THE GOVERNMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 195, 16 February 1914, Page 6

THE GOVERNMENT.

J To the Editor. ■Sir,—Having dropped into a corner Isf Reformers a day or so ago—l should perhaps aav one-time supporters of the "Reformers," that splendid band of selfj sacrificing angels without wings, that ! were models of purity in every degree jiiud who had the means of salvation j of "thin most glorious countvy from • the elass of men who are but puppets | in the hands of the present Premier." ' (This is per .Mr. Hine's speech.) I was 1 asked if 1 could find a parallel for sueh an outrageous waste of timers was done by the prcwwit opposition in the

stonewall affair re the second bailor. 1 said 1 could and would give themaiul others of the public who are so easily , forgatful and so easily humbugged by innuendo an instance' where the Reform party had caused obstruction ovei: a trivial little thing. Xow, in the IUO'J session a vote to Mr Reeves, the High Commissioner or Financial Adviser was challenged, and the then leader of the Opposition (Sir. Massey) iuitiated a stonewall over tils question, and, if I remember aright, : Parliament had to go back after C'hri.l----i mas on that accoHnt. It really is astonlishiug to see what hard fates politicians have .when they claim that this stoic- • wall was on a question of principle, and J was therefore justified! Fancy it. ji j party that objected to the country redeeming its just debts by paying a man his due talking- about principle, a party that got on the benches through the dirtiest actions and scandalous misstatements, etc., it was possible to niabe, who had the support of Af.l'.'s with an alastic idea of principle in regard to political jnatters; a party that obstructed the payment of a man's salary but foisted on the public an appointment like that of Royd Oarlick; and who juggled clauses into a Land Hill to enable a supporter to get the freehold :ol':his claim to huge piece fof country in the gold region. They have as mu-ii principle as a cobra! Xow, the present Opposition's stonewall was purely and simply a matter of principle, for the people had been promised something instead of the second ballot, and Parliament had the right to know what was to be put. in its place. Hence the stonewall. Would it have been doing its duty as an Opposition had it let such a deliberate somersault puss unnoticed; .Mr. Iline, in his Durham road, speech, made a lot out of the huge national, debt, the rate per head of" taxation and ended up a long dissertation upon bad management of funds, etc.. by asking the query: "Where was this sort of thing going to lead us—onlv bankruptcy: how could the country progress when the taxation per head was so enormous. Let the electors leturn tin- Mas*cy party to power and he would guarantee an alteration. wouW take place." Ily jovc. when 1 hunted this Iroin among my notes and thought [ ol C. W. liusscll's return it struck ine that the speaker was right for once. "All alteration" had taken place-just like this: Taxation per head in 11)00 C 4 lis lid, in 10H), £4 5s (id, in 11)1). C 4 His lid, in 11112 .to 3s lOd, and in 1013 (the year of Reform) .Co 7s 2d. And there are some who wonder wtiv families are restricted, and why a mail .with a 14 family is having a hard time of it. Well, the Massey principle will have to undergo a lot of scouring or polishing before it can be acceptable in lutiire. but its llimsiness I'm afraid will I"' against it.—l am. etc., ~ , JOE SIMPSOX. Durham lioad.