The Liberal Programme.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3362, 15 December 1919, Page 5

The Liberal Programme.

A LAST. wonnimo THE ELECTORS.

I In View of the persistent nlisrepre~ sentatioris of the‘ Massey'ite~.Press reg‘a.l'ding' Sir Joseph Wardfs “platfornl” and his financial methods, it is desirable in the,Libel-a1 interest that the following considerations should be brought under the notice of the general public, to enable them to come to a just decision upon the merits of -the Liberal policy before polling day. An important section of the New Libel'a.l Programme deals with the needs of our SOLDIERS. Sir Joseph Ward proposed more effective methods for aiding and training the maimed or invalided men; and he is prepared to adopt a more vigorous policy of LAND

SETTLEMENT toiena,-ble the returned soldiers to got on to tlle land under favoui-ahio eonditiolls with at least a reasonable chance of making a good living. The other day, Mr Massey, being forced to admit tha;_“Reform” has failed lamentably” in its duty of of providing land for «the returned men, publicly declared that it was a mistake to attempt to put the Soldiel’Si on fil'St~ claés land-—-they ought to go on to “virgin land,“ rough country, and break it up for themselves so as 'to get experience! Of course, Mr ‘Maséey does not want to see -his‘ good friends", the big land-owners), disturbed, and so he advises that the returned‘ men should be sent out illto the wilderness 1-(3 learn how to make 8. living there. THE LAND QUESTION.

This! is characteristic of ‘‘Reform'’ policy toward the gravest of all the problems that this country and its rulers have to SolVe~_—-the Drolblem of LAND SETTLEMENT. The failure of the “Reform” Party to carry on the great work of Liberalism by breaking down the LAND MONOPO- - and breaking up the big estates, -is one: of the most fldiscreclitalble blots upon their record, and they know it quite well ’ ~ Mr Massey is trying to cover his failure now by assuring the people that last year the“Refol'm” Government passed some of the most drastic legislation ever‘ carried, Ato destroy the Land Monopoly and provide land forthe people. But it is one thing to pass laws and quite another thing to a.dminiStel' them Everybody knows that when the Masseyites were stumping the country appealing for help to turn out the Liberals in 1911. they made a score of promises—-to reduce taxation and expenditure and .borroWing, and cost of living, and so on—not one of which -have they performed. In 1913 they passed one of the most stringent and drastic enactments to be found -in our Statute Book for breaking up the big estates and forcing the big land—owners to sell—~alnd to this day. not one estate has ever been taken over in terms of that Act. Masseyism pr-omises,'bu’t will not perform therefore Liberalism must come to the count:-y’s rescue. "

| Of course, the Masseyites -are very solicitous about the welfare of “The pl\/lan on the Land.',” The other clay ithc “Dominion” produced a huge ad—vcrtisement dilating on the importance ‘of the “Big Five"’——our great aggricultural and pastoral industries—a.nd assuring the country that so long as ‘everything goes well with “The Man on the" Land.” everything will be for the best under the best .possil_)le of _Governmcnts_ No one is likely to deny that the “Reformer-s,” whose policy is dictated and controlled by the great land monopolists—have done exre:_vthillg in their powervto help “The ‘Man on the Lend."’ Bur they generally forget to. mention that if it had noi. been for the Liberal Land Legislation which the Masscyites opposed so fiercely 25 years ago, there would be no Close Settlement anywhere in New Zealand, and the whole country Woulrl still he possessed !by a few score big “squat€rs” and their sheep and cattle. They also forget to mention. that if it ha<i‘not been for that “State Interference” on which the Liberals, in -spite of Conservative opposition, have always insisted, and‘ which Mr Massey‘ still deplores, the settlers and farmefss would have had no Agricultural Departmen?‘ to help: them, no inspectors and instructors} and lecturers, no dairy experts, no; model farms, none of our elaborate‘ system of organisation for the im-3 provenfent of our primary industries] the classification of our sfaple pro-! ducts and their transport to foreign‘ Ina,rkets——-nothing, in fact, of all the‘ countless benefits and advantages and‘ facilities that have practically crcated{ our frozen meat, dairy, poultry and‘ fruit‘ trades, -and, in a word, made Mr‘ Masseygs “Big Five” what they arefl to-day.

But, granted that the “Refol-mars,” building on the foundations that were laid by Liberalism in spite of the resistance of the Masseyites a_ generation back, have ddhe a. _good_.déal for the “Man on the Land"’+the - _v;ually% impox-taut issue in a young Eountry is

the PROMOTION OF SETTLEMENT. ‘Mr Massey boasts with some truth that he has -helped the "MAN ALREADY ON THE LAND. What has he done to put other men on the la'n'c‘l’: That is the all—importallt question. The country knows how little he and his friends ever have done or ‘will do in that direction. It is against “Reform” principles to break up the big estates because it means “interference” with "the saéied rights of the individual,” the privilege of _ “firivate enterprise" «to cm-’E""'ate any monopoly, however huge or harmful, without any hindrance oi‘ ’6ontrol. But it is also against “Reform” interests to” interfere with the big land-owners because they are for Mr Massey “The Power behind the Throne.” and he may not ‘run counter to their wishes. For all these reasons.’ the - co‘li‘ntry’s only chance of breaking down the Land Monopoly and checking the constant aggregation which has gone on so rapidly in recent years under “Reform,” and bringing land fort settlement on reasonable terms Within easy reach of the mass '63:’ the people-——the country’s one hope for the future lies Liberalism and in Lifberalism alone.