THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1899.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10969, 25 January 1899, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1899.

We published on Monday an account from our London correspondent of n somewhat remarkable political incident. The Liberal party in tho United Kingdom have been for some time stumbling along in a disorganised fashion. Kir W. V. Harcourt was the leader in the House of Commons, but he was not acknowledged as the leader of the party, and if the party had been called to power, it would by no means have been a matter of course that, he would have been called to the Premiership. Nobody quite knew who the leader was, and nobody knew what was the platform of the party. No one knew, for instance, whether Home Rule had been finally and for ever thrown overboard. In tließe circumstances the Daily Mail saw its opportunity, and called for a plebiscite on certain points. It offered a prize for replies to the following questions: — 1. What is your choice of leader 1 2. Name five points of the programme on which you think the party could rally, in the order of importance. 3. Are you in favour of again bringing up the Home Rule question 1 The anewers were innumerable and curious. They are from Radicals and Liberals. Lord Rosebery has by far the preponderance as leader, while most of the replies negative the idea of reviving Home Rule. The effect of the discussion has been to bring about the resignation of Sir W. V. Harcottrt, and to cause a general stirring of the dry bones of Liberalism. We should not have referred to this subject in this column but for the fact that it has a very pertinent bearing updil oui own circumstances. At the present time the Conservative party in New Zealand is in a somewhat similar position to the Liberal party in Great Britain. We have, it is true, an acknowledged leader in Captain Russell. But there is not a general satisfaction with his leadership, and although we suppose that no lliembei of the Parliamentary party would in any way challenge it, there is not such a general acceptance and enthusiasm throughout the colony on this point as should exist. Then it may be said that for several years the party has been operating without a programme; It has confined itself to preventing excesses of Socialistic legislation, and endeavouring a: far as possible to secure purity and efficiency of administration. These are, no doubt, most important objects, but a party cannot subsist on negations, and certainly cannot expect to succeed to office upon them. A Wellington telegram In yesterday's napei stated that a meeting of Opposition members had been held in Wellingtoh, at which it was resolved that the political position should'lie; fully nlaced before the country from i the platform, and that the campaign J should be opened by Captain Russell'

ih about a month. But the Opposition cannot successfully appeal from the platform except they hare a platform. There are many subjects now oil which the Opposition could take a positive stand, two 01 three of which we may mention. For instance, the land policy of the Inst few veal's has Men to settle the Crown lands b) tenants with a perpetual lease without any power of revaluation. The plan is a very poor one indeed for the j State, and it is found irksome and ! burdensome to the tenant. We do not ; see why the first plank in the Conseivative nlatfonn should not- be the giving of freeholds to these tenants. That would be an immediate advantage to the State in many ways, and it would be satisfactory to those who are wor J t " inn; the land. For one thins, it would save a large Departmental expenditure in oversight. The contention that it would tend to an aggregation into large holdings is a mere bugbear now. With a land tax framed as ours is, that is now impossible. The tendency would be, we believe, to still further diminish the area of the holdings. The Conservative Government of England, when they succeeded to office in consequence of the breakdown of the Liberal party ovei Home Rule, flaw that it was impossible to exist on negations, and they have attempted to discern the signs of the times. In a recent speech Mr. Chamberlain stated that one of the measures in contemplation of Ministers was to enable working men to obtain homes for themselves by aiding them to build dwellings in the suburbs of the principal towns. This might be much more readily done here. The Government could very easily acquire land adjacent to the lartre towns in the colony, and by means of the railways they could enable working .men to travel to and from their work. Some plan to carry out this could easily be a plank in the Conservative platform. Another plank might be a complete revision of our railway system as regards working and construction. Great complaint is being made of the inadequacy of the railway working in Wellington, Canterbury, Otago, and Hawke's Bay, and almost nothing is being done to fill up the gaps which exist.

It seems to us that- n change of administration is coming almost in spite of ourselves. Mr. John McKenzie is point; to Europe, and we presume will not be in his place when the House meets in Juno next. The Ministry will thus be short of a man of considerable strength. Mr. Cadman will bo present, but he is in the position of one who has given notice to quit, and whoso interest in the business of the House and in the administration of his Department has -vsed away. It has been reported that Mr. Thompson will not a?ain be a candidate for Parliament. And indeed we do not think that his chances of re-election for Auckland are particularly in'iaht, and ho certainly would have no chance in any other constituency. T!;e Ministry therefore, when Parliament meets, will be a very ragged and forlorn body. Practically, the Premier will be almost alono in his glory. His colleaprues are drifting away, and he has scarcely any amongst his following whom he can entrust with a portfolio. The Opposition have now a splendid opportunity. But they must have a platform, and they must work,