THE OPPOSITION

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8926, 12 September 1905, Page 5

THE OPPOSITION

I—— ♦— ■'■ v POLITICAL REFORM I,»I AGUB ' [PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, September 11; , ' The Wellington Political Reform League held a public meeting to-night at the Jown Hall. The Chairman, in introducing the speakers, said the League was practically "Opposition" in politics, and its aim was to put a stop to the spoliation' system of the Government. . ' The speakers were Sir William Russell, Messrs Massey, Herdman, Jame6 Allen, Duthie, and Aitken. Sir William Russell said that since the electoral laws had been altered there had. been continuous tinkering with the constitution, which was not conducive to good government. The functions of the_ Legislative Council had been materially impaired. The pure democratic ' form of government had almost passed away, and we were governed by what might be called an almost ruthless^ autocracy. Mr Herdman spoke on the necessity- of reform in the method of making appointments to the public service, and the superanimation of civil servants. Mr Massey's Tem'arks were on the reformof local government by the establishment of a sound system of local finance and economical expenditure of public money and the reform of the land laws by ericour" aging settlement, and by giving Crown tenants tho right to acquire the freehold." He declared that the present system was 1 demoralising the community. The political control of reads and bridges should be abolished. * . Mr Allen addressed himself to education, and Mr Duthie to the late sittings of ' ihe House.