THE LIBERALS AND THE RED FEDERATION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1955, 12 January 1914, Page 4

THE LIBERALS AND THE RED FEDERATION.

. | s~_ — r g .,: .„,; The Opposition . organ in Christchurch is still worrying over the fact that the march of political events ir suggesting to sane Liberals in this country the advisability, of supporting the present Government rather than risk the return of Social Democrats in electorates where the party fortunes of.the Opposition are at a low ebb. In its latest utterance on the subject, the journal in question explains laboriously that it is not displeased at .'an invitation of this nature being extended to. Liberals. The invitation,' it says," is the most natural thing in-the world, because: "The only. hope, the lie-formers have of success at the polls at .the end of the year .rests upon their being ablo to keep the Liberals and Labourites apart,''. This, oi course, is a mi*take. The Reform Government ha* every prospect of gaining a substantial majority at the nest general election, whatever the other two parties may do. As to the Grey ano Lyttelton by : -elections, although both seats, had been Liberal. strongholds for many years, the Government can didate in each case stood at the top of the poll in thofirst ballot contest, while his Liberal opponent was at the bottom.' ' The danger by which Liberals are faced is that if they listen to such feckless counsellors as the Opposition organ in Christchurch they may offer up as a sacrifice any prospects that remain to their own party for no better end than to give an undeserved promin-. ence to the Social Democratic party. The choice of the Liberals, as we have had occasion to point out more than once, : lies between the Social Democrats and a strong and stableGovernment, which has already done a great deal to; bring _ the Social Democrats to .their bearings. ■' Until recently the Opposition party Icader.i and newspapers were'unanimous in, declaring that they were no more identified with tho Social Democratic party than is the Reform party. _ In its absurd attempt to make bricks without straw and to manufacture acase without convictions; the Opposition organ in Christchurch has completely gone back upon this declaration of independence and accomplished a., veritable masterpiece- of blundering ineptitude. Using the word "Labour" as synonymous with "Social Democracy,""it endeavours to show that "Labourites," including. Mb. ■ M'Combs; '-, the /accredited Social Democrat who now represents Lvttelton, are.the natural allies of the Liberal party.' "Our contemporary's invitation to tho Liberals," it 'remarks, ."therefore, is simply that they, should assist in returning an opponent rather than in returning an ally."-- In attempting to bolster up' this contention, the Christchurch organ of-ths'Opposition uses as an' ■illustration ihcLyttelton by-election, a contest in which there w,is no other Labour."candidate than the Social Democrat,' Mr. M'Combs. 'Oik is therefore compelled to accept the assurance thus tendered by an/accredit-. c<l organ'of Liberals .and.' Social.,.ijDemocrals ='■ arc Rallies,"..but the 'assurance' is a-littW Cpuzzling,■ in viewr'of past utterances ■on the same subject.....' For instance,' Stii;jQSEPH:.;WiEE (I (Leador.of..the:,OpM

Spbsi t"ipri)£spjeaking. at.ihe end -of' the on .tlxsbngisla;;. Bill, 3 !made .his own :!ppsi(ip.n," and ■ th.it: of: his partyj'/iii: ?refei;ehjL , (i-!.,lo. r *tlic.. Social Democrats, Te'ry.''clciuvindeed."' A suggestion.made' iby»tlietflb?; v F;;; ? M:" : B. 'Fisher^that a'sewet'alliance existed between the ;Oppo3itio)j;;party; ; ;and the./ Social p^mocrats;:'';was'-indignantlj!!,repiHli-ated;:by"{ the" Leader of th-e Opposition,I;'who1;'who said,' in. dealing with the statement.: ■■':■"' '" -" ■''.* '■' >./*'■ '■■"' 3 '^' : ':

...^"'';.'.,. he. (Mr. Fisher) likened "mo. for. {political purposes to the spider end .the, Vcb,.-aiKK'stat«l that"'the. reason for the,' obstruction on the. part of thn.-Opposi-. ■tion ■' iipon a tlaiuo of this Bill was on account of a secret alliance..between this party, of which 1 a;n the. head, with'another party in the Housi represented by the- hon.,. member for Grey. 1 'want "to' say'that.istate.meiit is absolutely contrary' to fact.;•'■ There never has been in connection With the Second Ballot Bill, or any other Bill,- any alliance or suggested alliance or arrangement of any sort or kind made oil behalf of this party with the hoii. gentleman or with anybody else, either, inside or outside the House. .'. .''.'

It, may be'left to the Anti-Reform organ in Chriatchurch to explain the discrepancy between its own estimate 'of the political.situation and that of the Leader of the Opposition. Certainly it has failed to convince us that-'there is any real identity, of -■ between - sane Liberalism and "a party which is the political expression of an industrial organisation 'committed'' to a revolutionary policy of ■ aggression and tyranny. We prefer to believe that where tie choice has to be made the best section of the Opposition will choose unhesitatingly to support tho present. Government rather thanthe Social Democratic party. . Little more need be said about our., contemporary's' ■ statement that :-.Mr. Massey has set himself to undo everything that is progressive in the Liberal legislation of ttie last twenty years, than that such. baseless statements arc made only in the hope of deceiving people who are unacquainted with the facts of the case. Since taking office the present Government has not only made some valuable additions to the legislation of the country, but has amplified and improved numerous measures passed in the days of tho Continuous Ministry. .'A notable example in. the latter category is the Pensions Act. ■■ The amendments made by the Government to this measure entail an additional expenditure upon pensions of £100,000 per annum. Another striking advance upon Liberal policy is made in the Labour DMputes Investigation Act, which will notonly serve a useful purpose in this country but is likely to give a valuable lead in many other, parts ■of the.,world. It is. true that the Government overturned so-called "Liberal", traditions by terminating the reign of political influence in connection with the control of the Public Service, but no reform was ever better justified. The Government broke new ground, too,, with its freehold land policy, but it did so supported by the votes of the Leader of the Opposition and the dominant section of his party. Instances might be multiplied indefinitely, but it is unnecessary. A reference to undisputed facts will at any time convicLof misrepresentation the Opposition Sewspapers which from time to time indulge in vague suggestions that the legislation and poliey proposals of the Government are, in some unexplained way, repugnant to. the spirit of true Liberalism, Such suggestions are based upon a pretence as hollow as it is insincere.