THE LIBERAL PROGRAMME

Waikato Times, Volume 91, Issue 14240, 15 December 1919, Page 6

THE LIBERAL PROGRAMME

A LAST WORD TO ELECTORS. (Published by arrangement),,. In view of the persistent misrepresentations of the Masseyite Press regarding Sir Joseph Ward’s “platform” and his financial methods, it ;s desirable in the Liberal interest that the following considerations should be brought under the notice of The general public, to enable them to come to a just decision upon the merits of the Liberal policy before polling day. An important section of the new Liberal programme deals with the needs of our SOLDIERS. Sir Joseph Ward proposed more effective methods for aiding and training the maimed or invalided men; and he is prepared to adopt a more vigorous policy of LAND SETTLEMENT to enable the returned soldiers to get on the land under favourable conditions with at least a reasonable chance of making a good living. The other day, Mr Massey, being forced to admit that "Reform” has failed lamentably in its duty of providing land for the returned men, publicly declared that it was a mistake to attempt to put the soldiers on firstclass land —they ought to go on to "virgin land,” rough country, and break it up for themselves so as to get experience I Of course, Mr Massey does not want to see his good friends, the big land-owners, disturbed, and so he advises that the returned men should be sent out into the wilderness to learn how to make A living there. The Land Question.’

This is characteristic of “Reform" policy toward the gravest of all the problems that this country and its rulers have to solve—the problem of LAND SETTLEMENT. The failure of the “Reform” Party to carry on the great work of Liberalism by breaking down the LAND 'MONOPOLY and breaking up the big estates, is one of the most discreditable blots upon their record, and they know it quite well. Mr Massey is trying to cover hiS failure now by assuring the people that last year, the “Reform” Government passed some of the most drastic legislation ever carried, to destroy the Lantf Monopoly and provide land for the people. But it is one thing to pass laws and quite another thing to ad-, minister them. Everybody knows tint when the Masseyites were stumping the country appealing for help to turn out the Liberals in 1911, they made s score of promises—to reduce taxation and expenditure and borrowing and the cost of living, and so on—not one of which have they performed. In 1913 they passed one of the most stringent and drastic enactments to be found in our Statute .book for breaking up the big estates’ and forcing the big land-owners to sell—and to this day, not one estate has ever been takin over in terms of that ‘Act. Masseyism promises, but will not perform—therefore Liberalism must come to the country's rescue.

Of course, the Masseyites are very solicitous about the welfare of “The Man on the Land.” The other day the "Dominion” produced a huge advertisement dilating on the importance of the "Big Five”—our great agricultural and pastoral industries —and assuring the country that so long as everything goes well with ‘‘The Man on the Land,” everything will be for the beet under the best possible of Governments. No one is likely to deny that the "Reformers”—whose policy is dictated and controlled by the great land monopolists—have do'ne everything in their power to help “The Man on the Land." 'But they generally forget to mention that if It had not been for the Liberal Land Legislation which the Ma&seyites opposed so fiercely 25 years ago, there would he no Close Settlement anywhere in New Zealand, and the whole country would still be possessed by a few score big "squatters" and their sheep and cattle. They also forget to mention that if it had not been for that "State Interference," on which the Liberals, .n spile of Conservatism opposition, have always insisted, and which Mr Massey still deplores, the settlers and farmers would have had no Agricultural Department to help them, no inspectors and instructors and lecturers, no dairy exports, no model farms, none of our elaborate system of organisation for the improvement of our primary industries, the classification of our staple products and their transport to foreign markets —nothing, in fact, of all the countless benefits and advantages and facilities that have practically created our frozen meat, dairy, poultry and fruit trades, and, in 'a word, made Mr Massey’s “Big Five” what they are to-day.

But, granted that the “Reformers," building on the foundations that were laid by Liberalism is spite of the resistaice of the Masseyites a generation back, have done a good deal for the "Man on the Land”—the vitally important issue in a young country Is the PROMOTION OF SETTLEMENT. Mr Massey boasts with some truth that he has helped the MAN ALREADY ON THE LAND. What has he done to pul oilier men on the band? That is the all-important question. The country knows how little he and his friends ever have done or will do in that direction. It is against "Reform” principle to break up the big estates because it means “interference” with ‘The sacred rights of the individual,” the privilege of “private enterprise” to create any monopoly, however huge or harmful, without any hindrance or control. But it is also against "Reform” interests to interfere with ttie big land-owners because they are for Mr Massey "The Power behind the Throne,” and he may not run counter to their wishes. For .'ill these reasons, the country’s only chance of breaking down the Land Monopoly and checking the constant aggregation which has gone on so rapidly in recent years under "Reform,” and bringing land for settlement on reasonable -terms wilhin easy reach of the mass of the people—the country's one hope for the future lies in Liberalism and in Liberalism alone.