THE NEW EVANGEL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 123, 9 May 1912, Page 5

THE NEW EVANGEL.

MR. FOWLDS AND THE LABOUR PARTY. ■BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL.] (Own Correspondent.) Wellington, May 8. Mr. Fowlds arrived in Lyttelton yesterday, says the "Post s” Christchurch correspondent, very well pleased at the prospect of entering the arena once more. ■ It will be a kind of a new experience.” he said, to hare some thing definite and effective to fight for.” Mr. Fowlds recalled the fact that he was going to Dunedin after a considerable lapse of years to address a public meeting. The last occasion when he had done so was eight or nine vears ago when he had f ake t , the platform with Mr Laurenson and others in the interests of land reform. Since then he had not been as free an agent as he was now. Mr. Fowlds said that the itinerary was not fixed. All he knew was that he was to start on a nine days’ compaign, but he would not know where he was to speak until he had met the general secretary of the United Labour Party in Dunedin. Doubtless he would speak in Christchurch and other large centres, and then go on to the North Island.” "Do you think,” he was asked, "that a Labour Government is possible in New Zealand ’

“Certainly,” he replied, “under the United Labour Party, which you must recognise has a wider signifiicance than the representation of manual workers alone. The party will embrace those who are doing useful work of any kind.” “6ut will these classes own allegiance to a Labour Party ?” he was asked.

“I think so certainly,” he responded. “What are the prospects of a general election this year 1 ?” was another enquiry. “I have never been able,” he replied, “to anticipate sufficient heroism on the part of eighty members of Parliament to deliberately force another election.” LATE GOVERNMENT CRITICISED. Commenting on the telegram, the “Post” says:— “Probably not meaning to be cruel to his late colleagues, Mr. G. Fowlds, missionary for the L’nited Labour Party, said at Lyttelton yesterday: ‘lt will be a kind of new experience to have something definite and effective to fight for.’ Between every pair of these words one may read a chapter on the late Government’s evasive amiableness in statecraft. Indefiniteness is torture to a man of energy and intelligence, but it is tolerable if associated with a Ministerial salary. Yet Mr. Fowlds may not immediately find inspiriting definiteness. The United , Labour Party, however definite it may believe itself to be, has not yet a definite shape in the eyes of the ‘middle class’ which the leaders hope to capture. The people wish to know how rapidly the Labourites desire to march to the ‘co-operative commonwealth’ which is also the ideal of their more impetuous brethren of the Red Federation -of Labour. When Mr. Fowlds dees find definiteness among his new colleagues then New Zealand will witness quite a propagation of definiteness. Definite Labour, if it decides to continue standing on the latest remodelling of its platform, may find itself opposed by a definite moderate Liberal party which may with advantage take the name of Democratic Party, while the third division would remain ‘Reform’ or ‘Liberal.’ The sooner the indefinite political elements are unmistakeably classified the better for the country. ‘Masseyism’ has just as vague a meaning now to the public as ‘Wardism,’ or ‘Mackenzieism,’ or ‘Millarism.’ At the close of the general elections we remarked that ‘ism’ and ‘ist’ would be replaced by issues recognisable by the public, and it is plain that the issues are taking shape. Mr. Fowlds is helping and for this he deserves the thanks of both opponents and friends.”

THE OLD EVANGEL. ELECTIONEERING CABINET. INTERESTING PERSONAL PARAGRAPHS. In order to convince our readers that the Mackenzie Minister is being overworked and that the Premier’s contention that two more paid Minis ::ers are absolutely necessary to relieve the existing .eight of some of their responsibilties, we take from -.esterday’s Dominion the following itinerary : — The Prime Minister (the Hon. T. Mackenzie) and the Hon. J. A. Hanan will be at Otatau to-day, the Hon. Te Rangihiroa at W anganui, and the Hon. T. Buxton at Temuka. The other Ministers of the Crown ■re in Wellington. The Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister for Railways, will leave to-night for Christcvhurch. Several deputations will wait upon him, and he will visit be Addington Workshops. He will go on at the end of the week to Dunedin. The Minister for Labour ;Hon. G. Laurenson) leaves this morning for Stratford, where he will deliver a political address this evening. The Hon. H. G. Ell, PostmasterGeneral. leaves to-night for Christchurch. where he will be entertained b.v his constituents at a social tomorrow evening. The Hon. W. D. S. Macdonald Minister for Public Works) returned iron’. Blenheim last night by the Pateena. He will attend a social to Mr. J. M’Cluggage at Whangomomona to-morrow. The Hon. J. Colvin will go to the Thames to attend the funeral of th' late Hon. J. M'Gowan. who was his predecessor as Minister for Mines. The Hon. J. A. Hanan. Minister for Education, passed through Christchurch yesterday morning on his way to Invercargill. To-day lie will attend the banquet which is to be given to Mr. J. C. Thomson, M.P., at Otautau. and will then return to

Invercargill for a day or tyo. Coming north again he will visit the children’s instituions at Otekaike, and will receive deputations in Christchurch. —Press A ssociation. LAMENTATIONS OF LAURENSON. THE POLITICAL HUMBUG AT STRATFORD. HE DOES NOT WANT AN INDEPENDENT PRESS. Stratford, May 8. The Hon. G. Laurenson addressed a crowded audience here to-night. He said he regretted to notice that many newspapers in Hawke’s Bay had fallen into the hands of wealthy people. He trenchantly criticised a Wellington print, and prophesied that if all the newspapers were conducted similarly the press of the Dominion would degenerate to the same level as the American press. The Opposition blamed the Government for wasting money and putting up the national debt. In five years the debt had increased by nine milmillions. Five millions had been spent on railways and four and a half millions on advances to settlers and workers. He said that one of the best ways to ensure the prosperity of any country was to see that every’ man owned his own home. The Opposition got on the platform and condemned the expenditure, but sat in the House and never voted against it. Such people were political humbugs. Mr. Massey said there had been too great an increase in the annual expenditure, but where had the increase gone to ? A quarter of a million extra had been spent on education. Nobody voted against it, 'and he thought that the expenditure would be still further increased. The expenditure on old age pensions had increased bj’ £120,000, ow’ing to the number of people coming of age, and £700,000 extra was spent on railways. But the railways produced a revenue of £1,150,000. The same thing occurred as regards the Post and Telegraph Department. All expenditure had been increased in such directions as no sane person would object to. The Government was blamed with being non-progressive, but he detailed directions in which the legislation had been in a forward direction. As to corruption, no charge had been proved. The Hine charges were well known before the election, and the persons charged were tried by their constituents. The charges were not brought against the persons concerned, but were made in the hope that the Government would be besmirched. But this had not been done. The party had been in power twenty years. During this time the bankruptcies had been reduced by half, the average life of man had increased from 31 to 40, and the number of persons who paid income tax had increased by 56 per cent. There was a pressing necessity -for more Ministers. Since 1873 the number of Ministers had increased by only one. Either the country had too many Ministers then or there were too few now. Since then the number of departments had greatly increased. Perhaps it would be better to have Parliamentary Under-Secretaries. Mr. Myers holds a number of portfolios, including Railways, but it would take the individual energies of the best man in the Dominion to look after the railways. The Government intended to go in for the rapid settlement of the land. They desired to put an end to the big estates. It was improper that the town population in New Zealand should be greater than the country population. This was especially bad in the case of a growing country. Votes of thanks to Mr. Laurenson and of confidence in the Government were carried by acclamation.