The Dominion. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1914, THE OPPOSITION VOCATION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2306, 13 November 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1914, THE OPPOSITION VOCATION

The average reader of the newspapers cannot fail to have been struck with the mean and .petty nature of a great part of the criticism that has been directed against the Massey Government. The larger political issues are almost entirely ignored, and the attacks made on Ministers relate mainly to paltry questions of quite minor importance or unsubstantial rumours plainly founded on malice or party, rancour. Nothing throws more light, upon the straits to which Wardist candidates and .their, newspapers find themselves reduced "than the eagerness with which so many of them'seizo' upon all sorts of trumpery stories and floating rumours and attempt to fashion them into charges against the Government. The past record of the Opposition. Party naturally makes its advocates, disinclined to handle the bigger facts of politics with any freedom, but -in mare'snesting and the dissemination of rumours they find a congenial outlet for activity. Thus whilst the Government and the Defence authorities were engaged in organising and equipping a military contingent of which the -whole country is proud, the,columns of the Opposition Press were filled with wildly exaggerated stories about the regimental canteens—the travelling shops from which soldiers are supplied with small comforts and petty luxuries. This state of things exactly typifies the dignity and standing of the Wardist Press—the matter in hand being the equipment of the most powerful military expedition the Dominion has ever attempted—it bends the whole of its mental energies upon the price of lemonade and boot-laces. One of the latest canteen stories relates to Samoa-. Some returned troopers were alleged to have complained to an. Opposition journal at Auckland_ about extortionate prices charged in ; the regimental canteens at the recently-annexed Islands. Immediately the tale was taken up by tho Wardist journals, circulated broadcast throughout New Zealand, and the whole country was invited to believe that yet another criminal misdemeanour had been proved against tho Government. Of course there was nothing more in it than there usually is in stories of this kind. The Defence authorities have explained that the canteens at Samoa are conducted on a regimental basis for tho benefit of the men themselves, that reasonable prices are charged, and that whatever profits may bo made go wholly and solely to the regiments. It may be mentioned, too, that private letters received from Samoa show that tobacco is sold in the canteens at four shillings a pound, and cigarettes at threepence a packet, just about half the ruling rates in New Zealand. Matters being cleared up in this way, the Wardists will now oe free to fossick out some other , potty little fabrication, with which to restock their depleted armoury, and they may be relied upon to do it without delay.

Akin to the canteen fictions is tho story told by Me. K. Fletcher at his political meeting the other night, when he invited his auditors to join with him in denouncing the wickedness of the Railways Department in penalising its employees _who volunteered for military service by depriving them of their positions. Of course, the Department has not done anything of the kind. On the contrary it has granted all reasonable facilities to those of its employees desiroiiß of joining tho Expeditionary Forces. Tho picked members of the Railways Corps who were first selected are on leave and on halfpay, and all members of the Railways staff, without exception, who have obtained leave to volunteer for military service are assured of a return to employment when they come back from the war". . It is true that the Department had to insist upon leave being obtained from headquarters by each volunteer, but the necessity of retaining an adequate staff of trained men,_ in the interests of safety and efficiency, is so obvious that even Mr. Fletcher will be unable to twist it into a, grievance or a crime on the part of the Government. It goes without saying that Mr. Fletcher could easily have ascertained the facts of the case insteadof indulging in hysterical accusations of lack of patriotism on tho part of the Government, but that is not the Wardist way. With many members of this enlightened party the story is > the only thing that matters, and its accuracy is a purely minor consideration. Great events pass lightly over their heads, and they arc wholly and happily occupied with the miserable little indentions of which thox and their

papers are so_ prolific. At a time of national orisia they ask the people of tho Dominion to place them in control of the country's affairs, and they advance as their chief claim tt> the trust and confidence of the pubUo their skill with the muck-rake.