THE CASE FOR THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 130, 19 February 1918, Page 6

THE CASE FOR THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

•Sir.—As Messrs. Luke and Brandon art supporters of the National Government, why don't they explain to the electors their grounds for being supporters of the Government instead of expiating on their personal reasons for standing for Parliament? They can make out a good case if they use the material available. Mr. Holland at-

tacks the Government mainly on two j points—conscription and cost of living. I)oos lie not know that it was the working men of New Zealand that first demanded universal military training, and that they are now, generally speaking, .Us strongest supporters. Otherwise they said tho rich men's sons might tscape war service. 1 believe the railway men of Duncdin were the first lo approach Mr, Allen, and ask for universal service. Universal military service, or conscription, as Mr. Holland chooses to call it, is more democratic | than voluntary service; and under the system adopted by the Government of appointing prominent Labour men on all trie military service boards, even Mr. Holland dare not suggest that favouritism has been disnlaye/l._ With regard to the cost of living, I would suggest to Messrs. Luke and Brandon, and aloo-to Mr. Holland, that a brief perusal of Parliamentary paper H., 11, 1017, the Board of Trade report, would repay them.. There they would see how the Government has controlled, and thereby reduced, the price of bread, butter, meat, and sugar, all essential articles of food. • It cannot be denied that the cost of living has increased less in Now Zealand since the war began than in any other part of the Empire, or .in any country directly affected by the war. The following figuies from the paper I have mentioned prove this:— The increase since July, 1914, to January, 1917, was— In Germany 110.5 In Austria , 17.7 In Norway 84 In •United' Kingdom ... 94 In Canada 44 _ In New Zealand 25.79 With reduced production, consequent on thousands of our men being engaged fighting, and with freights quadrupled and more, it is not to be wondered at that the cosit of imported goods bus increased; and no reasonable man would blame the Government, for this fact. All patriots on both sides of politics will earnestly hope that Mr. Biandon will, before it is too late, realise that in dividing tbe National Government vote he is endangering the lii'r of the National Government, of which lie is~a supporter, and that he will show his public spirit by retiring from iho contest.—l am, etc., ARGUS. ANTI'CONSCRI'PTIOWSTS AND THE KAISER. Sir, —As an elector of Wellington North who is closely watching the various political endeavours of candidates and their supporters in the hope of finding one worthy of my vote at tho forthcoming by-election, I feel compelled from a sense of justice and fair play to reply to your correspondent who hides 'his identity under the name of "United We' Stand." The entry into the political arena of.an opponent to the Reform Party's candidate has evidently given him a severe attack ot hysteria, judging by tbe way he has thoughtlessly rushed into print and his potty attempt to class .Mr. Holland as "a supporter of all the things the Kaiser would applaud." I am not in any way associated with the party \ whom Mr. Holland represents, but' 1 have attended some of his political meetings in order to ascertain his political views, and was greatly impressed by bis general ability in dealing with such vital questions as the raising of loans, the oest of living, taxation, soldiers' pay and pensions, etc. Had your correspondent attended Mr. Holland's opening meeting in the Town Hall he would bave heard Mr. Holland plainly declare himself an anti-mili-tarist and an anti-conscriptionist, ■thereby giving a lie to the statement that he is a "supporter of the Kaiser." We all know that ,the Kaiser is oile of the most virulent militarists of the day;' and therefore an ardent supporter of conscription, and would no more agree with the policy of Mr. Holland and his supporters than do the advocates of militarism and conscription in New Zealand. Taking into consideration | the fact that in most of the Allied countries great changes; in Governments and. War Ministries have been made since the commencement of the war, it seems the height of impertinence, to endeavour to prove to intelligent electors that by voting for the man they consider most efficient to represent them in this elec-1 torate they arc preventing the successful prosecution of tbe war. To an impartial observer it appears only one of the many insidious electioneering attempts to discredit certain candidates in the eyes of the public, and will rather defeat the desire to win support for the Government than otherwise. All lovers of fair play and justice will resent such tactics, and I for one sincerely liope the Germans and the Kaiser will not again bo introduced into local politics;—l am, etc., MARION BURKE. % February 15. v [The fact'that the Kaiser is a "virulent militarist" does not imply that he objects to the anti-conscriptionists in New Zealand. On the contrary, he certainly would be delighted with their efforts to hamper the. National Government in maintaining the supply of reinforcements to our troops in the fighting lines. • It is not surprising that those who are soeking to again divide the nation into party and sectional groups should resent the exposure of the injury they arc doing the country and the Empire by, thus playing into the hands of the Kaiser and Germany.]

• [Nominations for the vacancy for the Wellington North seat have now closet], and we cannot continue to open our columns to a discussion of the claims of the various candidates.]

Mr. J. P., Luke will speak in the Methodist Scjiool. Northland, to-night, and in St. Paul's Schoolroom, Tinakori .Road, to-morrow evening.

To-day at noon Messrs. E. J. Howard, T. Brindle, and J. Thorn will speak in the Post Office Square in support of Mr. H. E. Holland. At one o'clock to-day, in. the Post Office Square, Mr. Holland will speak on "The Government and the Public Servants." ' To-night Mr. Holland will address a meeting of electors in the Methodist Schoolroom, Molesworth Street, at 8 o'clock, to-morrow night at the Tea Kiosk, Kelburn, on Thursday night in St. Paul's Schoolroom, Tinakori Road, and nu Friday night in the Masonic Hail, Bculcott Street.