THE YOUNG NEW ZEALAND PARTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5637, 10 December 1879, Page 3

THE YOUNG NEW ZEALAND PARTY.

The Lyttltton Times devotes a leader to the abjve new political organisation, from which we make the following extracts: —"Thereis excellent work for the party to do, but it mHst lose no time about it Criticism ought to be one of its functions, but, unless it is prepared also to create, it must be prepared to go to tii6 w&ll. Xt cannot commflDd support in the Hou»e or out of it sufficient to oust the Government, if it caunot show that it has something definite to propose in the place of the Government proposes. For instance, if the party criticises the Government for its neglect to retrench, it must also show how, in its opinion, retrenchment can ba effected. It is easy to inveigh against the number of civil servants ; it is quite a simple thin? to denounce particular officials as useless; every one with the command of half a d' zen sentences can throw the blani9 of extravagant estimates on somebody else; and nepotism is a theme which provokes much speaking. On the other hand, it is equally easy to answer generally that diminution of the number of officials may be disastrous; that cutting down salaries is not necessarily economy ; that amalgamation of employments is more apt to bo recommended by ignorance than by knowledge. Now, of all this kind of talk the country has had enough. It is time that the matter went out of the region of talk and entered the country of action. Let those people who talk of using the pruning knife poiut to the branches they would have lopped off. The Ustimates are before them. Now, it has become the fashion to treat as an obstructionist anyone who stop 3 the gabbling over of these columns of figures in order to make enquiries. This brings us to the subject of reform. One much-needed reform is to encourage the practice of ' wanting to know, you know.' Another reform would be to bring forward a principle of taxation against a principle of which exception is taken. The country ig tired of denunciation. Other reforms there are whose name is legion, but the beginning of the reform must be in the conduct of Parliamentary business. Now, if the new party that hae arisen can show that it has the knowledge of affairs necessary to begin reform at the proper beginning, it will show that it has a capacity equal to its aspirations, and it must, therefore, command the confidence of the ouutry. To be&in well is the beat method which the new party can devise for making itself strong. To end well, a party must have that union which comes of discipline, and discipline is incompatible with depositions of leaders, and the scramble for leadership that follows. Deposition of the leader has broken up one party that promised better than any party that has yet arisen in New Zealand. The lesson shonld be taken to heart by parties that may arise in the future. With these hints, Mr. DeLautour and his new phalanx have our best wishes."