The New Zealand Times. MONDAY, MAY 18, 1914. MR BERRIES DEMONSTRATES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8735, 18 May 1914, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. MONDAY, MAY 18, 1914. MR BERRIES DEMONSTRATES

“Owing to the wet night the attendance was not-largo” at the meeting addressed hy the Hon. W. H. Herries at Greymouth on Friday evening, says a Press Association message. No doubt the weather was against the Tory Minister, but wo cannot help reflecting that' five thousand people assembled ip. tbo open air on a cold, wet night' in Christchurch recently to listen to Sir Joseph Ward. The contrast between the manner in wh:ch Liberal and Tory platform speakers respectively are being treated by the public is becoming more and more marked as the political situation develops and the real facts are fully realised. The experience of Mr Herries at Greymouth is not of great significance standing by. itself, but it is symptomatic of the feeling throughout New Zealand, which we are convinced is unfavourable to self-styled “Reform.” Nor can it be said that the speech delivered by the Minister for Railways was ,worthy of a very large audience. We are told that Mr Herries “showed” that it was incorrect to say that his Government represented a minority vote. Now, the Minister may have said this, but it was impossible for him to “show” it, because the facts will not fit in with the assertion. At the risk of repeating ourselves, and because the point is of considerable importance, we take the opportunity of once more putting it on record that at the last election the Masseyites received only a fraction over one-third of the total number of votes that were recorded at the ballot-box throughout New Zealand. On the aggregate voting, which is the fairest test, the people declared against the reactionary party, which tries to disguise itself as “Reform,” hy the overwhelming proportion of two to one. The Massey Ministry is certainly a minority Ministry—the creation of circumstances and of betrayal. Mr Herries may say that this is not so, but he and all the Tories are perfectly well aware of the true position. Substantial evidence that they realise their slender backing by the cpnstituencies is provided in the scandalous manner in which the electoral law has been jerrymandered, contrary to promise and principle, with the only_ possibl© object and intention of enabling Tory candidates to squeeze their way into Parliament against the wishes of majorities. , We should like to have beard Mr Herries make his' speech. It appears to have been quite a remarkable deliverance. It is reported that the Minister took the platform issued by the Tories prior to the last election, and dealt with the items, “demonstrating” that the promises then made “had either been carried out or would be carried out during the coming session.” We have always recognised in Mr Herries a gentleman of some capacity, who could have been quite a useful member of the Legislature had he been on th® right side—bad he elected to servo the people as a whole instead of devoting his talents to buttress the interests of the privileged class of . wealth and monopoly. But with all respect for his ability we never thought Mr Herries could “demonstrate” what ho is alleged to have “demonstrated” at Greyr mouth. Can he show what has become of the promise to reduce taxation? Surely he knows that the per capita taxation in the year 1912-13 was 105.3 d higher than in 1911, when Mr Massey and all the other Tories loudly declared that tho rate was excessive, that it must be reduced, and that it most certainly would be reduced if “Reform” should reach the Promised Land. Mr Herries must be a very much cleverer man than most people have imagined if he can “demonstrate” that this particular promise has been carried out or is likely to be carried out during tho next session of Parliament. Has expenditure been reduced, according to pledge? We all know that it has not. Has there been a “tapering off” in borrowing? Not at all. This is one of tho promises which, not having yet been brought to the stage of fulfilment, Mr Herries is said to have “demonstrated” will be carried out this year. But it is very inconvenient for the Minister that his chief has promised tho country tho very opposite. It is awkward for Mr Herries and for bis alleged demonstration that Mr Massey has forecasted a “strong forward policy” instead of a tapering off; that he has said that hi the coming session larger votes of money, of loan money, for public works will be proposed than for many years

past. Can Mr Herries demonstrate chat political patronage lias not been .me of the principal activities of his Government? Can bo show that the reign of tho Tories has given the country industrial peace, as 'promised ? Tho ,alient and central thing that can be shown from a survey of all the facts is that tho record of the Government of “Keform” is literally strewn with broken. promises, with pledges scandalously abandoned, and that all the people whoso votes wore secured by virtue of the pre-election undertakings of the Tories have been tricked and cheated.

The great Department of Railways presided over by Air Herries provides some of the most glaring examples of this. How loudly and persistently tho “ Reformers ” declared when tho Liberals were in power that tho railways ought to bo “ run on business lines ” and “ made to pay ” every elector knows full well. And everybody is now aware that tho financial position of this great public enterprise was never so unsatisfactory as it is to-day.' Ever since tho. Tories took charge—the Tories who wero going to bring about astounding improvements—tho railway finance has drifted backward, and we have recently had to record the lowest net revenue for several years, notwithstanding that tho gross revenue was the highest on reeprd. Tho Minister has expressed the opinion that Mr Hiley, th© imported General Manager of RailwaySj when familiar with, the conditions, will prove to be the ablest manager yet seen in Australasia. Wo hope so, most sincerely. The peoplehave a right to expect it, too, for they are paying Mr Hiley a very handsome salary. The sooner he makes himself fiamiliar with the conditions, tho better for all concerned. But it is certainly not tho new manager that we hold responsible for the slump in net railway returns. It is Air Herries primarily, as tho Minister in charge, arid the Tory Government in general, which assuredly promised something very different to what is being produced. It will take a lot of “ demonstration ” to make tip the deficiency in this as in other phases of public affairs which has been one of the characteristics of administration by the Minority Ministry.