Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY NOVEMBER 18th. AFTER THE WAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 November 1918, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY NOVEMBER 18th. AFTER THE WAR.

In a speech delivered at Manchester, last September, the Prime Minister of Britain; Mr Lloyd George, outlined some of the problems looming up for decision after the war. The most pressing he saw might be summarised as follows; The solidarity of the Empire must be maintained. The State must take interest in the health of the people; we cannot maintain an A 1 Empire on a O 3 population. The most urgent problem is housing. Labour must be requitted with wages that will sustain life in full vigour. Workshops must be. made healthier. We must pay more attention to the schools. National resources must bo. developed fully and the State must help. The land must he cultivated to its ful-

lest capacity. Essential industries must be shielded. This Is a thoroughly natibnnl programme for the benefit of humanity, and should commend itself to the United Kingdom. Ore,at Britain is to pass into the throes of a general election almost immediately. The date of the election is announced as the Second Saturday in December, and the event promises to provoke a somewhat hitter contest. There are indications that the Labour party which lias stuck so consistently to the Coalition Govern.•ment, does not favour an election being held with such speed. Since the. previous general election ihe electoral franchise has been extended, and some millions of voters added to the rolls. As a matter of fact Labour has been openly organising for some time ill anticipation of the election, which has been forecasted from time to time. The sudden collapse of the war, has hastened the event quicker than the most sanguine might have expected. Mr Llovd Georgo whom the people should have come to trust long ere this, lias spoken plainly to a. large serf ion of the House. It would appear that of his own party, the Liberals, there is a rift within the lute, as he asks Liberalism not to “sulk” over a personal difference. The Prein. ier tributes the Unionists whole-hear-tedly, who it must be confessed, stuck to him, when the loaders of his own party sulked umnistakoably at the time Dir Asquith ‘had to he superseded. There is no one on the British political horizon who has the same grip of personal affairs, or who can see so far ahead ns Mr Lloyd George. His ability and prescience enable him to criticise nil round with a freedom that is quite refreshing. Th P Premier is a man of broad humanities of proved work, and his conspicuous ability places him on a pre-eminence whence it would be disastrous to displace him at this critical time in the history of the nation. With the new (lawn of peace, great things are possible in the new era to he rung in. Mr Lloyd George’s imagination is always at its brightest and best in the hour of difficulty. He can PC(> instinctively what is required and ho is fearless enough always to say what lie thinks. Ho can read aright. the signs of the time, and he can anticipate difficulties by providing, remedial measures to cure the ills complained of. A great forward movement in the way of social reform is to sweep through the United Kingdom. There is no one better qualified to be at the helm of State at such a .crisis. The nation he has served so unremittingly during his whole political life should have learned long ere this to trust him. Above all. Labour with the aspirations of which ho has betm ever in the fullest sympathy sjliould accord liim that confidence and supnort which will enable him to reach those heights of reform it is possible now to achieve.