THE OPPOSITION PLATFORM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9065, 14 April 1908, Page 6

THE OPPOSITION PLATFORM.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Mr Martin's hopeless appeal for support to return the rich squatter to Parliament that he may watch the interest of the poor farmer, is almost amusing. Squatter Government has been tried in this dominion in the years that are gone by, and it was no boon to the poor man. There never was, and there never will be, any interests in common between the wealthy Oppositionist M.P., who isolates himself in lordly splendour in a palatial mansion in the middle of square miles of fertile country, and the working man, be that man a small farmer or a labourer. Mr Martin says:—The present Goverrment can know nothing of the wants of the farmer, because thejMinistry is composed of a grain merchant, a carpenter, a lawyer, and a draper. As a matter uf solid fact the present Government has done more for the small farmer than any previous Government this dominion has ever known. It has sliced up the heritage of the squatter and leased it to the poor man. Men and women, boys and girls, schools, churches, and villages are now flourishing where, a few years ago (under an Opposition Government), the flocks and herds of the squatter roamed at will across the fertile valleys and over the rolling hillsides, and the only sign of humanity was the squatter's boundary dog. Cheap money has been given to the poor man to enable him to cultivate his section, labour has been found for him on Government works, special rates are provided for him on the railways; and when he is burnt out, grass seed is supplied to hitn by this Government of grain merchants and lawyers and carpenters and drapers, who (says Mr Martin) know not the wants of the farmer. In the meantime the poor man and the small farmer are thankfui indeed that the Opposition Party has gone out to join the moa; and they are only sorry that the Opposition Party and the ancient bird did not quit the dcminion at the same time.l—am, etc., "PADDY MURPHY."