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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 137, 16 July 1914, Page 6

After shedding a perfunetory tear over the unhappy eviction of the Commonwealth 's Labour-managed Senate, the Opposition Leader, Mr Andrew Fisher, took himself to Bundaberg and thence forwarded throughout Australia reasons why his party should be returned to power. His policy is frankly Socialistic, and spells a huge expense. Now the [Liberal Leader has shown his hand to 'the electors. The cabled summary of his platform suggests that the Government's policy has been more or less instigated by its opponents' declaration—what Labour would have, the Liberals would shun. The Labour Party has committed itself to the introduction of the Initiative and Referendum, and relics to a considerable extent on the caucus. Mr Cook is for "preserving responsible government, by eliminating interference with Parliament by outside agencies." The Liberals' policy, as enunciated, can scarcely be regarded as in any way national. The party has certainly not a monopoly of the brains is the Federal House. The leader and most of his bodyguard are not superlatively original or resourceful, and so the Australian electors have to put up with a policy that savours more of expediency than statesmanship. One of the planks in the Government's .platform is the steady de- ' <r '' ■' ' velopmeiit of naval and'military defence. In this matter. the authorities will have to proceed with caution. Australia's land defence scheme is based on the re- j commendations of Lord Kitchener, who was' not expected to square his sugges-1 tions with their probable expense. The i result is that the cost of the scheme \ has assumed alarming proportions, while! the naval expenditure, too, promises to become a burden. The time has arrived when the Commonwealth should concentrate on a developmental policy, which should include rail and roading facilities in the unsettled cultivable areas, and an immigration scheme which will follow up closer settlement by the importation of young men who can be taught husbandry. For the Commonwealth is in sad need of a greater farming population.