The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. MONDAY, JUNE 24, 1912. SANER POLITICAL VIEWPOINTS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 June 1912, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. MONDAY, JUNE 24, 1912. SANER POLITICAL VIEWPOINTS.

Ik the Mackenzie Cabinet is beaten iif.\t m ;i:th it will have th;> i-alis-faction of knowing that it afforded at least one lesson to the Opposition of u'hich that party stood in lived. That is the need there is tor proper observant , ; , of the amenities and concessions to political opponents which tin , usages of Hritish Parliament have established. "When office seemed so near Mr Mafcsoy in .February last, thai gentleman, as mouthpiece of his party, refused "a pair"' for a Government supporter (Mr Wilford) who was absent from New Zealand solely on medical advice and for no other reasons. Then, further, the Opposition Paity alloned the Speakership of the House to go to a (!overninenl supporter without contest. In tiiis the Party committed an ethieal blunder, but the eggregious offence was in the refusal of a pair to a sick and absent man. The Hon. T. Mackenzie, as Premier, in making 'ind reiterating hi.-, promise to give a pair to Mr Herries' (a prominent member of the Opposition who is away from New Zealand as a result of hit, late wife's last illness) has done a great deal to restore to New Zealand's political life that degree of kindliness and courtesy that

distim;ui.sh<'d it for many years. We feel impelled to add that nothing mark* more clearly the departure of the Opposition Party from its former high ideals, and its association with the forces of opportunism, than did the party's action over the matter of "the Wilford pair." Obviously Mr Maseey was swayed by the less scrupulous men amongst a parly which fortunately still contains many jjontleiiien. l''nnn these latter it is reasonable to expect that the Premier's lend towards the paths of courtliness will be gladly followed.

LA.HO LI It "8 IXGHA'nTfDK. Many woukl-he friends and helpers of Labour have had experience of the fact that as a body Labour lias no feelings and no gratitude. If there any truth in the .statements made recently to a Manawatu ■Standard representative -and from facts til at have coino to our own cognisance M-e have reason to believe, there is —illustrations of the fact will \i& found much nearer than the London and Australian cases wliic'i have become public; in recent years. As put in a rccont issue of the Standard, several members of i.!e Manawatu Flaxmill Employees' Union stated that it was almost a cer-

tainty that at thp nexi general election one of tlie aspirants for Parliamentary honours would bo a flaxmill employee. There wn.s a feeling existing at present, it was stated, among those engaged in (lie flaxmill industry, that they ought to have :i renrosenbitive from their own ranks in Parliament. They recognised that it was largely by their collective vote at the last election that their present member was returned, hut they preferred one who was a worker in their midst. a«s he would liavp a greater knowledge of their requirements. There was little doubt that if an election (lid not occur lief ore three years, one of the candidates for the Otaki seat would be nominated by the Flaxmill Employees' Union. Of course, tliere was a possibility of a dissolution heing forced on Parliament within the next six months, in which ease the mill employees might not he sufficiently organised to run their own candidate.