The Dominion. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1911. A QUESTION OF POLICY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1318, 22 December 1911, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1911. A QUESTION OF POLICY.

The efforts of some of the Ministerialists and opponents of the I!e----form party to raise the cry that Ml*.. Massey has no constructive programme—that his policy is simply destructive —is very amusing in view of the facts.'' It is true, of course, that there is a destructive side to the Reform policy. It aims at the destruction of the many abuses which have been the outstanding feature of the administration of the country's affairs in recent times. If Mr. Massey did no more than clean up the administration of the various Departments of the, State and place the public service, railways management and the expenditure on public, works on a sound and businesslike footing he would have dono more real good for the country than has been accomplished by the Ward Administration during its whole tenure of office. But while these are vitally imporlant matters which would receive the immediate attention of the new Government, the platform of this parly as placed before the country, and fought for for years in the face of most adverse conditions, covers ,1 much wider range of ground. Has the Iteform party no constructive policy respecting land sellleinont.' Has it not definite views on the necessity for pressing forward the opening up of the waste lauds of (he Crown; and has it not again and again told Parliament and the coun-

try how it would do this 1 Amongst other things, it proposes to provide special facilities for men of small capital to get on the land; to permit the payment of purchase money by instalments; to give all the right lo the freehold; lo utilise all money obtained from the sale of the freehold of land for the purchase of further land for settlement, and so on; always providing for limitation of area to prevent aggregation. Has not the Ixeform party definite views on the question of the turning of idle -Native lands to profitable, account— not by robbing the .Natives, as has been suggested by the. Ministerial organ, but by the rapid individualisation of titles; by'affording the Natives the common privilege of disI posing of their lands under proper safeguards, making provision against I the creation of large holdings; and by promoting legislation having for I its ultimate, aim tho placing of N: tives in the same position as Europeans / Is not local government reform—which the Continuous Ministry has promised for nearly 20 years and never attempted—a'constructive proposal? Are not the proposals respecting pensions for women at ( ; - years, instead of having to wait until (ij; the promotion of legislation in favour of compulsory insurance against sickness anil .unemployment; the substitution of an elective Upper House to replace the present wretched nominative Chamber—are not, all these constructive proposals] .Hut.what is the use of enlarging further '! The people who are attempting to set afoot the cry that the' Reform party has no constructive policy know quite well that its policy is not, merely one of reform, but that it is sound and progressive. And the public know this: that a party which for 20 years has faced courageously and unflinchingly reverse after reverse, refusing Lo sacrifice its principles for personal gain, and which has at last emerged triumphant from the struggle, can he relied on tii fight with equal courage and 'determination to give effect, lo its pledges. The Reform party is pledg-' cd lo clean and honest administration; it is pledged to a progressive policy which if given effect to will have a tremendous effect in promoting the prosperity of the whole country; it is pledged to social and industrial legislation in tho interests of the working classes and of industry generally. And yet there arc foolish people who think they can hinder the advance of such a party J).v senseless catch-cries such a's ''Tory" and "Conservative," which have no meaning at all in a country such as New Zealand is to-tlav. The Ijeform party has triumphed over the misrepresentation which has been directed against it in the past and unless we are greatly mistaken it will during the next few months demonstrate to the people of New Zealand, and to the utter confusion of its opponents, the falseness and dishonesty of recent and present attempts to decry and brand it as a retrogressive party. The. Ward Administration, with its shifty ways, its selfishness, its lack of principle, its incompetence, its cowardice, cuts a sorry figure beside the party which, whatever its shortcomings mav have been, has at least fought a clean and honest fight, and stood steadfastly under all circumstances bv the principles and policy which it has deemed best calculated to further the interests of New Zealand and its people.