The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2958, 30 June 1891, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Since the delivery of the Financial Statement it has daily become more manifest that the Bills which will be brought down to give effect to the financial proposals will very materially differ from those which the country was led to anticipate. That this .should be the case must be taken as evidence of incapacity on the part of the Treasurer to guage public opinion, or inability to suggest iiioasures which are calculated to benefit the colony. Some changes —notably the abolition of the Pro-perty-tax—were bound to be part and piircol of thu programme. The imposition of a Land-tax was equally so. The Ministry has discovered, when too late to save their reputations as competent for their position, that the country will not submit to have the most enterprising and useful of tho people singled out for punishment by the tax-collector, although that, punishmont mny be admini3tcrod by an instrument, boaring another name to that which was previously in uso for the purpose, and which the electors had, metaphorically speaking, determined to bum and dance upon tho ashes. Mr Ballanco reckoned without his host when he expected that those who were returned on what wns pro=mmnbly lu'a ticket would

ijjnoro thifir plerlgns in order that he and his colleagues mi«ht rntsiin their scats—plodjjtis, it must he not pel, which wen , equally his as theirs. W(! notice that Sir Goorge firey has ticen interviowod by a reporter, .lutljjing by his answers to the queries put to him, he is most distinctly opposed to tho policy kid down by the Treasurer. Sir (reorge holds the key to the position. He is reported to have an obedient following of some fifteen or sixteen members : he can, therefore, turn the scale against the Government whenever he pleases to lead his party into the Opposition lobby. Of necessity, Sir George, as the leader of a considerable number of those who term themselves the Liberal party, has been consulted; therefore the opinion which he so confidently expressed that it would not be necessary to table a hostile motion in order to cause the Government to modify or metamorphose their policy may be taken as inspired. Mr Ballance has distinctly stated that under any scheme he could suggest the taxation of improvements would be absolutely necessary. Sir George says that " they cannot urge that till they have exhausted all other means." It is perfectly manifest that the Financial Bills will bo the conceptions of Sir Geor_e Grey, diluted by those of Mr Ballance and his Ministers. The past career of Sir George may be taken as a guarantee that if there is any insistence on the part of the Ministry to spoil the mixture with too much of their concoction, ho will join the enemy and trust to the fortunes of war to take up the reins from drivers who have shown themselves so incapable of " feeling the mouths" of the team to be guided in the paths of patriotism, honesty, and commonsense, as laid down in the very lengthy political gospel according to Grey. The position being as above, it is to be sincerely hoped that the Opposition will refrain from continuing the debate on Mr Ballance.'s Financial Statement. They will have to commence their work de iiovo when the Grey-Ballance policy is before the House in the form of Financial Bills. At the present time they are discussing proposals which are almost as intangible as Pepper's ghost, and just as certain to suddenly disappear.