The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 20th, 1925.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 20th, 1925.

WHERE STANDS LIBERALISM? The question ns to where Liberalism stands has Lee a answered admirably at Home. There, its critics have been delivering funeral orations over the party, the wish being father to the thought that the Liberals were down and out. There are those in this country who are trying to persuade themselves of something of the same line of thought, but they are much perturbed that the “corpse” will come to life again, and lie unpleasantly active. As to the Old Country, when account was taken of the Party hy the Party alter the last sweeping general election, a committee of reorganisation was set up. and the report is now available, indicating that the rumor nnout the death of the Party was greatly exaggerated, and that in point of fact, a more virile Party than ever is- going to ari.se. Liberalism has stood the test of time, and its tenets are such that there are manv close tuß’ciegts in 0 retie Bri*

tain—Dichards, if you will - who believe in tbe party and its policy for the betterment of the people as the essential tiling to make a country great and greater. It lias been well said that historically the party i.s a middleclass party, for it was born in the days 01 restricted sulfragc and with an electorate of one million as against to-day’s twenty millions, and it was only step by stop that it won the lranclii.se first for the town worker and then for tin country worker, Imt it retained in the process of expansion something if its traditional character and the impress of its birth. To-day all is changed, and the Liberal Party of the future is to be in spirit and organisation, as much a party of the people as the Labour party itself. In the vital matter of tinnnee it will be able to claim to lie even more democratic, for whereas the Labour Party depends for its support upon the vast compulsory levy of the trades unions, the Liberal Party will have only to rclv on the voluntary generosity and even the weekly pennies ol its supporters in each constituency. Tlie proposals of the Committee on lieorganisation are described by Liberal

newspapers in Britain as ‘‘revolutionary.” Not only is control of the party organisation to lie ‘'democratised” to an extent never before contemplated, hut it is to be feminised and thrown open to youth. It is recommended by the Committee as a rule of organisation that each local executive shall consist one-third of women and one-third of persons under 3T years of age. The Committee urges that too much money lias been spent upon ele, lions in the past by all parties, and that in future the Liberals must do more by energy organisation and voluntary labour. Nevertheless the sinews of war are necessary. On this subject the Committee’s report does little more than state the problem in exact figures. Assuming ait election in three years, the total cost of running the constituency associations efficiently, and accumulating an adequate election fund for cadi, will he £1.170.000 or £390.0(10 a vein for three years, and over and nbov. this there must he a centra] fund of some magnitude for national propaganda and organisation. Brought down to a yearly budget for each constituency of £O3O, these figures look less formidable. As to the question of the vitality of Liberal sentiment in the electorates, the ‘'Manchester Guardian” says that the Cominitee travelled far and wide through the. country and conferred with representative persons and organisations everywhere. 'Everywhere the numbers found the same eagerness, the same initiative, the same readiness for work and for sacrifice. Tlioie has been nothing like it in the history of the party. Sir Donald McLean, reviewing his experiences all over the country during the Committee’s tour said: “There lias never been in the Liberal .Party as long as I have known it intimately, and that is thirty years, sudi a. widespread determination to pay its own way.” Everywhere the Committee went, he said, it found the most amazing enthusiasm, a revival of Liberalism of almost religious fervour, ami that must conspicuously among the young people. It is an encouraging sign to note that there is still ail avowedly Hadical wing of the English Liberal forces. Some of the greatest leaders of Liberalism have come from the radical end of the party—Cobdcn, J. S. Mill, and Campbell-Bannerman, for instance —ami the formation of a permanent Hadical Group in connection with the National Liberal Club is a development well in accordance with the traditions of the party. According to its leaders this new and militant body i.s in no way antagonistic to the Liberal Party. It is rather, as one sjieaker, said to lie in the nature of “a ginger group’’ which purposes to put “first tilings first” and the Group points out that the reforms urged in its programme have all from time to time been advanced in the official manifesto of the Liberal l’artv. In the forefront of its

programme the new Group puts “f.ee land, free trade, free people,” and the matter on which the majority have especially insited is the break-up of the land monopoly. These developments of course, arc vigorously derided by tb-anti-Liheral Press,' both Conservative and Socialistic, luit there is apprehension underlying the derision. And in this country, too. we have the same manifestation of apprehension that the Liberals are going to he the Party to count in New Zealand alter the next general election. On that account Reterm and Labor are engaged win I

heavtedly in the attempt to deride the Liberal Party—hut it is a useful advertisement for the Liberals.