THE PUTARURU PRESS. ’Phone 28 – – – P.O. Box 44 Office .... Oxford Place THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1928. NEW PATHS FOR OLD.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 225, 23 February 1928, Page 4

THE PUTARURU PRESS. ’Phone 28 - - - P.O. Box 44 Office .... Oxford Place THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1928. NEW PATHS FOR OLD.

THE first small signs of the coming political battle, which may possibly be one of the most bitter ever waged, are evident to all who care to see. Mr. Forbes, M.P. for Hurunui, may be said to have fired the first shot at Auckland and it can only be described as a “ dudj’ by any but a rabid supporter of the new party with the unrememberable name. New parties we undoubtedly will have as times goes on, but the same old crew under another name fails to impress, no matter how much Liberalism may course through one’s veins. As a chief Mr. Forbes lacks personality, and thus fails to seize the popular imagination, while the new party’s talk of a mysterious leader, whose identity will be revealed at a propitious moment, sounds like a nursery game, and such childlike stuff is more suited foi the children’s rooni than the political arena.

Mr. Holland has been on the warpath in Mr. Coates’ track up north, and his audiences testify that he is' getting great support, and that thousands are looking to him as the next Prime Minister. The bulk of the people want peace, however, and his support of the disaffected section in Samoa appears foolish in the extreme, and likely to lose him the support of many who might otherwise he prepared to risk the Utopian dream of the collective ownership of everybody and everything. It is interesting to note, however, that of late years Mr. Holland has been able to discipline the extreme element in his party. The Country Party, with a platform the older parties are ready to adopt holus-bolus—at by-elections wanders in the wildnerness without funds and without a leader. They may still prove a power in the land, for the signs are that any solid group of five or six members may hold the balance of power after the next elections.

Mr. Coates, who has already been on the warpath, has troubles enough and to spare. These come to all Prime Ministers willy-nilly, but most of those hampering Mr. Coates are of his own making. Badgered from within and without, his task is enough to overwhelm the stoutest heart, and he now pays the penalty of a mistaken loyalty which induced him to take over the deadweights in his predecessor’s Cabinet. Had he heen far-seeing enough to have chosen his own Ministers when he had the country at his feet, his path might have been vastly different. As it is, he appears to be the only one on the political horizon with the semblance of those qualities to be looked for in a political leader, yet his record has been scorned even by his own party press. Viewing the situation as a who'e it | would appear as if the result of an election were never so clouded as the coming one is at the moment. There is immense dissatisfaction with all leaders, chiefly, we think, because none has caught the true yearnings of the populace. Right throughout the world there is a demand, ei gen- , dered by the war, for a leader who will step out of the ruts o£ conven- ■ tion and stupid past beliefs. In the Great War millions were sternly dis- j ciplined, and taught to get things ' done irrespective of tradition. The ' shortest way in the shortest manner was the accepted maxim, and results had to be achieved. Vaguely it was felt that the fight was for new paths towards new ideals, and those that had been proved to have been lined with false trimmings were roughly ignored. It was to be a war of liberation—but the liberty sought has not yet come.

Through most countries this feeling ran and took shape according to the people in it. In Russia it ran to riot; in Italy to a callous dictator who has yet saved and transformed his country; in Germany it has best been expressed by an all-pervading desire to emigrate to new lands with new ideals; in France it brought to premiership Poincare, the man with the military mind, who has undoubtedly saved his country; in New Zealand it lifted an army major to the highest office in the land because he gave promise of fulfilling these aspirations and getting things done. Unfortunately Mr. Coates has failed so far “ to get there.” The people gave him an opportunity which few Prime Ministers have ever had, yet he is now the most abused man in, the country. Instead of interpreting the yearnings of the thousands for a new world, he has listened to the whisperings of the few and trodden the paths of old. Dreams have been shattered.

and “ getting things done ” seems to be the last thing desired. The lessons of the war have not been learned, even by this soldier, and we have drifted back to the stodgy ways of the political hack of old. What the outcome will be in November or December next remains to be seen, but the indications at the moment are that another idol will be shown to have but feet of clay.