Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13th, 1925. THE PRIME MINISTER'S POLICY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2948, 13 October 1925, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13th, 1925. THE PRIME MINISTER'S POLICY.

THE Prime Minister, lion. J. 0. Coates, in opening Ids election campaign at Oamarn on Thursday last, staled that he was making his appeal to the people of the country, on whose vote alone he could hold office and' cany out a policy, and translate his principles of political economy and progress into practical effect. The Prime Minister added that it was not his intention to put forward a lengthy programme of legislation appealing to the expectations of every class of the community, and then, on being returned to office, to drop much of such programme until another election comes round. Such candid statements on the eve of an election shows (he Prime Minister to he a man of exceptional honesty of purpose, and one who does not believe in dangling before the electors of the Dominion a fanciful programme which has no other purpose than influencing voters during (he election period. It will be accepted as a. truth that at no time in the history of this country has there been a greater need for a strong and safe Government than at the present time. The possibilities of the situation revealed by the present seamen’s strike —no matter what: good ground these men may have for opposing a reduction of wages,—lias given point to the Prime Minister’s words, and on this account electors will give weightier consideration to that aspect of polities. In no respect can [the Prime Minister’s policy be said to contain fanciful proposals, but is eminently practical, and is one that has been carefully formulated with a sound practical knowledge of the legislative requirements of this country. It is true that the need of the moment is not so much a mass of new legislation, as the development of what already exists on the Statute Books, together with a sane, efficient and businesslike administration of It. New Zealand is a sound and progressive country, and its laws and economic fabric have been built up as a result of its requirements perceived in an intelligent and practical manner, and at this juncture more than ever the Prime Minister’s appeal to the electors to return to power a party that has proven its ability to safeguard the interests of the country should be heeded by all whose vision has not- been obscured by fanciful and unsound proposals put forward by those who would scrap our present social and economic '(.system and replace it with experimental proposals that have no justification in reason or experience. A careful persual of the Prime Minister’s address reveals that the policy of the Government regarding finance is based on sound lines, and which, while insisting that the national expenditure should be curtailed so as to allow the country to live within its income, takes into account the necessity of developing the country’s resources, that the exports may be increased, employment extended, and further capital encouraged from abroad. Also in this connection it will have been noted that the Prime Minister disposes of the charges of extravagant administration by stating the figures covering the last decade (1014-1925), and which, when

finally analysed, show that the relative burden of taxation for the administration of the Public Service, per head of the population, was actually less in 1924-25 than in 1914-15. The reports that the Hon. ,T. G. Coates has been accorded an enthusiastic reception in the South is not to be wondered at, as his method is simple, direct, and palpably sincere, and his dislike of sparring for petty party advantage is as evident as that of making promises he could not hope to honour and carry into effect.