The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1911. COUNTRY CONSTITUENCIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 287, 2 December 1911, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1911. COUNTRY CONSTITUENCIES.

War th* camte that loots sssis fcmos. War Ms wrong that inssa i ssisl—s Far tha {stars to the tUtamt, •Am* Ma vo«<i that «c« Ms so.

From the general turmoil of conflicting aims and rival policies that just now pervades our public life, one fact stands out with unmistakable clearness—that it is the manifest duty of all electors who; hold firmly to the great democratic; principle of legislation in the interest . and for the benefit of "Lhe greatest pos-| sible number" to cast their votes in favour of the Liberal Government.; Putting the Opposition case at its very j strongest it amounte to nothing more j than criticism of the Liberal admiais- i tration in relatively unimportant details. ; For not even Mr. Massey would have j the hardihood to -declare at this time of | day that a Government wheh lias strenuousy and consistently worked, not for the privileged few, but for the many, has been developing the country on entirely wrong lines. The admissions which Mr. Massey and his friends are constantly driven to make in favour of Liberalism, and their frank confession of adherence to the main points of Liberal policy are proof positive that in the opinion of the electors of Xew Zealand as a body, Liberalism has "made good." Mr. Massey's anxiety to prove! that he is really quite as much a Liberal as Sir Joseph Ward, cuts the ground from under his own feet completely. But it is a significant illustration of Mr. Massey's incoherent methods of thought, that, having put forward a policy which, in all its essential features, is liberalism thinly disguised and spoiled in the process of transformation, he still poses as the defender of the people against the tyranny of Liberalism, and he still arrogates to himself the right to champion the people of the country districts, the settlers and email farmers against the Government. But in spite of Mr. Massey's persistent misrepresentations and loudvoiced denunciations of Liberalism and ail its "works, we give the country people credit for too much intelli^vice to be misled by him. For no one who has given any impartial consideration

to the subject can doubt that in New Zealand Liberalism ha 3 done more for the mass of the people than any public policy has achieved in any other country' in the world; and, more than this, that great as are the benefits that the towns have received at the hands of Liberalism, the country districts have profited even more. For what is the greatest obstacle that in every other country settlers and small farmers have to contend with? In brief, it is the difficulty of finding land to settle on, combined with the impossibility of securing capital at a low rate to work the land, and the means of transport to bring its products to market. Now, it is a notorious fact that until the Liberals took office., twenty years ago, New Zealand was in practically the same position as the older countries as regards settlement. There were huge areas of land held by a few monopolists, who opposo-l most obstina.t':'y and! indignantly any attempt on the part of ; the small settler to get land for himself. The party whose views Mr. Massey has inherited stood here as elsewhere for the privileges of the fortunate few, and ignored the rights of the many. It is a matter of history that Liberalism boldly and successfully attacked these privileges; and to-day whatever measure of success New Zealand has achieved in the promotion of settlement and the division of the land among small holders is due to Liberalism and to it alone. To Liberalism the country settlers owe cheap land, cheap 'money, cheap transport, and all the countless facilities for the encouragement of our great agricultural and pastoral industries that the ingenuity and enterprise of its "f*tate Socialist" policy has supplied. This is the reason that, in spite of Mr. Massey, the people of Xew Zealand hold firmly to the Liberal faith, and this is why w,> confidently believe that the great majority of the electors in the country constituencies, to which our appeal is more directly addressed, can be trusted to cast their votes for the Government candidates at the coming poll. WAIKATO. In this constituency the electors can hardly hesitate over their selection. ' For Mr. Greenslade is in every way exceptionally well-qualified to represent such a constituency. His varied experience of local requirements, both in 'his professional capacity and as a country resident, have made him a particularly valuable representative, and he has displayed exceptional energy and enthusiasm in promoting the interests of his constituents in Parliament for the last six years. Mr. Young, his opponent, is an Independent, with strong Liberal tendencies, but, under the circumstances, it is impossible for the electors of Waikato to prefer him to the well-tried and trusted sitting member, and Mr. Greenslade's election is therefore practically assured. TAUMARUNUI. Few members of the last Parliament should feel so safe in their seats as Mr. Jennings, for few have deserved so well of their constituents. Mr. Jennings is one of the best-known and most widely-

I experienced members of the lower House, and his past record as a journalist and member of the Legislative Council help to explain his long-con-tinued political success. This district, widely scattered, and in parts almost inaccessible, has always required a particularly energetic and enthusiastic representative, and Mr. Jennings has certainly never spared himself in his efforts to promote the welfare of his constituents, and to keep closely in touch with every portion of this widespread electorate. The defeat of Mr. Jennings would be a serious losa to Parliament, as well as to Taumarunui, but, happily, there i 3 no need to contemplate it. RAGIiAN. : It is to be regretted that in this district the Liberal vote J» certain to be split between at least three of the canI didates. This is distinctJj , unfortunate, because it appears to iv that one of the liberal candidates, 3£i\ W. Duncan, is manifestly better qualified than any o; the others to hold seat. In all the important essentials -J. political litness Mr. Dureean seems likely to make a satisfactory representative for th'-s district; and as the chief object of Liberal electors should be to ensure the defeat of the Opposition candidate, we hope that the people of Raglan, who recognise the immense benefits that Liberalism has conferred upon the settlers in the country districts, will sink all minor differences of opinion and combine to vote for Air. Duncan. BAY OF PLENTY. In this district, Mr. W. D. Maedbnald. by his careful attention to his Parliamentary duties and his energetic advocacy of East Coast claims, has fully justified his right to the honours that he won at last election, and we can see no reason to doubt that the electors will return him once more by a substantial majority. In a district as yet relatively unsettled, but endowed w'th vast natural potentialities, Liberalism can be trusted to make the best of t'n. people's opportunities, and the voters in the Bay of Plenty electorate should understand their own interests well enough to give short shrift to any Opposition candidate. TATJRANGA. Here again the Liberal interest is imperilled by vote-splitting. This is doubly unfortunate, because Mr. Herries has undoubtedly a strong hold on the electorate and has done good service for it and for Auckland in Parliament But the electors of Tauranga cannot afford to forget that Mr. Herries is closely identified with the party which l)y virtue of its obstinate opposition to Liberalism stands for reaction and the negation of progress, and they should make up their minda to vote accordingly. Mr. Clinkard, a settler of wide experience, resident in the district, is fully familiar with its requirements, and it is to be hoped that the Tauranga Liberals will concentrate their energies upon returning him as their number. MARSDEN. In this district the Opposition has usually a strong following, largely owing to the personal popularity of Mr. Mander. I But as Mr. Mandter represents a policy, or absence of policy, which, if the Opposition became predominant, would most seriously imperil the prospects of the country, the electors of Marsden should only need a reasonable excuse in the form of an eligible and suitable candidate to vote solidly for Liberalism. The Liberal candidate, Mr. Purdie, is a man of exceptional personal ability, well qualified by his intellectual powers and his knowledge of public affairs to do good work in Parliament, and we wish him every success in his contest with Mr. Mander. THAMES AND OHINEMITRI. The interests of our two great mining districts are, from the public point of view, practically identical, and it is significant that these two electorates, which depend for their existence on the successful exploitation and administration of our natural resources, are both represented by staunch Liberals. At the Thames Mr. Taylor is opposed by an Independent candidate, but his own personal andi political record are such that there is no likelihood that the electors will changp their member. At Ohinemuri Mr. Poland's position is even stronger; for, quite apart from the valuable services that he has rendered his constituents during the past three years in and outside the House, the Opposition vote is split. In any case Ohinemuri is not at all likely to be represented by an Oppositionist in the next Parliament.