NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2310, 18 November 1914, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

The member for Avon (Mr. G. W. Russell) is one of the most bitter and uncompromising opponents of the present Government. Ho is not accustomed to pay the Heform Party any compliments, but a sudden outburst of political candour seems to have illuminated his address to the electors on Monday evening when he confessed that "a cnango of Government after tho last election was the best thing that could have happened to New Zealand." This admission was greeted with "Hear, hear," from tho audience, and Mr. Russell went on to give the reason for his remark. "It showed'the peoplo of this country," ho said, "and especially the young men and women what tho Conser-1 vativo Party really was when it got into office." All the Reformers wanted was an opportunity to give practical expression to their policy and principles, and to show what they stood for. During their term of office they have been able to show the peoplo the difference between the sham Liberalism of the Wardists and' the real Liberalism of the Reform Party. They have been able_ to prove the baselessness of the pessimistic predictions of their opponents. They have strengthened the country's finance, they have energetically promoted land settlement, they have improved the Public Service, they have extended the workers' homes scheme, they have reformed the education system, they have extended the benefits provided by the Old Age Pensions Act, and they have raised the limits on loans obtainable under the Advances * to Settlers Act. In this and other ways they have shown the people in a very practical way what their policy of Reform really is. The country has prospered, and the Government has handled the difficult problems arising out of the war so successfully that the commerce and industrial life of the community has gone on almost as smoothly as in normal times. In view of these facts no fair-minded man is likely to disagree with Mr> Russell's admission that the advent of the Reform Party to power "was the best thing that could have happened to New Zealand."

Some very interesting revelations regarding the relations between the Wardists and the Social Democrats, popularly known aB the "Red Feds, were made by Me. Hiram Hunter (President of the Social Democratic Party, and Labour-Socialist candidate for Christchurch East) in a speech at Ohristchurch; which is reported in our news columns to-day. The facts stated by Mr. Hunter, who must be taken to speak with inside knowledge, should dispose once and for all of the laboured efforts made by some of the Wardists to explain away their apparent understanding with the LaDour-Social-ist extremists. ' The President of the Social Democrats declares that they have had "some dealings" with Sir Joseph Ward, and in his statement these dealings are connected up with certain happenings in the constituencies which the Wardists have on a number of occasions been invited to explain and which are now explained pretty thoroughly without their intervention. In proof of his words Mr. Hunter pointed to the withdrawal of the Social Democratic candidate from Wellington Central in order to give Mr. Fletcher a clear run against'the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, and a similar withdrawal in the, Buller electorate in favour of the Wardist candidate, Mr. ColyiN. More than this, Mr. Hunter asserts that Sir Joseph Ward refused to nominate a candidate in Ohristchurch East, and 'that the Liberal and Labour Association did so in spite of his wishes; Additional light has been thrown upon the position by Mr. Holland, the LabourSocialist candidate for Wellington North, who .declared last night that Mr. 1 Turnbull had entered the contest against the wishes of "the official Liberals," and that they would have withdrawn him but fora fear of making their alliance with the Social Democrats known •in the country electorates. Iri face of these disclosures there seems- to bo no further room for doubt as to the understanding between ' Wardists and the Labour-Socialists.

Reports published in the Taranaki papers indicate that Me. 0. K. Wilson, member for Taumarunui, has everywhere been heartily received by his settler-constituents in the course of the tour which he is now making through his_ extensive electorate. This indeed is no more than ho deserves, for the back-blocks settlers of the Dominion have no more,tireless and determined advocate of their claims in Parliament than the member for Taumarunui. When Me. Wilson was new in Parliament some of his opponents ridiculed his appeals on behalf of the outlying settlers whose cause he has so much at heart, but as time went on these scoffers discovered that when the member for the back-blocks had the floor it paid to give him a clear run. Me. Wilson established his position partly by a turn for damaging repartee, but far more by the sincerity with which he pleaded the cause of isolated settlers and their wives and children subjected to all the hardships of a pioneering life. In season and out of season he asserted their claims to consideration with dogged pertinacity, and he deserves a fair share of the credit for what has already been done to expedite the roading of the back-blocks and for the further enterprises in this direction which have been planned by the Government. Many of tho most pressing demands for roading in tho Taumarunui district and elsewhoro have been met, but of course much yet remains to be done, and Me. Wilson may be trusted to ' vigorously continue the work which he has so well carried out up to the present time.

It 'is a matter for surprise that the speech delivered by the Prime Minister at Temuka ' last evening should have been dismissed b;y_ the

Press Association in a short telegram. Brief as it is, the report indicates that Mb. Massey replied in detail .to the speech made by Sir Joseph Ward at Winton on the previous evening, which was reported by the Press Association at great length. Apart from the obvious injustice of reporting so inadequately an important speech by the Prime Minister of the country, the incident furnishes a rather striking commentary upon the Opposition canard that the Reform Government has captured the newspaper Press of the Dominion.