"A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 631, 7 October 1909, Page 8

"A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER."

... Sir,—ls.it. not tine, now--that the • Prime Minister has returned to New Zealand, that ■.the electors generally considered seriously the necessity of the adoption of some definite and practical programme .of..legisl&tion (all,, the more so because, the present Government seems .disinclined , to .frame one of !its ( ow.n). which would be ■of Teal and lasting .benefit to the' people ? If, wlien Parliament meets, the Prime Minister has no. clear ideas : of -a practical policy to set before'the House, I think it would he. only fair at the next general. election for the electors to oust the so-called Liberal Government .and .-give the. Opposition a .turn.. The. opposition would at least put a ■ stop to reckless extravagance and borrowing, and from the point of view of commercial prosperity and national welfare would undoubtedly bring about "a change for the better." Now, as an evolutionary Socialist and a statosman, I am not concerned .with political parties 6ave in so far as either one or the other conduces to the ultimate'goal 1 in .view. ' I have mode fcomo .study, of New/ Zealand Liberalism,' and have .come to the, conclusion that it is'no good,; a mere plutocratic. dovice for staving off fundamental.issues. A . progressive • Toryism that | takes an enlarged. view of life and extends' its sympathies ;to . men - of. all shades of opinion and endeavours to serve faithfully' tho interests of the. people as a whole/ is infinitely to be preferred than a. ■ narrow : minded, boycotting : liberalism l and a Government which' is a oneman show. I • have ' conversed with Liberals and with' Conservatives, and. I.have in nearly every case met with more sympathy, from the Toxy than from the Liberal on matters relating ■ to' social science .. and evolutionary politics making for economic justice. Sir, if we cannot get Socialism,'say,.'for another onehundred,years, I let us at all events have'a respectable individualism meanwhile; an individualism that can see into the future without putting oil: the blurred spectacles of Liberalism, and which at least kpows how to give fair play to. the.'man •of honest convictions in the direction of the ultimate Socialism to which tho race in years to come may evolve : ns the survival, of .the .fittest ethics. "Looking Forward"' (a book I have written) we need "A 'Change for the Better" (a play I have written), and T say if Liberalism, can do nothing but "splutter and splash, let us have a Tory Government that can swim.—l am, etc., ....... J. B. MORTON BABNES. October 1. '