A HARD ROW.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 57, 25 July 1912, Page 4

A HARD ROW.

THE GOVERNMENT'S PROBLEMS. ; By Telegraph—Parliamentary Reporter,' Wellinfiton, Last Night. The most enthusiastic supporter of the Maasey Government must admit that it has fallen on troublous times, and tveß the most enthusiastic supporter of th« new administration recognises the fact. Perhaps the greatest trouble is that Massey and Co. have been so long o* the attacking side that to a certain extent their facilities for construction litre been reduced to a minimum. Howeve* that may be, they are faced with a. variety of difficult problems, finance lot, instance. Already we find the Ho«. J. Allen pointing out in the public prese that the Bulletin's scathing comment* on the loan floated hy the Mackenzie Government for four and a half million* are not warranted. This probably poiata to the fact that the new administration is finding that the problem of sound finance is not easily solved; that, in other words, ministerial position brings corresponding responsibility. Then there ia the question of totalisator permits. The Rangitikei Racing Club has been favored at the expense of the Marton and South Canterbury clubs, and it is no secret that all the other country, clubs in the Dominion are threatening more or less vengeance on the Massey, Government for what they regard as evident favoritism. Again, there is the problem of lands for settlement including native lands. That question is indissolubly bound up with the question of; finance. The solution, it is suggested,, will be in the direction of selling the •freehold of lands as soon as they art acquired and so making the money borrowed for the purpose go round several times, after the style of the tripla expansion engine. The idea is, on the surface, a good one, but money does not filter back into the Treasury so quickly as steam goes from one set of boilers t* the others, while on the other hand the longer the money takes to filter back the greater is the cost to the State. The solution of the native land problemis not yet. Sub-division for settlement purposes is a dream that will not coma true for some time. The complications are too great and too complex to be r swept away by a stroke of anjj ■politician's pen. The public service can wait. Public service reform was a good fighting plank for a party in opposition, but for a party in power it opens up a vista of possibilities that may spell reduction and will probably, spell discontent, however desirable the end may be. The chief trouble, apart from those above mentioned, with which the Government will;be faced, is that of the backblocks. The indications are that those who have borne the burden and heat of the day in the -wilderness, and those who are at present engaged in that by no means pleasant occupation, are not likely to be any longer content to rest under their disabilities. From all parts comes a murmur and revolt. From the backblockers and from those inside Parliament there is being raised an insistent echo, and the outside clamour of hard work and hardship and discomfort have failed to induce the backblocker to storm Parliament for redress. But so many eases of disaster to his womenkind in the hour of their trouble have lately occurred that the present day pioneers are, it is manifest from recent signs, losing patience, and are determined that if possible they shall have at least their discomforts and personal dangers reduced, even though some place or other goes without a railway verandah or a palatial railway station, even though Parliament has to sit in a building which was not designed for the purpose, but was quite big enough to enable one Government to be defeated and for another to assume all the prerogatives and office. The backblocker is, it is quite evident, getting tired, not take away from him that hath not. He would not be a backblocker if he didn't -like work but because he sees that m> fai the policy has been to grease the fat sow, to give to him that hath, and to take away from that hath not. He wants to know why he and his should not have at least a reasonable degree of comfort, and he is urging his representatives to champion his cause. Barring accidents, of course, the backblocker is going to have a good deal to say before the next general election, and ihe Government will, on present appearances, do well to afford him a fair amount of consideration. .