NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2309, 17 November 1914, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

A campaign .against the Massey Government is being conducted by two of tho shining lights of tho Red Federation, Messrs. Semfle and Parry. These gentlemen havo been prominent figures amongst tho militants for some time past and Mr. Seiiplb particularly has won marked distinction amongst his comrades by the extreme violence of his harangues. Our readers may not be very much interested in the doings of these noisy people, but it is as well that they should realise what is going on. It is this: that wherever Messrs. Semple and Parry go thoy not only seek-to arouse hostility to the Government, but they urge electors to vote for Wardism. It. is true tljoy pajf tbati wbertj tfeerp jjg a

Labour candidate he should receive first consideration, but these men claim to be travelling from one end of the country to the other, and as everyone knows in the great major ity of the electorates tuoro are no Labour candidates. Obviously, therefore, in all such electorates these gentlemen of the Bed Federation areworkingforWardism. Now, why should the Tied Federation want to throw out the Reform Government and restore Wardism? Oan anyone havo any doubt on the subject ? It has been said that the Red Federation is seeking to punish the Hassey Government lor having prevented its terrorising and bludgeoning the country into submission to its_ vicious methods during the big strike. That is true enough, but it is not the whole story. The Red Federation wishes to punish the Government for daring to enforce the law against it, but it wants ■also to get control of the reins of government itself, by replacing a strong Government with a weak one, dependent on tho Labour-Socialists' This, in some cases, is openly admitted but what necessity is thejo for any admission of the kind when the thing is plain for all to see?

PEitHAPS tho most pleasing feature of tho election address delivered by the Hon. J. Allen at Milton, on Saturday evening, was that dealing with the financial position of the Dominion. So far New Zealand has suffered comparatively 'little- from the war. There has been, of course, some dislocation of trade and business, but the great mass of the population has gone about its york and drawn its wages much tho same as usual. In a large measure this can bo traced back to the sound condition of the country's finances. The Minister of Finance has been steadily striving to strengthen the various public accounts against a time of trouble or emergency, and though that time came much, sooner than anyone expected, the Government was not caught unawares. The result is that the Minister has been able to announce that with the arrangements since made there is no fear of a shortage of public, funds either to meet the obligations incurred by previous Governments or to carry on current works calling for attention. It must be extremely gratifying to everyone to learn that the position is so satisfactory, - but especially so to those who have supported the Reform Party in the belief that the one thing most essen-v tial to the country's welfare was a change from the loose methods of finance of the Ward Government. By prudence and foresight the Government is able, in this time of great. crisis, to carry on public works much the same as usual and so ensure employment for many thousands of people who otherwise wouid suffer great distress from lack of work. It is also in a position .tp continue making much-needed advances to_ settlers and workers and local bodies and so further stimulate development of the country's resources and minimise the strain of the war. Even the Labour extremists, if they would trouble to think, would see that it is vitally to their interest that there should be in office a Government strong enough and capable enough to carry the Dominion safely through the troublous time that has come'upon Now Zealand in common with the rest of the British Empire. Where would they and the rest of the people of the Dominion have been had this-great war broke out in 1912, with-the financial position left by the Continuous Ministry, instead of in 19141 There would have been wholesale unemployment and distress which must ultimately have affected all classes of the community. We know-how Sir Joseph Ward rushed to retrench the Public Service even with the comparatively insignificant financial disturbance in 1908.

It must' be oonfessed that in his speech at Winton last, night Sir Joseph Ward made a much.' better showing in dealing with his local railway than in discussing what he calls a local Navy. His references to the Winton-Heddon Bush' line were quite in the approved style of the parish-pump politician, but his on naval defence were composed of aimless generalities and extravagant absurdities. No fault will be found with his declaration for "one Imperial and invincible Navy," in which he merely echoes' the sentiments of those he pretends to criticise. It is undoubtedly right, too, that- all parts of the Empire should assist to maintain such a Navy dnd it is precisely because his opponents take a bigger and broader view of this responsibility that Sir Joseph Ward has fallen foul of themi The amazing feature of the speech, however,, is the reference which the Leader of the Opposition ia reported to have made to the cost of a "local Navy." If he really said that the "initial expenditure on a local Navy, based on Admiral Henderson's figures, • would bo £23,000,000" he will simply make himself ridiculous in the eyes of everyone who hae paid any attention to the subject. His criticism is quite futile because it is directed against a purely imaginary scheme which bears no resemblance to the proposals of the Government. All that the Government propose is that a beginning should De made, and the cost for the present, will 'not exceed the amount of the , existing naval subsidy., ,