NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1874, 7 October 1913, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

It is not surprising perhaps that the local official mouthpiece of AntiBeform should be somewhat disgruntled and out of sorts over the success of the Reform Organisation movement which has been so prominently before the public here of late. It was indeed only to be expected that tho party in Parliament which has been endeavouring to obstruct the progressive measures which the Keform Government has introduced should be alarmed at the evidenco afforded it of the strength and virility of the Keform movement which it is striving to check and hamper. But it is rather stupid of tho official mouthpiece of the 'party to go delving back into election statistics in an endeavour to prove that "Liberalism" of the Wardist typo is still in the ascendant. The polling figures of the past three General Elections are the most damning indictment of Wardism that can be. found. They prove in tho most convincing and indisputable fashion tho rapid decadence of the "Liberal" party under Sir Joseph Ward—its tremendous dcclino in tho brief space of six years from a solid and united party with an enormous majority to a weak and disunited party in a hopeless minority. It is really very foolish of the local mouthpiece of Wardism to select past election statistics as a means of bolstering up the drooping spirits of its followers. Certainly it did not commit the indiscretion _ ot quoting any election happenings since the last General Election. Even it could see the hopelessness of attempting to twist the loss of the Egmont seat (to Mr. Wilkinson), and the loss of tho Grey seat (to Mr. Webb, with the "Liberal" candidate at the bottom of the poll in an electorate which has voted "Liberal" continuously for over 25 years) into any semblance of "Liberal'' triumphs. Perhaps it will tell its readers the majority Sik Joseph-Ward inherited from Mr. Seddon seven years ago; how many seats he lost at the first General Election thereafter; how many more at the succeeding General Election, and how many followers he can rely on to-day ? It would make an interesting and illuminating stoi-y of the sort of "progress"• Liberalism has made under tho leadership of Sir Joseph Ward. It is one of the misfortunes of the official mouthpicce of Wardism that there is hardly a topic which it touches on that docs not servo to drag into undesired prominence either tlie unwholesome political past of the party or the cheerless prospect which lies ahead of it. Wellington has grown bo accustomed to lack of consideration and direct hostility at the hands of tho Continuous Ministry that it is quite a pleasant change to find the Reform Government now in office extending sympathetic attention to Wellington requests. The deputation from Wellington City and suburban local bodies which waited upon the Prime' Minister and Minister'of Railways yesterday in connection with the vexed question of the cost of tlie Hut-fc Road were no doubt correct in interpreting the attitude of the Ministers in question as one of anxiety to deal fairly with the residents of the city and suburbs. The enormous cost of tho road was never anticipated by the local bodies, and it is idle to ignoro tho fact that although a magnificent road has been provided they would never have knowingly committed themselves to Buch an expenditure even for so fine a road. To some of the local bodies the financial strain which will be imposed if the Government; insists on its legal rights in the matter win be of a most serious nature and will absolutely cripple them. No doubt the matter is not an easy one to deal with in an equitable manner, for the Government have to consider tho general taxpayer as well as the ratepayers of Wellington and suburbs, lint it must be obvious that to insist on tho full payment of tho cost, of the worlt fulling 'entirely tho local bodies.

would in view of the whole of the circumstanccs be most harsh and unjust. What Cabinet will be prepared to do in the matter was not diclosed by the Prime Minister, but that the " Government will grant some relief " appears to be certain. It was Sir Joseph Ward we believe whose ideas of statesmanship E were once summed up in the naive t< explanation to an interviewer that ti his Government had its ears to the tl ground listening for an indication as to the direction in which the sl public wished to go. It was not a 01 question with his Government which a was the right direction in which to move but which would be the most £ popular. In these circumstances it e is not surprising to find that the j; Leader of the Opposition now finds j himself at times faced with awkward y situations in which it requires all \ his ingenuity to escape the charge of b inconsistency. A few evenings ago, C, for instance, he informed a startled b House that his land policy had al- I ways been in favour of the optional 8 tenure—or in other words the free- 11 hold. It was certainly a staggering £ statement coming from the Leader of a party which for years past had c backed and filled on the landqque- t tion and performed all the twistings j and turnings of a professional con- 1 tortionist in an endeavour to show I that it was willing to be all things t to all men. Last evening again Sir Joseph Ward was properly indignant 3 at a proposal to introduce the prin- J ciple of plural voting into a Bill ' for the borrowing of money for bar- D bour works at Gisborne. It sounded 1 all very fine and proper until it was . pointed out by the member for Patea 1 and the Minister of Justice that a few years back he had voted in | exactly the opposite direction and j had supported plural voting in con- j ncction with loan Bills for the New j Plymouth and the Mokau Harbour works. Sir Joseph Ward's explana- j tiqn of his inconsistency was quite t what was to be expected. In the j case of the Taranaki Bills the people i had not objected to plural voting so i he supported it. Now apparently 1 he thinks the Gisborne people favour c the single vote so lie votes the other < way. Principle I What has princi- 1 pie to do with "Liberalism" as prac- ! tised in New Zealand? j