Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1905. THE CONSERVATIVE PROGRAMME.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 8226, 23 August 1905, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1905. THE CONSERVATIVE PROGRAMME.

Referring to the programme of the Conservative Party, our somewhat colour-blind contemporary, the Wairarapa Leader, makes the following reference to the election programme of the alleged Conservative Party. Perhaps we, ourselves, may be classed as belonging to this party, although we have always cherished the idea that we were ever in sympathy with an old-time Liberal Party of which John Bright was formerly the head. But John Bright's Liberalism and the Seddonian Liberalism, which our contemporary worships, are two very different things. The former means liberty and self-government, and the latter slavery and autocracy. If, for example, Mr Seddon ordered Mr Hornsby to stand down as his candidate for the Wairarapa seat, Mr Hornsby would have no option but to give way. To return to our theme. This is how our contemporary paints the Conservative Party: — It is possible that the speeches of the present session may afford some inkling of the Conservative Party's election programme. With the object of finding out, we have been looking over Hansard, and have dutifully inflicted upon ouvs'elves perusal of the leaden utterances of the more ponderous and important of the speakers. The result is somewhat bewildering. We find Mr John Duthie remarking:—" Sir, the keynote to the prosperity of the Colony is nothing that the Government has done. It has arisen from the development of the country's resources, and our attendant exp6rt trade." Who developed the country's resources? Mr Duthie does not say; nor does he explain why the Australian States and Tasmania, with equal opportunities for development and land settlement and export, have not advanced with New Zealand along the 'tide of prosperity. A Conservative gentleman who rose to affluence by supplying the commercial necessaries of large squatters cannot understand that, the development of New Zealand is due to the ; restraining hand placed by the Liberal Government on the land grabbers of the time; that the enhanced export and prosperity are due to the larger number of exporters created by the Land for Settlements and other laws introduced by the Liberal Government. Surely our contemporary in talking about " the more ponderous and important of the speakers," must have been indulging in an indirect dig at his own chief. Of course he would not do this openly, ,but in a graceful round-about way he might be having a shot at the most ponderous talker in the House*

Then we come to his argument that Australia and Tasmania are less prosperous than New Zealand. Why is this so ? Is it not that the New Zealand climate is more favourable to productiveness and also, in a measure, because labour troubles have been more of a handicap across the water than they have been here.

Our contemporary attributes the superior prosperity of New Zealand to the Lands for Settlements and other lawn. This olher laws is delightfully vague. It may mean anything, or it may mean nothing at all; still we may be thankful for one specific reason being assigned for our superior progress—one that we can value and gauge. After all, this Land for Settlements Act has been a miserable sham, and it in no way accounts for our prosperity. We will take the Masterton Electorate as an example. It is as prosperous as any electorate in New Zealand, and yet not one per cent, of soil has been settled under the Advances to Settlers Act, and not one per cent, of its population is due to that particular measure. The MastertDn Electorate would, indeed, have been better off without this measure. Its credit has been pledged in the London market to establish Pomahaka and other lovely settlements in the Middle Island — settlements which are of no earthly use to us. As far as this district is concerned, the Act is a delusion. Years ago the Government were urged to take the Brancepeth land on the Taueru river, which was eminently suitable for dairy farms, but the Government would not take it. The Masterton seat was a safe seat, and there was no occasion to spend borrowed money here when it could be better applied elsewhere in the interests of the party. The Advances to Settlers Act docs not explain the prosperity of the Colony -perhaps the olher la/ox do; but then our contemporary is too oracular to inform us what these olher linen are, which have worked an alleged charm. Perhaps he will "heap coals of fire" on our head by quoting the Seddon Mine legislation which has, as is well-known, made coal cheaper than potatoes, as an example of the other luu'h which have been our salvation.

Sir Joseph Ward has introduced a new Electoral Bill into the House. We always have an Electoral Bill of some kind on the eve of a General Election, but all the Electoral Bills in the world won't prevent " the trail of the serpent." The Government, as is well-known, work points through their friends whom they appoint as Returning Officers. Some of these officers display a proper conception of their duties, but there are others, who, in their enthusiastic devotion to their lord and master, evince a partiality which unfit them, in all but the Government eye, for the due discharge of their duty. Things were better in the good old days, when there was less legislation, and when elections were im;nrtially conducted by responsible Stipendiary Magistrates.