THE Kaipara Advertiser, AND WAITEMATA CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1912.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 8 May 1912, Page 2

THE Kaipara Advertiser, AND WAITEMATA CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1912.

THE SURPLUS. The surplus is a subject of agreement for all the politicians, no matter what their colour. It is a record surplus ; in other words, the difference between the revenue and expenditure of the year, together with,the balance brought forward from the previous year; aggregates a little over £1,330,000. But the mere amount is not the main- point, though it is something to wonder at and admire, especially to those who remember the revenue of eighteen years ago at four and a half millions. They can see that the revenue has gone up to eleven millions, while the population has reached up- from 672,000 to one million one hundred and twenty thousand. They calculate that while the population has gone up :66 per cent, the revenue has increased by 150 per cent. If that proof of the soundness of the country does not satisfy any person, that person must be a cormorant with Opposition proclivities. Certainly there is no room whatever for honest doubt in the financial proposition as represented by the respective increases of revenue and population. During the last few weeks there have been querulous meanings about the failure of the exports to pay for the imports plus the interest of all the indebtedness. But even the most croaky of these ravens has stopped short of bewailing disaster. But the proper way to examine this problem of the exports and imports, is to carry the comparison over some definite period of years, so that the general effect of the years may be guaged, instead of the meaningless spectacle of a single one, where a wrong balance may be due to a variety of accidents easily explainable. The balance is many millions to the good. Take up again the percentage of increases. We have to add to the 66 of population and the 150 of revenue above noted, the expenditure increase of 142 (£4,166,000 to £10,340,000). The country has not only almost trebled its revenue without nearly doubling its population and it has increased its expenditure by eight per cent less than its revenue. Inthe last eighteen years then the Dominion has been very progressive, and under very good financial management. The croakers ought to be encouraged to a long silence.

THE CHANCES OF THE GOVERNMENT. There are three points for judgment of the case. They are the reception of ministers in the country as they travel and talk ; the declarations of the Labour men who, last session, held in their hands the balance, and kept fche Labour party in office ; and the ex-minis-ters who have been supposed to be sore about their extrusion from the pleasant halls of place. Now the government has been received

well enough throughout the North The Farmers' Union dined the Prime Minister and told him it was proud to see him, and found it a great pleasure to think that the country had secured his ability and commonsense for the conduct of its affairs. After the Minister's announcement that the experimental farms were paying, that they would be used in future as agricultural colleges for the teaching of practical farming, they could not have done less. His college, Mr Myers, got a great ovation at Auckland, but that is not a sign of anything more than goodwill, politically .non-commit-tal. The Prime Minister rated some deputations soundly about their insistence for works, reminding them that their districts had joined in the cry against the reckless borrowing of the late government, and concluded by telling them that this hypocrisy must now cease. All of which may be ideally perfect, but political sup port does not go on ideal lines. Labour affords a better view, seeing that Messrs Veith and Robertson have both declared that so long as the government does nothing to antagonise labour, labour will be behind government. This is a deliverance which makes it clear that the . Labour men will stand by the Government, for a while at any rate, until, let us say. Labour asks for something which the Government does not see its way to grant. How long will that be ? It is a mystery. As for the malcontents ex-ministerial it is natural they should be discontented- Any tyro, might tip that as a possibility of the situation. When one of them has asked for a free hand, and got it, one wonders what he and his friends will do. If the situation does not develope into chaos, they will stand, perhaps, by the Government —it is at all events, presumable. But if the situation is dark, then one feels that the free hand will be used for its clearance. Still, one cannot think that the Prime Minister, who has never been beaten, will add another victory to his record. There are the moderate, the moderates are the most numerous class of the commodity, and he is of them.