PROMISES AND PERFORMANCE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 145, 11 February 1932, Page 4

PROMISES AND PERFORMANCE

The annual receipt of income tax demands has never heen one of the bright spots of the year, and particularly of late years, when what spots there have been between one Christinas and the next, have not been bright. As we stated yesterc'ay, the Government this year, hopes to collect £4,935,000 by v/ay of the tax, the highest amount levied on incomes since 1922. In view of experiences of past budgetting, the word "hopefe75' is probably correctly used, for while the Government has "hoped" i'or a number of revenue producing miracles1 during the past two years, its hopes so far have not been attended with a great measure of realisation. It is true that the recent National Government at Home had similar hopes and that they were more than realised, but it would be straining even the limits of Forbesian optimism to expect that New Zealand's1 Coalition Government will inspire the spirit which prompted thousands of the hard-pressed tax-payers of Great Britain ■ to meet even income tax demands with an almost incredible zeal. It is sincerely to be hoped for the sake of the national finances, that the response in the Dominion will come appreciably within the Government's "hopes," but if it does not do so, some a't least of the contributory causes are not far to s'eek. Despite the fact that it appropriated to itself the virtues at home which the National Government elaimed abroad, New Zealand's Coalition Government, cannot claim to have aroused, either by its attitude or its performances, the spirit of national co-operation which has animated the public of' Great Britain in their efforts for rehabilitation. It is sincerely deplored that it has not done so/but does the fault lie altogether with the people? At Home, the National Government made no promises but asked the people to trust it with effective measures for restoring the national prosperity. The people thought sufficiently of the Government td give it that trust, and already the Government has given convincing proof that that signal mark of confidence in an hour of grave national emergency, was not misplaced. But While the Government at Home has lost no time in meeting its tremendous problems with determination and prafcticial statesmanship, the New Zealand Coalition, for all its self p'roclaimed affinity with National ideals, has still to prove that tlm mantle which it appropriated was not merely assumed for- election purposes. This country is still awaiting that proof- and until it is given, we can scarcely hope that the people as a_ whole _will respond in the same spirit of national co-operatio_n which has already been so strikingly displayed in Great Britain. • It is true that the Prime Minister has outlined a programme of vital legislation for tlie forthcoming Emergency Session of Parliament, but in the recess period there has been a discouraging absence of any clear-cut policy or determination on the part of the leaders of the Government. While New Zealand is approximately in the same position that it was before the General Election, there is abundant eviddnce that other of the British Dominions are, if not exactly out of the wood, at least using a compass to find their way through the trees. Yesterday, a cable message from Gttawa disclosed ' that Canada thas overcome an adverse trade balance of 5,000,000 dollars, ;and iexpects to show-a favourable balance at the end of the fiscal .year, while the general tenor of the news from Australia indicates that 'in spite of the >'complications with which it is beset, the new Australian Federal Government has succeeded, even in its short tenure of office, ih eyoking a much more optimistic tone than is at present evident in this country. It is true that the- Goalition set a new and very welcome precedent" when it went to the' country without making promises, but the-absence of promises * does ' not also entail the absence of policy. A Government musf be judged on- its -performances,- not I upon its promises, and having made no promises,. it is now for I the Government to show some performances. - • ■ " *■. • — • - , i - • : - ... .