The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1898. THE OPPOSITION POLICY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9385, 11 March 1898, Page 2

The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1898. THE OPPOSITION POLICY.

It may be said that it is the policy of an Opposition to have none, and to oppose that of the Government of the day. That is right enough in a way ; but it does not tend to impress people with a belief in the wisdom of entrusting fault-finders with the task of administering the affairs of the country. Nothing is easier than finding fault and cavilling at the work of others. People with little or no knowledge of art, for instance, will pick holes in the work of even the greatest artists, whilst those of them who have some small abilities in painting, sculpture, and other branches of the fine arts often sneer in a superior way at the creations of those whose names are known to fame and whose works are priceless. So it is in politics. The work of a Government is condemned by those opposed to it, and corruption and incompetency chargedagainst Ministers whose hand 9 are spotless and conduct of the business of their special departments worthy of all praise. To listen to some of those who are at present so loud in their denunciation of the Seddon Government one would think the members of that administration are men of the worst type of American political boodlers whose hands are dipped deep into the public purse for their private enrichment. Such a charge is not only baseless, but contemptible. Never since New Zealand has enjoyed the rights and privileges of responsible government has any of her many Cabinet Ministers been guilty of such dishonesty, nor dare even the most blatant of their enemies have made such a charge against them in such a way as to afford the Minister accused an opportunity of bringing his detractor to book in open court. It is not the policy of these tradacers and fault - finders to allow their charges to be tested in that way. They prefer to cast them broadcast under the cover of privilege, in the hope that they will poison the public mind against Ministers, and finally lead to their downfall. The present Opposition has confessedly no other policy. It has condemned every Act passed by the Seddon Government, and yet dares not say it would repeal one of them. All it seeks to do is to clog the wheels of progress, and to give the country what it grandiloquently terras " a season of political rest" under a Conservative administration. Writingon thissubject, the N.Z. Times says :— " At present the Opposition has no policy. The Government is not much better off. The Opposition proposes to try existing ' experimental legislation ' out, and so does the Government. What both parties have overlooked is that we cannot stand in perpetuity where we are. Reforming legislation must go ahead. There is still a great deal to be done, many abuses to bo abolished, many defects to be remedied. Mr Seddon has hinted that he recognises this, nnd that if occasion arosa he would be prepared with a large policy of reform and progress. The occasion has arisen. The Opposition has nothing to propose but maintaining the status quo until it is seen how things turn out, and that view was materially supported in Wellington on Wednesday. What is required now, if the Liberal Party is to succeed and the donothing party is to be confounded, is a vigorous forward policy. It will be objected, perhaps, that for such a purpose borrowed money must be obtained. Why not? Works are required that oannot be made on the barter system. Lands are waiting to be opened up and settled, and in many other respects there is good cause why money should be obtained and reproductively spent. It may be argued that the Government's best plan, from the party point of view, is to take the first chance of a dissolution. There is reason in this, inasmuch as the state of parties is such that an appeal to the country may have to be made at any time. It is necessary, however, that the Government should be prepared for snob, an event, and, if possible, forestall it. This can be done, as we believe, by the frank avowal of such a policy of Liberal progress as Mr Seddon has hjnte,d at, apolicy of inpreased social reform, "'pf development in settlement, and ef proven for public works incidentally required W these purposes. Such a policy would, we believe, be very acceptable— if not to the present Parliament, to the country." Mest, peopje will agree with much of the above, and ' f hose who know the urgency of opening up the waste land of this island will endorse our contention that road-making is an absolute and urgent 'necessity, to do wh\eh would amply 'repay the cost, even if the money had to be borrowed for the purpose. There are'millions of acres within a hundred miles of W.aijganui which, if roaded, would sijppQrJi jihpusanis ' of families and yield profitable re^urps. At' present there is no money io open jip these lands, nor to give access to ffjher blocks that have already been taken up for European settlement. Roads such as that to connect Eaetihi and Parapara are left unfinished and impassible for want of money to complete them, and settlers are losing heart and in some cases giving up the struggle to make homes for themselves and their families. If borrowing for public works was ever justi#aljb3, ar\d no sane person will deny that it' jms. ji is for the purpose of roadjneftfye pa'cjk^jiatry and giving the sutlers a,ccess"^o '.thenholdings. But such a loap. should be "ear marked" by a schedule setting forth the works on which the money is to be expended, and the allocation strictly carried out; in fact, the Act empowering the loan should be so drafted as to render it impossible fgi any diversion of the money from its stated 'purpose.