NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1296, 27 November 1911, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The reasons given by candidates for claiming the support of the electors are, sometimes a little difficult to follow. The other night, for instance, the good people who attended a meeting in the Hutt electorate were urged to return Mr. Wilford on the ground that if rejected he would miss the portfolio, which apparently he imagines will fall to his lot if successful at the polls.. This is very amusing. How many other candidates, wo wonder, aro playing the same little game on the unsophisticated elector 1 It is one of the reasons advanced by the friends of the Government candidate at Palmerston North, Mr. M'Nab. Then we know that the friends of Mr. Lai.-renson foretell his elevation to Cabinet rank; and so the pleasant little, electioneering trick goes gaily on its rounds. So far as "Mr. Wilford is concerned, those of his supporters who are anxious to see him attain to Ministerial rank might do more towards achieving their purpose by securing his rejection than by working for his re-election. The only vacant portfolio at the present time—assuming that Ministers are re-elected and that Sir John Findlay wins_ Parnell—-is the one associated with the Legislative Council. The,more faithful supporters of the Government who suffer defeat at the general elections are so often accommodated with a scat in the Legislative Council that Mr. Wilford, who has followed docilely at the heels of the Government for so long, might well look forward to nomination to that restful quarter. And when he gottherc, what is to prevent him applying for the post rendered vacant by the ambitions_ of Sir John Findlay? Really this seems an admirable suggestion. We should say it was Jilt. Wilford's best, probably his only, hope. The drawback to these pleasing anticipations, however, is that it_m_ay be Mr. Massey, and not the distinguished Baronet, to whom Mr. Wilford yields such ready obedience, who will be doing the selecting of Ministers next month.

The vital importance of tho land question in a country like New Zealand is so very obvious that it is not surprising that our recent distinguished visitor, Dr. Karl Kujim, who has just concluded a successful lecturing tour in New Zealand, should have laid special stress on tho subject in his intervew with our representative on the eve of his departure.

"You will have to be careful," he said, "in taxing your laud more titan vou have taxed it up to now. A now couritrv cannot afford to put heavy taxes on tho land, for population on tho land is the backbone of a new country. In South Africa and in Canada the'taxes on the land are very small. In Australia and in New Zealand tho taxes arc heavy. It would appear to an outsider to be advisable to consider whether these taxes should not lx> reduced."

A good many "insiders" will agree very heartily with this "outsider," and not only in respect of land taxation. The taxation per head of tho people of JYcw Zealand to-day is heavier than it has ever been. "\Vhat the Ward Administration will persist in ignoring, however, is the plain I truth uttered by Dr. Ktjmm, that tho "population on the land is the backbone of a new country," and in failing to recognise this fact, and act up to it, the Government aro prejudicing not only the interests of the country settlers, but of every section of the community. New Zealand has progressed—such a, country with the prices ruling for our produce could not fail to-progress—but it has not advanced at the rate it should, for tho simple reason that the Government of the country has no settled land policv, and its actions are influenced all the time by their probable effect as a means of vote-catch-ing. Everyone in the country would have benefited by an active land settlement policy involving the rapid opening up of waste Crown lands -iiul idle Native lands, together with the pushing on of_ road and railway construction to give settlers proper access to their lauds, and to provide means nf transport for their produce. Everyone has suffered directly or indirectly by the neglect of the Government in these respects. A new Government, with (he courage and enterprise to carry out a vigorous land settlement policy, could add enormously to the prosperity of Now Zealand. On this ground alone it would pay the electors of New Zealand to rid. themselves of the effete Ward Administration, and replace it, with the lii-form parly, which at least knows its mind on the subject nf land settlement, and possesses the ability to carry out the progressive policy it advocates. There are excellent prospects of a very useful recruit to the ranks of 'Parliament coming from the Pahia-

l.ini <■)•'«•(did(,-. Tin', Itofiinii parly has ln'i'ii l'«»••(.!!nit Irt- in securing ;ik it.:: r.'l>rcsctil.:i.livc in Ihiii cuiili'kl, a niudidute possessing many claims In tin: ninlideiirc ,-iln.l" goodwill of the. electors i.r Urn ciuislitiiem-y. M 11. ICsti.rr, llu' gentleman in i|iii'!il.iiin, is n, fiirllll'l' (if till! flilK'A who have done Kll Hindi tii make. New Zealand wllill it is to-day. Hi- knows the needs of thn farming I'oiiiiiiiinity, mill in knowing their ri'C|nirt'Tiii.-nts he is in n, position I." plate lirfon> Parliament tin: means of encouraging the development of the country on the host Imoa. lint Alii. Kscorr is something more, than a farmer. Tin has the reputation of being a very careful man of sound judgment, broad views, and, to quote an enthusiastic supporter, "absolutely straight." The Parliament of New Zealand is badly in need of sound and straight men. The political trickster who lias nothing more than a glib tongue, unlimited promises, and some skill in the art of balancing has had a pretty good innings; and something more, solid and reliable is wanted. M it. Escott has been meeting with a great deal of success in his electioneering, and is assured of a very solid vote for his personal worth as well as the support, of those who realise that the Ward Administration has passed its period of usefulness, and that a change of Government would 1 )C beneficial to town and country alike.