PROGRESSIVE LIBERALISM v. SOCIALISM.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 78, 28 September 1907, Page 7

PROGRESSIVE LIBERALISM v. SOCIALISM.

IBT rSXXa&AVTf —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] DUNEDIN, ThiV Day. Mr. Tom Mackenzie would seem .to have decided to take a side in politics at last. Evidently the independent member for Waikouaiti discovers the disadvantages of being a fieo lance. Dominion Day was the occasion and Waikouaiti the Bceno of his making the declaration as to future intentions. At a "social" held thei'e following the opening of tho new courthouse, Mr. \tf. Bucklaud, president of tho local Farmers' Union, proposed the toast of " The Dominion," and in so doing said that at tho present time the difference in party lines could be marked by a discussion as to whether a man should or should not have £50 moro a year. There was no great distinction between tho two parties in Parliament. So far as the country was concerned, there were no distinct party lines. In speaking to the. toast, Mr. Mackenzie said it was true that for some considerable time parties had been converging on the same point, and that with a few reasonable modifications tho two sides could easily unite. One party had. during a course of years", modified its idoas, whilst tho other party had dovelopod and progressed. Personally, ho saw no reason, with the settlement of a few points, why the two parties should not unite. Thorn was a dovelopmaul just now of what one might term tho Socialistic Party in the country, and it appeared to him that tho sides in future would bo Progressive Liberalism v. Socialism. Personally, he cared more to see honest men in office than for political creeds, and he was prepared to follow any band of honest xnaa who would go, in for sound Liberal legislation 011 economic lines, placing the closer settlement of tho land and the development of cur industries in the forefront of their policy. Ho believed that the country now had such a Government in tho Ward Government, aiid ho personally would veiy much liko to see tho Bound' mon of our House and country working in unison.