The Political Reform League's Platform.

The following constitute the planks in the platform of the Political Reform Leagues throughout the Colony, and have all been advocated by Opposition members:—

(a)	To secure businesslike, prudent, and honest administration.
(b)	The restoration of true Parliamentary government—government of all by all through their representatives, freely nominated and elected, without interference on the part of the Executive.
(c)	The restoration of Parliamentary control of the public finances, and, to this end, the repeal of the obnoxious provisions of "The Public Revenues Act, 1900."
(d)	The abolition of the deceptive methods of presenting the public accounts now in use.
(e)	The reform of the Legislative Council.
(f)	The reform of the method of making appointments to the public service by the exclusion or political influence, with the object of securing the services of able men of high character, and ensuring that promotion is dependent upon merit; to provide superannuation for civil servants.page 2
(g)	The reform of local government by the establishment of a sound and assured system of local finance with a view to the substitution of the equitable distribution and economical expenditure of public money for Parliamentary grants and doles.
(h)	The reform of the land laws; to encourage land settlement by leasehold tenure by the homestead system, and by giving Crown tenants the right to acquire the freehold on equitable terms, with provisions for preventing the creation of large holdings.
(i)	The settlement of the Native land question and the development of the locked-up lands for the benefit of the Native race and the Colony.
(j)	The maintenance and improvement of our national system of education, including the more perfect co-ordination of primary, secondary, and University education; the extension and improvement of technical education; the counteracting of the present tendency to centralization; the providing of a system of superannuation for teachers; and the introduction of such other improvements in the status and remuneration of teachers as are necessary to attract men of the highest ability and character.
(k)	The reduction of duties on the necessaries of life.
(l)	Reform of the system of carrying on public works with a view to secure efficiency and economy.
(m)	The reform of the administration of justice, specially by the raising of the status of Wardens and Stipendary Magistrates.
(n)	The amendment of the law of libel in the reporting of public meetings, so as to extend to the Press at least the same measure of freedom and security as is enjoyed by the Press in England.
(o)	The promotion of such social and industrial reforms as are demanded by justice and consistent with liberty, without dimishing the scope for private enterprise and genuine progress, or impairing the sense of responsibility.
(p)	To take such measures as may commend themselves to the League for the furtherance of the foregoing objects, and such others as may from time to time be adopted in addition thereto, and to co-operate and associate with other associations having similar objects, and to form branches of the League.

There is nothing "showy" about this platform, but it contains a lot of honest reform urgently required.

"You may depend upon it," said Mr. A. W. Rutherford, M.H.R., in a lecture on Parliamentary life, "that when we have a House composed entirely of professional politicians the honorarium will be £500 a year, and the socialistic trend of legislation is in that direction." As a matter of fact under that disgraceful piece of legislation, section 3 of the "Public Revenues Act," the Members could vote themselves a bonus of £100 apiece this session, if they wished—and were not afraid of what their constituents would say.