencies at the end ol the year with at least one measure of useful achievement to its credit.