STINGING CRITICISM

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2321, 1 December 1914, Page 6

STINGING CRITICISM

REFORM CANDIDATE HITS "OUT. ' Mr. R. A. Wright, Reform candidate for Wellington Suburbs, addressing a meeting of electors last evening at Johnsonville, said that, in view of tho egotistical professions of Sir Joseph .Ward, and the bombastic claims he was making with reference to what his_party had achieved when last in power, it was well to remind the electors of some of the monumental legislation that tho Liberal Party had passed. They endeavoured to perpetuate tho.worst form of landlordism in this country—that dominated by a Maori aristocracy. Tho "" Liberal Government passed the infamous' Criminal Code Amendment Act of 190.;, winch made the exercise of free speed!) ' a dangerous thing in Liberal New Zetland. Tho same party adopted a clausa in tho Libel Amendment Act. of 1910, abolishing in certain cases tho right ot t"ii b U ur y greatest safeguard Of the_]ibcrty of tho subject. Thoy increased tho railway fares and freights ■ m 1910 so that an additional £100,000 had to be wrung from the.people. Instead of increasing railway facilities tho Liberal Government shortly before it went unwept, unhonourod,' and unsung to an unlamented oblivion, introduced a slower time-table for passenger trains. They lavished money upon non-paying South Island railways at'the exponso of the paying North Island lines. Mr. Wright wanted to know whether tho electors of this; democratic country wero going to stultify themselves by" again entrusting the reins of office to a party that had floutod almost every democratic principle. The speaker laid stress' on Sir' Joseph Ward's acceptance of a baronetcy, because it thrrew a searchlight on his natural tendencies. ' . .