The Dominion. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1911. THE GREAT QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1278, 6 November 1911, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1911. THE GREAT QUESTION.

In his speech at Eltham on Tuesday Mb. Massey, Leader of the Reform party, declared that the big question for the electors on polling day _ will be; Dees the Government retain the confidence of the people? Commenting in a rather frivolous strain on this assertion, our evening contemporary remarked that this has been "the big question at all polling days in all countries for many a year." Perhaps this is so, but it is very strange that our contemporary makes no attempt to answer it, and so fails to assist its readers in coming to a right decision on the very important issue they are now called upon to face. To walk along a rail, coming down alternately on the Government and tho Opposition side of the fence, simply makes confusion worse confounded, for it is sheer futility to pretend to answer tho "big question" by telling the electors that Mb. Massey is right when ho states "that NewZealand could profit by getting tho services _ of more strong men"; that "there is a feeling in the country that the Wakd Government has not a sufficient proportion of these desirable men of strength and courage." ; and _ that "New Zealand palpably requires the services of some new men—thoughtful men. industrious men of eharncter." These obvious truisnis, unless backed up by some, definite practical conclusion, can be of no assistance whatever to any man who is in doubt as to how he should cast his_ vote on polling day. Independence is not the equivalent of har.y ides? and half-measures, nor does it mean a lack of clear and definite ideas on the great political issues of the dny. It does, however, mean something—anil it means, among other things, the capacity to come to a wise and just decision on the merits of a case uninfluenced by threats or promises, fear or favour; .and never in the whole of our history, has it been more necessary for

I the people of this Dominion to come j to such a decision on the question whether on the whole—putting aside I all minor issues and secondary con- | sidcrations—the present effete and opportunist Administration should be allowed to continue to misgovern this long-suffering country. This question cannot he answered after the manner of our evening contemporary by meting out a mixture of praise and blame alternately to each of tho principal political parties, together with an occasional word of more or less qualified encouragement to Mr. Fowlds and the Labour candidates.

What this country wants at present first and foremost is a political upheaval similar to that by which the electors of Canada recently surprised the English-speaking world. It was a most impressive object-les-son to the people of New Zealand, and an opportune reminder that the public conscience is never really dead, however long it may sometimes appear to have been -asleep. There are limits of misgovcrnment which no party can pass without disaster, and there is a strong and growing impression throughout New Zealand that the Ward Administration has overstepped those limits to such an extent that no amount of vote-catch-ing expenditure of public money, or offers of higher pay to public servants, with promises of still more to follow after the elections, can now avail to avert' its overthrow. The support of the people of New Zealand no longer to be secured by tile lavish expenditure of their own money just before a General Election. The trick is too palpable and has been too often played. The Continuous Ministry has been weighed in the balances and found wanting. It came into office as a self-reliant nonborrowing Government, and yot it has- piled up the public debt at an unprecedented and ever-increasing rate. ,It has posed with the utmost ostentation as the friend of labour, but its performances in this direction have been infinitesimal when compared with its promises, and perhaps never in the history of New Zealand has there been so much unrest and dissatisfaction among the industrial classes, some of the bitterest complaints coming from the Government's own employees. The workers of New Zealand" have lost all confidence in the present Administration, and probably the great majority of them have come to the conclusion that before any real improvement can take place* the Wahd Government must be got rid of. It is becoming more and more clearly recognised on all sides that this should be the first great definite step in the way of reform, and until it js taken no real improvement can reasonably be expected. The dissatisfaction in the country is by no means confined to the State employees and the industrial classes 'generally. The employers of labour arc up in arras against the harassing legislation of recent years which has shaken confidence and interfered with the development of local industries and thereby greatly reduced tire demand for labour. If this legislation had resulted in the betterment of the working population it would have had some justification; but what can be said for it when the very people it is supposed to benefit are in a chronic state of discontent, while industrial strife lias never been more continuous and. farreaching? Nor has the Government been any more successful when its legislation and administration are viewed from the point of view of the farmer and settler. Though the settlement of_the land on sound and progressive lines is one of the most urgent needs of the country, the i Ministry has become notorious for the manner in which it has trifled with this matter, and it has made itself a laughing-stock by its quickchange exhibitions when confronted with tho question of tenure. .It has hopelessly failed in 'all its attempts to formulate "anything deserving the name of a land policy, and it is impossible to estimate the harm which it has done to the country by itn litter incompetence and perpetual procrastination in regard to the Maori land problem. Then again, by its secret methods and persistent withholding of information in regard to public finance and other matters, it has shown that it has never really trusted the people with the natural result that people, have now ceased to trust it. In view of these facts—and many more of an equally damaging character might easily bo adduced—can any intelligent_ man honestly say that such a Ministry ought to be given the opportunity to misrule this Dominion for another three years'? Whatever usefulness it may once have had in its long career—and no one questions that it has some things to its credit—it has certainly now outlived that period of usefulness.