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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 77
The Specific "Planks "of his "Platform."
The Specific "Planks "of his "Platform."
| 1. | Land Tenure: I favour the freehold tenure as recommended in No. 1 report of the Land Commission. |
| 2. | I will give general but discriminating support to the existing administration, much on the lines formulated by some members of the present Independent Liberal Party in the House. |
| 3. | Liquor Question: I favour Prohibition as the ultimate ideal; but under no circumstances without adequate and liberal compensation to existing vested interests. |
| 4. | Referendum: I favour the referendum, with initiative, as an indispensable safeguard against the possible future introduction into the colony of plutocratising tendencies that are at work nearly everywhere else in the world. |
| 5. | Bible in Schools: On this vexed question I advocate the application of the referendum, i.e., I favour the Bible in Schools Referendum League. |
| 6. | Imperial: I favour any measures—fiscal or other—that would tend to strengthen existing ties between the colonies and the Motherland, and to give the colonies a proportionate voice in Imperial management. |
| 7. | Local: I would endeavour to secure for the Manawatu a fair share of expenditure of public money. |
I had better supplement this enumeration of "planks" by telling you also what the "Manawatu Herald" said about my views a little more than a fortnight ago. That newspaper then wrote:—"We understand he will favour, among other things, the freehold tenure of land, with certain restrictions; maintenance of the independence of labour interests; the referendum with initiative; elective Upper House and (theoretically) elective Executive. As however, Mr Frankland avows himself an ardent Imperialist, he would not press the last proposition, which might conflict with Imperial tradition and sentiment."
Now these political convictions, though they refer to matters the have been frequently discussed in the newspapers of late, require a little
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explanation. It is not that they have been wrongly put into my mouth, for they represent, in fact, an important part of my political creed, and were communicated to the Press by myself. But since formulating them, it has occurred to me that there are ambiguities at one or two points—ambiguities that require to be cleared up.