Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1905. WOOING THE ELECTORS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3527, 27 May 1905, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1905. WOOING THE ELECTORS.

With the approach of the Parliamentary se--sfen we are favoured with Several vid\V» iff fife jfoliik'ffl sHifedtfil as seen from - different .standpoints There is talk of policies; it is stated that the Government has retrograded in ffhis respect; that the Opposition has no programme; and again a Minister complains that the Party led by Mr Massey has changed it colours 1 How all ttu.se varying accounts ai'd to besfinacfo to-coincide is a pifobfefri that' is left to' the unfortunate electors!. Thd Hon, ], McGowan, Minister for Mines, recently unfolded a roseate view of future possibilities for the happy people of this ftU’Oitfed fcdlony: He. after intei polating a weak statdnidiu that tie- Opposition changed its policy to suit the requirements of circumstance-, went on to prophesy, by way of counterblast, that the Ministry was going t > reduce the cost of food and

living. It is noteworthy that Mr Seduos left this matter severely alone in.his speech at Dunedin on Wednesday, It seems a great pity, if the Government has such a trump card up its sleeve, that the chief prestigiator did not give some inkling of the fact, by way of advertisement, as it should be apparent to the meanest mind that a Ministry that could produce a felicitous result would be assured of the solid support of the country. But, unfortunately, as a contemporary points out, our experience has been that when wages rose the cost ot living rose at the same time, and when the prices of commodies fell wages tended t0. £.11 too. So, perhaps, the Government proposals ,will not be so very revolutionary after all. Still they have a decidedly attractive character. Two classes are, at all events, going to have their wages increased—the old-age pensioner and the school teacher. Mr McGowan forecasts that the holding of areas exceeding 300.1 acies ot first-class and 20,000 aces of second class land is to be prohibited, .referring, j res,!, im ably, to ijUtare seitlement—a swee, ing measure that will take a lot of fighting. We be levo'that the work of s jbJivision will proceed rapidly enough without Government intervention and the ■money of the county w uld be better epent in developing lie back blocks and in settling the nn.i e land question. That, of course, appea-s also on Mr McGowan’s list, but what the. G-overnment-is going to do we.are not to d, We do not believe they know what to do. A Government which is so helpless in (he presence of a questisn of such, first rate importance has no claim on the c mfidence of the electorates. The whole forecast bears the imprint of an appeal for votes, and promises of “ass Lance” and .ither good tilings for all and sundry indicate a wholesome regard for the work done during the recess by the Leader of the Opp situ n.