THE AND WAITEMATA CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY, MAY IS, 1912.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 15 May 1912, Page 2

THE AND WAITEMATA CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY, MAY IS, 1912.

NO CONFIDENCE

Mr Millar has spoken in a key which means the death knell of the government of Mr T. Mackenzie. That government took over the following which by a majority of two had maintained its predecessor in office. When it was formed Mr Millar and others were not of the number of ministers. It was said Mr Millar went away in high dungeon. Certain it was at the time he used high words. He next asked his committee for a free hand. Now he has declared that the government is doomed, and that Mr Massey is entitled to be sent for before the Governor can be justified in granting a dissolution. It is . clear, therefore, that if Mr Millar remains of the same mind, he will vote against the government—perhaps bring a vote of no-confidence against it. Were he alone of the party that voted Sir Joseph Ward in at the end of last session in this attitude, the numbers would be even. But he has a follower or two, and M r Roderick M c Kenzie is likely to stand with them in the lobby. In which case it is likely, all things considesed, that the government may get beaten by a substantial majority—say four or fiv«. This is provided that the rank and file of the Reform party all stand firm on the Masseyite side. This is the point just now in doubt, which cannot be regarded as settled until the numbers are up. The circumstance adds a spice of uncertainty to the position. As to the dissolution, M r Millar is quite right in his statement that the Governor will never grant one until the possibilities of the House are exhausted. M r Millar's present idea, we gather from what has transpired, is to help turn out the government, and then help turn out Mr Massey and his friends who will be called after the disaster, and then rend the Massey government with a view to appealing to the country as the beaten Millar government with the alternative possibility of 3 years in office. The fact that it is new belief, that since payment of members there cannot be any dissolution, exhausts the situation. The only thing then to do is to wait till the House is exhausted, and see who is the best general—who, in other words, will take advantage of the new belief, and resisting the call, for dissolution, remain three years in office. If this be done without too much talking, the country will be satisfied.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL. A local Government Bill has been printed and circulated amongst local bodies, and as it is expected to com© before Parliament during the coming session, the Cabinet has summoned a conference of delegates from local bodies —Boroughs excepted— to consider its provisions, and make suggestions for any improvements It is not supposed that such a Bill would be considered by Parliament from a party point of 4iew. It was therefore natural to infer that the leader of the Opposition would give his opinion publicly of the measure so as to assist the Conference in its discussion, and-at the same time help the formation of public opinion upon several leading features of the Bill. In Parliament, and in his election addresses, MrMassey laid great stress on the necessity for such a measure of "reform" in our local government system. In this he has been backed up by some of his followers and a few contemporaries, but as a leading journalist put it, " none of these people who talked so glibly about local government reform had any definite ideas upon the subject. They told their hearers, it is true, that they must be thorough, and must be comprehensive, and must be well thought out, but beyond that left them in the dark. This was obviously helpful, since when it comes to applying axe and prun-ing-knife to firmly established institutions only chaos can ensue and money be wasted, unless the operators have some definite scheme in mind. Our view of this matter has always been that the cry for reform in local government was being absurdly overdone. A year or two ago several changes were made in the law, and these appear to be working satisfactorily. It would therefore be wise to wait upon experience of their operation instead of further tinkering with a system evolved out of the proved requirements of the country and the result of observation and trial. There is room, of course, for great improvement in the finance of local government, and we are quite persuaded that if the countries were given a more assured system • of finance there would remain very little need for further change. This can be accomplished by a simple adjustment of machinery between the central government and the local bodies concerned. We believe the people who know most about the practical working of local government agree with i this view. The new Bill proposes to reform the whole system in toto, and makes proposals which we do not believe will ever be accepted by the Legislature. But though Mr Massey has long.been talking about the need for something of this sort he meets it with common-place reflections having no point so far as the general question is concerned.

SYNDICALISM IN NEW ZEALAND Tho iron moulders' Union of Christchurch lias passed a resolution enacting a strike by a certain day—Labour Day next if by that day compulsory military service has not been abolished by law. Since the announcement of this resolution the meat workers of Taratabi have endorsed it. This is I syndicalism pure and simple of the advanced extreme typo.. Syndicalism uses the strike, the general strike, as a weapon, not for raising wages, but for enforcing its demands on the government of tho country. The idea is to organise labour throughout the country, so that when a strike is determined upon for the obtaining cf something, the whole of the wheels of industry may "be stopped to starve the public and its representatives into submission. Ordinary unionism keeps t© the strike for ono object—the settlement of disputes with the employer. But the form of unionism known as syndicalism acknowledged no limit. It is a poltical machine deliberately designed to supplant Parliament, designed by men who regard all political institutions as undesirable. To them the state control of industries—the moans of production, transport distribution and agency—is worse than tha state control In ordinary politics, Hence they determine on the .strike for the purpose of destroying private ownership substituting the control of all re«< SGurces of each trade by the workers of that trade. But over aud above all such consideration there is the government of tho state. This the syndicalist of the advanced extreme type has determined shall be in the hand of the workers—acting through their elected representatives, who are armed with the puwer of ordering general strikes whenever they want things done. The JLronmoulders and. the Tar- j atahi men have therefore struck the first blow aimed in this Dominion at Parliamentary government They,it is plain, intend to substitute government by say three men sitting- some Avhere in the dark—reporters are never admitted tto the workers' cons fereuces be it reuiembcied—and to abolish ali sttuates and constitutional safeguards whatever. It is a declaration of war against the established oider of things*. Society should wake up to the danger aud prepare to de al with it decisively.

THIS TITAMO. The German comparison of the big ship Avith the Tower of Babel, seems to have bten employed for tW purpose

of clearing up doubts as to whether certain editors have ever read anything of scripture. If so, it is now pretty clear that they have not, because there is not as much connection between the Titanic and the Tower of Babel as there is between an oyster and a racehorse. Par better is the practical determination of the Kaiser to have the question of the boats carried, investi* gated and reported upon by an international commission, with a view to submitting the whole subject to the control of international law. It is a conclusion on which the conscience of mankind is sure to insist, for the simple reason that the practical confession of murderous risk deliberately taken, for that is what the hurried almost frienzied determination to supply all liners at once with, boats enough, to carry all possible people both passengers and crew amounts to, leaves the world no other alternative. It supplies also a favourable opportunity which ought to be seized before the memory of the tragedy grows cold. The Olympic episode supplies a sidelight very illuminating. The foramen and seamen know what they are doing when they object to the collapsible boats. These are of canvas, which at the best is leaky, and very Boon deteriorates as to beunfloatable with anything like a weight upon it. The raft, as we know it here on the coast, is very much better and has been known to snve lives, notably in the Penguin wreck which was the last occasion of scuh use. Rafts and boats should be the appliances, and there should be the obligation of having them all ready as well as equipped in every way with food, water, compasses, and medical comforts. If this is put on an international footing the world will profit largely by the tragedy.