A SIGNIFICANT PACT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3011, 7 October 1908, Page 4

A SIGNIFICANT PACT.

In thirty nine electorates of the Dominion an independent candidate —in some electorates more than one—is to he found wooing the favours of the constituents. Such a fact as this, even if there were nothing else to point to, demonstrates very clearly that another political party is growing in this Dominion. The Government, of course, do not regard independent candidates with any degree of favour, and it cannot be said that the Opposition are altogether friendly to the candidate who believes in opposition to the Government, but not in such an Opposition as flourished, let us say, in the days of Ballance. During the last fifteen years political thought has greatly changed throughout the country, and naturally men, whose views are of an advanced character, appeal to the mass of the people as being representative of the p-ople. The fact, however, that is lorcing itstlf more and more upon intelligent voters is the urgent need of economical administration. Liberal legislation is accepted—there is no wholesale demand for repeal or amendment of the statutes, but there is an increasing desire on tha part of the people for reform in the matter of expenditure, and for progressive administration in the work of settling the land and constructing railways. The people are heavily taxed, and the Dominion's outlook for the immediate tuture is not particularly bright. The feeling is growing that the people are not getting value for their money, and it is just here that discontent with the ways of the Government is becoming so remarkably manifest. There is, in our opinion, no desire " to put back the hands of the clock," but there is a rapidly spreading revolt against extravagance, combined with the well founded conviction that the safety of the country depends upon progressive legislation, being followed by economical and progressive administration.