THE NEED FOR A NEW PARTY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 727, 28 January 1910, Page 4

THE NEED FOR A NEW PARTY.

is not tho Prime Minister but his party who decido what measures sliall be passed; and they 'suffer no -Minister to boss them and over-ride their,decisions. . We: want such a. party in tins- country... Wo have: had' niuch more than; enough of.. autocratic rule. - Under l'»s. rule; pledges. are. disregerded.' after' ' they havo served their purpose. ■ A few years. ago-.a pledge.' was given that all taxes. on accessaries would be•• removed tho-'pledgor.has not been fulfilled. " A pledgo was' also given that tho tobacco tax; would bo reduced or: abolished altogether, but tlie.pledge has not been ful-'-5 , '-;Yhilo thousands of, men, women, and children wero.without, bread 'a few months ago, "tho .great. Liberal,- party" continued tho bread and potato taxes, closed up Parliament for several months,, and went to England to do business which the Hon. Hall-Jones, could havo / done Quito as well. When "the great Liberal party" returned, ho assured tho Workers' ■ Conference . that if any of them' fujled to regard 1 him as tho: best friend they had . in the ,world, they. ''never made :a peater mistake," and .havingsaid' this ho immediately. proceeded to add to their already extremely unjust burdens by increasing 'railway , fares. and -indirect taxation! O.When much-needed -retrenchment . has . to \ bo effected,, the knife is ipplied : to tlie. smaller-salaried men, and the 'fow' high-salaried people who retire :lo so on liberal pensions. 'Ministers' salaries arid allowances romairi untouched ind thev do no less touring at the expense of . tho .State than in tho . former lays.: Tho retrenched cinl servants wero jffered sections j in" the wilds of . both slands, and: on® insane conditions; "But 16 not Government offer, to 1 . mbnej :o working people on land tuid houses at rt per cent,?" .'Certainly. . Who,, thea 1 : ihaU say one, word against: so-, generous ; md beneficent :a' Government? ■ ; .lt may, ! lcrhaps, ba true that tho'money lent is ; ;ho people's rather than the Govern- i nents, But this is a matter of lio'con- : lequenco. If any pooplo arc not well-to- • j io, under present Tula. it is, accoi-dmc -

' to our rulers,; entirely their, own fault.'• i. But a, kind and generous Government ■ will have pity on them, anil ;• provide • them .with annuities' when, they are-past ; work—iij they don't mind paying for .them, i Our rulers. once; talked loudly about the ; Referendum,' and a/Reforendum; Bill was introduced. and passed tho Lower Hoilse. ■ Any . other Government Bill ;• can - get through the Upper House, or'"Old Men's i Home,", as some : irreverently.call it, but that Bill was'ignominiously kicked out. f Government-appeared 'well pleased with i tha performance of their . ''Old Men's Home" / pensioners,';and for some years, wo" _ have heard . - nothing .. inore - from Ministers concerning- tho. Referendum; As. to . the monopoly / . which takes twothirds f vof, the' landless " people's v;earnings - .and gives nothing in return, there' may be, as.- tho Prime ; Minister says, : "some . slight ..injustice" ■in this, .but. "in thisworld an ..absolutely.' just' stato of things; is, what rib'scrisiblo peojilo expect.". All : •people can liavo tho freehold if they, want it. True, it" is the Opposition principle, : but. there-is now: a majority for it,, and-it is- a.' liberal; principle;. to :-yidld: to .tho .wishes of themajority;'.."Give.tho.people." what , they; .want,"' anil—stielc "to ofBco!Of'course,.'.this principle does not apply •"to'tho endowment lands./ Ministers would, not only part,with office, but shed their ' blood "in defence of • those' endowment lands. Has . not , the Prime Minister-said it?,; The. masses aro now' 'exhorted .; to possess their souls in patience,.and.took' forward to the. promised \local Govern-' "ment Bill.. No Minister can fool all, tho , people all the . tinie—no matter how great his. profession" of. ; friendship;-, ; A"; new party is coming, who "will .. demand, not ■only tho broadest. Local ,Government. Bill; ;but,appropriation/of: the whole, of :"the '■ unearned'increment",' for./-the.benefit 'ofthe whole.'.people;:'a great, reduction of indirect taxation;, thorough administration of .'urban as well. as rural lands, so ; . that .no'-.nian !need: bolandless; free education; right: up to the,universities; continuation', and technical schools,-. everywhere, and compulsory .attendance/until" standard of the elementary schools has " .been passed;' even-handed /and drastic retrenchment; the Refpreiidum and Initiative; ..and '.many/ other; 5 things. ; 'Ifthe ■ landless, peoplo .are not the most wretched ; poltroons' on earth, they will rise and : demand, their ;rights.—l;am, etc., . .•/ ,V '■ X T. EVANS, i : Napier,-January 24. :.'/' / '• ;