The Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1905. A NEW PARTY.

The birth of a new political party, of which we gave notice yesterday, can have surprised few people who watch the trend of political events. For* the past five years at least the seeds of secession have been sowing themselves. The left wing and , the Independent Liberals of the last Parliament WOT© the first- fruits of the harvest. At the last elections the left wingers and Independents were largely reinforced, and it became apparent that a newparty was nearing the region of practical politics. We, among others, pointed out at the time that the chief danger to the present Government lay not in the existing Opposition but among that section of Parliament which desired a more rapid rate of political progress than the Government was apparently prepared to concede. This prediction seems now in a fair way to be verified. The organisation whose creation we announced yesterday is practically a new political party. It is called the New Liberal Party, and its founders, who include many Independent members of Parliament, are men whose chief aim has long been to push or drag Mr Seddon faster than he is prepared to go. It comprises all the elements of a radical section of young New Zealanders. If report speaks truly it will count as its adherents members of all the present political parties. Among its founders are men like Mr Bedford, who, though radicals, have consistently voted with the Opposition rather than support the present Government; Messrs Taylor and Fisher, who are bitter personal opponents of the Premier, but find the Opposition impossible, and Messrs Ell, Laurenson, Fowlds, M'Nab and Tanner, who, while giving a general support to Mr Seddon, are constantly urging the Government to further efforts in the direction of progressive legislation. Heterogeneous a<s the new party is, it contains the elements of strength. That it will make for progress may be taken for granted. The Government cannot afford to ignore its existence. The presence in Parliament of a body of determined men, headed by Mr Taylor, who are pledged to insist on the rate of progress in radical legislation being considerably accelerated is bound to have the effect of stimulating the < Government to greater energy. In other respects its appearance ,is not likely to have any immediate effect. Its object, we take it, is not to oppose the Government, but to drive it. Probably Mr Seddon will consent to be driven up to a certain point, and until that point is reached there will be no dariger of complications. It is clear, however, that the present movement marks another step forward in the political history of the colony.

oumstanoes. The streets were muddy, but the sky overhead was bright, and the large gathering of invited guests who journeyed to Papanui and back seemed to appreciate both their novel experience and the welcome cup of tea at the end of it.

.It can hardly be exsxTCCESSFUii pected that ChristrnumwAYS. church, with its 60,000

inhabitants, should be able to use its trams to the same extent as the larger cities at Home, but a glance at the figures for the last financial y« ar °f *k° Leeds tramways may be interesting, as Bhowing the potentialities of tramways from a financial point of view: — The sum of £295,000 was taken in halfpennies and pennies during the financial year just closed. This is "an increase on the previous year of £17,000. The of passengers carried was 64,223,666, and the mileage in round figures was 7,000,000. Approximately, the receipts throughout the year were lOd per mile run. Last year a sum amounting to £1000 per week was handed- over by the tramway department in relief of the rates, and it is anticipated that at least as large a gum will again be appropriated in the same way.

In the address which father hats, he delivered in Ohrist-

church last night, Father Hays showed clearly < that though he preaches temperance he has not a great deal in , common with the prohibitionists. His mode is moral suasion ; theirs is compulsion. "Legislation," he admits, "is a very good thing, and can make it easy for people to do right and difficult for them to do wrong ; it can remove temptation, but it cannot do all. We want the conscience of the people behind the Acts of Parliament." This is true enough. Probably Father Hays realises that the removal of temptation to drink by the forcible intervention of the law is a drastic act. Moreover, it has yet to be proved conclusively that the abolition of the sale of liquor does effectually remove temptation. Father Hays is not a believer in State control; but in instancing the Gothenburg system as an example of the evils of sale by the State he is certainly unjust to the latter method. He mußt be perfectly well aware that the Gothenburg and State control systems differ very widely indeed.