THE OPPOSITION CAMPAIGN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXI, Issue 13370, 24 February 1904, Page 6

THE OPPOSITION CAMPAIGN.

It seems that the leader of the Opposition only required to lie reminded of his promise to visit tho South Island during the rcecss. The Hawke’s Bay Herald” announces that he will commence a southern political campaign next month, and we presume that, his itinerary will include all the principal centre.? in Canterbury and Otago. It is quits unnecessary to bespeak for him a cordial welcome in these provinces. Sir William Russell placed himself on such good terms with the people of Christchurch and Dunedin when lie paid them a political visit some six or seven years ago that they will be quite, prepared to extend a kindly reception to his successor. And Mr Massey has many claims of his own upon their courtesy. Ha is an earnest and a capable politician, who has made considerable sacrifices in tho public service with little prospect of any , advantage to himself. With the generous co-operation of Sir William .Russell ho has rescued the Opposition from chaos and lias made it a real force in the House of Representatives. He is supposed to bo engaged upon the construction of a. polio}- for Lis parly, and ho has already given some indication of its, general features. He is not a brilliant orator; but be is a .pleasant speaker, and lie lias the useful faculty of making and keeping friends. Canterbury will be particularly interested in his views on the land question. Has threatened amendment to -Mr Duncan's promised Land Bill proposed to give Crown tenants, who 1 had acquired their holding! direct from the Crown, the right toqpurchr.se Hie freehold at the original valuation, and that, wo take it, will be his policy on the platform. But when, he comes south he will discover that a very large proportion of the Crown tenants here haVe acquired their holdings through the operation of the Land for, Settlements Act, and that they arc quite unable to understand why they should be treated'differently from Hie tenants in the North Island. If tho freehold is good for one class of tenants, they will argue, it is surely good for another. Mr Massey may have some reason for the distinction he is making, but to the casual observer it is not very obvious. Then the public, when this campaign commences, will expect tho loader of the Opposition, to say something a little more definite than anything they have yet heard about the attitude of his party towards the labour laws, tho liquor problem, tho public work! policy and the financial issue. These are all questions of vital importance to the colon}' as a whole, and Mr ’Massey cannot ■expect to bo "called in to proscribe” until ho has given the electors some idea of his methods of treatment.