The Daily News FRIDAY, MARCH 26. NEW ZEALAND'S DREADNOUGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 52, 26 March 1909, Page 2

The Daily News FRIDAY, MARCH 26. NEW ZEALAND'S DREADNOUGHT.

The almost universal acclaim with which I the New Zealand Government's oll'er of a gift Dreadnought, or Dreadnoughts to Great Britain, lias been received in the Dominion and throughout the Empire,

provides all the justification that might be required by the most cautious critic

of the wisdom and timeliness of Sit' Joseph Ward's action. No doubt party politicians will raise a hue and cry in Parliament condemning the precipitancy of the Government's action, but, as we stated before, there are occasions ivnen the Cabinet may with perfect conlideuce anticipate the views of the people, and the present is such an occasion. The moral value of the offer would, we contend, have been almost altogether lost had any hesitation been shown; in the unexpectedness of the gift lies its greatest value. That statesmen do not always gauge public opinion and public wishes accurately is well demonstrated in the case of the Commonwealth Gov-

eminent, which refused to oll'er Hint which the public now propose to give by direct subscription. With the ngpir,aess or the wrongness of the Federal Government's action we are not concerned; they should best.be able to judge the position from Australia's point of view, but the fact cannot be ignored that

public opinion in Australia, as in New Zealand, supports the action of Sir Joseph Ward's Government. Th.> spirit of emulation has extended to Canada, which for the livst time is proposing that the' Dominion should share in the naval defence of the Empire. Our gift lias been accepted by the British Government, and it is fitting t'nat the question of providing the cost should be thoroughly discussed while the subject is on the tapis. We previously stated that the cost should be borne by the present generation, during the life of the battleship. We favored a special tax on wealth and luxuries; in other words, a naval tax. We agree with those whose opinion it is that New Zealand has failed in the past to pay adequately for the protection all'orded by the British Fleet, That such a position' could not. exist indefinitely every one must admit, and il

is our opinion' that New Zealand's present action, taken under special circumstances, but marks the initiation of a policy that is only right, and which will

\w peruianontlv ii(lo|itod. Wo do not suggest, that New Zealand should hoar Ilk' cost of a Dreadnought annually, but we do say that even the CI 11(1,000 subsidy to be paid annually alter May next is not by any means reasonable payment for the' sen-ices of the navy in guaranteeing the safe passage even of our trade, leaving out of question altogether our national safety, and the public, in our opinion, may host be brougnt to realise their debt to the navy by the imposition of a direct naval tax. It is not suggested that any undue sacrifice should be asked. Anyone must recognise, however, that it would be a cheap sort of gift if it were proposed to pay i for the battleship out of loan money. | borrowed from Britain and added to our public debt to be repaid in the distant future. ]t is believed that the cost of one Dreadnought, about a million and a half sterling, can be borrowed under the, guarantee of the Imperial Government at about 2V, per cent. The rapid strides mado during recent years in naval designing science has enormously "reduced Hie effective life of ships. Placing, however, the length of effective service of a modem battleship af 20 years, we consider any loan raised should carry repayment during the life of the ship. To do otherwise would be unfair to tin taxpayers of the next decade, and unworthy of the present.