Rangitikei Advocate. TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8788, 16 April 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

THE name of Lord Cromer lias been so long identified with the prosperity of Egypt that his retirement ■will bo received with the greatest regret. Pie lias qccomplishod a marvellous work, and will take a high place on the glorious roll of those who have spent their lives in promoting the good of humanity. Under the modest name of his Majesty’s agent and Consul-General in Egypt, Lord Cromer has since September, 18S3, directed the affairs of that country with a firm hand, and has succeeded iu rescuing it from bankruptcy aud impending ruin. When Sir Evelyn Baring, as he then was, took charge iu 1883 affairs were nearly hopeless. The situation in the Soudan was desperate, the Egyptian army, under General Hicks, was annihilated iu November, 1883, aud there seemed every possibility that the Mahdi would press forward into Lower Egypt. The Treasury was empty, despite the fact that the foll--1 aheou wore groaning under the burden of heavy taxation, conscription, and forced labour. The administration was hopelessly inefficient and corrupt, and it seemed quite out of the question that Egypt should ever pay the interest due on the public debt, or that the internal situation should be improved. Yet the British Agent set

bravely to work and determined to make both ends meet, though ho was hampered at every turn, not only by difficulties in Egypt, but by the fact that the Continental nations, especially France, hindered progress in every way from jealousy of the British. The commission of liquidation in 1880 had made economy almost impossible. They had estimated revenue and expenditure, and had, divided each into two portions, one to meet the needs df the Government, the other to provide for , the service of the debt. The expenditure on the debt was an obligatory charge. If the revenues assigned to it were in any year more than sufficient they were’devoted to a sinking fund; if the revenue fell short.. of wlmt wits jioedod for in-

terost and sinking fund the Govern® i ment must famish the difference, The result of this was that money Imperatively needed for the development of the country was, when better times came, lying idle to the credit of. the sinking fund instead of being used for the relief of the taxpayer. For a long time Lord Cromer had to exercise the greatest economy and to refuse to be tempted into spending money in any of the many directions in which it was reSlowlyJmt surely progress was made, and taxation lightened, and Lord Cromer can leave the position he has so long filled with the knowledge that he has built the foundation of future prosperity on a sure and firm basis.

“WHAT,” asks Sir Auckland Colvin in iris valuable work on the Making of Modern Egypt,” “has been the secret of Lord Cromer’s success? That lie lias shown extraordinary capacity for labour, great financial and economic skill, untiring patience, high moral courage, much insight into native character, that ho has gained the general confidence by habitually frank, outspokenness and candour—-all this, though true, scarcely supplies a sufficient answer to the qnestou. The solution is probably to be found on examining the lino of policy whichjie lias adopted. It has been, in the uou-controversial sense of the word, a distinctly liberal policy. Its aim has been the greatest good to the greatest number; general content based on general well-being. It has absolutely reversed every tradition of rule hitherto practised in Egypt. It has preferred the many to the few, and powerlessnoss to privilege. The basis [of Lord Cromer’s policy lias thus been sympathy with the Egyptians. Ho has never forgotten for a moment that he is in Egypt on behalf of the people of Egypt; that every matter of internal administration, or finance must he examined from, the point of view of their interests; that it is teir revenues, their soil, their property, of which he disposes. ” So long as British Administrators meet their responsibilities in this spirit, wo may have every hope that the Empire will continue to flourish in the future as iu the past. ’ ’

THE question whether the interests of the Empire will ho bettor served by the admission of the press to the Colonial Conference or by its exelusion does not appear toMrouble some of the visiting Premiers who are looking for cheap advertisement. Mr Doakiu bluntly says that the Premiers did not leave their posts for four nlotnhs to sit with closed doors and keep their constituents in ignorance. It is obvious that men who know that every word they utter will appear in print the next day will take up quite a differentattitude from those who are merely discussing matters in a friendly way, knowing that only the general line of their argument will bo published. If the press is admitted every Premier, will feel it his duty to let off oratorical fireworks in order to impress his supporters at

homo with the idea that he is a terrible fellow when abroad. What wc desire from the assembled Premiers is not that they should deliver over again the speeches wc have already road a dozen times, but that they should discuss in a businesslike manner affairs of importance to the Empire. The matter has, according to the latest reports, been left to the Conference to decide, and we consider that they would best consult the interests of the Empire by having merely a precis of the discussion published. In case the press are admitted to the it seems likely that wo shall get a very one-sided account of the proceedings, as the cable agency appears to consider that it is unnecessary to forward anything but reports of the speeches of colonial politicians under «uch circumstances. The report, for example, of the Navigation Conference, fas cabled, would lead one to believe that the Conference sat at the feet of Sir "William Lyue and other Australian delegates, and listened spellbound to their words of wisdom. The resolutions passed, however, tell quite another tale. The Navigation ference was not of great importance, but it is most desirable that we shoould know the true opinion of the present British Government on matters of Colonial and Imperial interest.