LIBERAL PARTY'S FUTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 187, 6 February 1914, Page 6

LIBERAL PARTY'S FUTURE.

Silt JOHN FINDLAVS VIEWS. VIGOROUS POLICY NEEDED. Sir John Findlay, who has announced that for the present, at any rate, lie will not return to public life, concludes a series of articles in the Wellington Times on the Liberal Purty's future, with outspoken references to the need for a vigorous policy. He describes the party as consisting of two sections—an advance guard genuinely and eagerly anxious in attempting large measures of social reform as translated into action by English Liberals, and a centre party largely composed of men alarmed at a wild Labor propaganda, its desire for progress checked and chilled by the ?.uTiH>!i»l methods of the recent strikes, ready to soothe its desire for progress by small remedies and enervating compromises. This section lies closer on the political map to Masseydom than to progressive Liberalism, separated more from its advanced guard, than from Masseyisni.

Sir John Findlay declares that a f,il>eral leader attempting the problem of solidfying the party should satisfy, not Liberal members, but the great body of Liberal voters throughout New Zealand. The general elections arc now not more than ten months ahead. What the Liberal Leader wants is a policy which will give a definite articulate expression to that deep-seated spirit and desire for social progress which dwells in the breast of the mass of the people. After pointing out that property interest naturally solidifies the Reform party, while Liberalism has difficulty 'n a wide indefinite field of popular welfare, Sir John Findlay says:—"lt seems to me that Liberalism is this year to be given its last chance. To secure that chance its leader must be prepared to courageously risk his own political existence. If the Liberal party is to survive it can survive only by a declaration of policy which will show the electors how radically distinct and different it i< in vital principles from the policy of the Government. My belief is strong that if the Liberal leader will formulate a courageous, workable, rational scheme of political and social reform on lines already so widely approved in England, and give the country adequate assurance that such a scheme will be energetically and fearlessly carried out, he will be returned to power. If this course is not taken the Liberal party is left with no clear outstanding differences of policy from the Massey party; it must, in my jiidgraent, cease to have any real existence, and survive merely in name, a mournful example of how great pristine rigor may, through Hstlessness and timidity, sink to impotence and ineptitude."