OPPOSITION CAMPAIGN

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 38

OPPOSITION CAMPAIGN

.;" A REFORM LEAGUE JOURNAL. 'I (Fhom Omt-OwW Cohbzspondekt.) '- \ '- WELLINGTON, Septemer -27." ~ Ihe first issue the JEteformer, a political journal published under . the auspices .of life Ikeform League, -was publi9hed"to-iiigh_t. "An , Oppositionist, as long as it is in Opposition," j ktates the new .journal "is not -called upon ~Jtp -disclose its policy. It was contended f-jjtry J the -late Mr, /John Ballance that the ";.jx>licy of the- Opposition should, not properly -Kb asked for_ or expected until- the Opposition was no longer an Opposition. Further, .Mr Seddon has a habit of -coolly appropriat--Jn'g, without, however, the smallest intention "of carrying them out, such" reforms as Mr Massey from time to time suggests. Notvwrithstanding 'these considerations, the '~ "leader of the Opposition outlined a .plat- , form at Hamilton^ a lew months ago, which -lias 'been adopted heartily by the party, and- - has met -with marked "throughoufckhe length and -breadth of the colony." The - principal planks of Mr Massey ! s .platform we -given, and -there follows some pertinent fcemarks about "the inevitable.surplus," and' "our debt and -somethings." In the latter -article -the following instructive table, .showing _ the increase in our public debt, as given:— lß6l, £600,761; .1871, £8,900;991; " -1881, -£29,659:111 ; 1891, . ;£38,8W,914- ; 1901/ <£52,966,W ; 1903-4, r£57,-522,215. Another little statistical - comparison may -point Ihe lesson. In 1871 our debt .pear head of the | population was £33 6s 9d, -while 'last year it was -£6B lls 3d. 'That is in a generation. jDe^pite the -fact that our population .has "'trebled itself in that .period, our 'debt per ' head has more than doubled itself. '.The idebt'-pf/New South Wales is lees than burs ! per ~head - for -the same year <by £13 4s Id. ; • victorias- debt for last year was" £42 19s '4 d j per head of her population, and the debt ! per head oL the whole of the Australian States together , last --year was £9 3s 9d less than that of 'New Zealand. Some searching i criticisms "are given pi the administration of ' "the "Education, Defence, and other departments, Government supporters' criticisms being published as well as those of Opposition members. J "Some maxims of "Seddonism " are given, amongst them being the following : — •'Appropriate all the important portfolios - for'yourself, and take.oare you also virtually exercise> sway over the remainder." " What-ever-happens be boss." "Have no opinion tof.your own on any subject, watch which way the majority is going and follow on; if' the "majority, is doubtful, and parties seem -to be pretty evenly- divided, appoint a Royal " Commission to «iv& you a lead." "Take ■care to have a large majority on all sessional and other Parliamentary jommittees." "If you have no objection to a committee's report," adopt, it, but <if it should be adverse to your views, take no notice of it amd 'Ignore its decision." " Give a point blank -idenial'to every lurpala table sta-teanent." "If jibe Opposition brings _any distinct allegation forward against you, say at once they - «ire .'abusing' the Government." "'lf w [Opposition members criticise*' loan methods (or/ihe Budget, or ask for any information at all relative to the .finances of the colony, ait once exhibit extreme feeling, and deplore. - the evkfont_ desire of your opponents to ruin _the credit of the colony in tha British aatiney market." •• One article exposes the Land Commission laroe. This article concludes as follows: — "Last year Mr Seddon treated the proposal to set np a Land Commission as a - Party question ; but iihis year, with the elections so close, it was too dangerous to try to force his supporters into the Lobby against Mr Hassey's amendment, and so it was a " non-party debate. 71-,? Premier was pre—*ared to accept tb nout and suffer the Indignity of such a mo! ion ratheir than risk "fief eat cr- embarrass his followers. The

maxim that , "' He who fights and runs away may live- to figh't-. another day ' needs lewriting to suit, Seddonian political tactics. It; should read-: 'To fight's absurd ; if run we must, let,'s eat the leek and run at first.' ♦ Thei * Land; Gomrniesion began in farce, .and so it ended. The Government declared' the no-confidence- debate a non:pariy -one, yet, with the exception of Mr John MtLachlan, of Ashburton, all the j Government side voted on party lines — a non-party question, yet a party vote. Farce, did we say? Burlesque is more correct." The - new journal is interesting, well edited, and neatly printed, and is an evidence, of the success that is attending the Opposition organisation. It is certain to have a large circulation throughout the colony, and especially amongst the farming community. It is satisfactory also to note that there is about it an absence of that flamboyancjr and unfair criticism that is -a characteristic of the organ of the co-called j -Liberal party.