Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1918. POLITICAL REFORM.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 December 1918, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1918. POLITICAL REFORM.

This timo is fast approaching when the need for the political truce will bo gone. Indeed, the United Kingdom, which was so directly involved in the war lias already ended the truce, and the country is emerging from the general elections. In this country tho leaders who are the principals of the truce, have been called Home for the Peace conclave and polities arc as they were. It is not clear that the position will be any more dofinito next session, which is to be the last in the life of the present Parliament. Just how soon the truce will end, and party l : nes be drawn again, when ifclie Government of the day must face a real opposition, cannot be said, for the equalisation of the party strength renders the situation difficult. If the. National Ministry were to resign now, neither Reform or Liberal would be strong enough to hold office in the face of an adverse motion. It might be possible for Liberals and Labour to dethrone Reform, but in that caso the Liberals could hold office onlj’ by courtesy of Labour and then only for a few brief weeks till there was an appeal to the country. Apparently, the National Government will clear up its work at the next session, and the dissolution will take place as soon as possible thereafter and the country will decide who is to carry on. There will be of necessity many changes. To begin with there is the distribution of scats to take into account. The south Island will lose members and the North Island gain. Jn this electorate the boundaries arc materially altered, the far north from Ahaura to Waiuta being eliminated, and Greymouth and neighbourhood being brought in to the Westland electorate. Politics will thus pass into the molting pot for a few brief weeks, till the country reasserts itself under the altered conditions. The next point is the manner in which the parties or their leaders got to the country and above all the line of policy to be put forward, Tho political programme of the immediate future must be markedly hold and progressive. For • four years Parliament lias been marking time in regard to domestic concerns, because war matters held the boards, and the political truce barred party legislation. But all excuse for delay is now passed, and tile future must be handled with courage and lesource. Sir John Findlay M.P., one of those who helped to build up the Liberals in the past, lias through iue übiquitous interviewer expounded in an unofficial but no less trenchant, way on itho cardinal principles to guide sound government for the benefit of tho people. Sir John is a believer in a humanity programme, in which the welfare of the individual is put before the rights of property. We Recall that on a 'large policy such as this the late R. J. Seddon on one occasion swept tho polls and gave the Conservative element in N° w Zealand politics its quietus for the time being. The Liberals wll need go back to the strong, self-reliant- policy on which the fortunes of tho party were first built up. It was this policy which gave the Labour its stopping stone into politics and Labour as a. whole would welcome a return of Liberalism of the solid forces and character which in the days of old gave tho people tho advanced and ameliorating legislation which has done so much good for the masses.