The Dominion. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1914. REFORM'S RECORD

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2324, 4 December 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1914. REFORM'S RECORD

A oood deal of our' space is given up to-day to a recital of the achievements of the Reform Party during its-thirty months of office'. No one with any sense of fairness can fail to be struck. ( with the inimehse' amount of ground traversed by the Government in the brief time it has been in office, nor can the importance of many of .the refprms effected fail to impress .those of the public •who are prepared to study them with open minds.. It is nb'fc necessary to repeat here what is so fully set out In the election, section of this issue, and i whyjb. we would commend to the serious consideration of all who are honestly concerned with,the question .of good government and the future weir tare 'of their country. A feature which. should not be overlooked..,is that the great recordof useful.legislation for. which.the Government can justly claim credit was placed on the Statute Book during a period of unprecedented disturbance both.locally and abroad; and in the face of most determined obstruction on, the part of ih'ose opposed, to" the Reform Government. We need .not recall .to piir readers the heavy burden of responsibility .thrown, on .Ministers, .by.the WaiKi strike, .the; smallpox: .epidemic, the great strike of last year, and the outbreak of the war. These happenings are too fresh in the public mind to require emphasis now. ~ But no one who wishes to judge the Government fairly .can fail to admire the capable and thorough manner IrL ! which it has dealt with the difficulties occasioned by : the momentous events of the past two years,: .'Nor can they fail to respect the firmness and. courage .of. the, men ..who, faced with the added burden thus-thrust on them, still fought resolutely and successfully to accomplish' the reform's to,,which, they, had,- pledged.,., them,: selves'; _, 'Nove-i; perhaps,has'.., any party in this country carried out in so short a space of time so many of the pledges to which it had committed itself,, and certainly .never under such disadvantageous, condi- ; tioris.' The electors of New Zealand are now being asked to cast aside this Government for a party whose name is a byword for broken pledges and a party which can only hope to gain office by the aid of an ofg4nisa> tion which stands for all that is reckless in Labour-Socialism. There are extremo partisans' who can , see no good .in any party but...their,own, and ;who will vote for that party regardless of the injury they may do the country, and ignorant of the injury they- may do ' themselves. To. such of these as ore opposed to the Reform Party the achievements of that. party,,will cp.upt as nothing, and it. to their sense 6f ; justice ,or even .to their self-inter-est;; JrojMhey.ate too' blinded with .prejudice, to., see' that reckless government, .must in the , end react to the injury of all,,classes. But there are many,, who, in: the past, have been misled as.totha. policy and intentions of.the Reform .Party, and many more to'no .party, are guided solely.,, by , the merits and as their judgment dictates. To them the reteord of Reform arid the promise of ftituro government on sound arid progressive lines will make' a; strong appeal,- and they..nekt Thursday will decide 1 the future', .for weal dr. woe, of the' Goverrinierii 6i New Zealand for the next three.year5'.,..,.,....,,