POLITICAL REFORM LEAGUE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2100, 7 June 1907, Page 2

POLITICAL REFORM LEAGUE

LOCAL BRANCH TO BE FORMED

Mr. R. R. Martin, organising secretary of the New Zealand Political

Reform League, arrived in Gisborne by the Victoria yesterday, for the purpose of inaugurating a branch of the Leuguo in this town. In an in-

terview with Mr. Martin, wo ascer-

tainod that the planks of tho Reform l.eague are identical with those of the Opposition Party, and aro as follows: —

(a) To secure businesslike, prudent, and honest administration.

(n) The restoration of true Parliamentary government; government A all by all, through their representatives freely nominated and olected without interference on tho part of the Ministry of tho day. (c) Tho restoration of Parliamentary control of the public finances, and, to thiß ond, the repeal of the obnoxious provisions of “The I üblic Revenues Act, 1900.” (d) The abolition of tho deceptive methods of presenting the public accounts now in use. (n) Tho reform of tho Legislative Council. (f) Tho reform of tho method of making appointments to the Public Service so as to exclude political in-

fluence in making such appointments, and to secure the services of* able men of high character, and to provide promotion by merit, as well as superannuation for all Civil servants. (g) Tho reform of local government by tho establishment of a sound and assured system of local finance, with a. view to the substitution of the equitable distribution and economical expenditure of public money in place of the present system of arbitrarily varied Ministerial grants and doles.

(ir) Tho reform of tho land laws; the encouragement of land settlement by leasehold tenure on the homestead system, and by giving Crown tenants the right to acquire the freehold on equitable terms, with provisions for preventing the creation of large holdings.

(i) The settlement of tho native land question and the development A the locked-up lands for the benefit of the native race and the colony. (j) The maintenance and improvement of our national system of education, including the more perfect co-ordination of primary, secondary, and University education; the extension and improvement of technical education; the counteracting of the present tendency to centralisation; the providing of a system of superannuation for teachers; and the introduction of such other improvements in tho status and remuneration of teachers as are necessary t'o attract men of the highest ability and character.

(k) The reduction of duties on the necessaries of life.

(l) The reform of the system of carrying on public works with a view to secure efficiency hud economy. (m) The reform of the administra-

tion of justice, specially by the raising of the status and emoluments of Wardens and Stipendiary Magistrates. (n) The amendment of the law of libel in the reporting of public meetings, so as to extend to the Press at least the same measure of freedom and security as is enjoyed by the Press in England. (o) The promotion of such social and industrial reforms as are demanded by justice and consistent with liberty, without diminishing the scope for private enterprise and genuine progress, or impairing the sense of responsibility. (p) To advance and encourage by every proper means the candidature for Parliament of honourable and

of politics and honesty of administration.

(q) To take such measures as may commend themselves to the League for the furtherance of the foregoing objects, and such others as may from time to time be adopted in addition thereto, and to co-oporlate and associate w*th other associations having similar and to form branches of the League. We understand the organisation of the Reform League was of great assistance „in securing the return a» Mr. F. "W. Lang as member for Manukau in the by-election last December, and also in wresting the Taranaki seat from -the Government last month. The Taranaki Herald jf

May 15th, in referring to the subject, said:—“The usefulness of the Political Reform League was freely proved during the contest, for immediately the vacancy occurred the organisation was ready to commence the work of the campaign. Had there been no such organisation It would have taken several days to get oommittees set up and the necessary work put in hand, and so valuable time would have been lost. Under the very capable direction of Mr. Martin, the League’s organiser, the machinery was set in motion without a day’s delay, and worked smoothly to a successful issue. It. is Mr. Martin’s intention to form as many branches of the League as possible in the Poverty Bay district. The League is still in its initiatory stages, but already the Taranaki, Stratford, Egmont, and Hawera electorates, and as far south as Marton, have been organised. Quite recently branches have been formed in the Waikato and Tauranga electorates.