POLITICS AND REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 764, 12 March 1910, Page 7

POLITICS AND REFORM.

ON SHOWING ONE'S HAND. ,COHERENT DETAILED PLATFORM -• ' , ; NEEDED. (Contributed.) HI. ; .V;. '* I - How far is it wise for a political party v , to . show its, hand ? The point is a . moot ~, : ■.ono. among New ..Zealand' party, tacticians., j ; 'How- oftcn in past years does, one recollect ( v. hearing- complaints by Opposition speakers ( -;that the Government , had stolen planks i ,'froni-their platform, and that it was, no ' ..luse;,for the Opposition to draft a constructive programme until, it was .put in office., This attitude is hot now so marked •:« it used to'be.; It.is unsound,,and that |ever: itfshould have: been .adopted by ,'Oppdsitaon members was due to the opportunist tactics of the Government; Never■jtheless 'the Opposition- platform\is' still |in, some'respects undesirably vague. The\ jparty,; for instance, declares itself in j; - ifavour. of : local Government reform, and, . reform of tho system of carrying on 1 ipubHc' Wbrks. with a view. to . efficiency and economy." Can it be said that even .after alf these years of campaigning the. general public, has'been given any-clear ' idea/ of' what kind of ■ local government reform tho Opposition is in fpvour of, . j or;, how it will reform-the public works -system? The New, Zealand local-govern- : Sonentssystem can be'reformed, in a variety iof 'ways.- The county system . thatfollowed; tho .abolition - of the provincial igovernments has not been tho. success that ,'ivas ■ expected in 1875. Does the Opposi'tion' propose tb make a clean sweep and . establish new bodies with control over ' . . larger, areas,, er is its idea to give more ... ■ power to the present councils, and what ~ ■is to be the -connection between the pabUc works .expenditure and the local government reform' scheme?,. These ,are lall points' on which the country is in the •dark, and on which light -is urgently needed. : Take the proposed Civil Service Board , again. The country is told that ,the Opposition is in favour of all appointments being made'through a board. .No :details\-tp speak of were given until . Mr. IHerdman introduced his 'Bill, and even jiow it is by no means clear'to outsiders 'whether Mr. HerdmanV,'Bill 'embodies ; .-the policy . of. the party or .is merely a jprivate .venture on" his -.own account. •: Tho. party is virtually , asking- the -electors, for a. blank cheque, • and its i . . opponents hive made .the most of this' jlact. -- Throughout the country they have insistently spread the. : idea \ that the Opposition is opposed to pretty well the ■whole; of the legislation since 1891, and ihave:. effectively insinuated that its un- .-" , purpose on being returned to . jower is to mako a.bonfire of the Liberal .measures. ; The-present Government has .. mo policy 'beyond that of abuse. In his .;manifesto pnor to the elections of 1908, fcir Joseph Ward devoted tiv;o and a quarter.' columns. of newspaper space to ' allegiiig that the, Opposition was re- , fOr-the'long period of depression ; i :'thM, followed the Ward-like extravagance . -ot tho _ seventies, and then filled in the : Temauung quarter of a column occupied ' by the manifesto with a casual -reference i ■■■'.' ' ia an ?^ n uiiy scheme, Native., land i (Settlement, and', one 'or. two other ] matters which, he- intended, as , . fjsnal, vigorously. , to:- proceed -with." < . ' In .papng, it is worth noticing that this , Tellable optimist , of : November, 1908—who I ought, to have known what he was talk- t ing .about-declared : "Our financial posi- I nchu.was never ..sounder, our prospects « . jjver brighter .than;, to^ay!"; The/more j •JmiJCTupt of ideas the,XifeesaJs become, the more: systematically .'lvill they abu&a the ftper fiiae. :In i order to prevent needless' Busconeeption; tho Reform party cannot ;-:-too*ar!y state officially-what its intentions , . Br6. .m to every branch lof State -.octiniqy. ,

-Definite Proposals Necessary,' " K.£ rea !V Briiajtf lit is/iristruijtivb" 1; to" now ; ...carrying..on their- agitation; They- havo tasked for no carte;,blanche!Vvlnfdrm'al' . jcommissions have .been appointed, and the rtanff proposals; worked-out in detail. The •electors,, are mado" fully acquainted with of goods/to be taxed, the ■ . of.the fax, and the general effect■«n,; the/finances of ; the, country. ;THere is the: dark, 'say, for plank -Enmbar Q,he imposition of import idnties. so ,as, to unite the Empire > not , merely . upon - sentiment, - but on mutual interests.;',; How far • ahead .vouH Trf Worm havs got on such a jbasis. ; "-In • New Zealand the Opposition iias .been definite - and insistent on- oho IjTOy- a .?d m on that it has virtually won ■the.day.! Phe country;knew exactly what 2 e Pf oposed-,with , regard ,• to, the' freehold, end converts were steadily made ■ last Sir Joseph .Ward- hauled down the flag hoisted by Sir John M'Kenne, and nailed • to. fre " mast. by a colleague -whose political corpso had just oeeirremoved from-the arena. The Opposition cannot appeal to the public by virtue of its administrative record in the past, as many political parties aro accustomed to do. Its administrative record in the futare.' If, even a-politician Tnth .the record of Mr. Joseph Chambertlain has. his; proposals worked out in the /utmost.:,detail .in order to ■ convince the ipabliciof their merit, how much the more is it that. our Eeform party toe/should explain exactly what; the practical results of the. various items ih its programme will be/ ' 'A Great Opportunity. Jt is'/by'its policy that the Opposition must stand or fall. Its business is to work /that policy out so that it can be expounded and explained, in such a way ff ? c . 0I !™ lce -tlio dullest and most-scep-tical of .its merits. : Its: local government pplicy must bo such as will appeal to the practical ■ experience, of the men who are _ taking-part in the local governing work-of , the Dominion. Make enthusiastic, converts of a majority, of these men,who nave_each their own groups of-supporters, and. the reform movement could & enormously heartened up,' throughout the' country by this one means alone. This is the lean year for-public works under the Bpoils-to-the-victors system. There is much complaint in -the back-blocks that: votes tor badly r needed roads ■ have hot: been expended, and the usual policy,: of keeping the votes down: so that the'country electors can be bought next year, by a lavish expenditure is evidently- being' followed.. Ihe time could hardly bo more opportune for making local government relorra the central plank of a vigorous campaign. With, a boldly-treated and consistent scheme which would do away once and tor all with tho annual roads and bridges scandal, it should be possible to -import into political life a zest and vim which has been lackiiig for many a long day. ", : a ,/ good schcmo' is produced and- the Government' steals it, so much the better. . Force it on them holus-bolus :and it will'be another nail in the cpl-M of Liberal extravagance. The Opposition has to. make the public enthusiastic for, reform, and people cannot.be made enthusiastic for a cause until they are'fully convinced of its merits, its feasibility,. and the certainty that it will moau- a vast . improvement l , in every . way on existing cahditions. They must be given, 'an adequate idea of wnafc the Reform party will do and will not do when; it is returned to power, . Besides knowing' how the party stands generally, they- will want to know in what order it will procecd with its programme, what the party business for tho first Parliament will be, other-things, toing equal. It is this prosppct of immediate practical achievement, of partaking iii a national movement toward;; a certain definite end, that .gives fire aud ardour to political life." Let the,reformers put their heads together and work out their plans, and then go out into the highways and byways and teH the people just how they want- their help in overhauling the Stat'o machinery. If they go about their business- rightly and drop fads and: side-issues they will find .willing helpers from one end ■of the Dominion to the other.

The .thing which above all requires driving into the consciousness of young men and. women in New Zealand to-day fs that it is quite possible to have a tetter standard of public life than that whichy has been commonly accepted in this country of late years. Whatever may be thc.'r-al 'state of tilings,-the great bulk of. the pjnjilo arc ready after nineteen years of liberalism complacently , to believe aud accept as the natural order of things, stories of the grossest favouritism in the'sippaintmrut and promotion of officials and. in the spending of publicmoney. Hardly ever does it seem to

strike tho man in the street that it is feasible or oven . desirable,' that poli- | ticians, the trustees for tho people, should manage tlio public estate with the samo disinterested care which tho law enjoins on the ,trnstees in charge of the estate of an individual citizen. In _the one case the utmost strictness is required under all maimer of jiains auu penalties. In the other it is considered by no means discreditable' that ducks and drakes should be played with money held in trust for the community, and that it should be spent to tho advantage' of some party organisation or other. Too often one hears tho cynical ramark: "Oh yes, it's all very fine, but you can't tell me that the .Opposition would not do exactly the same thing if it had tho chance." That is an idea which the Opposition canuot too earnestly combat. It must show that not only will it keep its hands clean, but will, in so far as it can be done by legislation, make it' impossible for either itself or any other Government to deal in the same lax way with the public purse as that to which the country has been accustomed during, the last ten or twelve years., A' nation's chief heritage is its character, and that character is determined to a much greater extent than one might imagine by the standard set in its. public life. What is good enough, the elector argues to himself,. for. a politician in dealing with public-property and affairs is quite good enough for me in my private doings. . Experiment Farm Or Nation?

In concluding the second of these articles it was stated that a political party, can 'arouse enthusiasm only , when it stands for some definite ideal'. What are the .alternatives which' we are' offered in New Zealand? The Government watchword is "Humanism," ' which, being translated, moans State (assistance aiid expenditure where the outlay, increases the Government vote. Sir Joseph Ward is a naturally colourless politician pushed about by extremists. The driving force behind the Liberals is the Labour vote. Once this vote is organised Liberalism, another name for Labour-and-water, must go steadily to the wall. . The New Zealand Liberal party is like a squeezed-out lemon. It is bankrupt of ideas, and Sir Joseph Ward is in a continual : dilemma whether' to pretend to bo a ItadicalSocialist or to throw in his lot with the moderates.' Liberalism is", but a. halfway, house for the Labour people, and the underlying issue which confronts New Zealand, is really with the ; Labour ideal of a-StateWhere increased population, is not desired, where immigration is discouraged, and where everything is regulated by, Act of Parliament. Tho ideal of the Labour party is to retain New Zealand as a .Socialistic experiment farm: The Opposition's ideal should be to build np a nation by bringing' all waste land into the ;most profitable, occupation, by inducing a stream of immigrants of the' : best stamp,- encouraging the • self-reliance and independence of tho people, and, avoiding and counteracting the/present-day tendency of population to drift into the cities.: New Zealand's best defence, and . most urgent requirement, is population, and the problem for our -statesmanship is to get that population,.while at the same time avoiding the' evils which too often : follow in | its train. We do. not, for instance, wish BO iir for, breeding , slurii children, a? fhe_ Australians have been doing* despite their three-parts empty country-sides. The issue,, . then, is with Labour principles, and Liberal administrative methods—the Liberals nowadays; not .having any fixed principles for anybody to take issue with. Ine Opposition has a splendid cause -if it would but rise to. a full realisation of possibilities. ■ The' Labour party has little concern for anybody but. tho town working man, the Liberals have no concorf with anything but place-hunting, and the Beform party alone is. in a position to- champion whole-souledly • a na-tional-programme that will hold out to the country the., promise- .of honesty, a ? d progress. The future of New /.ealand is m its hands. ; . . (Concluded.)

THE CASE FOR THE OPPOSIV TION. A

WHAT THE REFORM,PARTY HAS r r '- ; done..'-- : 't -:,-n int. MASSEY'S ; SPLENDID SERVICE. ■ [To the Editor.] ,' . Sir,—l read with very keen interest, and yet with a certain amount of disappointment, the first of the contributed articles that you are publishing on "Politics and Iteform." The writer certainly grips the position so far as the Government is concerned, but I submit, with all deference, to his' and your opinion, that ho misjudges, belittles, and therefore prejudices the Opposition party with' which he is, professedly, in sympathy. When he asks "Is headway ■being made?" : and, writes of "lost, chances," he is, unfortunately;. blind to the chance he has himself missed—the greatest and best that he has probably had—of helping along the Heform movement. I: agree ■ with ;, you that such articles "should command widespread interest"; and it is because they are likely to do so that I venture, as'a many-years' student of New Zealand politics, and a .warm adherent of the Reform movement,' to enter, a decided protest against the conclusions arrived' at by your contributor in regard to tho Opposition being allowed to pass unchallenged. As a piece of destructive criticism, however damaging the article • may .be to the Government, it constitutes a _ really formidable weapon of offenco against the Opposition, and one that may be used with dangerous effect in the constituencies by Government supporters. It certainly carries the implication (intentionally or. otherwise) that, bad as' tho Government may be, the Opposition is very littlo'better; that it is lacking in the qualities that make for statesmanship; that its leaders are inexperienced and lacking in initiative; that it is, without ideals, and,. therefore, without a sound or tangible policy; and that is is very doubtful whether a change, that would place the present Opposition upon the Treasury Benches, would result in permanent benefit to the country. Beyond this, tho article, whilo evidently intended to show what 1 is necessary. to further the Keform movement, fails to offer any real solution of the questions; involved. You, sir, havo so often demonstrated the unfortunate state of affairs ' into which this country has drifted, as tho direct! result of the abandonment . of practically every Liberal principle by tho so-called Liberals who havo dominated the ipolicy of the State during tho last nineteen years, that there is no need for mo to belabour that business. Every unprejudiced reader of The Dominion must admit that it has dono admirable and excellent service in oxposiiig the shortcomings of the Government and that gross abuse of the political patronage to which 'Ministers cling so tenaciously, and their, utter indilferenco to every principle save that of sticking to office. The justice .of your conclusions that'it is high time there should bo a change in the government of' the country, will therefore be generally recognised, And I am sure you will wolcome discussion upon the issues raised by your contributor.-

Fighting for Principle." I mil not now concerned with your contributor's criticisms of the Government, because X am at one with him in the belief that tho country -is weary of Sir Joseph Ward's methods. But I fail to see where, or how, he makq* good such statements as' that "Mr. Masscy, in or. out of Parliament, is too ready to strain at the gnat and sivailow tho camel"; that "time has been wasted in fighting over trivialities," and that tho Opposition "lacks vitality and persistence"; that it "seems to have no ideals"; that "its tactics are poor, and its attitude to current questions is often too academic to excite much popular interest." Take the first allegation that Mr. Masscy is "too ready to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel." Sandwiched as it is in between the statements that "the grand strugglo of tho year was in regard to tho payment of a sum of J.'400 to Mr. V/. p. Reeves; and tho other most notable attack was that made against the advertisement boycott," and that "something like two millions of monoy was voted away, last session in two nights," it is evident your contributor regards Mr. Masscy 1 s action upon the Reeves and "advert hewnf boycott" episodes as the "gnats," and the voting of the two milions as tho "camel" strained at and swallowed by tho Leader of the Opposition.' But,. sir, far greater and moro vital principles were at stake in the two former matters than in the

latter. And that being the ease, your contributor fails to do justice to the constitutional stand taken 'by tho Opposition. In the Eeeves matter, the authority of Parliament was deliberately flouted by Ministers, an attempt being mado in tho 'final hours of the session, and in a thin House, to reinstato a vole which had been struck out in a much fullor House, when it . was first-intro-duced, because a majority of the mem-; bfers were of the, opinion that Mr. Reeves's services were unnecessary. Now, sir, one of the charges you yourself have brought against Ministers is that they have undermined the authority of Parliament, overridden its decisions, and taken to themselves autocratic powers tlmt enable them to defeat the very intentions of the Legislature, if they are 111 ,tlie mind-'to do so. Nor arc you singular m ibis respect. Your contemporary, the ."Evening Post," declared, with startling esplicitness, in June, 1906, that "a Parliament which was erected as a barrier against tyranny has been the direct instrument of tyranny." In tho Reeves case Parliament had already expressed its ploasure on the subject, and rejected tho vote. It was reinstated, as you, sir, are aware, under circumstances that reflected very little credit upon the Government and that justified tho strong protest made and the stone-wall raised by Sir. Massey and his . colleagues. If the endeavour to reassert the authority of Parliament, and to placo it above that of the Executive, can be truly characterised as a "straining at a gnat," then Mr. Massey may be,held to have been -guilty of even greater indiscretion than your contributor charges him with. But, as a matter of fact, that is not the case.. The principle Mr. Massey stood by is one of the most vital of all principles affecting the government of the country.- Then, in regard to that other "gnat," the "advertisement boycott," surely your contributor, in asserting that "the Government exists almost entirely by the exercise' of pasronage," must also know that seven out of every eight papers in this country (it would not lie drawing the long bow to say nine out of every ten) are influenced in their political attitude by the support the Government gives them in the shape of advertising favours. : Is it . not just to assume that , tho absence of any real healthy public opinion in Now Zealand, upon questions affecting tho'position of the Government, is duo to the manner in which political patronago is bestowed upon the press of tho Dominion? In this Auckland province, more than one paper legitimately entitled to receive Government advertisements has been boycotted in favour of journals" of lesser: standing and more pli.able conscience. And tlio Opposition protest served to remind the public of that which the average newspaper studiously refrains from talking about; that it is now considered the correct thing in New Zealand to buy and sell political support and patronage.. And it is the Opposition protest upon • this very business that is described, by your, contributor as another "gnat", at which Mr. Massey strained.

"Swallowing the Camel," Now coming to the "camel" Mr. Massoy is alleged: to have .wallowed! - It certainly is dreadful to think that two millions of money can he voted away in two night's. But ,that two millions, it must be remembered, covered the Public Works vote,'the greater partion of which had been already expended, the financial year ending on March 31 of each year. The money, was allocated between railways, roads, and bridges. The Opposition had.made its protests:when the Imprest Supply Bills were brought down during .the session, and on- other occasions. It would have been folly on their part to have carried the business further, particularly at . that, late stage of tho short session. In. spite of the large expenditure involved, therefore, it seems to me the Opposition attitude on this business is'of infinitely smaller moment ,to the community than the stand it took upon the other questions with which I have dealt. I, for one, .fail to understand your strictures upon .tile "Dreadnought" business. I am inclined to'think the majority of your readers will endorse the. attitude - of, the Opposition upon that question, and regard, it as strictly correct. No member of the House, with the exception/'■ of ' Mr. T. E.' Tavlor, /whose tactics: came dangerously- .near disloyalty; was ,more "outspoken "in his'criticisms of, the action , of the 'Government-.in. the. matter-than the Leader of the Opposition. But Mr. Massey, in common with other members of. tho Opposition, is an Imin'rialist. The country stood committed by Sir Joseph's action; its .honour was at. stake; to have repudiated tho action of the Government would have brought dishonour, not only upon New Zealand, but npon the Empire. It would havo made both the laughing stock .of tlie nations 'it was desired to impress. Ami I, for 'one, am glad to know. Mr. Massey has the capacity and ability to "think and act Imperially" when occasion demands that ;ho should do so.

What tho Records Show. Concerning your contributor's charge that the Opposition lacks vitality and persistence, and that it seems to have no ideals. Surely; tho records of the last live years alone disprove both statements! It is only by reason of. "the vitality and persistence" of the. Opposition that it is a live force to-day. Would-even the iate Air. Seddon, under similar circumstances, have shown the same dogged pluck, pertinacity, and endurance, as were displayed, by Air. Massey.when leading what was practically a forlorn hope in the Parliament of 1005-8? Seemingly hopelessly discredited, leading only a remnant of his former party, tempted, as he' is known to have (been, by ' the offer of a portfolio if lie would only, slightly amend his principles, i Mr. Massey elected to stand by his party, and to keep the position ilag: ilying, when nine out of every ten men would have hauled it down and gone over ,to the enemy. "It seems to have no ideals." Keally, sir, you contributor is strangely ignorant of Opposition politics,-if< he means what is implied in that seiitenoe. The Opposition "ideals" are set forth in its- policy, and that has been, clearly enough defined, time and again. Need I| remind' your readers that tiie : Opposition party, stands first , and foremost,for* reform—reform, in the Legislature, with an Upper House elected by tho people; "reform in the Civil. Service, and -the abolition of that very political patronage of which your contributor writes so despondently; reform in administration, a cleaning of the Augean stablesreform all' along the line. Tho Opposition stands by, or for, principles which the Government has subverted again and again; it demands.the restoration of that Parliamentary I authority so impudently abrogated by . the .Executive; it seeks to restore . Parliamentary control over the public finances j it stands for prudent and economical (joyernment; and, in short, has a clear-cut, well-deiined, and wellreasoned policy, of which it is by no means ashamed, and which it places before tho electofs .for endorsement. And, sir, I hopo you will pardon me for saying that were J your contributor to put as much enqrgjj and brains into constructive, as lie appears to have expended upon destructive, criticism, .he would serve the publii interest better. The exponents of the principles that are at tho back of the ltefirm party are all too fev.-j their numbers on the press of this country might, for reasons already indicated, be almost counted upon one's fingers. Were the press of this country to wake up to a sense its duty,- and to bear its part m educating public opinion upon tho questions of the day, as it should do, tho reform movement would be soon crowned with success. But, while captious critics abound, and the gallant little i i >nnc L °A reforn "rs is spoken of so distrustfully, and Viewed so coldly by tho pross critics, it is, small wonder they malco little appreciable; headway. Tho Opposition can at least be depended upon to (stand by its principles; unlike the Government, it does i not nail its colours to the mast one dayl to haul them down the I next. Whether Mr. jVlas.soy will over bo- | come Prime Minister of New Zealand is a | matter I cannot Wtend to decide, but ti»s ldo know: man is moro worthy of the honour, antl there is no one who' would nil tho position better.—l am, etc., \ OPPOSITIONIST. Auckland, March! 10, 1010.

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(By Telesraph.—Press Association.) o— DIFFICULT PROBLEM ATTACKED. Grcymouth, March 11. Captain Lambert, of 'the Tj.ts.li. Company's Arahura.-has prepared a plan of tho proposed breavwater of Grey Harbour, wnich, when submitted to Mr. li. A. Gordon was highiy approved as tlio best method of procuring a safe harbour at reasonable cost. The proposal is to erect a semi-circular seawall, enclosing, over two hundred acres of smooth water in front of the mouth of the entrance to tho river, enabling the bar to t be dredged away. There will be an increased berthago in tlio lagoon for vessels up to 10,000 tons; also a railway for conveying coal. Generally speaking, the plan is estimated to make ono of tho safest harbours in the Dominion. NAPIER BREAKWATER POLL. Waipawa, March 11. A meeting of ratepayers last night carried an amendment that' it was not desirable to take a poll for tho completion of the Napier breakwater until Mr. George Nelson's scheme could be adequately reported on. BESSES 0' TH' BARN FINED. Dunedin, March 11. At the Police Court, G. H. Barnes manager, and A. Owen, conductor, of ttm Besses - o' ; th' Barn Band, were, fined 451 and costs'on each of two charges of giving open-air concerts at .the Caledonian Ground last: Sunday' week without the permission of the city, authorities. NEWS IN BRIEF. Greymouth, March 11? After two extremely stormy _ days, the weather is again' fine. The rivers have subsided, allowing coach traffio to be resumed.