The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1919. THE TARANAKI SEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 December 1919, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1919. THE TARANAKI SEAT.

Another proof of the lack of public spirit amongst the leading men in the Taranaki electorate, of which New Plymouth is the centre, is found in the fact that not one came forward to contest the seat against the sitting member, and that the services of a gentleman residing at the other end of the province had to be enlisted in order to prevent the election going by default. Some little time ago, when the Mayor retired, it was with difficulty that a gentleman with the requisite qualifications was found to fill the position. In most communities, with any pretensions to progressiveness, men are available and ready when the call to public service comes. If the New Plymouth district is to fulfil its destiny, then its people must display a greater measure of civic and public responsibility; othervrtse it will fall behind in the race. For offering his services to the Taranaki electors, Mr. Tiuckeridge deserves the warmest thanks. It is really a courageous act on his part, for the hour is late, he is handicapped by the fact of being a non-resident, though well and honorably known in business and farming eircles, and lie is opposing the sitting member, who has in no way weakened his hold by his year's representation. lie met the New Plymouth electors on Monday evening, and gave evidence of the political faith that is in him. Ho devoted a good deal of time to a recital of his puljlie and semi-public doings in Taranaki, declared himself an out-and-

out supporter of the Government, criticised the sins of commission and omission of the Liberal Administrations, stressed the importance of capital and labor coming together and working for the benefit of the country and of uniting against the extremists, and urged the exploitation of the country's natural resources in order to enable it to weather the coming economic storm. It must be acknowledged that he spoke with much force, knowledge of his subjects, and earnestness. There are some big problems before the country, and for help and guidance in their solution the public naturally look to those seeking to represent them in Parliament. For instance, the candidate admitted there was something radically wrong when it cost a worker £2 per week for his house, but low this cost is to be brought down to a point within the worker's means—as it must be if industrial harmony is to preTail—he did not say. Again, whilst it is impossible to expect the cost of living to come down to the pre-war level, there is abundant proof available that profiteering is responsible for not a little of the increase. This profiteering has »been rampant for 'thb last three years, and nothing was done to curb it until last session, when the Government took upon itself considerable powers, which, if exercised, will do good, but past experience has shown that unless the provisions of a law are vigorously enforced, the measure will remain a dead letter, and prove futile. Mr. Buckcridge admitted a mistake had been made by the Minister for Public Works in dropping the Opunake-Moturoa line from the Authorisation Bill, but it seemed to us he •ffaa hot quite fair to Mr. Smith in denying him credit for his help in reinstating the line. We all know the part taken by Mr. Wilkinson in this, as in all matters affecting the welfare of Taranaki, but we are sure the member for Egmont would he the first to concede credit for the assistance given by his fellow-member. Mr. Buckeridge expressed satisfaction that Sir. Win. Fraser was retiring from the Cabinet, but, we ask, was it in the interests of the State that such a very old man should ever have had control of this important portfolio? Have not those interests suffered in consequence? The Premier has another colleague, in the Hon. W. H. Herries, who has been tried and found wanting. We have only to remember his disastrous reign at the railways, whilst in Sir Francis Bell lie has a colleague who is right out of touch with the spirit of the times. The Premier has stuck to these Ministers through thick and thin, and it is because of thi3 mistaken loyalty to ultra conservative and out-of-date men, and therefore unsuited for a democratic country, that many of the leading progressive members of the Parliamentary Reform Party are cutting away and seeking independent action at this election. Then there is land settlement. Hundreds of soldiers and others are hungering for land, and have difficulty in gettirg it. Cannot settlement be facilitated in some manner? Cannot the graduated land tax be stiffened, and the' area held by any one man be limited? Between Patea and Wanganui there are huge sheep walks, all peculiarly suited to the settlement of returned men as dairy farmers. Why cannot this land be taken for the purpose, the owners being duly compensated? The taxation on big incomes, and the death duties on large estates, are verj r light indeed compared with the rates in Britain, and a substantial increase in both ia urgently necessary. These are some of the questions that are agitating the public mind, and need to be discussed, not bo much from the viewpoint of party as from the national viewpoint. New Zealand must be developed, and care has to be taken that we set out on right lines, or the last stage may be worse than the first. Mr. Buckeridge's ideas on the establishment of an agricultural development bank instead of setting up a State Bank, taking over the Bank of New Zealand, are perfectly sound, as is his advocacy of bringing lime within the reach of the farmers, who are badly in need of it. These and other points we hope to discuss on another occasion.