The Daily News THURSDAY, JULY 9. THE COLONY'S BALANCE-SHEET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 170, 9 July 1908, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, JULY 9. THE COLONY'S BALANCE-SHEET.

Sir Joseph Ward is to be congratulated upon the Financial Statement, he deli vcrt-d mi Tuesday evening. In iniuiy respects it is unprecedented in the history nl' the Dominion. Whilst showing the position of the eounlrv's allairs to be pcrk'clly healthy and sound, it discloses a policy suUieicnliy progressive to satisfy the most enterprising. In this tin.' i'reniier has been Irue to his promises. Despite I lie drop ill wool and mi Hie up-grade, and the comprehensive, schemes outlined in the Statement, il they become, law, should help to maintain Hie Dominion on its even keel and accelerate its progress. Tho Premier prepared us for many of his proposals. After a personal inspection of the conditions obtaining in tlie baekblocks he 4MV the necessity for doing more than the Government had been doing in roadiug, and he proposes to ask the House to provide lor .LlialjiJUU |.or loads and bridges, and of this amount j.250,000 is to be specially devoted to roads in the baekblocks, and, further, is to be continued lor a period of four years. A million in all will be expended for this laudable purpose. This will be good news for the backbloekcis ol Taranaki, who have for years been crying in vain for improved roadiug facilities. The Premier proposes to make a new departure in regaul tu land settlement by establishing a system of special settlement associations,'comprising, say, ten or more bona lide settlers, who may purchase an estate, oulaiaiiig nu wherewithal through the Advances to Settlers Department, giving to I lie lender as security for money a mortgage over the estate in the name of the seiners, etc., the Government guaranteeing liic re-payment of capital and interest to the lender. At the same time, the advances to settlers' scheme, that lias proved so successful in the past, and from which the Taranaki fanners are receiving so much benelit at the present time, is ui be continued and extended. So. t'..i. is the Loans to Workers' measure, winch, it is safisiaelory to iiiui, is superseding the original workers' homes scheme. An important feature of the Statement is the proposal in reference tu the inaugurating of a National Superannuation Fund, to which anyone in the. country under the age of tidy-five will be at liberty to contribute. The Premier proposes that the Slate shall contribute to the support of the fund, which will give to contributors, in return for moderate payments, pensions up to £i a week. The fund is also to provide assistance to widows and orphans and low wage-earners with large families. Details of this important and far-reaching Bill will be eagerly awaited. Alterations are to he made to the Arbitration Act, a fuller audit system is to be established, the contribution to the Navy is to be increased to;ClU0,0(ll), a measure is to lie submitted to enable any local body to inaugurate a superannuation fund, the borrowing powers of local bodies is to be, extended; new railways are to be authorised; and the great public services improved. We may examine the proposals in more dtail at a later period. ■ tor the present, we would commend | them to the consideration of all who have the welfare of the Dominion at heart.