AFFORESTATION.
MO THE mares OF THE “STECTATOV1 Snt,—I note that Mr. Burns when speaking upon afforesta- tion is reported to have said that the Government were con- sidering certain steps to be taken concerning it, but they must first know what money is available for the purpose. But sUrely this is a most inconsistent observation to come from a -Government which has evidently quite outlived such anti- quated precedents as cutting a garment according to the
cloth, or ascertaining what you have in band, or where you will get it, before you spend it. The policy of the present Government rather is cheerfully to spend some twenty or so millions above receipts, and when asked whence the money is to come to reply that, after it is spent, they will be sure to let you know. A veritable confidence trick in public life! If the new process of determining expenditure by studying apparent requirements rather than surpluses is salutary, why should it be checked in this arbitrary way ? There are still plenty of people left who may be taxed, and plenty of others willing to tax them. Besides, the King's Speech clearly provides for a continuation of the new method. Could it not be arranged that Mr. Stead, or some of his experts, should get into communication with the spirit of a certain departed great Finance Minister, the greatest, indeed, of modern times, and a Liberal to boot, in order that we might learn his views upon this heroic finance ? Might not such an experiment have fruitful, not to say startling, results P—I am, Sir, Ssc., F. 1.0.
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