WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

Evening Star, Issue 13099, 4 November 1908, Page 1

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

WORKERS AND LIBERALISM. ' r^| If the workers are'beat on ■ oatPWi|,j; , - J S i new reforms they ought to educate Liberal party, which includes the inasß, of the people, and throw their ' j weight at the polls entirely on the 12beraln5‘i side. There is no mvatcrv aftnnf. '.Zi> and_ there is no special pleading uV it.;;' It is merely common sense, and if Hie' vb dissatisfied workers have no* suffidmit ih-' 15 telligence to recognise the plain lessons of . the political history of New Zealand’they 'p; must unending disapjmihtnMnti 1 Happily, the malcontents are not jnane- - rous enough to do any serious harm ti> the Liberal cause, but they must be told f plainly that the measure or their. program '>’ along independent lines will'be the nua. sure of their political failure.— ‘ LVttelton Times,’ _ “ - THE OPPOSITION. - • ■ Mr Massey has tried to persuade the farming community, by subtle perversions and clever but questionable rasorvatiohsi that a Government who have consistently fostered the industry, and hove been jesponsible for a period of unexampled prosperity in the country, should be replaced ■ by a notoriously retrogressive and prece-dent-hampered Administration. To effect " that end he has stopped at nothing,-and' thongh he and his colleagues hawn -been exposed time after time in political tniarepresentations and pervendons and matinterpretations, they persist in. reiterating them, until the process of ccmiiiKtal' coTrection has become almost as nanamtis and degrading for those against whom they have been aimed at as it ought to he. for those responsible for them.—Chpetchurch ‘ Star.’ ELECTION TACTICS. Not a single word is ever said.by his critics in proof of their constant allegations that Mr Masse v is a “ reactionary ” in the sense in which they use the word. The best proof of the dishonesty of these • tactics is in the programme which the Leader of the Opposition has laid down over and over again in his reoent speeches. His proposals are “reactionary” only in the sense that they mean a reaction from a policy tliat is manifestly injurious to the country’s welfare. And that is the kind of “reaction” which every progres-tij-e patriot must desire. It is also Mr Massey’s definite policy. When, therefore, the public hear the Opposition referred to as “the party of reaction,” they may know that that description originates cither in ignorance or in dishonesty.—The ‘Dominion.’ AN OPPOSITION WANTED. The need of a strong Opposition wai never greater than it is at present. Th< \ Government are arrogating to themselve* more and more the privileges and tin powers of Parliament. It is only a strong ; and independent House that can prevent the encroachment. The late Mr Seddon was almost as autocratic as Mr Roosevelt, and Sir Joseph is apparently anxious to draw to himself even greater power of control. The country has not yet realised it. When it does we do not believe that it Avail put up with the dumb-dog, handtied member any longer.— ‘ Hawke’s Bay Herald.’ RESTING ON THE OARS. If Sir Joseph Ward adheres to his-deter-mination to ease off in. legislation, after the National Annuities Bill and -jono or two other measures of minor miportanco are -disposed of, it-is conceivable that a spirit of unrest would speedily become evident amongst the more extreme section of the Liberal party who regard the requirements of the 'Dominionj both from social and commercial standpoints, as by no means satisfactory. 1 Mr Massey’s policy is recognised as intolerable, and with Sir Joseph Ward inclined to lag behind, the opportunity for the brilliant opportunist would be at hand. Propounding a policy which would be in advance of cither tho present two parties, it Should not bo a difficult matter to consolidate the', opponents and lukewarm supporters of Sir Joseph Ward or Mr Massey, and thus bring into being a third party, which would probably have a controlling influence on the ]>olitics of this Dominion.—‘Grcvmouth Star.’ THE GOVERNMENT POLICY. Neither the development of -the Dominion nor the defence of tho Dominion is being adequately attended to at the present juncture, and we sincerely hope that Sir Joseph Ward will recognise that no political majority is great enough to enable a Government to ignore such fundamental requirements. If we call-a halt in the making of doubtful experiments, we ought to be able to attend effectively to matters upon which parties ought -not to differ.—‘Auckland Herald.’ , V f_ A STRONG OPPOSITION. * In the interests of improved government through the more careful and more complete critical examination of proposals and administrative acts which a stronger Opposition could undertake, even, electors who .are nr favor of the Government may sec that tney would be doing' thedr duty lo their country better wheh they can do so with credit to them solves in the character of their representative, by increasing the numbers of the Constitutional systematic Opposition than by helping to ' maintain tho unduly Large majority of the Government party. We have reason to bd-eve that a good many a electors who would be soitv to see hho pgroeht Government from rfffiCC'takb' precisely this view of the present situation.— ‘ Xnnaru Herald.’ 7