The Daily News WEDNESDAY, MAY 8. THE OPPOSITION CANDIDATE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 8 May 1907, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, MAY 8. THE OPPOSITION CANDIDATE.

Ihe New Plymouth electors have now had placed before them from ihe public platform th" political views of the three candidates for the honor of representing the laranaki electorate In Parliament, In all the meetings an unusual amount, of interest, judged by the large attendances, has been evinced. If the pre-

sent ram pahas demons! rated anything. it is lh:it I lie present (; t >v t i iinu nl has fewer enemies that were wont lo suppose, tor ii. seems Hint, excepting only Hit' f,and Hill, all (In* candidates in ihe field it I:.' advoeaies of continuing the policy oi ihe present Government. Mr. Okey, on Monthly night, declared himself the Opposition candidate, hut not a strong parly man. After listening to his speech, we finite agree that Air. Okey is not a strong ]>:i rly man, but, from his utterances on the wholo, it seems to us that if he earned most of his expressed eonviclions into effect, lie would, if elected, he found voting in the lobby opposite to tluvt into which Massev would lead his followers. We do not. know how Mr. Massev can accept its a follower one who so I'ar departs from the platform of the Political Reform League as to advocate borrowing. Mr. Okey laid it down in his address that the colony could not prosper without borrowing for roads, railways, advances to settlers, and for opening up new lands. One of the functions of the Government, he said, was to introduce cheap monev for speeiiied purposes. One of the great platform arguments of the Opposition why the present Government should be deposed, is that it has increased the pnblic debt inordinately, yet Mr. Okey admits that, though in tiie past much borrowed money had been squandered—probably before the present Government took oliice—"he was satisfied, and could show that the money borrowed had been expended iu a fair and reasonable way, and we had good assets to show for the lability." What further assurance do the electors require that the present ship of state is not manned by the iniquitous crew of squanderers and wreckers some critics would have them believe? if the Government's administration can draw from an opponent an admission so flattering. how cau the electors be expected to desire a change of management? Mr. Okey told us the colony was never in a better position. What we wanted, he said was a Government lhat would help local bodies by getting cheap money; a Government to assist, local industries, to upon up roads and settle lands. With Mr. Okey we entirely agree, and we would merely point out in agreeing with him, and in giving credit where credit is due, that the present Government lias been, and is working, along those identical lines, and was the first Government in this colony to adopt such a poiicy. To give another instance whereon Mr. Okey and the Government are in complete accord, we might refer to Ihe case of workers' homes. TnwittingIv. no doubt, Mr. Okey covered the Government of the Jay with undying glory, )r spoke to his own undoing. Mr. Okey said lie would be found supporting any scheme that would assist working men in providing homes for themselves, always with a view to acquiring the free hold. He had, he said, suggested four ind a half years ago that the Advances to Settlers' Act should be used for the

pnrpose. The (Jovenuneut of the day, however, thought they could go one bettor. and said "we will buy the land and build a house for you." This they did, continued Mr. Okey, and he thought the electors must admit it was not a success.'' AVe do not believe Mr. Okey was trying to mislead; if. however, he was not so endeavoring, he showed 'a woeful want of knowledge of the political events of the past two years. AVhether or not it was the result of Mr. Okey's advocacy of four and a half years ago. we are not prepared to state, but certain it is that during the session of liMlti an Act was passed by tlie present (iovermnent to assist workers in providing homes for | This A<-{. which is now in I operation, extends Die pvovUam of the Advances to Bettiers' Act to workers,

a* advocated by Mr. Okey. Any worker may borrow up to L&jt) to liitihi for himself home uli cither freehold or leasehold land. Loans jirc granted at 4 1 /. per cent.. payable half-yearly in ;><>lo yraio, ivljcn tlie property becomes Hie freehold of (Ik* holder. To show how far the present ( ioyernment is prepared to go in carrying out Hie jiojiey .Mr. Okey advocates as a plauk of his pro gramme, Hu; "Oovernment Advances to Workers' Ael, 1!R)(>," empowers Hie Colonial Treasurer to raise up to' a year for this very purpose. The (ioyenjmcnt wont even further, however, ami actually built homes in the centres of population, nud to occupiers of these homos is extended Iho privilege of acquiring tile freehold on rejjt ierms. In short, Mr. Okey offers to use* his inlluonco to procure for the workers that which Ihe (lovernment has already provided for them, apparently, however, without Mr. Okey's knowledge. On ilie question of improving the (.'ivil Service we ag;oe with Mr. Okey. hut we would need to In- careful with the methods employed, as New /Valand has had previous and unsatisfactory experience of controlling boards. .Mr. Okey only spoke briefly with regard to the Land llill, but expressed himself in favor not only of limiting ownership of land by one person to the value of but of making the limit even less. To the best of our belief, .Mr. Okey is the first Oppositionist who has so far agreed with the limitation proposals as to specify a money value limit. He stated, however, that he does not agree with the Land ■Bill's method of limiting areas, considering the (iovernment should be prepared lo buy any surplusage at market value. On this point again, Mr. Okey is at variance with the policy of his leader. The 'introduction of such a method of limiting areas, and at the same time bringing land for settlement into the market, was the direct outcome of the (lovern nient's wish, and in accord with the ofireiterateil desire of tije Opposition—to call a halt, in the steadily-growing publie debt through borrowing for purchasing land for settlement. To carry out the method suggested by Mr. Okey would mean a huge borrowing policy for land purchase purposes. If Mr. Okey honestly believes in initiating such a I borrowing policy, he is not only opposed Ito the platform of the Opposition, but is far ahead of even the wildest borrowing propensities with which the present Oovernment i* sometimes credited. Mr. Okey deserves credit t'jor the reasonable and straightforward manner m which he put his policy before the electors, but we do not think he impressed his hearers as much as his leader would have wished with the necessity for changing the political creed of the electorate.