" THE NEW LIBERAL PARTY."

Nelson Evening Mail, 12 September 1905, Page 2

" THE NEW LIBERAL PARTY."

There was a gathering of about 250 in the Theatre Royal at noon yesterday to hear addressee by members of *-ho "Now Liberal Tarty"— Messrs T. E. Taylor, F. M. B. Fisher, and Geo. Laurenson, M's H R Mr T. H. Luki-m President of the Ne son Trades and Labour Council, 'presidiftl, and briefly introduced the speakers. , , .. , Mr Taylor expressed regret that they were compelled to hold .tapn meeting at such au inconvenient time, but he was veiy pleased to see the Wr'Rt number present. ±ie hoped to be able to rouse their interest in the group of men in the House of Representatives who were known ns the "New Liberal Party." They objected to tho conditions that had been produced by the rule of Party Goverriinellt, which had become 0, burden upo# the individua l members . (jf . the House, and was a ireflectioh uponthe oducati'on'al systein as well ' as upon tHe l^-arlianient of the colony. Tl\e Government of tho day was autocratic and democracy' did not exist except in name, lie was going to deal with the Legislature and the Ministry. The Ministers of. tte day were trusted? *?f tho public business, £nd they had invested in them enormous pow«r. It twas not so much the legislation which- needed to bo' carefully examined, but the administration of the Ministry. The Government took too much credit to itself for the prosperity of tho colony. Any increase in the amount of butter, etc., exported or even the increase in the l'ftilway re--\Vnue t'heV represented they were responsible for. Mr Taylor criticised veiy strongly the Legislative Council', saying that it was composed of men whom the Premier had put in party purposes or ixn-sona! friendship. Tbey were mere puppets, not independent men. The power of nomination should be given to si body of men who would lie capable of electihg honest and true men who would do their duty to the country. They had a right to see that the Ministers who 1-e---ceived their £1000 annually „ were capable- of earning it, Mr Taylor contended tliat if the Ooverment did not protect the market of the colony the New Zea'andcrs would have to give way to foreigners. He instanced the American International Trust, and if that was not interfered with, in four years he prophesied that the manufacturing houses in New Zealand would become mere repair shops. They must protect thc people Oom.such a contingency as that. He claimed that the privilege that was granted to the large landowners for borrowing monev al 44 per cent should be dqualfy enjoyed by the workers in tho cities and suburbs, sp that they too could make hiimeS ior themselves. He regretted exceedingly that their Parliamentary duties impelled them to call the meeting at 12 o'clock. In spite of the storm of criticism which had been already cast against them, the "Xow" Liberal Party," during .the past few weeks had more than ius» tiflcd their position. Ho referred to the Old Age Pert-si on Bill brought down bv the Premier which increased thc weekly sum to 10s. Mr Tay^ lpr said he moved an amendment that the pension should not bo raised until justice had been ddno to a large number of men and wdmen because they had been thrifty enough t^ stiv-e £250, and that If the sum did not exceed £230 the persons should not be debarred fiom gettinsr thc pension. The Premier said that he would throw up the bill. He came to some of their .jnembcrs — there were eight, but I four 'had got nervous and gone iin- | der cover since — anti, s:\id that if I thev would vote vd-eh hint against IMr Taylcs»-'§ amendment, he would I bring d&wn a clause going a ■ lortg way in the direction Mr Tay- ; lor wanted. The Premier brought '■ down a c,ause which provided that j iho sum of £150 should not debar men and women from getting. a pen,hi ort-. Sc> thev themselves claimed j Saving won 'that for the old age i pensioners. He said that the four j Christchurch officials were honest 'men. and the voucher question ' would never be settled unless it was ! settled rightly. At the same time the new party, pointed -nit that the 1 Premier last year was away from ■■ Wellington on a pleasure trip to get fit for the Season, and he was drawing a salary bf £1600 a year. But his greed was so insatiable that instead of being grateful he charged the colony at a rate of 30s a day travelling allowance, and put .it in his pocket. The people had no right to pay that money. But the Premier has not said a \j-nrd a' out it — hi. vas a clever man. But they would hear more about it Inter on. Mr Taylor said that they should not blame a .group of men who were prepared to do what they believed to be their duty by th« : r countrv rather than simply smoking and idling their time away, in the House. (Applause.) Mr Fisher, in his opening remarks said that they hod bvcm subjected to much unfair criticism , b'v the newspapers of the colony far ; tho reason that they were neither ; S-eddoriitcs nor Massey i tes. The ■ newspapers had made up their j minds along the Seddon and Massey linos. He prophesied that after they ha'd travelled round the new ] Party would become much stronger ■ nnd influential. There were men in the House who were afraid tio , speak their minds, who sat qdiictly j down to smoke or drink, coming] more for their £300 a year *t>hnn jloing. their duty for the people j who toi d sent them to Parliament. | Ho referred scathingly lo the ac- j tioris of tho Government and said I that ''jo'Ubery" was going on all round, and that was not fair to ' the taxpayers. He referred to the Canadian system, where nil 'Govern- ; ment expenditure each year from •Jammry to December was open for inspection, and anyone who wanted to inspect, any voucher was abilo to do *r> wi'hout any bother. Jt was their right to have the privilege of inspecting any voucher they wanted to, and to demand puiblic injury if they thought it was (it all necessary. (Applause). Mr Laurenson said that in spite of all the adverse criticism that haid been bestowed on the new party, they would eventually hecomo an important factor in the govpernment of the people. There was no party that .had been started but was feeble in its infancy. This year there would 'be afaout 45,000 youngi men and women who would exercise their votes for the first tune, and was it not justifiable to suppose that they would be cast on the side -of purity asd tr-ilt-h " H« wanted to draw their attention L? } h Z.^ geat n ecessi ty of change n taxation. It was not fair thit the heaviest burden should fall on those least capable of bearing it. *^ r ' . instance, assuming that a working man w_ao earnin«- £2 10«? E£? ly £ nd he had five children to keep. He would havo to pay 11 per cent of his income for Customs hlfliSoo aSSUmi^hat a St rn fiad iIOOO a year and a family of 4?™S W n 0, i ly havc t0 Vv ** per cent Custom duties. This as neither f air nor just Tho New Liberal Party" were striving ™V, USt r f ° r - tho 'orkSg Siy ?oS«i a » d quostlon w^s one that af: £2Sv Z T son in thc c°™m^v im ' !°i U WfiS a well-known maxim, '"cheap land,* ,hign watregdoar land, low wa-es " Th \JL X or emphatically fepressod^n^Sl "o'rm^ald ■?** of^LZnt^y tor country, as wefl as « n JZ» S bot " better class of m 7n a'ndVom^ ™ d An opportunity was then £riv M1 for any question to ho n<=^ " of which none avM^^l . *"t a motion was dcclarcri ,?„ ' and ly rarricd on S = ss at the thec&^^sr o, -^ ,to tho meeting • thl3 'onxm.nted j