THE GRATUITIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1919, Page 4

THE GRATUITIES.

It was a pity the grant of gratuities to the soldiers did not pass the House without the exhibition of party feeling Both sides disclaimed any intention of raising the party issue, but the voting amounted practically to a party test. Surely if there were one tiling that should be raised to a higher level it is the nation's treatment of oiir soldier boys. The Premier was ill-advised in the first place in trying to force such an important matter through the House without giving members time to thoroughly consider the proposals, thus raising opposition from the start. But his offence was small compared with that of Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues, who made a bare-faced bid for the soldiers' votes by seeking to increase the amount of the gratuity. They stated that the cotuitry was full of money and could well afford 2s. The Labor members went one further and asked for 4s. Sir Joseph Ward, as Minister for Finance and the same gentleman as Leader of the Opposition are entirely different personalities. Not so long ago, when the Second Division men asked for provision for the "nest-egg", involving the country in an expenditure far less than the present gratuity will amount to, Sir Joseph shook his head gloomily and stated that it was absolutely impossible for the country to find the money and maintain its financial stability. To-day he says that the country can pay double the amount then asked for and not feel it. Mr. Myers, while temporary Finance Minister, was equally pessimistic, and never let an opportunity pass of warning the people against improvidence and of the necessity of conserving every penny to enable the country to carry its heavy load. To-day he joins his chief in saying the country can easily afford 25.. All of which is very inconsistent and evidence of party humbug. That the Is (id offered by the Government, and eventually agreed to, is a reasonable amount is shown by the fact that the recipients are more than satisfied with it, whilst the people as a whole are quite ready to shoulder the liability its payment involves. It is degrading to New Zealand that out of j such a matter party capital should be made and discreditable to all of those who took part in the unseemly wrangling, The boys deserved better treatment.

into small compartments, rendering it impossible for ordinary'people to travel about. It is an utterly indefensible principle, reactionary in character and unfair in operation, Under the by-law the comity can levy a tax on a vehicle or motor if it only passes over the county roads once in a year. The council was asked by the united local bodies of Taranaki to leave the matter over until the Counties Conference, at which support was offered to bring before the Government the necessity for affording relief to counties situated as is Taranaki which carry a large proportion of through or national traffic. The Taranaki Council's answer is the notification of bringing the by-law into force next week. Tha county chairman stated to the deputation that waited upon the council j some time ago that they wanted to bring to a head the matter of Government assistance in the maintenance of through roads, and the proposed by-law was in the nature of a protest against the inaction of the Government, but we have all along submitted that the council,' in flying against the united wishes and interests of the rest of the province, is very ill-advised and that the council could profitably delay action until the Counties Conference had formulated its policy and brought it before the Government. As it is, the Minister for Internal Affairs promised to go into the matter on the spot, and a conference: of the local bodies is to meet him at Eltham on Monday next, when we hope there wall be a representative attendance and that the protest against this reactionary by-law will be even more emphatic than it was on the last occasion. The question of through road maintenance must be faced shortly by the Government. It has been neglected for too' long as it is. At the same time, it must be admitted that if Taranaki County had been less conservative in its policy in the past all its main roads, at least, would have been tarviated by now and the extra motor traffic thrown on to the roads as the result of the collapse of the railways would have benefited rather than have damaged the roads.