The Dominion. MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 1914. MR. BUDDO'S "POLICY" SPEECH

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1955, 12 January 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 1914. MR. BUDDO'S "POLICY" SPEECH

The member for.'Kaiapoi (Mr. Buddo) has delivered an address to his constituents, in which, among other things, he gave an outline of the probable policy of the Anti-Rw-formcrs if they should ever happen to be returned to power. Mil. Buddo takes himself very seriously, and if he were accepted at his own valua tion by other people he would be regarded as one of the most distinguished of New Zealand politician*. As a matter of fact, he is naturally extremely dull and prosy, and when he tries to bel,clever he only succeeds in being ridiculous. However, it has been so difficult for a long time past, to extract anything in the nature of a statement of policy from the Opposition that even the utterances of a minor prophet are welcome. Mr. Buddo achieved two things when he met his constituents. He produced a crumb or two of policy, evidently brought away from the Government table, and he did a good deal to strengthen the idea 'that the suj, posed existence of an Opposition policy is a polite fiction..- He no doubt imagined that ho had made a decided hit when :- he epigramatically declared that the activities of the present Government could be summedup by saying tha-, what new legislation had been passcn "was not good, and what was good was not new." When it is borne in mind that Me. Buddo himself, together with a very large section 6t his own party, voted in favour of many of the policy measures of the Government, one can see at once how little sincerity; there is'in this sort of shallow criticism. During the past session the Anti-Reformers cut a very sorry figure before the public by obstructing the passage of quite a number of important GovernmentBills by long and futile discussions, and then voting for thorn >when a. division was called for. In the light' of such facts as these; Mr.'Buddo-s----foolish epigram merely lays bare thu utter instability of tho, Opposition;-; and can only be regarded as a-poor, attempt to throw dust, in the "eyes, of the public, but the" member.i„toij. Kaiapoi will find when .the, day;oil reckoning comes- thnfc the peoplcVoH New Zealand have better memories, and a more accurate understanding'! of the political situation appears to imagine, ■ His-outline'uof,. the "probable- policy" oLtho.OpptfJ sition is a really amusingjeffor.tj|bu£

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['■ .;■ :;!i;'il;y>!!!.!;''! ; ; 0\ la " k t hcjiirs tw p 1 aeci. rM : fe ,'B. tifiniSi'Sflys: 1 ta'"reyiJCG : *the/cpstCoi : lix :?6 h i s'( B-;") Jie, *caf i;cf ull ]&iS"jc f in! inc d, fif roirt^'givyngi/an^v! iti mattciyuhr : ;de rjeons iclcrati tif'cl iic|t ime :!anothcr|opportunity!j;t^%Aigtingsin; p"osals~tffter*;:!svasUng*imicliUirii<S!aiulmanySivords in^cpncScnining'them'"in pursuance : bf•.'ttie'.?tacticshwitU."'which .The'hext,itcnv;in;!the-ppposition: : prp-! graninio ias ber ; 'for rKaiapoijns's'a'Upiiicreaso !!in* ■tho' pay:of: scliool!:,tcach'e'ra;f : ftln'_,.this. matter ho\is and appeaM'.to'.fprget l ibr!;'ignorc''thc fact that:the; Governmentfhaamade, a good -.-.start ■ matter,':..and. ; 'has ''promised. tp*Uo' still more ■'. next for, neglect > } ; in?'vpa3t;»yeaf s'f when 01 rV. BuDDO ! Hon.' jAMES' , ALtEN...is..a.!wholerlfearted educational.; reform'cr^fanrl;£he!! ; ;doe*v not'-Icavc'it-hctp6sitibn : as far.,as thc.jGpvcrnmcnt4isY-.con-' cerncd v |jThis!i' iss-sliown v by : !the; following statement'.which he made to a Press reprcscritatlvftjin'/Dunedin ~a day.-or two agp;!^^?;!;" i&}&' Sv .;<'"

';■ "As-te. education.■!aiattcrs;' : '.theie Is 'a very hig'programme before,us next session, .'when Parliament'-will'.'be' asked to thoroughly ■' consider •.' the '-'questions ' of teachers' istaffiag. wo have already seen, to .m a'large measure, . but the. .Whole'.-.'question." will coins up, particularly!-:^ .of teachers 's in- secondary ,-rand ,; ■ primary schools, and! other. m-attersJof-importance to them. ■..Tliis.niattcr'is'absohnely cer-tain-to come'•.before the.Hsuse next session/' definiteApretnise, and that'fises s U' i ": , ' i yj r! .. i^:j J ;..;v, , .;^..- i :; '*' i;:Thc Anti-Reformer's ..are''just '."now posing, with- all*, their.-f.might as 'the. friends of the. teachers,-'and are talking .very'lou'dlyS about' ■ what they .would do if .they.'had.the.opportunity, ignoring the-plain fact that the state of'affairs''wh.ich they are ,so vehemently criticising is the outcome of their own methods of administration ;in years gone,, by!' tho Anti-JReformers.arc posing and talking for electioneering purposes, Me. Allen is. actually getting things done. Another plank in the Opposition platform.is the introduction of legislation"v to'.- ■•;; empower ■ harbour boards and other local bodies to give permanent employment;, to . .wharf labourers. Once again Mr. Bumm is too late, for the Prime Minister has ■ already made a move iu this matter, and has'taken steps to collectinformation with the view of reoi. ganising the present system of whan labour in New Zealand, with the object of placing it on a more permanent and satisfactory.footing from the point of view.of both employers and workers, and also of the general pub-lic.--Me. Bdddo's fourth proposal is the free carriage'of .small children on the railways—and this is all than remains of the "probable policy" ol the Anti-Reformers, as laid down by the member for - Kaiapoi, and even this is not new. MR; Buddo's speech is a striking proof of-the poverty of ideas.'and -.-ideals, and the. loss, of power-from .which the party to whicn he belongs is suffering. '> The Oppos tion has been attacked by a sort or general-paralysis, and is quite unable to arouse any enthusiasm in tho country. Its mana has already gone, and its very existence in'its present form cannot long be maintained. The endeavours'which -some"of the AntiReformers are making to come to an understanding with the Social Democrats is an unmistakable. sign of weakness. They know, they are unable tostand alone. '■'.^■• ;; ;