POLITICAL PARTIES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 76, 31 March 1914, Page 4

POLITICAL PARTIES

10 TBI IDITOn. Sir, — I desire to congratulate yoii j on the stands which you are taking against the infamous doctrine of those so-called Liberals who hold that they should de- | clare no policy 'for- the consideration of the electors. In his Auckland speech Sir Joseph Ward repeats his phrase about the Government "collaring ' his policy. Now, as I believe Mr. Massey to be an agricultural Tory, I am compelled to deduce that the concealed Liberal policy which Mr. Massey < may be tempted to "collar" will consist of such items as (1) gaoling of all Red Feds ; (2) depriva ing low common people of the vote ; (3) extension of Sir Joseph Ward's own Conscription Act; (4) strengthening of the Coercion Act of last session ; and (5) exempting city properties from taxation. As regards Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, I believe these items would be popular with most of the country Liberals. As regards No. 5 I think the only difference of opinion between Mr. Massey afid Sir Joseph Ward would be as to whether country properties should not be exempt as well.' Though Mr. Massey is popular with the country people, we must ie< member that Sir Joseph Ward and his party are popular with the city syndicators. We all remember with pride what pressure was brought to bear upon the Government in 1907, and how it secured that the special graduated tax of that year should nob apply in such cases. If the tax had been applied, some city properties might have to be utilised or sold and building land brought; into ,tise for the benefit of the working people. City property should be kept a-s a giltedged investment for the few, otherwise more land might be forced into use and more buildings might be erected. This would give the working man more choice of houses, and possibly might give him ideas beyond his station. In fact, it might make him generally troublesome. As regards' conscription, I think both parties are at one about it, but there are several ways in which the Act could be strengthened. However, even Mr. Massey can never take away from Sir Joseph Ward the glory of having introduced compulsory military training. A little of this glory must, nevertheless, be sha.red with two other Liberals — namely, Mr. M'Nab and Mr. Myers. I think the best t way to defeat the policy-collaring proclivities of Mr. Massey and Mr. Allen would be for the Liberals' to act shrewdly and declare a policy which are not going to carry out. Then if Mr. Massey adopts it 'he will fall into a trap. This is a- suggestion for which I ckim great credit, although a hint of it has reached _me from other quarters^ Was it something of this kind which Sir Joseph Ward had in. unnd when, in his celebrated address to the Feildingbnians ort 20th October, 1908 he declared himself opposed to " conscription, in the shape of compulsory military training.'* The cases are perhaps not parallel, but they contain tbe genesis of a great political tactic. — I am. etc, SHERLOCK HOLM TO THE BDITOR. Sir.— Why will the Liberals persist in the dishonest trick of pretending to be friundly to Labour and refusing to advance any policy which will be of real benefit to Labour. The demand should be made of every Liberal candidate t,nat he shall declare » definite policy, without the adoption of which he wilt not support a Liberal Government It is quite true, as Mr. Hiudmarsh pointed out at Newtown, that there are many progressive men^ in the Liberal Party. In my opinion, if the Liberal Party as a whole does not _ adopt progressive ideas these men arc in the wrong place. Let/ them declare a piogressive policy and let them give an undertaking that they will not support any party— even on a no-confl-dmice motion— that docs not carry out such a policy. — I am, etc., BEACHCOMBER. "tO iHi SUITOR. Sir,— Much capital is being made in certain quarters of_ the statement that the Massey Party is so bound up with vested interests that no reform is possible from that quarter. It would be quite easy to show that the Liberals are equally under the thumb of the chief vested interests of this Country. In tfie first place every Liberal is afiaid of the question of land value' taxation. He chatters about the graduated tax— which is now a matter of ancient history — but he is in mortal dread of causing any offence to the land-owning class in city and country. It is at least as important to unlock land from city people as from large proprietors in the country. Every one of these people is hostile to the Liberals. The latter, however, are afraid to tackle the question. They have no policy,_ and yet they have the delicious impertinence to masquerade as friends of _ Labour, when they have not even paid Labour the respect of conceding a single point of Labour policy. We must insist on. a straight declaration of policy. Proportional representation and increase of, the land values tax, with reduction of Customs taxes and railway . freights to reduce the cost of .living, must a-fc least find a foremost place in the programme, or we must oppose the Liberals to the utmost at the next election. — I am, etc., . M. ROCHE. 29th March.