The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1907. A CANDID SOCIALIST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 30, 30 October 1907, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1907. A CANDID SOCIALIST.

■Yesterday was a, day •■of-.enlight-enment for those who have taken any serious interest in the land question. Upon two interesting and important points the day revealed hopeless disagreements amongst the friends of the Government's policy. The/first of these concerns the amusing series of retreats which the Government lias made from the bold position whiclr.it rashly took up last year. Our two'local contemporaries both dealt with' the point yesterday. One of them 'declared, with a bluff energy 'that recalled Mr. M'JNab's nailing 61.< the.colours to the mast, that " there has been no ' backing down,' and thero' is, not likely ,to be any." The -other rather differed from this view, snd expressedthe hope that the Premier .■ and • Mr. M'Nab "realised by this .time that if they divest themselves of any more of their political clothing, there will not be left the bare minimum that decency demands." The second revelation wa3 supplied by/,thp Attorney-General in his speech on the Land Bilfin the Legislative Council. In a-most interesting address, he subordinated the duty ,of practical analyses to his partiality for discussing theories and tendencies, and as a result he made clearer than ever the vast difference between his and his colleagues' attitude towards political questions. We should say that the Cabinet discussions of the land policy must be deeply interesting. On one side of the table are a group of practical , politicians approaching every question with the automatic sidclongness of men who consider that politics are mostly tactics. On the Other side is the Attorney-General, unfettered by conventions, and full of the enthusiastic candour of the amateur, anxious to settle the Government policy by a strict reference to theory, regardless of the exigencies of party expediency. It is, indeed,,the contrast between political youth and political age, between

the amateur with ideals and the pro fessional who lias no illusions. .

Thus, Avliilc the Premier has been exhausting the arts of the old parliamentary hand in protesting that his land policy is a leasehold policy, _ or in any way related either "to Socialism or Land Nationalisation, the AttorneyGeneral is frankly admitting what his' colleagues have been frantically denying) Yesterday he did not mince matters at all: —

" They were told that tlioy wore making, nt the beck- of the Socialists, an attack, hidden or open, ho was not sure which, upon tho freehold. He,was a Socialist, arid ho gloried in it.. He charged back upon the critics who called the Ministers Socialists that they were ignorant of the 'meaning of tho term. No one, who addressed himself to history and studied the tide of human progress could do other than confess himself a Socialist, else lie would sei. himself against human progress, which, as M- Chamberlain had said-, spelt human kindness.' 1 ' ;

One cannot but admire the candour of the Attorney-General, mid his courage in admitting what his colleagues are too timid and too uncandid to confess. On the point of his candour a.nd courage we give Dr. Eindlay, without-re-serve, the praise which is always merited by those qualities. Whether.:his colleagues will be pleased is quite another matter. Nor will there be an overflowing of gratitude in the quarters outside -Parliament which, are thus constrained to praise for its Socialism a policy which;' when it was the Premier who was speaking, they had toidefend as being nothing even approaching Socialism. ■-•'•■■ More important than either the' Ministry or the Government's unofficial champions is the general.public. Does the public feel as pleased as the Attor-ney-General seems to expect at. this frank avowal of the direction in, which the Government desires to'' steer the ship of State? - On October 15 Dr. li'indlay declared the Government's readiness to make the. graduated tax moiie drastic than ever. As an indication of'the-tendency of?-'the' Government's ideas that statement, was sufficiently, disturbing, but what is to be said of the Attorney-General's broad hint yesterday that the 1 Land Bill, for all its Socialistic direction; is only one step in a programme not further defined than by this disquieting suggestion of worse "things to come. lie did not, he said, for one moment claim that the 33i1l was the last word on the land question: they could only take one step at a time. This, coming from a Minitser, who "glories" in being a Socialist, can mean,but one thing— that as time goes on the Government 'will take stride after stride in the direction of land nationalisation. The Attorney-General is courageous, but is he' quite wise in showing his hand ? The public has a right to know what he'means, and what further it has to .expect. • ; : i