The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER. 7, 1931. A POSSIBLE POSTPONEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 September 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER. 7, 1931. A POSSIBLE POSTPONEMENT.

One of the definite issues before the inter-Party Economic enquiry in regard to national finance, will be the possible postponement of the, general elections this year and the creation of a National Government to give effect to the report to he produced in a week or so. It did not take long at Home to rc-olve on a National Government once the state of the finances was revealed to the party leaders, but here the situation is reversed. That is, in Britain tlve Labour Minstry sued for a political pact with toe othei parties to stem the position. It L tme Labour as a political party at Home did not favour this move and the majority of the followers including some principal Ministers, have

gone- into active Opposition. Here, the Labour party from the, outset opposed any suggestion of a postponement of the elections, but it remains to be seen what change, if any, has taken place, since the Labour representatives have been probing the general financial situation. The state of affairs here is not wholly political. As the P'iime'Minister has pointed out and as the trend of the evidence has shown as far as can be gleaned, the plight of tue prima. v producers is of most serious concern. Those of our readers who read the commercial letter from Wellington, in Friday’s issue, would have gained some insight into the serious state of affairs. The present deliberations are not therefore a matter for political opportunity. Looking to the immediate future and the depressed range’ of abroad for the staple products of the country, Parliament has to provide really more for the future fortunes of the country than for its immediate politics. The question arises how best this can be done. There is the immediate answer in favour of a,n marshalling of all the talent in Parliament to grapple with the situation, in other words seting up a National administration. If this be the resolve then the postponement of the elections for a period seems inevitable. The only issue before the electors if an election, were held at this moment, would be the righting of the finances of the country and providing for the maintenance of production on sound lines for the benefit of the producers. The present Parliament could do this as well as another, and if the former is satisfactory why upset the country at ,this juncture with a costly general election. On the face of it, it seems most probable that ‘the gentlemen constituting the present Parliamentary enquiry are reasonably certain of re-clection, and they are acquiring now 'a store of knowledge of the financial position 1 which could not otherwise be acquired. If, therefore, Parliament as a whole is prepared to put country before party, the setting up of a National Government is the logical outcome of the present situation. Of the existing three, parties, not one has a majority over the other two, and an impasse would result if the Government as at present constituted were to attempt to carry on. The clear lead given by the’ Mother of Parliaments in this matter should account for personal doubts, and the sooner the country has a .stable administration, conceivably by the present enquiry, the quicker wiii the Dominion recover and matters right themselves again. To that enri it is hoped the outcome of the special committee's report will he the setting up of a non-party Government to carry out the roeomnioiulations shortly to he made,