POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1328, 24 November 1914, Page 3

POLITICAL.

In answer to a question on Thursday night Mr Field said he was not in favour of the Government Advances Office doing its own legal work as he didn’t think the country as a whole should be put to the expense of doing the legal work for those who obtained loans from the Advances Office.

What price would Sir Joseph Ward be called upon to pay for the Red Feds support, if their votes sent him back to office but not to power, with a majority made up by half a dozen Social Democrats ? We imagine that the price would not be paid in one instalment. An independent journal has suggested that Mr Semple’s office would be the real Cabinet room, and that would certainly not be disagreeable to the wishes of the Social Democrats. — Timaru Herald.

It has been said that the Government has done nothing for Labour. The member who made this statement (says the Grey River Argus) must have done so in a reckless moment; for we now give a list of Labour reforms which have been accomplished by the Reform Government in spite of, and not with the aid of, the Labour members. For the first time in the history of New Zealand a minimum wage has been established in the Public Service. The principle of a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work has been recognised and in the increases the Government has effected the following improvements : Per Annum. £ (a) To the railway employees ' Q 1.564 (b) To the school teachers 29,000 (c) To the police iS,ooo (d) To the Post and Telegraph 43. 000 (e) To the civil servants SLGoo The “Liberals” expect to reach office with the aid of the Red Feds., and they know, and everybody else knows, that in such a case they would bold office only by the grace ot the Red Fed. section of the party. If a majority of the electors feel that it will be a good thing to place the Federation of Labour in the position of being able to direct the affairs of the country through their power to turn the “Liberals” out, the present Government must make the best of the matter. —Christchurch Press.

The reference to the late sirike was the cause of an enthusiastic outburst, at Mr Massey’s Otautau meeting on Saturday night, when, in reply to an interjector, Mr Massey said : “Yes, and we would do the same again.”

The attempt to make capital and shoot at the Government from behind the men who died in the Huntly disaster was the meanest thing that had happened in New Zealand politics. Mr Massey explained the delay in the passing of Ihe Coal Mines Act- Though it would have made no difference, and would not have prevented the accident, they had the evidence of the Hon. R. M’Ken'/.ie, a practical man on that point, that under the old Act the inspectors had the very widest powers, which were not increased at all by the new Act. An interjector asked why the Department did not prosecute. Mr Massey said that the inspector bad asked the Minister to allow him to take legal advice in regard to a prosecution. The Minister approved, and the advice, was that there was no ground for prosecution. Those who used the Huntly disaster against the Government were not fit to associate with decent men. Mr Massey received an ovation on concluding, and a vote of thanks and confidence in him and his colleagues was carried, the mover stating that the Government was the cleanest and most honourable the country bad ever had. The vote was carried with cheers, and a much smaller body of counter-cheers.