The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1914. LOOKING FORWARD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 292, 8 December 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1914. LOOKING FORWARD.

Political forecasts as to the results of the coming elections are being made with the usual cocksureness by ardent followers on both sides of the House. Each side expects to win by a small majority of not more than half-a-dozen seats one way or the other. This we learn,.from the pulsating heart of New Zealand politics —Wellington City—and possibly the prophets are right in their predictions. Certainly down there a fairly strenuous spirit is being incorporated in the struggle. The Reform Government organ sums up the position in the following:—‘‘The Federation “of Labour wants to kill the Reform “Government, and the Wardites want “to kill it, and they are working together with that object. It does “not matter whether it is called an “Alliance or an Agreement, the fact “remains that in a large number of “seats the agreement has been arri“ved at not to run candidates against “one another. And should it unfor“tunately happen, as is most unlikely, “that by any chance the Reform Government was beaten, then most assuredly the Social democrats and “the Red Federation would dominate “the situation and force their extravagant ideas down the throats of “the people of New Zealand.” If this summary of the position is a fair one the possible outlook is a pretty black one. Naturally quite a different story is told by the leading Opposition mouthpiece which says:— “Mr Sedilon was accustomed to say “Trust the people. He was not prepared to trust the squatters or the “capitalists. John Ballance preach“ed the democratic doctrine of gov“ernment of the people by the people for the people. Was it in the “interests of this popular principle “that Sir Walter Buchanan and the “party he is anxious to return to “Parliament to support created the “power of veto over democratic legis“lation in the Upper House, and es“tablishod the system of minority “rule in the representative chamber

“by abolishing the second ballot without the promised satisfactory substitute? If the work of closer settlement is to go on, if the people “are to enjoy the advantages of “cheap money, and if the democratic j “legislation passed by Ballance andj “Seddon is to be preserved and ex“tended the people owe it to themsel“ves to keep the- power of govern-j “ment in their own hands and not, “from any mistaken considerations “of sentiment, to hand it over to men “of the squatter and capitalist class.” A local politician not long age strongly urged upon his readers that they should soak in the, statements of both sides and arrive at a sane, sound conclusion: there are the statements — what can be made of them? For our part the worst feature appears to be that so much that is essential is lost sight of in the desire to make good for the Party.