POLITICAL POINTS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15138, 30 November 1914, Page 6

POLITICAL POINTS.

"What I object to," said a "Liberal," at Mr Toogood's meeting on Saturday, "is that you stand for the aristocracy." "The Baronet is not our leader, Sir," was Mr Toogood's reply. ■ « "The Party and are alike entitled to feel rather flattered over the strenuous efforts that are being made by the + D capture . Tho .oncerted, organised attack is a tribute to and to ." This extract from the local Opposition paper, is not from its leading article on the war. But- we have no doubt that as it surveys the operations of the barbarous English, the "Cologne Gazette*' is saying tho same thing ex.-ictly, with the blanks appropriate to the matter in hand. Germany must feel very, veiy "flattered"—not merely ''rather flattered" —these days. That leaving the Ward Party does not at all mean leaving the Liberal Party -was not tho only admission that question-time wrung from Mr Fowlds at his meeting at- the Newton West School last week. The Auckland "Star"' report has this: The candid-to also denied that ho left the Cabinet because it was a sinking ehjp. At th. Urn.-. lie left hi- colleagues expected to retain all tho seats thoy held, and to win two from Reform. The Reform Party then held 27 seats. Therefore the '•'Liberals" expected in 1911 to reduce Reform to 25, giving "Liberalism" a majority of 30. They are expecting the same thing to-day." # This fact seems almost to relievo us of any necessity for apologising, because we think in 191-1 what we thought in 1011. For tho "Liberals" think "in 1914. what they thought in 1911. Arid after the elections they will still moro intensely experience their lasfc post-elec-tion feelings. So, too, we may say without any hesitation, shall we. « The late member for Christchurch North, as Mr Toogood calls him—as much out of regard to Constitutional accuracy ns with a desire to accustom the public to what it will have to say of Mr Isitt after December lOfch—has some questions to answer to-night. Therefore it is desirable that ho should know what ho is asked. Tho local Opposition organ rsays:— And a Liberal Jiko Mr Isitt is asked to desert a. sick friend, and leave tho reactionary clement in Kaiapoi alono nieroly becauso Mr Jonee has promised to vole for th-e bare majority. Not at all. It would be too much to ask quite that, of "a Liberal like" Mr ■Isitt. The public is more modest. What it asks of Air Isitt is this: To explain why ho poes to great trouble to oppose a life-long supporter of thc bar* majority after declaring, in Dunedin, on Juno Sth, 191.1, in tho presenco of all the chief Prohibition leaders that he. would support any man, oven though opposed to hint on general politics, who would remove tho "handicap*' on no-license. ft Tho policy of the Opposition appears moro and more clearly to bo one which may bo summed up in seven words, namely:—"Whatever happens to suit for the moment." Tho Wellington organ of the Ward Party said on September I2th last:— Therefore, {riving the Massey Government every credit that is due to it, any change ■ in. New Zealand would bo from patriotism of the: ordinary non-stimulating- variety to pat- i riotism of the stronger and moro eacrificins; character thr.t is prepared to give its last man and ita last sovereign for tho supremacy of the Flas and the Empire. -4

This seemed to be the very thing to say just then. But events have convinced the Christchurch organ of the Wardists that that lino will not pay. On Saturday, accordingly, it pleaded that the Opposition aro all patriots. 2— party (it said) ha. a monopoly of oatnotism. r ' •*>

On Saturday evening one of a little group of "Liberal" interjectors asked 3lr Toogcod why ho had changed his opinions since 1905. 3lr Toogood asked for particulars, and was told that he was then a Radical and is now standins for the "Conservatives." "Conservative!" ho said. 'Is it Conservative to liberalise the pension scheme? Is it Conservative to better the conditions of all Civil Servants? Is it Conservative to abolish the Tory right of political patronage? Is it Conservative to provide that the people shall elect the Legislative Council ?" But by this timo the interjectors were satisfied. -#

The Opposition aro complaining bitterly of the statistics quoted by tne Reformers regarding re-aggregation. The Year Book statistics. 0 f "occupied holdings," it is now urged, cannot be used by any honest person. This is sevens upon Sir J. G. Ward, who said in his 1908 election manifesto: Wo turned our backs upon land monopoly, then [18 years previously) unrestricted and rampant, as witness th. fact that 58. own_r_ held no less an are* than 10,400,000 acres.

1 -> — In his manifesto in iSll Sir Joseph quoted these figures again as witness- I ing the bad old conditions of "land ] , monopoly," which the "Liberals" had "destroyed." Yet the Year Book for 1911 showed that on Alarch 31st, 1911—after eighteen years of "Liberal" effort—more land i was in the occupation of fewer individuals. There were then 16,037,828 acres in the occupation of 490 persons. —♦ The real trouble with the 'Liberals" was that when they were in office they regarded the nation's affairs as their private business, and the law as a thing enforceable or suspensible at will. On Saturday night 31r G. W. Russell said that "the Liberals would have taken care to prevent the formation" of what he calls "bogus" unions during the strike. An unkind member of the audience reminded Mr Russell of tho formation of a now union during the Waihi strike, remarking that this was while the Ministry was in office of which 31r Russell was a member. 31r Russell's reply—the best he could think of—was that "there was nothing in the law to prevent tho formation of 'bogus' unions." But what is the law to a "Liberal"? Did not Sir J. G. Ward say at Kaitangata five or six year., ago that he would personally prevent ihe full enforcement of his own Act dealing with strike penalties?