PLAYING ON THE SOFT PEDAL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 46, 10 March 1937, Page 4

PLAYING ON THE SOFT PEDAL

ro be "all things to all men" is a Scriptural injunction wliich our Prinxe Minister has evidently taken very much to heart — whether because it is Scriptural or because it is a good diplomatic maxini cannot be said. In any event, we have had ample evidence of his i'aith in it during his current tour of the Dominion. In the course of it he has spoken in various fcongues to the various groups of the varied population with which he has come in contact. But there has been little variation in the suave and ingratiating way in which he has spoken to all, His latest address of which we have report is that deliverd yesterday at a complimentary luncheon tendered to him by the Chamber of Commerce in Auckland, his home city, from which his ministerial duties have kept him away for the last twelve-month. Speaking to a presumably "capitalist" assemblage, he was very careful to say nothing that might ruffld the waters of hospitality. Everything was quite in order for the ears of such a gathering* and everything was caleulated to soothe wounds and cairn apprehensions. In short, Mr. Savage struck a vastly different note on his lyre from those he had been sounding, say, when rousing the enthusiasm of his own particular political fo'llowers in the South Island. His misfortune is that all his sayings are recorded in the daily press for everyone to see and that the more intelligent and watchful members of the community can scarcely but be taking note of the inconsxstencies thus disclosed. In his talk to Auckland 's business men there is nothing to which, in itself, exception might be tkaen. It all runs so nicely and smoothly that. were his name not associated with the report, it might he taken as coming from one of their own cult. It is only when it is coinpared, or eontr.asted, with what he and his ministerial colleagues have said elsewhere, and gtill more significantly with the actions of the Government he lea&s and of its individual members, that it begins to take on a rather hollow sound, Mr. Savage flatters these business men by telling them how ready he is to give ear to anything they may have to say in the way of suggestion or advice. He would. however, have been rather hard put to it had he been asked to cite instanees in which such suggestions and advice had received any praetical recognition. The mere courtesy of listening does not take us very far when what is taken in at one ear goes straight out from the other. It is, of course. a case of "kind words buttering no parsuips' ' and the business folk of the country, and especially the smaller men among them, are already waking up to the faet. They are realising from hard experience that in recent legislation and administratipn not the slightest regard has been paid to their interests or necessxties and that, in effect, everything has been and is still being done to make their way, more dfficult. It is going to take something a good deal more tangible than mere balmy words from Mr. Savage 's softly, eloquent lips to disabuse them of the convictions that are rapidly forming and crystallising. Mr. Savage, for instance, says that "it would not be riglit for him or for the Governme-iit to take authority to say the last word on everything." He might, however, well be asked how this so modest pronunciation squares wjth the absolutely dietatorial powers, subject to no possible appeal, with which his legislation has elothed, individnally, more than one of his Cabinet colleagues— the Transport Act and the Industrial Efficiency Act, by way of two examples. There hasr in truth, never been a Government in this or any other British dominion that has arrogated to itself and its members any such arbitrary and autocratic powers as have been asSumed by this our first Labour Administration.