NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 65, 10 December 1919, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

Most people no doubt think it is high time that the relations between the Liberal Party _ and the Labour-Socialist extremists who style themselves the Official' Labour Party were clearly defined. What has happened in this matter, or is going on beneath the surface, we do not pretend to know, but there is the somewhat striking fact to be noted that the Leader of the Opposition dodges a clear and comprehensive declaration on the subject. After being invited to state his position explicitly, he has so carefully avoided such a declaration that the circumstance must needs be regarded as significant. His observations on the" subject in his speech at Martinborouch are reported as follows in the local Wardist newspaper :

A great ileal of misrepresentation hart been indulged 'U concerning limiseil ;is the Liberal leader. He was not in favour of direct action and force, lie did not agree with the views of certain noliticisins—they were 100 extreme for him. At this critical period, when a new fjoveniment was to lie formed, a strong tlovermnent was needed. .Moderate Labour, lie said, had to be recognised, and had to liavo representation in the new Government. Whoever undertook the government of this country had » .stupendous task. The business and farminjj community should recognise that the old idea, o't' resisting force bv force should be supplanted by tlio i<lea of Riving Moderate Labour representation. What had New Zealand to fear from that?

Apart from an intimation that it would Ijc a good thing to give M.R. Veitcu a position in the Cabinet this was all that the Leader of the Opposition had to say about a question that calls for very much plainer speaking. His remarks arc quoted only for the sake of showing that he talked aimlessly round the subjcct and practically said nothing. He. was asked to say in plain terms whether or not lie was prepared to accept any support from the Official Labour Party, the party which includes in its ranks disloyal extremists of the most reckless type. In deliberately withholding an answer to that question Sir Joseph Ward leaves it to be assumed that he is willing to enter into a working nrwrnent" with members of the Official Labour Party.

Residents of Ka'rori ought to have no hesitation in registering a big vote to-day in favour of. amalgamation with the city. It will be a great pity if election excitement or anything else is allowed to distract attention from the borough poll. Amalgamation is quite obviously the line of true progress, and when set against the evident advantages it offers, such detail objections as have been raised are of trifling weight. Ivarori people are on safe ground in assuming that U they link the city they will not be overburdened in the matter of rates and will be assured of a much more rapid development of municipal services than would be possible if they continued to stand apart. As the ex-Mayor of Onslow (Mr. J. M. Dale) has pointed out, the advantages that accrue to _ a small borough which joins the city are very strikingly illustrated in the experience of Onslow since it amalgamated only eight months ago. In these eight months the City Council has purchased 107 'acres of land at Khandallah for housing purposes, 12 acres for a recreation ground, and a small park at Ngaio. Also it has arranged for the extension of the city tramways to Kaiwarra. It is quite obvious that the people of Karori will' study their own interests if they solidly support amalgamation. At the same time the city population bus much to gain from the effective opcning.up of a further residential area wliich is very far from being fully occupied.

One of llii! most pleasing things in I,ho local election contests is the appearance of Mi;. A. dk B. Bjianuon as one of the nominators of Mr* J. P. Luke for the Wellington North scat. AI, the by-election two years ago M)(. Bra.voon was induced to contest I lie sen t against Mr JjI'KK, both fighting in the same cmisc, and at times the partisans of each Mixed hot. in advocacy of I,he. claims of their respective candidates. Today Mb. Brandon has set an admirable example of good citizenship in sinking.anv personal feeling or prejudice which .might have been generated in the heat, of the election contest and placing the interests of the country first. Presumably Mr. Bhaxpon realises what every thoughtful citizen must realise, that the times call for a strong Government; that there are troubles and problems ahead of the country which make the prospect of a weak Government a menace to the security »nd prosperity of th« Dominion The Reform Party offer? the Wt hone, indenr], th-" only hope, o? n Government. sfwr enough to carry on u'ltvanimellnr! bv fluiriflvnm of cxtremi- elements. ?Ti». T.itkr Btands as «, supporter of th« Government, and Hit*, electors of Wellington North whei. they comp to th«'r vot"s «m Wndnesda" next should bear that, fact in mind. ,-V vote for Mi:. Luke is a vote to strengthen the hands of the Government at what all must recognise to lis a critical tim-\ Sib .losi;pti Wv!iD lias plaved into the hands of the extremists by bringing out a candidate for the scat. Though Mr. Browne is Ui'ki.ne a groat- den! and is seokintr, by of machine-made d'miwtralinng, (o create a n 'lniiT'cssion. ho 's bfinc maclo ihn tool, no

flf'u'it- unconsciously of the Lf.iiouvExtrcniists. They have been cleverly enconrruriiig his candidature in the how thai ho will take away votes from Mr. Luke unci so tsfcrenorlhon the rhancm of tln N Labimi'- noimnoe. What tV of Wellington '\ T orlh have to hear in mind is Hint vole-snlittinsr is dan•rerons in this election. Thov ina v not regard Mr. Li'M', ov any of onnonents as their ideal of a eatidirlntp for the seat., hut fh" alternative to Mr. T:i t kf's pl»<<Hov> is too nni , l"a c -int to lie fi'"nt«r! lirhlly. Tt is the iilain d"lv of all to po to tlv , noil, ii'vl if they rpnlioe, as we (Milk they mn«t, the imnortanee of ii«.v> at slake, they will vote for, Mit. Luke. |

It is amusing to note the efforts i of Mii. WiwoHi) and his friends to suggest, in spite of particularly plain evidence to tho contrary, that all is as it used to be in tho Hutfc electorate. They are doing their best to ignore the disturbing fact that iln. llisuwoßTii is in high and rising favour with the electors amongst whom his lot is cast, and to popularise an idea that the Reform candidate's prospects are not as rosy as they plainly seem to be. The ! truth, however, is not to be gainsaid that the spirit of progress and of wholesome change for the better is making itself felt in Hutu as in other parts of the Dominion. As regards Mr. Wilford's hold on the suburban constituency, it is not forgotten that it was shown in 1914 to be weakening. In the general election of that year he secured, a majority of a thousand in Petone, buf in tho total count for the whole electorate his majority was smaller. But for the Petone vote he would have been beaten. It is no secret that in the present contest the Labour candidate will secure a vote which will more than wipe out tins majority Me. Wh.ford gained in Petone in 1914. This is the settled opinion, of those who are best, qualified to weigh the evidence in sight. It is as little in doubt that \ln. Rishwortii will noil <norc heavily in other parts of the electorate than Me. Samuel did when he contested the seat in the Reform interest in 1914. Already well and favourably knoivn when he entered the contest. Mr. Rishworth has added to his reputation in an effectively conducted campaign. Besides being a man of sound ability, well qualified to deal with general political questions, it tells _ heavily in his favour that he is resident in the district and intimately acquainted with its needs. Mk Wjj,tord's feverish electioneering is in somewhat, striking contrast to his neglect of the district during the intervals between elections, ilnd will hardly better a case which from his point of view seems to be beyond remedv. If he i« anxious to avoid any risk of handing the seat over to Labour on n split vote, it would ho a public-spirited net tn _ withdraw from a contest in which his chances anpear to be fading away. Indeed, in a statement which appears to-day Me. Rishworth: suggests that his Wardist opponent should take 'this course—a suirsiestion which would be very widely endorsed in the electorate.