THE GOVERNMENT’S POSITION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1409, 10 June 1915, Page 4

THE GOVERNMENT’S POSITION.

All through the war the Gov eminent has been in touch with the Imperial authorities, anil has endeavoured to anticipate their wishes. When His Kxcellency Lord Liverpool issued his appeal to the people of New Zealand on the evening of Tuesday, May iSlh, he made it plainly apparent that it was the Prime Minister’s anxiety for the proper care of the sick and wounded that had led him to telegraph to the Secretary of Stale asking whether there was any particular way in which New Zealand could further assist with the medical and hospital arrangements in the Mediterranean. His Kxcellency said : “On May 16th I received a reply which, while assuring me that adequate arrangements had been made, stated that the provision of a fully equipped hospital ship, primarily intended for the conveyance of New Zealanders from the front to base hospitals, which would also be available for such work as the Imperial authorities considered necessary, would be most welcome at the present juncture.” It was Lord Liverpool’s feeling that “we should all like to have a share in this work,” which led him to ask “the people of these islands if they < would assist him to equip the Hospital Ship for the great service for which it is required.” His Excellency explained that the cost of hiring, fitting-out and manning the Hospital Ship had been undertaken by the New Zealand Government; and the Government would certainly have undertaken Us full equipment but

for Lord Liverpool’s anxious desire to have a personal interest in some humane work connected with the war. Questions of charity never entered into the business at all. Lord Liverpool realised that there were a great many people in New Zealand who felt as he did, and who would like to share with him the burden and responsibility of equipping the Hospital Ship, and so he initiated the national movement, which is meeting with such magnificent (although in one or two instances grudging) support throughout New Zealand. Under all the circumstances, the publication of Mr George Gould’s letter, which was made conditional upon the acceptance of his cheque, is not only ungracious but ungenerous in the extreme; and ot it the Government might well say, “An enemy hath done this,” As for the war tax, of which Mr Gould speaks, Mr Massey has explained that auch s tax can only be imposed by Parliament; the Government Itself has no power of taxation : it can only suggest that revenue shall be raised along ceilain lines, and in certain directions; Parliament alone incurs the responsibility of accepting or rejecting its proposals. It is not the Government’s fault that the time occupied over the elections has been so protracted that it became impossible to convene Parliament earlier than usual, nor does it appear that anything like a case has been made out ot its being convened before the usual date.