OPPOSITION'S APPEAL TO THE PAST.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2324, 4 December 1914, Page 12

OPPOSITION'S APPEAL TO THE PAST.

■'■■:■'■=;; Iffi/'WARDKE - : BE(X)RD. ,-.■■.." CONTRAST WITH DEMOCRATIC METHODS ■^V :V - TO-DAYf I ;f 1 LONG SEARCH FOR A POLICY. ;-"Vv" "I am not going to deal in detail with'the work of the past, except to ■Bay that,the.Liberal Party's record since 1891 is'one of which any party in ' ;? th» world might be pround. . . All our efforts have been in the direc- ■■' ; tion of, improving and settling the country, tho uplifting of humanity, and tho betterment of the conditions of the masses. —Sir Joseph Ward No- ■ "vember 2, 19U. -.'.■..

:■ /« IR JOSEPH WARD, > the !. >S\ course of his .recent polioy .speeoh, appealed for support on ..:;.; : the, - ground 0f,,;, the Liberal 'Party's/record: "since 1891." What of ;Uts since 1906, when it first came onder its'present"leadership? In that ■;'-. year''the',party's majority 'was greater T , than at'any previous time'jin.its career. ;Of (tho Eighty members of the House of Representatives over-60 were definitely ! pledged to'support it. Twice sinco then .., ha\ its record been judged by the ■' peopleV and each time the answer has been .'■'.' an;emp'hatic. one.•-Seat .after seat; has '. gone,: and when in the end, in 1912, Sir Joseph; Ward retained office by cne solitary.;,vote, the entire f what remained ..of. the party'was only pre- • vented by- his resigning office and ,re- ; tiring-into the back-ground; Then an ; . amazing thing happened.. It was found that the only member of the "Liberal" ■ "'"'■ Party whom'the members ■ of the party had.sufficient confidence-to entrust with the leadership was a recruit, who, during, part of;,tbe period from 1891, had fought it tooth and nail. .The Cabinet .chosen by this leader failed to ■ retain the .confidence'of . many of the older,members of the'party, and in July, 1912,' the end came. ■'. What reason has there been for the steady decline "of public confidence in Sir•;Joseph ] W ar, i?."; This question; may be _Sy asking-another one: :'■"'■■• "What Joseph Ward stand.for • In the polltioai, life of. New Xealand?" : TheUnswer..:is .not an easy one.' Sir ; ■".;•■ Joseph™ Ward, as "leader,, of the "Liberal" Party," 'cannot be'..said to be iden- ; tified with'~ariy 'definite;'line of policy. '..,''" His j career of ""incidents" as --. against; .tho cut' of; any settled line of thought. 'To take one instance: Up ' 'to 1908 : his : ideas on the land question, _ which for many years had been one of'the principal,bones, of contention in Parlia- • ment, and on whioh nearly every member, had declared himself f In rnost' r : emphatio way, were anjatoost. niknown,; quantity. ]n tha ;. Budget of that year,, however, he surprised'Uwooriritry by outlining a series of Bifiidf^'jprpposals^'for-the• reform Vof the ; land' laws.; Of theso proposals his' ;,;"._■ oolleague, Mr. M'Nab, tie Minister of ,: 'Laads^Bald;-'.:•, V -.' ,V V. "We^aregoing to; stand by our guns, and will If nebossary go down .[': with ..them, in; the twinkling of an. eve., 'We are not' going to float about;, for /half a. century hanging on, to'tie Treasury Benches whilst tho'Sfepple are not' to mak« ; rot what buriand policy iB." ; ; y '; Ex-Mlnlster's Confession. • ■-,- This 'wis all very big and bold, but '- , flfoat, happened P ■ Did the Ward Gov- (.;.' srnment stand bylts.land polioyP Not ,» bit: of it.; . Three years later Mr, A. iff. Hogg, on his retirement from the ;, tWatd Cabinet,-declared: "A& for the Government's policy, • I don't know what it is now. I , don't' know that the Houße knows >. '.'■:■'• •'.' p.\- I don't know that'the right ton. gentleman's colleagues know j / ' It. At all events. It was never disposed to me. . I have had very ' great doubts abbnt it—very serious aoubts."-, ~.,'.-. !Thls from one of Sir Joseph Ward's Bwn Ministers and a life-long supporter bf the party I This Indefinite attitude """•of Sir Joseph Ward has throughout his career been a source of conodrn to his friends. After the first debacle at the polls in 1908, the "Lyttolton Times," 1 fit that time the most influential organ supporting the Ward party, was oon-strained-to remark in its issue of November 25, that tho Government

f 'ffynmb. to .the country without any;!,.thing.:in.;the: shape of a constructive :Poliby.. : Sir Joseph Ward's speeches and his final manifesto ■•■ wero a'sad disappointment, to the ;-,. • Progressives," .'.■■,. This disquiet, as to the ■ absence of t fixity of prinoiple in their leader has j.i continued among the supporters of the I ■-, Ward party up to the present day. We t have seen how Mr. Hogg wa6 unable '■' to discover whither Sir Joseph Ward ; intended.to lead the Cabinet and the : .country in 1909. Another ex-Minister and'-close associate of Sir Joseph ; Ward's, to wit, Sir John Findlay, only , a few months ago, oppressed tho Bam* .concern'.? In -an . article published in '.' the .''New Zealand Times'' on Februi ary Bof this year he said:

>' . . . It seems to me that Liberal- ; Ism la this year to be given its last chance. To secure' that ohanco tho • leader - must be prepared to caur- ';■ ageonsly risk his political existence. ; IF the.Liboral Party, is to survive ';, it can only, survive ' by the- dcclaTa- } ilon.of a policy which will show to electors how radically distinct and different" It,is in vital .principles - from the policy of the present Government. ..'■.;; Sir John Findlay appears to have had a marked feeling at ; the. back of his ■■ mind that it was in'the last degree !' unlikely, that su'oh a polioy would be produced by the present leader of the party. .'.'■. He concluded his articlo with these..despondent words:

""If,'. however,' this course is not taken, and: the Liberal Party is to be left with no clear outstanding differences from tho Masse.v party, it must,"in" my. judgment, cease to have : :iiuy real existence, and survive, merely in name, a mournful example of how great vigour, "through listlesshess.and timid-' jty ! 'sinks..to"'.impotent and wepti- .. Vudo.'"'' •'■ - :: J r Unpleasant Truths. ' jif Joseph' Ward and his followers are Raid' to have been much annoyed

over this plain speaking—it was 60 unpleasantly true. '.' . But on November 2 Sir Joseph Ward delivered his polioy, and such a policy., ihe items in his programme, are fully reviewed elsewhere. It does not need a very close examination, to discover, that there is little; difference in principle :in most cases between the., various itemß in the Wardist programme and. those which. Mr. Massey proposes. -Mr. Maßsey's policy bears the ■ impress of a more.business-like attention '--to.' the matter' in. hand.- His planks as a whole'; are better' thought out, and have in them more of a pi mise of practical, realisation during the next three years, It is impossible to discover any l >vital principle." ' in" Sir Joseph" Ward's' policy which is "radically distinct and different" from that of. the present Government, as Sir John Fmdlay urged it must ,be if the party is to survive. If, the Refcrm planks are taken out of it, nothing worthy of the name of. a policy remains—thero is certainly the baby bonus and the delight-, fully: vague something that is going to make milk cheaper in some extraordinary' fashion, known only to' Sir Joseph Ward. .But can aryohe believe' that these are the big policy ideas—the vital principles which, act trding to, Sir John Findlay,. would alone save and justify the continued existence of the party? How Sir John must have shuddered and thrown his arms iloft in despair when his leader proclaimed to the world his great programme of a baby bonus to be paid 14 years after the birth of tho baby, and a cheap milk supply.

tive, Lands Commission. While the law doos not expressly,forbid such, a payment, it was recognised, by jurists throughout the world as entirely contrary to tho great principle fought for for centuries by the British people that the salaries or judges should be fixed by Parliament alone. As the solitary objector among the Wardists said,- "It is an Infringement not of any legal enaotment, but of moral law." Spoils to tho Vlotors. Thon the electors must ask themselves whether thoy desire to return to the principle that public works and roads and bridles votes should be influenced by political considerations, instead of settlers getting what they were entitled to on the merits. The position under "Liberalism" as.New Zealand knew it in 1911 was bluntly pub by a passage in the Hawera "Star," in the course of a report of a speech by a certain mombor of the Ward Government. The "Star" reported him as having said in answer to a lequest for the construction of a railway to Opunahe: ". . . . If you do not support us, you must go without your , railway. If you belong to the stagnation party you must go without your railway.; People who vote for us, I am with them." This statement was naturally much oriticised, and She Minister subsequently made a partial denial of its iccuracy, to which the editor' of " the Hawera "Star" repliod that he had every confidence in the accuracy of his reporter. The Minister complained of tie reporting of his speeoh, but whether ne used- the Words or not what could more fittingly describe such an incident as this referred to by Sir Walter Buchanan 1 in Parliament on February 29, 1912 :— "In the session of 1908, ,under the heading of 'Roadß and Bridges,' the Government included in the Esti- , mates, a vote of '£1600 for 'what is known in my electorate as'' the White Rock Road. I did not rcpre- • sent the. constituency during that session, but I was; returned at the. succeeding election. Now, what became of that vote? I will tell you. While the election of that year was "•• In progress, orders were issued for the expenditure of the £1000 vote, and two brake-loads of co-operative ■

WHO ARE THE REAL TORIES ? . ... The Wardists wishto fasten a Tory label on the Government, but' IT 13 NOT DIFFICULT FOR THE ELECTORS TO SEE WHICH PARTI IS.RE ALLY TORT IN. ITS INSTINCTS. 'The Ward Party maintained Tory institutions, and acted on Tory principles for many years' until the Reform Government arrived to substitute democratic rule. Survey the Wardist record and you will find that they need, quite a number of Tory labels for their personal decoration:— Toryism means autocratic rule patronage,'and if the had their way'the Public Service would still be under the autocratic rule of Ministers,'with all tlie accompanying evils' of political influence and jobbery. ■'.".", ( The'Wardists maintained "the Legislative Council on a Tory basis by instituting a system of short-term appointments so that members of the Second Chamber were the subservient slaves of'theMinistry. The Wardists are -responsible, for maintaining the autocratic and vicious system of Parliamentary grants and doles in aid of country development works, which the Reform Government is/pledged to make tin end of. Toryism, means the perpetuation of class-distinctions, and Sir Joseph Ward is the only politician in New Zealand who bears an hereditary title. 'Toryism means autocratic power irrespective of the popular will or political principles, and the Wardists, who profess to be a party of moderate views, are now seeking to regain power by an alliance with Red-Fed. extremists. ■ ' Toryism means stagnation, and the Wardists allowed thousands of settlers to languish for years in the back-blocks without the roads and communications which would have enabled them to work their holdings to advantage and buildup the prosperity of the Dominion. Apply the test of facts and you will find that the Wardists are steeped in Toryism, and practised its principles, when they had the chance, as far as they dared. Some liberal measures were passed during their term, but they could not have been withheld by any Government. They were due to the driving force of public opinion to which the present Government is giving free play in reforming the laws and institutions of .the country.

member for Wellington South, moVed in the House:

"That in the opinion of this House Government advertisements should ba supplied to newspapers regardless of their political oonviotions, and with a view only to securing the best return to th 6 taxpayers for the money so expended." i Like a Dose of Poison. This exceedingly fair and reasonable proposal was received as if it were a dose of poison by the "Liberal" Party, arid was defeated by 36 votes to 18. It objected both in theory and practice to the proposition that public money should be expended' solely to secure the best return to the taxpayers. As for the Wardist administration of the Native land laws it is only necessary to recall what Mr. Hogg said of his late colleague in the' Ministry, Sir James Carroll, in July, 1910: — "No effort seems to have been made to frustrate competition or defeat the land-shark. There has been free-trade in Native leases and in the alienation of Notive lauds such as very few people ever dreamed ■of or imagined for a moment would take place under a Liberal Government." ' : The Ward Party administered the country at its own sweet will, because' it-had a subservient majority in Parliament, which could be brought to heel and made to swallow any dose required. The Ward Covernmont was always against letting In the democratic daylight In the transactions with tha London moneylenders, 'In November,. 1910, Mr; Allen moved that: "Particulars of the terms upon which loans are . floated, together with all costs and expenses of raising the same, shall be laid before Parliament within twelve _.' months of the floating of the Bamo." The Ministerial majority oame to heel and. voted for the rejection of the clause by 45 votes to 27. Mr. Herdman then moved that particulars be supplied within two years. This was defeated by 44 votes to 28, one member, Mr. Greenslade, changing over.

Ward Administration.

As.a,matter of. fact,, it is difficult tofind ; any, ''vital principle" for which Sir Joseph .Ward stands.. His.policy,offers jittle, either to attract or repel, and his claim to the support;of the electors apparently rests on his shadowy and unas an administrator. How shadowy.' these. clainiß are the publio clearly know from past unhappy experience. The Reform Government made, far-reaching changes in administrative methods during its two yeatß and four ;months in office .;; One. of, the most notable.of these was the:pla T cing: of the Public Service under non-politi-cal' control. Sir Joseph Ward declares that the Act has "not worked satisfactorily," and proposes to put the Public Service, under a Minister, and restore what be describes as 'direct Parliamentary, .but.not political ..control.". It is not .at Vail clear .what ..this proposal Involves. That Is one of the weaknesses of Sir Joseph Ward—he Is so vague and oonfused in his Ideas that there Is always left some loopholo ' for him to squeeze out, of If neoessary. But it is well that the public should in mind the .methods, adopted in' Sh Joseph Ward's day in controlling the administrative machinery- of New- Zealand. ' , '■ ■

A fierce,light has beaten about the ad-: ministrative aots of. the Massey, Government since it has been in office, and it is'well that it should be so, for good administration is the foundation of all good government. The followers of Sir Joseph Ward have been busily engaged in findingfault with the Reform Ministers and their administration. Perhaps some electors have forgotten tho kind of administration which New Zealand knew in the last few years before; Mr. Massey came into office. The members of the Ward Party have never expressed regret for even the most fla-. grant of the misdeeds which stained their record, but have merely described

those who very necessarily directed public attention to what was going on as base and malicious slanderers. The only inference to be drawn from their speeches is that the members of the Wardist Party seo nothing to be ashamed of, for instance, in, tho payraoht during tho year; 1908-9 of £4()i9 13s. to Sir Robert Stout, 'in addition to his salary of £2000 as Chief Justice. This huge extra' payment to the Chief Justice was an honorarium and travelling allowance *s a member of the Nfc<

workers, accompanied by ah engineer, proceeded' to the ground to make preparation for the expenditure of this money. They-remained there a few days, until the Government candidate was defeated at.the election, and were then .withdrawn, and not a single sixpence was subsequently expended by the Government out of this vote of £1800. . . . . The othor case is- that of a bridge in the of Greytown. The Liberal Government during five separate sessions

voted money for the construction of this bridge, but they never spent one single shilling of it, because I as an Oppositionist represented the . constituency." . • The samo system appeared in the transactions of almost all Departments. Because The Dominion exposed the shortcomings of Wardism it was refused the Government advertisements, ordinarily inserted in the Press throughout the Dominion. In 1009 Mr. E. A, Wright,

Sir Joseph Ward declared the olause "a piece of political oflenslveness"! That is to say, it was offensive of the Opposition of that day to suggest that the people.had the right to know the cost and exponees and other particulars of loans raised by the Ward Government, and what the people themselves had to pay. It was offensive even to ask that this information should be supplied withui two years.. That was the state of things and the attitude of inind under the Ward Government—and the 1 public should not: forget it. Parliament Flouted. The Ministry, as time went on, settled down into the practico of complying with the resolutions of Parliament only when it suited them. 'In 1908 the Legislative Council passed a resolution in connection with the claims of Mr. Joshua Jones to' the Mokau Estate:— "That the matter should bo re- [ ferred to a Royal Commission, and that, pending such being held, further dealings with the land be prohibited." This was completely ignored by the Ward Administration. So was the' resolution of the Select. Committee, which, in; November,,: 1910, reported upon the Mine charges, The committee passed this resolution:— "The committee is of opinion ■ that legislation should be passed making it illegalfor a member .of Parliament to act on his own behalf or on behalf of any other person' in negotiating the salo of an estate to the Crown." The Ward Government did nothing whatever to give effect'to this. It remained for Mr. Hlno himself when tho Reform Covernment came into office to oarry out this recommendation, designed to : ensure-a purer political atmosphere, an Act being passed which is now tho law of the iand. , A matter on which Parliament was made to stultify itself was the pavment of a sum of £400 to Mr. W. P. Reeves, for acting as '"Financial Adviser in London" in 1909. ■ Mr. Reeveß had retired from the High Commissionershipi and members wanted to know why his successor could not do what was noeded. The vote was struck out by 35 votes to 25. Sir Joseph Ward was resolved to have the money for Mr. Reeves, and, contrary to Parliamentary practice, introduced the item on the Supplementary Estimates, when a number of Government members reversed their votes at his dictation.

Remember, what the record of tho Ward Covernmont has been. If you vote for a Wardist candidate you express approval of such practices as those dasoribed above. Contrast the admin' istrative record of tho Massoy Government with that of the Ward Government. You behove in democratic principles and open and above-board methods, On which side are you most likely to. get them?

"Tho Government is not a party of promises, for which previous Administrations were so conspicuous, but of achievement along sound administrator* lines."—Ptthiatua "EeraUL"