THE COMING NEW LIBERAL PARTY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 35, 11 February 1908, Page 8

THE COMING NEW LIBERAL PARTY.

<* A SUGGESTED PROGRAMME. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Thn great political struggle of the near future will not be between Socialism and Conservatism, but between a new Libeial or Labour Party and the Conservative and Socialist Paities. Conservatism, Moderate Liberalism, .i id-Socialism aie equally unacceptible <o the country. What the country wants and has long desired is economic freedom and a just distribution of the national earnings. All real Students of economic science aie well aware that this ifc attainable without Socialism, which is indeed a denial of freedom— the enslavement of the individual to the State. There can be no economic freedom for this or any other nation until 'and monopoly is destroyed; and there can be no just distribution of tho national earningb until the unimproved value of land is appropriated by taxation for the benefit of all. Therefore 'the objective of the new Liberal Party— the real Labour Party—will be nationalisation of the land and its revenues. The programme of the new party will b3 something like the following^— i (1) A large incroaie in the land tax, and no graduation or exemption —the tax to be progressive. (2) Rating, on unimproved values to be made compulsory throughout tho Dominion (3) Abolition of all Customs duties except those on manufactured goods. I (4) Large increase in the Probate Duties, and the whole of these unties to be applied to the removal of our huge national debt. (5) The Hare system of voting. (6) ' The Referendum ami Initiative. (7) A local Government Bill making the following improvements compulsory . (a) Abundant supply of p.ure water i'or all houses, (b) A good drainage system, (c) Free swimming baths. (d) Free reading room and library. (c) Free tramways. (f) Free municipal amusements. t (3i. Free railways both for passenger and goods traffic. (9). People's banks fiom which the poorest depositois may borrow for produgtive. purposes only. (10) Administration of the land by municipalities who shall be compelled to find land for all who want it, the right of the individual to the use of land-to bo bounded by the equal right of all other individuals. (11) An improved system ot national deience. I submit, sir, that the foregoing is a much better Liberal and Labour programme than any that has yet been pla,ced before tho country, and that the moment is opportune for its adopLion.—l am, etc., E.T.E. Wellington, llth February, ISOB.