THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1911. REFORM AND LIBERALISM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14855, 5 December 1911, Page 6

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1911. REFORM AND LIBERALISM.

' ' ' -■ The manifesto issued to the elector lof New Zealand by. Mr. Massej; i comes together with the report of last night's turbulent ■ meeting in gfr Joseph Ward's own centre of wintoa to warn us that the country is rousI ing to interest in political problems. Whatever may be the result of Thursday's polling nobody with any claim to political i foresight ; now considers that it will result in : the easy and unquestionable triumph of thft Government. Some platform politic cians may still attempt to convins<j their hearers that the Reform move- • ment, now visibly in progress, is to' be numbered among the lost causes of politics, but to the public at largo" it is abundantly clear that the Gov- " i eminent was never weaker than it is in December, 1911. We have its standard in.the Auckland ' electorate:* carried by Sir ; John : Findlay, 'asiMM there is admittedly no officialism-' date in the Dominion who has less claim upon "bis electorate than tha. Attorney-General has upon Parne!l< We have old Government ; seats defended • and old • Opposition seats threatened by Government champions, : but - there is ' not _ a Government supporter who is really proud of the Administration which he must explain and accuse in the face of generally antagonistic public opinion. In the Auckland • metropolitan electorates - this is . very " strongly marked, while the moment the agri- , cultural country in" reached ' the feel-: * j ing against the Government is being;' :; rapidly translated into action. - 1

This steadily • progressing reaction against the pronounced mismanage' menfc of public airs "by the Govern- | ment is reflected in the cheery buoyancy of Mr. Massey's ; manifesto. . It) is in the nature of things that party, leaders should encourage their' rival ' arrays by hopeful words,, but it is not possible for party leaders td gain .1 the ' confidence of - the public when they promise what they have shown themselves always adverse to perform. Sir Joseph Ward and his Cabinet ■ have shown themselVes entirely and unqualifiedly adverse to landv: settlement, '■ to the i effective solution of the Native Land problem, } to the • businesslike management olfK| j State Departments, to the conduct- \ ing of national finance upon soundv ; lines, to the pushing forward of most , r desirable railways, to the due spend-' ing of money allotted for and pro- w mised for roads, and to various others absolutely necessary and wholly detHgi sirable national requirements. This is so notorious that even Ministers like ; Sir. John Findlay . can '• only promise to do better, and who can trust I ■ | where" trust would be idle folly 1 Mr. Massey, on the other band, may be absolutely depended upon to do certain things. He will ,open the land to the small farmer - upon optional tenure conditions, and he will put an end to the amazing "leasehold" influence which has for so long; | j blocked genuine land settlement Honest government, with full opportunity for settlers to use the land,■-:! and for workers to share in enhanced prosperity, will do more for New. Zealand than can ever be done oy .fanciful experiments ; and ineffective administration. •