NEW ZEALAND POLITICS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 29, 17 January 1912, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND POLITICS.

SETTLEMENT BEFORE ROAD. NEED FOR A CHANGED POLICY. It seems incredible. says toe ‘•Patea Press." that any Government could have remained in office for 20 years without being given to understand that a policy of settlement before roads was inhuman in the extreme, and its continuance could not be tolerated under any, circumstances. It is sincerely to be hoped that amongst the many things promised us by Air. Alassey, one of the first to be carried into effect will be one that will bring about a revolution in the land settlement policy of the Dominion, one that will provide for roads being constructed in, advance of settlement so that the bufferings and hardships anti loss of, life experienced by those braee enough to undertake the «< rk of I pioneer sctlement wdl to a great ex-| tent be things of the past. The mat-1 ter is. or rather should z be. one that, is altogether apart from party pcli-l tics, for humanitarian reasons, but! if one political party chooses to continue a system that it knows to oe opposed to the best interests of the country, to say nothing ct the cruelty of it. then it has only itself to blame if it loses the confidence of the country in consequence o' its action. For years past it has been the custom of; many of the most .ardent admirers | of Sir Joseph Ward to look askance at anyone who had the temerity tc criticise any of his legislation, as if the whole country, lock, stock, anu barrel, were the Premier's private property, and consequently abuses such as those connecte.l, with the settlement of our back country lands, have been allowed to go on unchecked. The people have at length begun to realise that the countrv dees not belong to Sir Joseph Ward any more than it does to Air. V . I". Massey, and that the Premier <>! the Dominion, whoevc 1 - hi- i- a> l-< . the servant and not the master ot the people, and one capable <>> be’ng dismissed at any time it I;ts actions jlu not meet with their appro", i - tnnext few months '.'...iii-' many changes in the methods adi pled in the carrying out of the country’s affairs when Mr. A»as<.y -mil his partv assume control. Should one of them bq in the direction of providing suitable imads m the bacx country before settlement is allowed to take place ; in fact a complete revolution in the system of land settlement —then Mr. Masses" and his colleagues will have accomplished something that should rain for them the approbation all who have a spark of humanity in their breasts.

THE OLD AND NEW LIBERALISM.

MR. ATMORE’S ATTITUDE. Speaking at a social gathering at Nelson on Thuixt.i’. night. Mr. H. Atmore. M.P. for Nelson, sard it was about time the absurd system of party government was wiped out, because under that system the people were net getting the benefit of the best brains. B hen they elected a man he went to Parliament to represent Nelson, not to represent Sir Joseph Ward or Mr. Massey. A man betrayed his trust if he forgot to represent Nelson. The late Mr. Seddoti said that a man went to Parliament and w --‘responsible to no one except his constituents. That wa~ true LibcralNrn and not the Liberalism that they had m New Zealand to-day. Liberalism meant tor the benefit of the people and not the part v. V. hat was wanted in New Zealand was a strong Government. and an economical Government. and whichever party came nearest to that would have his vote. It had been stated that an Independent did not have any influence in the ?iouse, but the men who held the Government in the hollow of their hands to-day were the Labour and Independent members. I To-day they were the most influen-( tial members in New Zealand. His! vote would be for the best interests; of Nelson and the Dominion. ir-e-i suective of Sir Joseph Ward or Mr. Massey.