The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JUNE 22nd 1925. AFTER FRANKLIN.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 June 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JUNE 22nd 1925. AFTER FRANKLIN.

i Thu Franklin election is far enough rei moved now to afford consideration of its general effect. The decisive result of the polling helps to that end. A victory at every voting place is remarkable. especially as the late Prime .Minister could not achieve that distinction in the period of his active service. The association of Reform and Liberal voters for the occasion is therefore very marked, and the unofficial alliance should be of value to those who placing country before party or power, are advocating a fusion of the two main parties in Parliament to secure the country against the extremists. It seems necessary that a beginning to that end is requisite if New Zealand is to escape the experiences of other countries where pride kept the die hards aloof till it was too late to save the situation wholly. The moment is particularly opportune in the Dominion just now, and it should not be neglected. Franklin has given a very positive answer to the policy of Labor, advocated as it was by the leaders of the parliamentary organisation. In particular, the land policy of Labor wa9 enunciated in denite form, and the

i rvp!\ of a. farming community on liie. i -ui ji et i> enlightening. The reply was a definite uegativ. It is well that it ■ i-, so. for thi' Gabor policy in tabloid I lorm is that im per.-un shall hold land I he is not using ami even then lie may not sell tins unused area except to the State. The prescript it e right to the ; freehold or any uthe>- tenure mi which New Zealand has been -cltled. confirmed as it is by Act of Parliament, is to he done away with. Those who invested their savings, or who are toiling on the land, with the goal that .some day it "ill l.e their own, are to lose what they have. Their ambition is to ho shifted and they are to he robbed of their thrift. This is the policy o. the party which is invoking the names of Ballaiiee and Seddon to their aid. Ballanee and Seddon stood for selfreliance, nationally and individually, and iu regard to land, pursued a policy whereby people could he placed on the land with a security of tenure and a safeguard for ilieir labors. The revelations during the Franklin campaign came at a useful time for as we are now approaching the eve of the general election it was just as well to draw the Labor fire and ascertain in definite terms the general policy of the party. The contest, brought to a close last week served to supply that purpose and in national interests it means that Franklin was of great value in educating the Dominion as a whole as to the trend of the 'Labor policy. The contest showed that without the three party system being in evidence the Labor party which might well he described as the anti-Coiistitutional party, is not likely to gain materially in

] strength, and ensures a check on a menace to the future of the country by Labor attaining power through any political divisions among those who believe the country should he placed before party. It is plain that to accept Labor as the party in power is to jeopardise the constitution, apart also from the serious danger of jeopardising the financial credit of the country. The menace of so serious a dislocation is ever present while the Uihor party with its desire to pander to the extreme sections of its support, gives voice to the demands from those who in full rounded terms are demanding “the socialisation of the means of production and distribution, ’’ upsetting the economic balance which the thrift and sanity of the administrations of the past have regarded as the* foundation on which the natural progress of New Zealand is built. The changes proposed are so revolutionary in their objective, and so discounting, not to say, discrediting of individual effort, that the future of the Britain of the South would he seriously imperilled. Studying the political outlook after Fianklin. we .should say with the desire for coalition so far manifested, the future may be regarded with hope by those who believe in truly trusting the people, the very essence of sound liberalism.