LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 42, 13 November 1918, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE. POLITICAL SITUATION IN

NEW ZEALAND

THE COMING CKISIS.

Sir, —A political situation, pregnant with great danger to the State, is sure to arise in New Zeftliuid in lue near future unless certain steps are taken before it is too late, to prevent it materialising. And sinco it is fai'i'ly evident that it is the people who lead the politicians, it is of vital importance that • tlie public should realise what is certain to happen, unless it makes up lis Mind [ that' it shall not. The situation to which I refer is this. ; Both the lleform and Liberal Parties have lost influence and prestige in the country to such a remarkable extent that, while it is possible they might, together, hold their own if the best eleI ments in each combined and agreed upon a ireally progressive national programme i few things are more certain than.that if ' . they compete against- each other at the polls, Labour will either -win a threecornered contest every time, or eke win . sufficient seats'to enable it to absolute--I}' control legislation in a new House. i Assuming that 110 system of prefcren- . tial voting is introduced, and that the ' next election is fought on tho existing , method of past the post, it must bo i obvious to every thoughtful man that if . the leaders of the present parties fail to co-operate, the situation—which will inevitably be further complicated by the 1 large number of independent candidates . who will enter the arena—will be en- „ tirely favourable to the advent to power ; of Labour. . i Now, within the Labour Party there . is happily 11 section of men who do not' • approve a policy of hate, based 011 cupidity, and who would gladly support any 1 sane movement making for a better uni derstanding with Capital. It is, liow- ■ over, only too ovident that this section ' is in a small minority compared with the extremist section, and that the organisation of the Labour l'arty-as a 1 whole is controlled by tho latter. It is therefore ciear that if Labour wins the next election the people of New Zealand 1 must expect legislation of such n. revo- ' lutionary and destructive character that,, ■ far from building up, it will undermine, 1 and in large measure destroy, the welfare and prosperity of the country, be- ! sides setting an appalling example to the 1 rest of the Empire. ' 1 What can or should be done to prevent such a catastrophe? To arrive at a so- ■ lution it is essential that the cause of 1 the approaching crisis should 'be ■ ed This is undoubtedly to be found 111 1 the attitude of the old. party gangs who are so wedded to theur old wajs < : party methods-of which every sane ' citizen ,is heartily «iok—and wlw.. w® 1 each so imbuwl with the idea that at tl 0 first trial of strength each can heat the , other, that they aro still ! l « ter °^ n S appeal to electors on the old paitj lines - -but probably under bannws earefullj camouflaged to conceal the tact. Tho danger to which I allude, and to whicn it is of .supreme importance P ll lie attention should now be drawn, ca only lie averted if < Wizens wil face ' U» issue and throw aside their apathy. IMS matter is essentially one winch the J in tlie street, indeed the wJ ? ,f liiunitv, must take up. In tins respect the time has come for straight speaking. Under a System of government which periodically* makes the peop cre p sible foi the composition ot their o« n ' Parliament it is the peop e, and the people alone, who really decide.their own fate, vac really govern. It is ow ■. thereto, that they are governed as they deservo to be. If apathy is always to rc S and hold the field against every danger until it is on us. thei xw®" bilitv for the result of that apath) n Sa™sh»lLttUbeinvovrf-mr«tta nnrei)C''d by electors. But I, tor one, »» contulent that when it is, reatod what ia nt stake, apathy on tins uta; i;ui.s • lion will be swept to the four winds of 11 The object of this letter is two-fold. In the ifrst place it seeks to place the rapid-. the National Ministry to sink their pe threatens to develop into a veri a> 0 catastrophe.—l am, etc., yjjRXTAS. Napier, November, 1918.