Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, MAY 21st, 1918. THE GREY SEAT.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1918, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, MAY 21st, 1918. THE GREY SEAT.

Tuepk iitwo Richmonds in the aivnn to light the buttle for the Grey Seat One claims to be representative of Labour, and in ordinary times and under ordinary conditions that representative might anticipate an easy run. Labour has held the seat for some time, and while the war is on could fairly claim to hold it, seeing that there is a party truce. But there are extraordinary conditions affecting the Grey Scat vacancy. The late member has been unseated because he would not conform to the Military Service Law ; i.c. he disobeyed a lawful military command, was courtmartialled, and sent to prison, ana while there, liis seat in Parliament became vacant through his non-attendanco (enforced of course) at the late short session. When it became necessary to select a champion, for Labour in the

inevitable Lye-election. Mr Holland, of was selected to represent the party. Mr Holland unlike the preceding member cannot claim to be a mirror with special knowledge of the industry, and as a “class” or mining representative can claim no right to succeed Mr Webb. Moreover Mr Holland is opposed to the. Military Service law of (he land rendered necessary by reason of the Groat. War, in that ho is an out and nut. unti-ponseriptionist. There is a win-tho-wnr Government in power and there, is no doubt the country is behind that Government in carrying through its essential task. Mr Holland, it goes without saving, would not be helpful to.that- Government in winning the war, because, being of ttic mind he is, lie would advocate tlie repeal of the existing military law. While the war lasts, that law must stand, and on this ground Mr Holland’s presence in Parliament- is not desira hie. Had Labour selected a candidate of the mining class, one familiar with the inside knowledge of the great industry, there is but little doubt swell a vepresentaive would have enjoyed a walk over. But in selecting Mr Holland, •Labour has challenged all the other parties to a contest which is not- governed by any other consideration than the upholding of the law of the land. That, is the straight-out issue the . lectors of Grey have to face, and though the quidnuncs are predicting an »asv I win for Mr Holland,' it would not be surprising if the final figures revealed a different result. The people require to get into their minds iust what, they are doing when easting their votes. They will require to deal with an issue which is essentially a national one. They have got to remember what other peoples and other countries are doing when dealing with this great national issue. Those countries which have real- ■ ised what the issues of the war carry in their train, have not been halting or selfish in their actions. A man of the people like Mr Lloyd George impos.d conscription on Britain, when even Lord Kitchener dare not advocate it. A great leader of the greatest democracy like President Wilson, imposed conscription on his countrymen from the very outset of America’s entry into the war because he saw the need of it to tide, not. only the United States, but all humanity into a haven of true i liberty and freedom. Another notable example of the conscription of men that the human race may secure ultimne salvation from the ruthless military despot, is furnished by the great Dominion of Canada. The United States and Canada have not waited for the enemy to appear at the gate to prepare for the besetting peril. They foresaw at once that the only way to beat conscripted Germany, quickly to her knees, was to themselves raise a host of conscripts, whose legions would dominate the might of the enemy that right alone should prevail. In the company of these great examples, thank God, New Zealand stands. We are a tiny outpost of the •Umpire so to speak, hut. as a nation we have not shirked the responsibilities which are the real burden of a nation to secure peace and live in freedom and equality with all. War, is abhorrent. It- has been made more abhorrent, them ever by the awful tragedy of this great war. You cannot imagine Mr Lloyd Coorge. almost a peace at any price man before Germany threatened the world, going to war for war’s sake; or the scholarly President Wilson essentially a man of ponce and slow indeed to anger (as the history of the war hns shown) warring for the rake of the destruction of humanity* in general and his own countrymen in particular. No, these groat minds resolved upon war only as a stern necessity to secure peace. Just as these two great minds have prepared for war as an inevitable sequence of events deliberately brought about by designing Germany, so we may imagine in the fullness of time the two great minds will be the principal actors in framing a world constitution which wilt giv... this hard buffeted earth, perpetual mace at last. To this great and triI .miphnnt end. the whole destiny of the ! war in shaping. It is for that reason New Zealand along with the rest of the Empire is consorting with the Entente Allies to win a lasting peace for thox people. It is on the. side which in the days to come can look back and thank Providence that the wisdom of the people helped to keep the district on the j side of the right, and to he with the j victors at the glorious iinisii when the. j heritage of freedom won by those who have gone before, is retained by us, and banded ou to posterity more assured and lasting than ever. In the contest for the Grey seat to take place next week, Air T. E. Coates, a well-known citizen of Greymouth, is the champion for the cause, we have just outlined. At such a time it- is a privilege to do something to help win the war in an honourable way, and those who vote for Mr Coates will be performing such a useful service, and hv securing ’his return to Parliament will he instrumental in ousting an element of. reaction, if not worse, which we believe, to be dangerous to the peace and good will of this country, a country which in the light of the world’s history to-dnv. stands out more prominently than ever .os “God's Own Country.'’ Electors of Grey, help to keep it so!

prove the alluvial fortunes of the district, is reason enough not only to brighten those hopes, but to give tlio people courage to seek, in fact demand, from the Government that degree of attention for mining which the past should warrant and the future seems to justify. Nothing appears to come to pass here, except by the long-drawn out agitation. The Government have at tlioir ell>ow a committee of gentloinen bent on producing National Efficiency, but this committee might well practice on the Government itself if if wislfes to achieve some real success in the application of those high principles it advocates, 111 the Mines Department, for Instance; there is a sad lack of elticiency to the point of national utility. The Department appears in tne imain to be an automatic machine for the compilation of reports and records, the ultimate destiny of which is to crowd the pigeon-holes. As regards a policy to give a lead in milling, that volume of usefulness closed with the death of the late Mr Seddon, who was setting out to dii for mining, what in other ..Departments the Government do now for more favoured industries. Appacntly it. is left- to the people themselves to bestir the Government and seek to impose a policy of action which will have a reviving influence, not alone on mining, hut on the fortunes of the Dominion at large as well. The local bodies, including the Chamber of Commerce, might well take up the matter in such a way as to command success. A conference of all interested should be held and when a line of action is formulated, the Minister of Mines might well he invited to the district and reasonably asked to do things to further the great interests at stake. This preliminary work is well worth taking in hand without delay.