The Daily News. FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1912. A POLICY SPEECH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 287, 31 May 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1912. A POLICY SPEECH.

The speecli delivered by the Prime Minister, the Hon. T. Mackenzie., at Opunake last night was an admirable statement of the policy of the Government. If anything, it erred on the side of discursiveness, but in these days 'when every Ministerial utterance is subjected to the severest criticism it is necessary that the head of the Government, as well as members of the Cabinet, should observe the utmost punctiliousness in the dotting of their "i's" and the crossing of their "t's." Much of what Mr. Mackenzie ha<i to say was a repetition of deeds and l intentions that are already matters of public knowledge, but the speech was a comprehensive survey of the political position and an exposition of the policy of the Party. There is nothing revolutionary in the speech, nor. on the contrary, is there any suggestion of a disposition on the part of the Government to rest upon its political oars or of the members of the new Cabinet being desirous of burying the talent bequeathed to them in a napkin. It is impossible, of course, to follow the Prime Minister through every varied phase of administration which he discussed at such length, but there are several salient features of the speech which will be widely welcomed in the country. Probably its outstanding feature was the emphasis with which Mr. Mackenzie impressed the necessity of the pursuance of a vigorous policy of land settlement. As a means to this end the Government intends to devote immediate attention to the opening up of large areas of backblock country and roading and bridging lands already opened up. Also it proposes to make more of the compulsory clauses of the Land for Settlements Act ■which permit of land being resumed, along equitalJc lines, without the consent of the owners. This particular clause of the Act has been allowed to remain too long in abeyance. Its value has been emphasised time and again, nota'bly in the case of the Cheviot Estate, which was the first to be compulsorily resumed, and where there is now almost a thriving settler for every sheep the country used to carry. The revitalising of the clause, Mr. Mackenzie was careful to explain, is. due to the fact that owners of land, in view of the possibilities of Government purchase, have of late years placed quite a fictitious value upon their properties. To further assist in the voluntary cutting up of land for settlement it is proposed to revive the sys tern of graduation and recast the graduated land tax in the direction of making the burden of taxation fall heaviest upon the shoulders of those best able to bear it. Incidentally, a wise provision is added increasing the amount of exemption under the Land and Income Tax to settlers having large families. Closer farming and the adoption of scientific'

methods iiavis of late years brought the" lands, of the Dominion into much more

profitable occupancy, and in recognition of this the Government proposes to reduce the amount of land to be held in one hand to 400 acres of first-class land; 1000 acres of second-class land, and 2500 Hires of third-class land, instead of G4O res, 2000 acres and 5000 acres as origii.'.lly ruling. At the same time a limitation is to be placed upon the amount of land that can be held under inheritance. Particular attention is also to be paid to the opening up of native lands, subject to every safeguard being taken to conserve the rights of the Maoris and to induce them to undertake the modern farming of their own lands wherever possible. To further help forward the cause of settlement it is intended to go thoroughly into a consideration of the practicability of providing light railways to connect the settlers of the back country with the main railway arteries, and for their further convenience a large extension of a cheap telephone service is to be undertaken. Other conveniences to . make life in the back-blocks more bearable are contemplated in the shape of improved l postal facilities and the provision of capable nurses for those brave women who do their share in the work of the country by accompanying their husbands into the almost inaccessible fastnesses of "out-back." Indeed, one of the keynotes of 'the speech is a sincere concern for the disabilities under which these pioneer settlers labor and a determination to remove as many as possible of the stumbling blocks to their progress, even if it is not possible to make their path a veritable primrose way. One inducement towards this end is the necessity which the Government recognises of diverting population from the towns to urban and rural districts. So far as taxation is concerned, it is intended to shape the Liberal policy in the direction of easing the duties upon the necessities of life and making smooth the way of those least blessed with the good tilings of this world. It is satisfactory also to learn that it is the intenI tion of the Government to repeal the Second Ballot Act, a system which has won nothing but opprobrium at the two elections at which it has been employed. In order to provide a substitute it is », tended to introduce into Parliament a Bill to give the right to each elector to vote on a system of electoral preferences, under an adaptation of the methods that obtain in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. The elector will state the order of his preferences beside the name of the candidates for election, and by a very simple process these preferences will be counted, in order to ensure that no person shall be elected who has not a majority of the votes recorded. The system is extremely simple, and it is expected that by this means the country will be able to secure the benefits of the second ballot without the delay, expense and inconvenience that attend the present system. Mr. Mackenzie went at great length into the general administration of the various Government departments, in each case indicating a desire to improve upon their already excellent existing methods, and he closed a frank and confident speech of a masterly character by a statement that whether the Government stood or fell it would face the country with the knowledge that it had striven to do its very best in the interests of all classes of the community. If one tithe of the progressive reforms foreshadowed in the speech are put into operation the Government need have no fear of the verdict of a grateful country.