GOVERNMENTS INTENTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 304, 20 December 1912, Page 8

GOVERNMENTS INTENTIONS.

REFORMS AND POLICIES. J MINISTER ADDRESSES PARNELL WOMEN'S LEAGUE. The Parnell branch of the Women"; i Political Reform League had a gather- | ing in Knox Hall last evening, Miss ; Eoskruge presiding. The guests of the j evening were the Hon. F. AL B. Fisher (Minister of Marinei.and Mr. J. S. Dick- : son. M.P. I The Minister, in the course of an ad- ' dress to the members, declared that although the" Government had. by its work i last session, justified its existence as a Ministry, next session it must lay the | foundation of some important legislation. After referring to the Public Service Act i as having '" struck the death-knei! of the I iick-spittle. the political spy. and the ! party tout,*" he went on to speak of the ! removal of the railway service from I political control by the appointment of | a new general manager. The Minister ' went on to say that no matter what j party held power, humanitarian legislation would be put on the New Zealand Statute Rook, owing to the determination of public opinion in this country th.it those who. from one cause and another, were, unable to heip themselves. sb-ii! I be i-sisted by the State as a public obligation. Speaking of the Government's defence policy. Mr. Fisher said that the Government h.id :vrn blamed for failing to declare its policy, but it had to be re- , rnemberisi that when *sr Joseph Ward and Sir John Finally lU'.ended the sub-; sidiary defence conference, they were | iworn to secrecy, and when the Liberal ; Government went out of oflice they I ■were unab!.- ti imn.i't ,i:iv k.Hvwledg? they had to their __c'?s>ari. One of the j objects of the Hon. Mr. Allans visit to j London wis to ix—rt.'i'i th- general | turd of the Imyt.i.i! tlete ie- r°'i l V New Zealand mis; work with _re.it Britain if its assistance were to bo u.-c----ful, and its best policy would be to tolI.nv th" plan approved by thj Dairy iid authorities. Mr. Fisher concluded by assuring his hearers that the Government intended to <_-tv out _. nnmber of valuable reforms iit the n-X-Rfew years. j Mr. Dickson also.addressed the meet-1 tog, which passed hearty votes of thanks j _o both speaker-.