The Daily News. FRIDAY, AUGUST 31.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81836, 31 August 1906, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, AUGUST 31.

SIR JOSEPH WARD S POLICY. NOT since the early days of the L.b- ] era! regime has the presentation ot the Budget been looked f rward__to with such interest as that wit.i wli.c 1 Sir Joseph Ward's policy pronouncement was awaited, and at once it wi 1 be admitted that in the main essentials none has excelled in clearness, conciseness, definiteness of policy, and general business like pronouncement the one upon which the present Government has staked its reputation. In Taranaki, without doubt the principal bone of contention in the Statement, will be the 'and question, the outstanding characteristic of which, we must all admit, is its candi:!ness. Its next m st pro minent feature, on first acquaintance. is the masterliness of the compt. ill se whicn Cabinet has att mpte : t > make between the leasclri.d and freehold factions of the colony. Notwithstanding that c mplaints were rife that the colony was in the dark regarding the views of the Minister for Lands on the land question, none will cl.ubt his ability, if only because of the ingeniousness of the proposals, which, of course, he must be credited with. The first outstanding feature of the policy is the discontinuance of the sale of all undisposed-! f Crown lands, which arc to be set aside as an endowment for education, old age pensions, and hospitals. In these times of prosperity the great and steadily increasing cost 0' these charges on the pub'ic purse is possibly not seriously felt by the individual. It is too much to expect, however, that times of adversity will not some day—probably from some external cause—overtake the colony. What will be the position then? Either education and the aged, sick and infirm must suffer; or their maintenance will be a severe handicap on the State's and individual resources. By making timely provision, by way of endowment, when bad limes do come, it may be that the revenue from this s urce will hav. reached such dimensions as to ?.ssure their maintenance without recourse to an otherwise straitened publi c exchequer. That the rgq years' ten ure system is to receive its quietus few. if mv. will regret, and the substitution of the more reasonable 6' years' term, with valuation for improveme"ts et th"" end of t'-c term on the face of it, is infinitely preferable. It is ex'.retne'y doubtfu 1 , however, whether the c< nccsion of allowing tenants to capitalise to t e exU.-n of 00 per cent, of ike value of tl;< land—with corresponding redueior t" rent —-,\ill be accepted by freehold ates. Apart from the sentimental interest attaching to the fre.ho'd 1 1-e que-tlon < f vital interest is whe ilier in the first p'ace it would pay a tenant to capitalise; in other words, whether he could not make bette use of die money. If, however, t'v fccuri'y of unure wire such that tlie financial i s tutions accepted, f r lending purposes, the tenant's q-i p.' 1 en., interest i 1 the land, and hi : improvements (which, by the proposed Hill, arc absolute')- se un'd to liipi) 'ts being virtually freehold o ess , (f coutse. the State's 10 per c.nt. le, terest in the land only), then one of the gr.atert objections to the leasehold tenure in the past would have been icmov d. It seems to us ilia: the short, r lease would be improv ed were tenants to have the first refusal of their leases on expiry. Al first glance undoubtedly the prop; sals a'e an immense improvement n the conditions at present obtaining'; but it still se ms to us that the free Iv.ld pledges exacted from many members must still apply to the new BIT. Until the Minister for Land, has submitted the proposals, with t.e nee. s'arv detai : , we prefer to suspend judgment, but admit that the Government has undoubtedly made a straightforwatd attempt i > dea ; with this great national question.' particularly in the direction of n moving harassing restrictions. The prop sals with regard to the more speedy opening up of Maori land; ni-.h tie conservation of suflici'iu for the natives' requir ments, will hav unanimous end rsement. The further proposal to set aside ;0,000 acre? of land alo: g the main Sin s of rai. way for settlement by th' se employed on the construction works is a wise provision, calculated to prevent a slump in the labour market't.n the completion of these works, and the consequent release of many hundreds of men. The prop; sa! to ask for a special vote of £25,000 for the provision of telephones in the backblocks would seem to indicate the initiation of a more active polity to open up isolated districts, but we confess we should have had more confidence ha' 1 some definite proposal been made re garding loading. The comprehensive reductions in connection with postal and telegraphic matter is just what might be exp"cte;l from the up-to-date business mcth< ds on which Sir Joseph Ward has conducted these Departments, and the reductions will be greatly appreciated. That defence matters arc apparently to receive attention on more effectual and popular lines is a matter for congratulation. Equally so is the fact that the establishment of an experimental dairy school al last appears wilhin reasonable measure of realisation. The financial pr. p. sals of the Colonial Ireasurer efTectiiely, and it is to be honed for ever, dispel t| K . a . sonable fear that wild finance wou'd maik .Sir Joseph Ward's tenure <f the Treasury blenches. T! e colony's finaces are evidently in a mo-t lea iln' condition, and money is pi ntiful, our se; ttrities b ng p pular with inveh'oi's. S r Joseph's pro: osa : , therefore. 10 establish sinking funds for the liquidate n of 110 .-reproductive loans, is not likelv lo find an opponent. and will assuredly tend further to enhance the colony's credit. In conc.usioTi. the controvcrs ; al por.'ons of the Statement notwithstanding. we I- iterate air congratutions to the I'renrer 011 the of his po iry, the straightforwardness of i, j pr f nouncement, and his confident optimism regarding the outlook of the colony, which every New Zvalander hopes'mav be reellbed.