The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28th. 1925

Hokitika Guardian, 28 February 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28th. 1925

SYSTFM til! PHINCIPI.It ? As Fngli.sh correspondent writes that politics at Home are in the doldrums. This notwithstanding the Conservatives arc coml'ortalily seated, and have a clear mandate to go right ahead mailing the pace. Hut Mr lialdwin is not making any pace, and u>. a eon,sequence polities are i|o|c|er. and less controversial than they lone been for ninny a day. The electors gave the quietus to socialism -though it has not yet been fought to a tinisll. Socialism is largely a system built on theories. and the country would have none of it, however attractive voluble •speakers attempted to make it. Folk have the habit of trying to vote to remedy specific grieva ines. Perhaps it is only incidentally the method js considered seriously. Socialism has

received a certain amount of support at Home - and here because it seemed

to him ii. a sensible wu_v to attack unemployment, housing or other sociai l'rohleni.s—lrom him that had might lie taken something to benefit him that had not. But when .some of these apparently economic theories are ;,p----])lied in practice the results are lar fiiJin being sati.s'lnctoiy. Li:>ok at Hussia, for instance, and Russia nas the big shadow behind the last general election at Home. The times arc '.hanging, political as well as industrial, and in most countries there is almost a demand for a more advanced party governing on democratic lines. When the Executive of the Liberal-Labor party was accorded an enthusiastic welcome at Auckland this week, Mr Wilford replying to the Chairman’s remarks, said: "We are lighting to put the party under its motto, “tlovernment for the whole, and not some of the people.” That is the essential principle of the Liberal party, and principles of this nature are due for practice in this country. The Reform system has been tried over long, and and there is unrest all round. At Home it is just the same, for there (according to the writer above referred to) there is room for an advanced party in England, which shall stand for true democratic Government, the abolition of privilege, wider edueatie and soon. Many thousands, possibly millions, of Englishmen would support it. This political possibility is reflected in New /calami where the time is ripe for definite action. The Liberalare organising betimes and selecting their candidates with care for the general election due to he held this year. Mr Wilford and his colleagues who are

visiting various parts are attracting public attention, and the public are learning for themselves something of the true political situation and the actual disposition of the parties. It lias keen the tactics of the Government party and its press to associate Liberals and Red Labor as a combine •

discipline a loyal Government. But it is clear to all who care to understand, that Mr Wilford and his party are not allied to "the loose economies and dubious patriotism of the socialist element” in the political arena and there is not any occasion for the Liberals to he so associated. They have record enough of their own on which to ask to he judged, and a political programme modelled on past performances cannot he harmful to the Dominion. Every measure the Liberals passe (and most of which Mr Mnsse.v and his followers opposed) is on the statutehook, and the Reform party has lieen taking credit since for amplifying the legislation which they came to recognise because of its actual merit. The record the Liberals left behind should impress, as we believe it does, those who care to look into the past, and as time goes by. and the day of decision draws near, electors will he reminded of those performances, and come to regard the party winch stands for the whole', as one capable of again taking charge of the destinies of the country, and shaping them for the

general public weal, and not for any class benefit.