REFORM POLITICS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14898, 11 February 1914, Page 12

REFORM POLITICS.

MEETING AT OPAWA. was a fair attendance at the Opa«T2 Methodist Schoolroom lart ereniiig. when an address on organisation and RrfjJonn politics was given by Mr D. Jon<is. Mr G. Scott was voted to the chair.

In bis &<Mre.<# f Mr Jones laid stress upon the necessity for a. strong orsrani&ation in politics. The Labour Party had a .strong organisation, and the party lie represented we-r© not too df-nM» to leurn a tip or two from their political opponents. The Reform Party wanted an organisation at least as good as "The other fellow." and that was one oi the reasons for the meeting there that evening. The speaker detailed iho Att-ps that had already been tiiken by the Reform Party in the direction of organising. The* idea had be*>n circulated tbat the Reform Party wore only oni to benefit the rich and wealthy, bat a*> a matter of fact their party had no monopoly of wealthy supporters; they were as numerous amongst the Liberals as amongst the party in power, and the Social-Democrats were not without tbrir wealthy men either. 3lr Jon PS dwelt upon the question of naval defence, on the lines of his speech on Monday evening at Cashmere, de-fr-ndinK the Government's policy and action in the matter. The speaker also ntiackwi the statement made by Mr (i. W. Ru'sell, to the effect that the Reform Party was in the hands of the capitalists and money-lenders. Hβ challenged Mr G. W. Rnssel! to prove the words referred to, and aim Mr Ruber's remarks, Warning the Government for the high rate of interest in the money market. He had been taken to task* by an opposition paper for saying that the expenditure of the Maasey Government was not so extravagant o? as large as the expenditure of the Ward Government, and bo had also been accused of juggling with figures, but taking- this newspaper man on his own line of argument, he still averted that the economy of the Massey Government was proved beyond all doubt. The statement made in Liberal papers that the new Valuation Act v/as designed to ehelter the big landowner from the' increased graduated land tax was devoid of truth, for he happened- to know that maiy big landowners Itad been badly hit by the increased tax, and to chow -this," last year no fewer than 846 big estates had been voluntarily broken up by their owners, and three-quarters of a million acres bought by the Government. He prophfwied that in ten years they would find that there were no big estates in Xew Zealand, except posaibly big back country runs that were <ruite"imsnitable for Biibdivision. The Reform Party was not a reactionary Government:* last session over a hundred laws were placed on the Statute book, and yet practically none of the Liberal papers had even hinted that the bulk of thf*e lawa were reactionary, yet they asserted the Government itself was reactionary, which was absurd. Some people wanted a Labour Government, but he thought that it would be a sad thing for NewZealand when they had a Government that worked for one particular section of the community. What they wanted was a Government big enough to legislate for a!!. Mr Lewington then proposed, and Mr Cotton seconded:— "That a branch of the Itefornv League bo formed in Opawa.' The resolution was carried unanimously, and the following official* were elected:—President. Mr G. Scott-vice-president, Mr Poulton: treasurer! Mr Lewington; secretary. Mr Thompfcon. The election of an executive was deferred until a subsequent meeting.