POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 136, 26 October 1912, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES.

NOT NEARLY DEAD. Says the Lyttleton Times: The new member for Egmont was out of New Zealand at the time of the general election and wo may assume that since his return just in time to capture the scat vacated by the present High Commissioner he has depended on some of his fellow Reformers to acquaint him with the details of the political situation. That explains, no doubt, why ho announced in the House of Representatives the other evening that "the day of socialistic legislation is past." But he will find, we think, that his informants have been too optimistic. It is true that a somewhat erratic turn of fortune's wheel ban put into office the party that used to declaim against "the seven devils of Socialism" and lament the graduated taxation, compulsory land purchase and old age pensions. But the day of socialistic legislation most emphatically is not past. It is just dawning and we gW Mr Massey credit for being aware of the fact. He has given his adherence already to schemes that he would have repudiated iiltcrly in his earlier political life and we see no reason why he should not conimue to advance with the stimulus of a progressive Opposition to help hini. The member for Egmo-it reellv has not got the hang of the situation at all.