THE Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1892. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2393, 9 August 1892, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1892. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

Thank. goodness the debate on the Financial Statement is over. It was the most extraordinary and useless debate that has ever taken place in Parliament, and the result of it is that the Government came out of it stronger than ever. For three long weeks the Opposition by insinuation, falsification, and misrepresentation, have tried to upset the financial proposals of the Premier, with the result that they have completely failed in

pointing out even a weak spot in it. Never before has there been sucli a searching criticism of any financial statement, and never has a statement been delivered which was supported so lo3'ally by the adherents of the Government. Fvery Government supporter is loud in its praise, every opponent sees nothing in it but what is vile and wicked. According to the Opposition every proposal of the Government is base; accor ling to the other side it is the best statement that has been delivered in New Zealand. This makes it evident that there are two distinct parties in New Zealand now ; and that the line of demarcation between them has been very strongly drawn. Both these parties lay claim to Liberalism. The followers of Mr Rolleston claim to be the true Liberals, and they call the Government party faddists, radicals, socialists, and so forth. Now ot course each party has a right to call itself by any name it likes, but if it goes strutting about in borrowed plumes and try to appear what it is not, the public are not obliged to take it at its own valuation. The grounds on which the Rollestonians claim to be Liberal is that they advocate the principles of Cobden and Bright, and what is called “the Manchester School” of political economy. We absolutely deny it : there was no sympathy with land monoply mixed up with the tenets of Messrs Cobden and Bright’s political creed. Their sympathies were commercial, but disregarding this, the Cobdenite creed is over 40 years old, and the world has changed since then. Further than that, Mr Bright died a few years ago in the Conservative camp. Now the meaning of Conservative is one who . desires to preserve the institutions of a country unchanged, or to put it plainer, one who wants to let things remain as they are. Does not this suit the Rollestonians ? They do not want the property Tax changed to a Land and Income Tax ; they do not want such a change as perpetual leasing; they do not want to give protection to our industries ; they do not want the one-man-one-run, nor the one-man-one-vote ; in fact, they want nothing, but, as they have often said, “political rest.” How can these people call themselves Liberals? They may call themselves anything, but by their actions we shall know them. The party which wants to stand still is the Conservative; the party of progress is the Liberal, and the latter party is that which is at present following the lead of the Hon. Mr Ballance.

Another matter is made evident by the statement, and it is that there is not much wrong with it when none of the supporters of the Government has found no fault with it, notwithstanding the spiteful criticism to which it was subjected. This is what cannot be said of any previous debate on any financial statement. On all previous occasions Government supporters have been found playing the part of candid friends,” and warning the Government that if they did not mend their ways they could not count on continued support. MrlJallance has had a unique experience ; he has done what no Treasurer has ever done in New Zealand before ; that is, carried Ids motion without a murmur of dissent from his followers. He has done more than this; lie has completely satisfied the whole country that his system of Finance is sound, and has held out hopes that he will soon be able to reduce taxation. Mr Ilallance is the first Liberal leader who has had a strong following, and we are glad to find that he is rising equal to the occasion and giving general satisfaction.