THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1893. A LESSON.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2589, 2 December 1893, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1893. A LESSON.

The old Conservative Party known for a time as the Continuous Ministry are now extinct, and we must say they have only themselves to blame. They held office in the good old times of borrowed milllions, and they certainly misused their power. When the public works were introduced 23 years ago, Sir Julius Vogel proposed that land in the vicinity of its a railway should pay the interest on the cost of its construction. He put into the Bill a betterment clause, but the landowners in Parliament threw it out. The money was borrowed, the railways were made, the value of land was quadrupled, but the people had to pay for all in the shape of taxation through the customshouse. Had Sir Julius Vogel’s original scheme been carried out lauds benefited by railways would have to bear a share of the taxation proportionate, to the increased value given to them, and this would have been fair and honest. This was the initial blunder. The next was that immigrants were poured wholesale into this colony, without giving them any assistance to settle on the land. The idea of the governing classes in those days was to secure the land for themselves, create a landed aristocracy, and employ the immigrants as servants. They, in fact, modelled everything on the social condition of England. This was another blunder, and it produced the unhappy result of over-crowding the towns, bo things went on until Sir eorge Grey took office. He certainly made some attempt to alter the policy of the country, but unfortunately his reign was very short, and he was succeeded by Sir John Hall. Then came a season of absolute corruption. Parties were so mixed that the Conservatives could not have carried on without it. When Sir John Hall took office there were several aspirants for portfolios, and it became necessary to appease them, and with that object in view Royal Commissions were appointed. Mr Wakefield was made chairman of one of these Mr Saunders of another, and so on, and an enormous sum was expended in that way. These commissioners, with their staff of officers, travelled from end to end of the land on the pretence of gathering information, but the only result they produced was to reduce the salaries of the Civil servants by 10 per cent. In 1882 Sir John Hall resigned, and Sir Frederick Whitaker became Premier, with Sir Harry Atkinson as Colonial Treasurer, and Mr Rolleston as Minister of Lands. With all their faults these Ministers were men of broad sympathies and great political sagacity, and they saw what was wanted. Perhaps, however, it might have been more correct to say they saw it when it was pointed out to them in a small Dunedin paper called the Echo by the late Mr John Ballance and Sir Robert Stout, who suggested the adoption of the leasehold system. About this time also Henry George’s book on “ Progress and Poverty” became popular, and raadeagreat impression on the Whitaker Ministry, and it was then that the perpetual-leasing system was adopted. This was the initial step of what Mr Rolleston now denounces as Socialism. He and his colleagues were the first and original Socialistic legislators in this colony, and it is very much to l)e regretted for his own sake, and the colony’s sake, that he ever deviated from it. But immediately this policy was inaugurated, the landed aristocracy became alarmed; they saw their cherished hopes threatened with danger, inasmuch as that the perpetualleasing and deferred-payment system was giving the poor man facilities for acquiring land, and they denounced the Government in unmeasured terms. In 1884 Sir Julius Vogel appeared on the scene, and as he in the old days belonged to the Conservative Party, they welcomed him with open arms. The election took place, and the country decided against Bir Harry Atkinson, but not in favour of t'-u IJ sm. The result was that after la craw . Wellington for a full month wtaoglmgto ... aMe t 0 form a Sir Robert Stout , - , . Ministry, but a large fiti**.-. , supporters were Conservatives, " merely kept him in office to punish Sir Harry Atkinson, In 1887 a strong Conservative Party came into power, and it was their intention to make Mr Bryce their leader, but that gentleman was not elected, and so they had to fall back on Sir Harry Atkinson. Mr Richardson became Minister of Lands, and he immediately set about reversing the land policy of the previous Government. He tried to destroy the homestead settlements established by Mr Ballance, but they prospered in spite of him, and he attempted to destroy the perpetual leasing system, but the people insisted on getting land on that tenure, and they had to get it. The old policy of reckless borrowing went on. During the election Sir Robert Stout said he proposed to borrow only £2,000,000 in ten years, but the Atkinson Government had borrowed £2,500.000 in ten months, and so things went on till the country, by an overwhelming majority, placed the Liberals in power in 1890. How we have given this glimpse of the history of the past 20 years to show that the fall of the Conservative party is due entirely to their own selfishness. It was fair and honest to ft special charge on land improved in value W jwlwaya; it was wrong to fling immigrant# wholesale in to this colony without making any attempt to settle them on the land; it was madness to oppose giving facilities to the poor to settle on the land under the leasehold and deferred-payment systems, and it was monstrous to throw most of the burden of taxation on the people, as was done under the property tax. We have frequently warned them that resistance to popular demands must eventually result in defeat, and now the elections have just proved jt, W§ hope this election will be a warning to the Conservatives, and that they will see that in a country with a franchise such as wo have popular demands must be acquiesced in, no matter wbe object.

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT. We find that several people are under the impression that Parliament must be called together at once for despatch of business. This is a mistake. Parliament will not meet until the usual time in June next, and no change is to take place in the meantime. The present Government have received a mandate from the people

to continue to administer the affairs of the colony, by the fact that an immense majority of the new members are Government supporters. Had Mr Rolleston and a majority of the Opposition been returned, two courses would have been open to Mr Seddou. He could resign, and advise the Governor to send for Mr Holiest on, or he could call Parliament together and test the relative strength of parties on a “ no-confidence” motion. The late Atkinson Government took a different course. They called Parliament together, and resigned forthwith, but they were condemned for the tactics they employed. In the present instance, however, there cannot be the slightest doubt but thatGovernmeut supporters are greatly in the majority, and consequently there cannot be a question as to who is to rule. That being so, the present Government continues in power for the next three years, unless on an adverse motion they are turned out of office. We are not, however, surprised at people being under the impression that Parliament must be called together immediately after an election, for we believe that this is the first time since 1879 that we escaped having a double session. We have had a double session in 1884, in 1887, and in 1891, and of course on all these occasions Parliament assembled immediately after each election. This|lwas in days when members received an honorarium of £2lO per session. They used to work the oracle in this way : During the last session of every Parliament they carried a motion of no-confidence in the Government, and this, of course, resulted in an election. As the business had not been finished before the carrying of the no-confidence motion, it became necessary to go back to complete it, and they used to hold two sessions and get double honorariums every three years; that is, they used to get for every three years. The present Government changed this. They gave the members a stated salary of £240 a year, and if they held twenty sessions in one year they would get no more. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, that the people are under the impression that Parliament must meet immediately after an election, for it has been the custom for it to do so, but on this occasion there is no necessity for it, and it will not meet before the usual time in June next.