The Hasting Standard Published Daily. FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1896. A POLITICAL PLATFORM.

Hastings Standard, Issue 5, 1 May 1896, Page 2

The Hasting Standard Published Daily.

FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1896. A POLITICAL PLATFORM.

For the cause that lacks assistar.ee, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

The triennial dissipation of a general election will be witnessed this year in New Zealand. The National Association, which lias grown out of the incinerated remains of a by-gone Toryism is busily but silently working, marshalling its forces and educating its officers, and by the date of the election its organisation will, we are assured, he perfect. The emissaries of the Association are stumping the country, and, with Captain Russell in the lead much good work from the pofnt of view of the Association is being done. The Association speakers are engaged in the perfectly legitimate business of laying bare the sins of Seddonism, and the other side is forced into defending their positions. The colony has had screeches from Sir Robert Stout and Captain Russell on the one side and from Messrs. Seddon and McKenzie on the other, and the electors of the colony are none the wiser. They have been surfeited with political hash, one dish of which would have been ample, but the leaders think otherwise, and from a doz< n platforms we have had the same old story from one side, and the same old story from the other side. The only diversion us was the story of the " Round Hill Chinamen." Seddon said one thing and Stout said it wasn't so, and this we were asked to accept as politics. In his speech at Hokitika. the Premier outlined«tlie policy of the Government for the approaching session, and the policy may be described as one of " fair" fads. We are promised a "fair " rent Bill, a "fair" interest Bill, a "fair" (State) Insurance Bill, a "fair" Villages Bill, and one or two other items of alleged fairness. The programme is extremely beautiful in theory, but when put into practice it will be found that it is overweighted with " fairness." The Government speakers have, while defending themselves, twitted the National Associawitli not indicating its policy, and the National Association has very wisely not taken any notice of the matter, for the simple reason it has no policy, or rather no political programme to submit to the country. Its business is to kill the Seddon Government —this fact is patent to Ministers —and the Associais at work to accomplish its end.

We have no doubt that when the proper time arrives the National Association programme will be forthcoming; in the meantime we are supplied with an outline of its probable policy. The Hon. G. F. Richardson, late member for Mataura, and Minister for Lands in the last Atkinson Cabinet, in a letter to some of his former constituents in the Mataura electorate, summarises the chief points of his political creed, and as Mr Richardson is a prominent member of the National Association, we may presume that his programme will be in accord with that to be later on submitted to the country in the Association, and on that account it is of special interest, The political plat-

form of the Hon. G. F. Richardson is as follows :

"Civil Service Purification —By Commission, and not by Parliament. " Further loans to be by issue of terminable debentures only thus, money being obtainable, say, at 8 per cent, pay 4 per cent half-yearly to debenture-holders, the 1 per cent sinking funds, so that (as by computation) the loans would be self-redeeming in from thirty to fifty years. Glasgow and Birmingham have set us the example.

" Conversions of present general loans to be made only by statutory provisions, with absolute security as to sinking funds. " Conversions of local bodies' loans by General Government on 3 per centbasis, and consequent reduction of interest.

'• Prompt quarterly publication of all public accounts (public accounts 1891-95 published 11th February, 1890, and Advances to Settlers Act not yet disclosed).

" Advances to Settlers to have a fair trial, if absolutely freed from Ministerial interference.

" Prohibition—This is now up to, if not in advance of, popular feeling Clutiia). The effects of the present law must be tested before alteration of legislation should be demanded.

Local 3loads —Duplicate and triplicate services now exist, causing great in salaries. Decentralisation of such works would conduce-to enconomy. (The Government Local Government Dill is pufely machinery, and is now fairly perfect. The mt.r of tho question is Local (lovcmment Finance, which is not touched upon.)

" Defence—More assistance and encouragement to volunteers, including good weapons and ammunition. " Mining Laws Revision —Too little now by Statute, too much by regulation. " Waste Crown settlement lands to be utilised by access and easy terms before, further compulsory taking of private estates. " Revision of the Tariff in the direction of Free Trade.

" Native Land Laws Revision—lndividualise title, then grant equal rights of dealing witli those possessed by Europeans. " Dank Legislation, Assistance, and Amalgamation—Enquiry needed into the moving causes and probable future effect on the colony (at present discount rates in New Zealand 5 per cent, for large business, yet with our money the Bank of New Zealand discount rates in Australia are to-day ; 5' 1"' r cent.)

" Council appointments to be limited to men who have honorably served an apprenticeship in public affairs." This programme has a healthy look about it, still it is far from complete.

The country awaits further develop ments.