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Hokitika Guardian, 23 May 1931, Page 4

It has become the custom for party leaders and members of Parliament to take nart in by-election campaigns in New Zealand, but Hauraki, where polling takes place next 'Wednesday, seem s likely to receive a record amount of attention. The leaders of the three main parties are to speak in the electorate. with a platoon of Ministers and members, Tlie leader of tne Country

Party in Parliament, who combines ru

one person officers, non-commissioned officers and rank and file, is assisting Mr Ross, and perhaps, the Auckland Star suggests jn lighter vein, the Independents could be persuaded to join ill. But desp te this confusion of comment. and advice. tln> issues remain clear. The country is passing through a crisis, and tfie Government is doing its best to keep jt clear of disaster. It has made a proposal for fusion with Reform, hut the invitation lias been declined, so it must go along its path alone and do wliat it thinks host, prepared to give way to- another Government if the House should disapprove of its measures or the country vote jt out. The Government is meeting the difficulties of the time with courage and ideas. It has retrenched heavily in the Public Service. Unemployment legislation on national lines Ims been framed. Opponents of the Government may try to make party capital out of the Unemployment Board’s handling of the problem, but the fact remains that tli ; s Government has done far more than Reform for the unemployed. Under the late Government there was no national policy, hut to day there is. This Government has also replaced the Into Government’s policy of negation and despair in respect to land settlement by vigorous measures. As the Minister of Lands showed in a statement published last week, hundreds of settlers have been placed on the land. Large areas of Crown land s have been opened no, and many private estates subdivided. Now a scheme for putting unemployed on abandoned farms lias been adopted. The Prime Minister does not hesitate to tell the people of New Zealand the truth about the ecoioo rdo situation, but he fares the future with confidence and courage. Jt is for the country to follow bis lead, and a clear lead is bejng given in the speeches by Air Forbes in the TTaurnki election. Tt is New Zealand’s o’-oort unity to show the trend of public opinion at this critical juncture in our national liistorv.