The Hokitika Guardian WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15th, 1922. REFORMERS APPEAL FOR HELP.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15th, 1922. REFORMERS APPEAL FOR HELP.

Mu Massey's hope of being continued in the possession of the Treasury benches at the approaeuing general election, rests on his ability to persuade the constituencies, first, that his retention in office is necessary to stay the inroads of extreme socialism, and then, that there is no difference between the policy of the Reformers and tuu policy of the Liberals to justify a change in the constitution of the Government. How far Mr Massey will succeed in gulling the electors on these points will depend largely upon the amount of intelligence the electors bring to their consideration. Of course there are a number of people, Liberals and Labourites, as well as Reformers, who take the integrity of their pilitieal leaders for granted and never thins <>f questioning their work. Worse than this, tiler regard their judgment as immaculate, and their performances beyond reproach. But surely there are a suffi;ii!it number of observant and intelligent people in oveiy constituency to insist upon a closer examination of the Piime Minister’s electioneering inventions than tile "dumb dogs” of the Minister’s own party are likely to give them. Mr Massey talks on such occasions ns it may suit him to do so. as if this country were infested by hordes of Bolshevists. Soviets and Social revolutionaries anarchists and other i ndesiral 1 people seeking not merely to foment lawlessness and disnider. but actually to wrest this fair hud from the grip of the Elliptic. It is incredible that they really believe what they say on this subject, but by frequent repetition lie lias rc-quiied solemnity of tone and mien that might readily ■

reive any one unacquainted with t ! c tricks of the politician. The most- dangerous specimen of a B lshevist S. viet. and Social revolutionary he lias y t discovered is Mr H. E. Holland, ('e leader of the Labour party, and yet be CM" Massey) has expressed a desire to see this gentleman back in Parliament where he (Mr Holland) serves the very useful purpose from the Reform point of view of assisting the Piime Minister and* his colleagues in keeping alive the outrageous fiction that anarchy is the only alternative to the present Government. As n matter of plain fact, this talk of revolutiona v socialism is part and parcel of the Reformers electioneering methods, and as groundless as it is rteseribnble.

Now let us examine for a moment Mr Massey's contention that there is so little difference between the Reform policy and the Liberal policy that all progressive people might enter the Reform camp without renouncing any of their ideals or delaying their realisation. The Prime Minister and his supporters have, made assertions to this effect again and again, and so persuasively that quite a number of simple souls have been tempted to believe them. Rut the truth is that the Reformers while fearing to repeal the Liberal legislation they had loudly denounced during its passage < n to tho statute hook and after its arrival there, have remained true to their Conservative traditions. One striking exa in pie of this is afforded bv their attitude towards the Electoral law, which is the very foundation of all, systems of Government. When Mr Massey and his friends came into office the Second Ballet was in existence. This was a crude and not wholly effective method of securing the representation of majorities, and many democratic members of Parliament welcomed Mr Massey’s announcement that he would repeal this system and introduce a better one. In due course, the Second Ballot was repealed, but the better system was not introduced, and we may he sure it never will lie while the present Ministry remains in office. Th Reformers do not want the majority co rule. They want universal suffrage, one elector, one vote, and all tho other democrats provisions of our electoral system set at nought by the trick they practised upon Parliament and upon the country eight years ago. A t tile last general election, as stated the other day with 206,000 votes east for their candidates and 336,000 east against them, they secured 44 seats in the Hou-e while their opponents seemed only thirty-two. Surely when Mr Massey cries across the floor of the House to the Liberals on the other side to conic over and help them in resisting the inroads of the

Bolshevists, the Anarchists and the rest, he must have forgotten the trick lie played upon the Liberals and the

other constitutionalists in 1914. It is political sophistry of that kind that drives impatient people to seek redress of their grievances by revolutionary methods.