POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 185, 30 April 1908, Page 7

POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

MR. MASSEY INTERVIEWED. THE TENDENCY TO SOCIALISM. ADMINISTRATION. OF 'ARBITRATION ; ACT. Though declining to go into details ol his recent trip to the South Island, Mr. W. F. Massey, Leader of tho Opposition, yesterday told; a Dominion representative that ho had every reason to be satisfied with tho results.- ' "It has been stated that your business in Dunedin was to arrange for a coalition or . a 'coalescence' • between your party-and tho ■.. Government, .for .the purpose of curtailing' tho Socialistic tendencies of the Radicals?" 1 , A FLAT .DENiAL. ' ' "Absolute, nonsense!" returned, Mr. Mas--sey. "I, liavo' ..already given that state- , " ment a fiat denial, and I don't mind saying • . that my business oil the; present trip is. to meet tho Opposition members'.'and - some of- ; -r-i'ii.' tho prominent supporters of the ' partyin'.'-' > ; ; V, the different centres.: l'ut, let me take tho -. I ,'. opportunity- of .suggesting to' those . pqopfc;V.£s;; v .who are alarmed ;at the - spread--of Socialism that the proper, .thing-.for them to! do is assist ; tliu party, that has,' stood up—and ' •••' with a certain amount- of success—agaiiist': L j- :fe Socialistic.- proposals-; in! 'Parliament.' And by Socialistic proposals,;! I; ni<;ah the nationalisa^'P [; V-K tion. of,the land;'and thf.Snationalisation^of tho. of tho Dominion. I bcljevo :: - i the question of Socialism will bo! very : minentlylx-foro thoelectors .'at the'. comiiigf:'''| f elections, and properly .so, , because,', I thiiiU ; l "?y.; 5 tho sooner tho .'position is, faced the better.'; : flub.',. I- would ask the electors, to thinky'f or;|;' 3 themselves . which party' is' tho more worthy,'^'; : ? i | : ,of ■ . s.upport—the .... Government. - party, x?' t .which'- a'riargoVmaj6nty>'are-..py.'.-.thcir votes is "'"vK prepared• to accept Socialismor' tho . Op-, '',' >. t 'position party, which, anxious to give > every man. aVchance to improve, his position, is convinced' that the destruction or even ■ discouragement of private enterprise and , '• ,• : private, industry, would be tho very-w;orst'! .V tiling that.could possibly..happen to this or. 1 ; ariy other country. '• On this question tho electors' should see that there will bo, 'no •'running with the hai;c arid hunting with the ■ jiounds, b\it that every candidate will bo : -i called upon to make his attitude 'perfectly. ~;'. .clear."' •,' , THE EINAMGIAL POSITION. ' - "Will you say-"anything about the finan-. ' cial position?"' ' -• ,J: ' "Only, that-;', wo 'arc ' all pleased that the ,'V.! financial position, as disclosed, by tho Trea- ; surer the /other .evening, .is ■ at, present so,, .' ?,• ; satisfactory.' It is v . well, however, re- . member, in • conseiiueuce;' of; tho preferential , : part; of tho Act's;only coming into' ■ operation after March. 31, a very- large sum; :'; ;was collected by way of revenue prior to the : ; ', " end of. last, financial year that .would otherwise havo- stood.over until this year. LOCAL BORROWING. "And here .I may point out' that I' thinka: ... : "mistake is, being; made in bonowiug iu New,;; Zealand.. The result of this!local, borrowing ; off'tho .part of the Government during-the; - last- few, years lis !thr.t, tho Govornnient 'it-' self, has come into, competition, with those!' .> 'who Tequiro'- borroivrd capital. • Thus,, the" rate, of . interest; has; been, .'increasod 1 !; to, l : .,tJje'i". ' farmers . and merchants , and', of Nov/'Zealand. Neither do I agreo with . : - tho policy of borrowing in Australia. The ■ GbVernment"s ; 'of ! the 1 Australian States are ableVto gb 'tp London , for, tho money they • roquire, and New' Zealand should be in at least as good a position to, do likewise. ■ TAXATION. , "I notice; that tho - Colonial Treasurer, in ' his concluding remarks the other evening, was not nearly so optimis.tic '.is usual, and , -everi/hinted at'!!a-' possible', increase of taxa- . *. tion- Well, taxation is, already pressing very heavily'"on. the peoplo of this country, and I am sure - that, 'with .careful administration, there should be no necessity for .. . anything of ...the! sort, 'the, present taxation, when one'! considers the' increased cost . • , of living, is quite a sufficient'burden for the •. , people to."bear. It would ,{ie far. better !io ; . ; curtail some of the unnecessary expenditure that goes'oh than* to suggest oven tho pos.sibility of; .increased .taxation." •; ' . TWO FOLITICAL QUESTIONS. . Asked if he had any other'point on which i , he would like to. touch, Mr. Massey said he found in iiis travels .through the Dominion • that. •:the two political questions uppermost ; in the minds of ihe great majority of tho electors were thoso of the growing tendency to Socialism' and tho administration of tho 'Arbitration Act. Ho had given his viows iji-regard-to- tlie : former. ,', With', regard .to. . ;u ; ;tiie latter,- tho general ' opinion—and it was ono in which he shared—was .that' ihe Act had practically broken down,., and that if it was to remain on the- Statute Book, or to be of any valuo in the future, it iiiist bo 'amended-''so-as- to make, it, moi'o, elastio.' , : , !! and less irksome ..to.'both ■•employers . and, workers, ■ AVhethpr. the GoyorniiiGiit would , insist upon making the necessary' amend-\ m«nts noxt sessrnp or not he was, of courses unablo to say. ; 1 , , ,