The New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1919. ELECTIONS AND ETHICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10294, 31 May 1919, Page 6

The New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1919. ELECTIONS AND ETHICS

Is it right while the party truce lasts for either side to engage in electioneering? The question can, of course, only he answered in one way A truce is a truce: that covers the whole thing, lock, stock, and barrel. The next question thus opened up is a question of fact. Is there any electioneering at the present time? To that question the answer is as easy and as ready. Messrs Parr and Vernon Reed are electioneering. They have, as was proved yesterday by an extract from a Hawke’s Bay paper, been to Napier, choosing a candidate for nomination at the next election. There is evidence of great activity on the part of those messengers, and there is much guessing about the results of their electioneering campaign. There is a record of feverish work, and the -names of their nominees—the crowd from which the future member for Napier is to be selected—are bandied about from pillar' to post. It is authentic that, having covered tho ground in Napier, these emissaries of a political party have started for a fresh field of exploitation. As a matter of fact, there are reports from various quarters that these are not tho only emissaries just at present active in New Zealand. Mr • Wilkinson is frequently mentioned as quit© active on the warpath, and Mr Statham is heard of in the far south, and Mr Noaworthy’s activity in tho middle distance of the South Island is by this time quite notorious. Mr Dickson is also very much in active evidence. There is evidence, in fact, of a yvidely-organised electioneering effort getting into full swing, if it has not already re&cbcd tho full development of electioneering energy. A question very naturally arises at once. In whose interest is this effort so energetically and systematically organised? It is not in the interest of tho Liberal party. Tho names so much in evidence of the workers active in this effort of propaganda put the Liberal party out of tho question decisively, tor none of them belongs to members of tho Liberal party. Moreover, tho Liberal party has just met and resolved to stand by tho compact of truce until its expiry after the coming session. That party has definitely postponed electioneering until tho proper time, which is after the expiry of tho compact. The next question that arises is obvious. What is the party in tho interests of which the electioneering is in full swing? The names point to the Reform party. Ail those that have been mentioned are, without doubt, members of tho Reform party. Every one of them, that is to say, was returned to Parliament as a Reformer. Are they working in the interest of the Reform party? Recently two new parties have been announced with wide aims, each of them being represented as desiring a shuffling of the political cards. One of these is beginning to bo known as the Welfare party, and the other has not yet fixed upon a name, though its object is apparently to join together all sections of reasonable opinion in order to dish the extremists. Tho Welfare party is not sufficiently advanced for

any purpose of propaganda. To the other, therefore, must bo accorded the responsibility for the electioneering in qucMion. The names mentioned in connection with these activities belong, as a matter of fact, to members of this now party, fashioned by men of the Reform party. Now, in this connection there is a good deal of gossip in political circles, and a certain under-current of information, apparently correct, is being circulated. According to this it seems that there is an understanding that the party must face the elections without a loader, with the intention, in case of everything going right at the. hustings, to invito Mr Massey to take tho leadership when the party is firmly established in Parliament. Is this really the case/ If not, it is one of those strong probabilities which are classed in the order of “bon trovato.” The Reform party is certainly played out. It has had many opportunities, and it has lost them all. It has reformed nothing, and it has showed no capacity for reforming anything. Its title has therefore become an encumbrance to itself and n warning to tho electors. Classed to-day with futilities of tho past, like the notorious and ridiculous ‘‘National Ass.,” it lias no place for the solo of its foot outside tho limbo where political failures are buried without hope of resurrection. As no one dares to go to tho hustings under tho banner of Reform, it has become necessary to got tho party camouflaged under a new name, without any suspicion of fidelity to the old leader or of loyalty to tho old principles. Therefore if the camouflage has been adopted there is no need for surprise. In the general failure of Reform there need be no surprise. Tho question however, is not of surprise, but of, ethics. The Reform party is electioneering under another name; that seems to be the explanation of the whole business. If it is. then the Reform people are breaking, tho party compact, and taking advantage of the party truce -to do very wide-awake work while their opponents sleep in honourable quietude. Tho essence of that agreement is that both parties arc, after tho end of tho pact, to have a fair start for tho elections. How one of them can see no harm in getting well forward on the course before the time has come for starting it is for its members to explain.