THE STATE AND RURAL INTERESTS.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 6, 12 January 1906, Page 2

THE STATE AND RURAL INTERESTS.

.—(i — The Farmers’ Weekly, a recently started Auckland paper, in the course of an article m its issue of the 2nd inst., expresses the opinion that the largo majority given to the Liberal Govenment as the result of the general election last month will not prove an element of danger, as has been assumed by Opposition organs. It goes on to point out that “ progressive Liberalism is the practically universally accepted policy of New Zealand,” and advises unity of action, coupled with active criticism, with a view to controlling “ the inevitable advance of reform, so that it shall not be allowed to become a dangerous and reckless rush along un known paths towards ill-defined goals.” In conclusion, the writer . sensibly remarks: —“The old cry of town versus country, so far as hie late elections are concerned, can no longer be raised in the sense of the city voting power swamping tne country constituencies ; for the latter have in many instances shown as much confidence in the present Government as the urban populations. xAnd this is a fact which, we trust and believe, the Government will remember, and so shape their policy and legislation as not to forfeit the confidence of the great body of our country settlers. The reading of backblocks, the extension of railway communication to old-settled but isolated districts, such as the North Auckland Peninsula, and Gisborne and Poverty Bay generally ; the improvement of local government upon lines which will give local bodies an assured finance the improvement of the Agricultural Department by a more liberal apportionment of funds for the many useful functions it could perform in the interests of our farming and pastoral industries. These are the chief directions in which the present Government and Parliament can justify the great power which the country settlers have helped to confer upon them. Thus will the Liberal party retain the confidence of tne farming community, and perhaps fulfil the Premier’s aspiration—that it shall be proved by this Parliament that there is no need lor ‘ his Majesty’s Opposition ’ in New Zealand.”