MASSEY’S MANIFESTO.

Taihape Daily Times, 17 October 1919, Page 5

MASSEY’S MANIFESTO.

A SOUTHERN VIEW. 1 “COPYBOOK MAXIMS.” . (Lyttelton ’Times.) This morning VVe‘pl‘lHt a. statement by Mr Massey, which is put forward as “are election programme of the Governnient.” It is a long time since we I read .a. more unimaginativc document. I For the -most part it consists of copybook maxims of the usual platitudinous order. Take the first plank in the plat- I form: "A sound Government with sound administrative capacity, clearly recognising duty, and without fear or favour, party motive or personal interest, conscientiously doing its best for the good of the country and all its citiziens.” This rrieans; of course, the present Government of all the virtues. It means a continuation of all the large! economic disorders of the day. It I means the protection of the profitcer, further increases in national expenditure, the scattering"of untold millionsl of mon-ey in the purchase of land, the prosecution of public works at a snail ’s I ‘pace, and a steady financial drift towards very serious trouble. I Mr Massey’s_ ideas of “sound Gov-I ernment with strong administrative capacity” is that The public and pri-I vate estate shall be in the hands of a wieakling like ‘Mr Guthrie, that Sir William Fraser shall; comtrol public works, that Mr Herries -a.nd Dr. Pomare shall continue to keep better men out of office. It means that the Ministryl of Finance would be in charge, of Sirl James Allen, with all his undemocratic ' instincts and his prejudices against the whole construction of the financial measures of the cofntry, which are Sir Joseph Ward’s'. The “sound Government with strong administrative -capacity” would even give. us Mr Nosworthy, unless Ashburton saved thel situation. And over it-his 4 team of giants would preside the right honourable gentleman himself—-the old Conservative Mr Mass-ey, thinly disguised here and there with bonuses for old age pensioners -and pidus professions of dis. I like for trusts, profiteers, and so on; but still the same ‘Mr Massey who for a I dozen years ‘before zthe war opposed, every popular aspiration --and votedi against nearly every great Liberal measure. I In a preface to the manifesto, the Reform leader apologises for its pau-E ‘city, and the apology is justified. Ex-I cept .that he would) make permanen:t the present‘ bonus to old age pensioners,l spend a million a year on workers’ I ho-mes, and possibly, though on this hcl is non-committal, appzove State-owne‘dl steamers, Mr Massey is negative, I vague, and contradictory. Certainly I there is a promise to overhaul the incidence of. ‘taxation, -and to effect re-I duetions. but this from an authorityl who said only last week that in no couil- I try in the world are -the working! classes so lightly taxed as in New Zea- I land, is not veryinspiring. I It encourages one to think sthat any I change in the incidence of tax-ationl that came from -the Massey -Government I would certainly not give. till-e masses any relief. Indeed if the country getslthe “sound Government” the Reform leader indicates, taxation will be increased. 1 For instance, he advocates “frequent" grad-'ing to bring wages and salaries Bf Government servants into line. with the cost of living.” This means that Mr Massey anticipates the cost‘ of living will not be reduced by his -Cabinet. of all the talents; on :the contrary, -conditions will get: so much worse that the pay of public -servants will require to be raised at'frequ-ent intervals—and every time this takes place a further tax will be placed upon -the community as a whole. We need not here discuss Mr Massey’s wearisome manifesto clause by clause. The promise of energetic land settleln~ent” ‘is an old one which the I Reformers have done nothing to fulfil, I and the policy they are now pursuing Imeans the smallest possible amount‘ of {settlement at the greatest possible I price to the State. Development of I: hydro:-electric‘ power, extension of teleI phones, assistance to ‘women in mater- : nity, maintainence of free and secular ledueation. State assistance in ‘marketling produce, encouragement’ of indus-tries--all these were embodied in the settled policy -of the country before Mr I Massey ever saw oflice, -and in his reciI tal of‘ them there is no merit entitling Ithe Reform Party to support at the I polls. ’ e ‘ I On one large matter of public policy ‘Mr .Massey endeavours, though not I very cleverly, to ‘fiave it both ways.” He has a “perfectly open mind” on the Iquestion of the nationalisation of the coal mines, but he is afraid that the I policy would cripple private enterprise. 11-Ie is also afraid that miners wou]¢l suifer under State own-ership, because there would be no competition for their labour. but “great opportunities for intrigue and favouritism.” This-from the gentleman who is now in charge of the largest State enterprise and monopoly in the Dominion seems rather to ‘require explanation. Tlrere is ncithing in the manifesto that suggests ilpfireciation of the spirit of thestimes and the zrocds of the country. But re:-.1.".y

We do not know :that this matters, be‘. cause We cannot. imagine the constitn-4 encies doing themselves such an in-e jury as :to rotiirn ‘t-he Refofm. Party‘ ta power.