WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1919, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(Our Special Correspondent).

THE REFORM POLICY,

A BIG PROGRAMME.

WELLINGTON, October 13. j . . The manifesto with which the Prime : Minister announces the Government’s 1) policy this morning covers a great deal j of ground, but occupies comparatively ' little space in the newspapers and is ; plainly open to the reproach of being ! superficial. In his anxiety to steer the j happy mean between excessive verbo- J sity and undue brevity, Mr Massey lias j laid himself open to tlie charge of ambiguity and he is not likely to es- i cape criticism on this score. “Careful pnd economical administration by avoiding waste and extravagance, though without parsimony or the arrest of j progress, thus ensuring to the tax-payer I full value for his expenditure” and “An | immediate ahd a thorough reform of ; the system of both direct and indirect! .taxation so as to make it more equitable: in its incidence,, with a substantial re- 1 duction of taxation at the earliest 'possible date”, are, for instance planks: that may be described with some jus-; tice as platitudinous... . .. s A FRIENDLY VIEW. > Mr Massey's political friends, how-; ever, finds no fault with their leader’s pronouncement. “When he left the National Government in August, “the “Dominion” says, “Sir Joseph Ward issued a policy statement, so-called, which 110 experienced observer could regard as anything else than a specimen of political window-dressing, a tiling far removed from a practical working programme, fft is to Mr Massey’s ere-* dit that in addressing the electors on behalf of bis Government and party ho has not attempted to follow the lines laid down by his political rival. In contrast with the extraordinary jumble issued by Sir Joseph Ward, the Reform leader’s manifesto deals in a broad and general way with tlie needs of tlie time and the measures by which it is proposed to meet them.” On tlie proposal for the naionalisation of the yoal mines, the Prime Minister preserves “a perfectly open mind”, but is waiting for an explanation of what nationalisation means. THE CRITICS. The “New'Zealand Times” publishes tlie manifesto without comment, reserving its criticism, no doubt,-’for a later opportunity, blit the Liberal and Labour politicians are less deliberate in their expressions of opinion. A prominent Liberal, with “independent” tendencies, recalls a certain speech delivered in the ‘ Wellington Town Hall in 1911, which lie says, was the foundation of the Reform revival, and the basis of the party's subsequent success. The speech, according to this authority, who is quoted without reference to the report of the speech, contained promises for the reduction of taxation, the lessening of the cost of living and the prevention of land aggregation. But both taxation and cost of living increased under the Reform Administration and land aggregation went on as merrily as ever.

LABOUR INCREDULITY. Official Labour professes to be intensely amused by what it calls Mr Massey’s promises of repentance and reform. It wants to know why during their four years of untrammelled authority, with Liberalism moribund and Labour helpless, the Reformers did not “get out” and do tlie tilings they are now dangling before the electors. Particularly "it scoffs at Mr Massey’s open mind on .the nationalisation of the coal niiues aiid his demand for some, one to loll'him what it means. “Surely”, one of the assistant leaders of the party exclaims, “it is tlie duty of the Prime Minister of "the country to understand the meaning of the fundamental questions immediately affecting tlie Wei-, fare of its people. This is worse and worse—worse than Sir ’Joseph Ward — and we can only pray to be sated from the tender mercies of both ties.” And so the. discussion of the. manifesto goes bn.