The Hokitika Guardian WEDNESDAY, DEC. 6th, 1922. TO-MORROW’S EVENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 December 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian WEDNESDAY, DEC. 6th, 1922. TO-MORROW’S EVENT.

Thk present General Election which will he brought to a culminating point to-morrow has aroused, naturally, a great deal of interest all through New Zealand. The interest, perhaps, ‘has not been ns demonstrative as on former occasions—it has had its limitations for instance ill this electorate—hut that there is a close find intimate concern ili the progress of events is clear from the public press. During the last three years, the Reform party which was sent hack to power with a majority which made its tenure of office absolutely secure, has failed to make good. It has failed signally to redeem the promises made on the hustings cither them or ill 1914—-hut ijl thb latter mentioned period the upheaval caused b.V tlie war was some excuse for delay. But over the last three years, there was no excuse for not honoring the pledges to the people, and so it is Reform will to-morrow, lie on its trial, arraigned before the bar of public opinion to answer lor Tts sins of omission and commission. The sins of omission are very considoi able, they constitute a condemnatory catalogue, but those of commission iire no iess serious for reproval. They are iii the main a. broad and general charge of mal-administratiou whereby expenditure has gone beyond all reason, paying departments formerly, converted into deficit producing departments, while taxation has soared to the point where financial experts—niailv of them of Reform leanings—have pronounced that Mr Massey ami his party have reached breaking point. Indeed at Hokitika inst Wednesday night. Mr Massey pleaded guilty to the charge of over taxation, and the accusation being thus proved to the hilt, we await to-morrow the verdict of the good men and women who are the jurors, with a good deal of settled conviction as to the result. Nor is this feeling of certainty local. News from outside places indicates that several Ministers are going to have a close call. On the face of it this is not surprising for the Massey Government is largely regarded as a One-Man Ministry, indicating that with two or three exceptions the personnel is not of very great calibre, so that if some of Mr Massey’s colleagues are in difficulties it need not be surprising. Some of the rank and file of the party are also in election difficulties. The party with the most promising prospects at this stage is Mr Wilford’s. Tin' loader has had a remarkable tour and after the period - of maladministration by Reform. imposing heavy taxation, creating unemployment and resultant industrial decline, it will not he surprising if the Liberals “come hack.” Labor, as led by Mr Holland, is not going to make any serious headway as far as can ho gleaned. Some of the prominent Labourites are fighting desperately for their seats, and three or four of the most notable of the party are being picked to go under. So it is to the Liberal party the country must look for that measure of political rejuvenation it stands so much in need of. The Liberals can play the part if they get the opportunity. They did so in the old days when holding the reins of office. They did so with sperial distinction in the portfolios held during the term of the National Cabinet. They will do so again, if to-mor-row’s Dominion results so decide in their favor. The Liberals on Friday morning will have additional good men within the active parliamentary ranks. Of that there seems to he no reason to doubt. II this comes to pass it will not ho anything exceptional. It will he a ease simply of history repeating itself. The best results this country ever enjoyed in political progress were won under the Liberals and the people after eleven years of Reform have occasion to realise that fact very palpably. The Liberals have been progressive always. That is the best guarantee the electors can have for the future under a Liberal regime. It is a fair aspect of tho outlook to measure possible results by. The Liberals never failed New Zealand in peace or war time. Their policy was for the benefit of all. It gave every section an opportunity, and it built up a reputation which promises to-morrow to stand it in very good stead throughout the length and breadth of the Dominion. Tn Westland the folk will be wise to take the same veiw. To judge of the possibilities of the future by the realities of tho past and to seize in the present the good services of the Liberal number for "Westland who will be a distinguished member in the possible Liberal Government to-innrrowlg p, tloriM verd’Yt may ensure

The Westland general election to be determined to-morrow interests all classes of the community, but naturally from different viewpoints. H, Ins been explained before in these coluiiis that tho electorate lias always been one of decided Liberal leanings. There is no reason, on the face of things, why there should he a change. Ml Massey himself lias told us how “good” 1 the Reform Government has been to Westland. The admission appears to us. to give special point to the influ- ' entinl services of the sitting Member Mr Seddon. at Wellington. And undoubtedly Mr Seddon docs wield very great influence at headquarters. He lias succeeded with many missions where others would fall hopelessly. That being so the question arises why the need, why the demand for a change! Taking Mr Massey’s own acknowledgement of Mr Seddon’s services to the district, we have there an endorsement of his candidature which should satisfy the district as a whole, and particularly that section ol Mr Massey's direct supporters who are fearful that the vote-splitting in the Westland contest to-momiw will send a Labor representative for the district to Parliament. Mr' Seddon has done the district always every credit. His people were proud of him when he went to the war. They appreciated his action in coming to the electorate to settle down and make it hisMiome. There was a time when the gravamen of Mr Seddon’s political offence was that he was an “absentee” ! That lirs been removed. "What other defect is there to deny him the whole-hearted support of the people to-morrow? Actually none. He is a capable representative, able to express himself dearly, has a wide knowledge and fund of information of constitutional government —which he proudly upholds. Not to put too fine a point to it, Mr Seddon appears to he an ideal member and representative whom any constituency might jhe proud to have. Such Ireing the case and the Reform cause at such an np- | parent discount in the district, it is for all those who wish to have the distin-

guished services of Mr Seddon retained. to vote solidly for him to-morrow. The only alternative to Mr Seddon appears to ho the haliof i’ililv eilndiclate and tile extreme policy of that party and flic extreme action many of its votaries resort to, would we feel sure not he acceptable to the people as a whole; To avoid any such probable or even possible contingency, voters should take warning in time, and make sure of the ultimate representation by voting solidly for Mr Seddon, a most worthy representative indeed:

It is being conceded on all sides that tlie contest for the Westland seat tomorrow will he a struggle in the final stretch between Liberal and. Labor. Mr Seddon, the sitting member and Mr O’Brien his most doughty opponent, have been well before the electors, and the voting public have had the opportunity of sizing up the two candidates. Though they have distinctive peiSonajities. they are alike very acceptable to their respective followings; but it is rather to their parties thail to their personalities we would refer just now in a filial word on to-morrow’s poll with the contingent possibilities; Air Wilford’s party is in essence as Mr Seddon had it of yore, a Liberal-Labor party. ’L’lie followers of Air Holland, file Labor leader of to-day, never weary extolling the great Premier and his policy. It was the foundation of the people's social and material advancement in this country'. Now Air Seddon worked always on constitutional lines and methods and it was in that maimer only he achieved the success the workers of to-day are grateful for. Mr AVilford’s party will pursue the same line of action with the Liberal Labor platform ' of to-day. But Air Holland, "ith whom Air O’Brien is associated, has different ideals which are founded on an altogether different outlook than that which prompted Air Seddon to act of old. In point of fact Air Holland can never achieve political power hv the route he is travelling. It is too much opposed to the national aspirations of the people as a whole. If. therefore, the workers of to-day seek for a champion, if they desire to support a party fully aide to work out a progressive policy for the well being of the people as a whole, then the workers should turn whole-heartedly to Air Seddon and the Liberal-Labour party of to-day, to seek for practical results. The workers appreciate what the I iherals did, of old for them, and it is a poor acknowledgement to find now Air Holland arid his colleagues calling the party names. If Air Holland genuinely believes all ho says about the good works of the Liberals, and the workers hv their applause have endorsed the remarks in praise, then the Liberal-Labor party is the proved party worthy the support of the workers at tho ballot box to-morrow to send to power in Air Seddon a man imbued with Liberal-Labor ideals and one capable in the coming Ministry of playing a very influential part in shaginpC those i<lc*nls into legislative form. Tt is due to the initiative of tlie Liberal party in years gone by that periodically there is a democratic referendum on the licensed liquor trade. Tomorrow the question is to come up for Dominion review again. There will he three issues before the people, namely (II a continuance of the trade. (2) the adoption of State Control, and (3) the legal prohibition of the trade. Actually, however, the issues will be fined down to 4wo main tests, license or nclieonse, for the reason that the time and circumstances are not at all ripe for State control, however desirable it may he as a half-way house. The administration of the licensing laws is largely in the hands of the people, and it has to he borne in mind that to cause infringements of the law, individuals of the public have t > he an active party. It is unfair, therefore, as is often done, to blame the Trade wholly for delinquencies under the law. Conniving customers must heir their share of the blame. But the licensing law as it is generally administered, provides very properly for the public well being, and its provisions are most helpful to the travelling public, a very important section of the population. The law requires a certain standard of accommodation, and a degree of attention in regard to pure and good wines and spirits,-which could not he assured without tho licensed house. If those restrictions and yequlreinepts

are not ample enough, it is a simple matter to amend the law, hut any slant coming rtf the lab- should ijet life quoted; to the detriment of ( tbb licensed trader who has to conduct his house and his business within the law. In previous references to the question of license or no license in these columns, there has been no doubt n.s to our view point. There does not appear to bo any reason for altering those views now. The licensed house is a necessity for the general welfare of the community and the advancement of the Dominion. It would be a dangerous thing to experiment with the situation by attempting to do without the licensed house. New Zealand would find it a national calamity in the end—of that we feel fully convinced. The Islands ! me isolated enough from the trade of I the world as it is. To rear the. pro- ' liibition partition would he to separate I the country more than over from the , world at large, and we ran contemplate | the effects cf prohibition on the future ' of New Zealand ns a whole as nothin less than a devastating disaster affe: tj„„ all parts of the Dominion. Holding firmlv to that belief there is to our miml only one way to avoid so gvent a catastrophe, and that is to exercise the vote in such a way as to ensure the continuance of the licensed trade.

Having considered the national aspo i of the effect of no-license, there is also the individual aspect to tie taken into account. In regard to this matter there is. the experience of other countries for a guide, and the deplorable state of affairs growing up in America is worth considering. The authorities are attempting to enforce prohibition in America, hut from the accounts received the law is being evaded and defied all the time. Worse, substitutes of a most harmful character are being introduced. and are. calculated to have a most deplorable effect oii the physical condition of the people. Independent visitors and onlookers seem to uiiite in the opinion that the enforcement is a failure, and the effects arising from the illicit traffic are most disastrous. The moral effect on the people, first, in the training they are having to defy the law, rind secoild, in the llnrih done by the vile concoctions intr. duced is being referred to in terms which suggest this Dominion should avoid so dangerous an experiment. In countries other than America; nations which were pre-disposed to enforce prohibition have found the effort ineffective and me coming back to a llalf-wtiy house of light wines aiid beers: tii America itself public opinion is asserting itself in such a way that It is not unlikely the famous eighteenth amendment under which prohibition was brought into effect will go by the board. The late American elections show the trend of opinion, and judging by the increased efforts of the authorities to force the matter more and more upon the people, the issue will leach a crisis and result in great political ciiaiigcs. He cost" of attempted enforcement must be enormous, and yet failure stalks tlie countiy. Hero is greater individual abuse than ever resulting .from the unlicensed trade in the running of wilieii so many people seem to flourish. America appears to he a shocking example of the ill-effects of prohibition and the example is growing worse week by week. If then wo would profit by tiie experience of others it would be well to leave matters in this country as they are to await a fuller trial of prohibition in America, and to see whether really any national or individual benefit can he claimed legitimately for the benefits of no-license effectively enforced.