AN POSITION GATHERING

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12442, 3 March 1906, Page 2

AN POSITION GATHERING

SOME STRAIGHT TALKING.

(sracux. to "nm -wless.") DUNEDIN, March 2. Speaking -at * social tendered to Mr Donald Raid, member for Taieri, Mr Jas. Allen, M.H.R./said that the Parliament of what they reasonably hoped would be * very great country should be occupied with the consideration of largo policy lines and measures. Those in Parliament realised the difficulty in keeping such ideals to the fore when Ege after page of the Pubho Works timatee were going through. It woe men who could look beyond roads and bridges to something greater, to the generol development of the country itself and its people, who wore the greatest politicians. Therefore, they looked to the people for support of those who believed Rarliament to be the means of developing those idea*. Mr T. McKenzie, M.H.R., raid that 60 long as securing appointments and control of public funds were to be the main factor* of political life, so long would the Legislature be unhealthy. It was the first duty of the country to elect men who would dare, at the risk of incurring displeasure, to endeavour to carry out the true principle's of legislation—the principles that guided the colony's early settlers. The Hon. T. Fergus raid that the New Zealand Liberal, so called, was tlie most illiberal creature he knew. His liberalism was to get as much as ho could, and give nothing to those opposed to him. They had no such Liberals in the earlier days, when men fought fairly and squarely, and respected each other. At tlie present time they were all groaning under oligarchy. No doubt members of the Opposition could do totv little but stand with their backs to the wall to be pelted with the choice epithets and expletives of their wildest opponents, while the choicest favours in the way of roads and bridges wore cast to Government members. He believed honestly that the time was coming when there would be a very considerable revulsion of feeling politically, and when the men who at present had to bear like men misrepresentation and calumny, would find their time had come, and would reoeive due reward, and be put in the forefront of the battle when the real battle had to be fought.