The Dominion WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER, 26, 1919. ADMISSIONS OF WEAKNESS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 53, 26 November 1919, Page 6

The Dominion WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER, 26, 1919. ADMISSIONS OF WEAKNESS

Reports froni various .parts of the Dominion suggest a somewhat remarkable slump in popular favour amongst Liberal candidates'. In Auckland this has been very marked, and there are similar signs elsewhere that the public is'very distrustful of Liberal leadership. To a large extent this may ho attributed to the attitude of Sm Joseph Ward 1 in so flagrantly seeking i to advance party interests at a time when it is so obvious that the interests of the country can be best served by united effort and the concentration of the whole energies of the leading members of the two great parties on the grave and heavy which the war has left the country to face. But there iB another reason which certainly must have influenced a.great many thoughtful people who do not concern themselves deeply with party politics, but who aro seriously concerned to secure good and sound government. Such people, and, indeed, all fair-minded people, cannot fail to have been struck by the increasing tendency on the, part of certain Wardist candidates arid a section of their Press to distort and misrepresent the actions and the polioy of their opponents. One instance of this is in connection with the question of military training. Some time ago Sir James Aimw expressed an opinion in favour of four months' training for the youth of the country in camp as part of Our future defence scheme. This proposal was almost universally condemned by all political parties and by the Press of the Dominion. Again and again it 1 has been shown that Sir James Au.en was only expressing his own personal views. Mr. . Massby lias on several occasions publicly stated that the ques-' tion has never even been rilaced be'fore Cabinet, and ban made it quite clear that he himself does not approve of it. Practically every member of the Reform Party'has expressed a similar opinion. Yot the attempt is deliberately and per*istentlv made to create the imnression in the public mind that the idea voiced by Sir James Aixen as his own opjnion is part and parcel of the policy of the' Reform Party. Politics are degraded by such methods, and it is not unnatural aa the real facts come to light that public opinion, instead of being turned against thoso so unfairly misrepresented, should instead bo antagonised against those who pursue such unworthy political tactics.

The pretonco that the Reform Government is in favour of a local navy as against a linking-up with the Imperial Navy on lines following thoso laid clown by Admiral Jeu.icob is another of theso political canards. Thero is not a shadow of evidence to support tho suggestion that the Government has any intention of advocating a local navy, on tho lines implied, for instance, by Mr. Wilfokd in his Eastbourne address. It is plain humbug to prctciid to believo anything of tho kind, and Mr. "Wiword should know this quite well. But ho apparently thought it was a good stick with which to strike at his Reform opponent, and so he talked a lot of nonsense about what a local navy would cost, as though Mr. Rishwortii had proposed to commit the country to twenty millions of-ex-penditure, and to pile moro burdens on tho taxpayers of tho cOiin-

try. This class of electioneering, we are confident, is utterly repugnant to the great body of electors at the present tirao, and it is an indication of . how much loading members of the Liberal Party are out of touch with the real sentiment of the country that they should think they can profit themselves by descending to it. In all parts of New Zealand to-day there is a call for sincerity and carncatnoss in public affairs. People of extreme partisan views may not be greatly concerned with it, but the balance of power is held by men and women who are not tied to party, and who are hoping for something better in our public life than the old wrangling and bickering over the tweedledum and twecdledee of party artificialities. It is this great soction of the electors which is turning steadily to the Reform Party as the party which is facing the changed conditions in ; the broadest 'and most enlightened spirit.