The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1918. THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

Taihape Daily Times, 19 November 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1918. THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Poet and Wainmrl'jo News)..

From what is read about politics in cables, telegrams and reports from various dominions of the British Empire one -is -almost inclined to wonder whether the preservation of particular political parties was not one of the -most absorbing topics, to those present, dis'cussed at the late Imperial Conference in Britain, which the Hon. Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward attended. Before the ink used in signing the armistice with Germany was -dry the politicians in power in the various corners of the Empire were holding meetings, conferences and caucuses to discuss ways and means of still hanging to the reins of power and to the public purse-strings. From the moment peace was declared the Reform Party here has been holding caucus after caucus; it was realised that some great scheme for trading the constituencies was in train, and the secret was very soon out when a few of those out-and-out Liberals, who are the bane of Reform schemes, began to talk loudly about rottenness of Liberals who would yoke up with Toryism to save their seats in the House. It. is said that some Liberal leaders have entered into a compact with Reform leaders, and that the J rank and file of Reform have discussed ; and accepted a scheme in detail which 1 provides for both parties gding to the country to engineer a continuance of | the present mongrel combination. A number of Liberals have determinedly set their faces against any such scheme, and in the coming election 1 campaigns the country is likely to | hear most entertaining, if not edifying, political disclosures. Public education in the interests of the new Tory cum Liberal scheme is already in train, no time is to be lost in having the constituencies converted before any other political combination can materialise to sow Liberal tares in the political held. It does not appear to have occurred to the schemers, who can no longer trample underfoot the country’s constitution, that they may be labouring under misapprehension, and that the people of the constituencies are no longer the docile fools they were a few yearsago; that they are taking their cue from the weakest, although the wealthiest, party In the country; that the cost of living question has made it undeniable that the Reform cum Liberal schemers for continuity of power have invariably stood for tlie robbing minority against the victimised majority. Leaving out of consideration the question of finance, there has been display of neither statesmanship or intelligent administration. Minister? that showed conviction in favour of the people in several matters

were hampered with an unnatural alliance in honourably carrying out what appealed to them as being in the people’s best interests, and this has gone on until the masses are scarcely able to live. Schemers for political powpr neither know or care how the people are existing; they will, "if they have any conscience at all, one day express surprise that the people of New Zealand did not rise in revolution years ago, as Sir Auckland Geddes has expressed surprise about the people of England. However much it may suit the present Government to coalesce to retain the guidance of the dactinic* of this country, it does not suit the governed, and there need be no doubt about the ultimate issue. It is not difficult to see that our politicians are basing their coalition programme upon that of Britain, hut what do we find in Britain? One great statesman surprised that revolution did not take place years ago, and yesterday we had Mr Lloyd George, the most capable Prime Minister Britain has ever

had, uttering a paradox. The truth Is that British Statesmen with any conscience was confounded and shamed by the truths that the great war has caused to he proclaimed from the housetops. In the same breath Mr Lloyd George said (and we desire that all should read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest, and redigest what

Mr Lloyd George did say) that “recruiting statistics revealed a higher percentage of physical unfits in Britain than in the country of any other belligerent,” not excluding Germany, Russia and Turkey, “That was a disgrace to a proud, prosperous country. Hundreds of thousands of men were broken in physique because they were underfed, ill-housed, and over-worked; perhaps many were poisoned by drink to which they were driven by squalor.” When Lloyd George drifts into the error of terming such a nation “proud and prosperous” what can be expected from the kings of Ror 'in. m New Zealand?’ It seems a meny that the German Kaiser forced war upon us before greed bad done its deadly work in rendering -Britain bankrupt of manhood. New Zealand is prosperous in a precisely similar manner to Britain, and Reform is proud of the fact just as Britain is proud, but what is this pride involving here as well as in Britain? •“Hundreds of thousands are broken in physique, because underfed, ill-housed, overworked and poisoned by squalor.” Toryism has ever stood for the conditions that brought Britain to such a shameful condition; how degrading for a proud people to have it proclaimed that their pride is based upon the most heinous crimes that could mar a criminal calendar. Recruiting statistics in this young country revealed h, condition of manhood that no honest man can feel proud of; we too have our men of broken physique, men underfed, ill-housed, overworked and otherwise poisoned, and the scheming of a wicked capitalism is only and solely the cause. Mr Lloyd George has always stood for radical social changes that would tend to lessen the evils the Empire manhood is menaced with, and Britain may hope to benefit by his labours in the future much more than in the past; he has uncovered the shameful exactions of aristocracy and plunder; he has held fo light the methods by which the masses are oppressed, but have wo any such patriot in New Zealand? The people of this country will be approached insinuatingly, and told that they belong to the great party that should rule; they will be cozened and' coddled into bartering and sacrificing their true manhood for specious, promises, of political gangs and gangers; they will be told that it is monstrous that the canaille should have a voise in the government of the country,, and that the pomp and power of money-bags must, and will, ever remain paramount. The weak-minded will fall to this high-falutin stuc. y that has brought the blush of shame to Britain’s national face; that has , made proud and prosperous (?} Britain a disgrace even in the company of Germany and Russia, but the man of cGurage and honesty and intelligence will form his opinions and act accordingly.