Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1919. DECISION DAY.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 December 1919, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1919. DECISION DAY.

“Greatest happiness of the greatest number.” To-MonROW will be a da y for political decision in New Zealand. The “Long” Parliament of the Domnion lias run its course and to-morrow its component parts wij] be on their trial. The election fight has iljecp carried through with .the usual vigor on the part of the candidates. Tho leaders, notably Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward, have worked hard. The latter’s whirlwind tour through New Zealand has been remarkable for its distinctive success, recalling Mr Seddon's famous .tour in 1905, as a result of which the Liberals swept the polls. The wholesale defeat of Reform and Extreme Labor is not likely to attend Sir Joseph -Ward, but a very considerable measure of success appears to await the plbeyal -leader to-omrrow. He seems to- he rjdipg ,on a wave of victory, and the vigor of I)in campaign and the practical character of a dearly defined progressive policy mark him out a« the man required to load New Zealand in the near future.

Our Wellington correspondent has remarked that the Liberal organisation was never better prepared than on the present occasion. A departure has been made this election by the Liberals using the advertising columns of the newspapers for .the story of their deeds. In this way some knowledge of the Liberal record has been carried to every quarter of the Dominion, and no elector who cares to read the daily or'weekly papers could escape reading something to the credit of the party Sir Joseph is now leading again to victory. The record of- the Liberals will stand the closest investigation, It is a record of progressive social legislation building up always. The 'Liberals had to succeed a worse than go- slow party. The Conservatives in the bad old days were completely negative. ' From the somnolent condition the Liberals had to break away and bring in a new era. The task was well and faithfully done. New Zealand went to the forefront as a model governed country, and the Dominion reaps to-day the advantages of the social legislation passed Under the Ballance, Seddbn, Ward Governments. Tile promise for the future is founded on the deeds done in the past. The Liberals have come to realise that there can be Ino standing still. Onward, and onward with courage, is the true watchword of the Liberal party which cares to live up to the democratic principles it espouses, Sir Joseph Ward has outlined a forward policy. He has expounded how it can 'bo carried out. There is need for it, goodness knows, and looking to what he and his colleagues did Before in circumstances not dissimilar, there is the assurance that the statesman will be as good as his word, given the backing in Parliament to develope his forward policy. There is another sound reason why Sir Joseph Ward may be accepted as the national leader. He opens his arms 'to sane Labor, and is prepared to take into the Ministry loyal and proved men like Mir Veitch. Sir Joseph has made it clear, that he will have no truck with the extremist of the Holland, Semple, Fraisor type. The workers who are looking -for advanced 'legislation on democratic lines will not find a weak reed in Sir Joseph if they back him )up with good repnpsntatfives. Here, then on the threshold of the day of decision, the people might pause before making a hurried choice. The franchise was given to them to use and not to abuse. If they wish for loyal and proved representatives they will find them in every electorate and if they vote in accordance with their sound judgment, the decision will be for the oountry’s good and the greatest happiness of the greatest number.