The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1919. THE PEOPLE’S RESPONSIBILITIES.

Taihape Daily Times, 21 August 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1919. THE PEOPLE’S RESPONSIBILITIES.

With which is incorporated “The Taihape Post: and" Waimarino News.”

| The manner in which a deputation 'from the Labour Alliance placed its icase before ’the P'.rime hlinister on Saturday, was undeniably admirable, but while this journal realises that it is fonly by the establisliinent of social iconditions on a basis of absolute jusitice that a superstructure of contentment can be erected, it is inclined to the view that the deputation has based its contentious and demands upon one only of the hundreds of industrial avenues that lead to the most healthful reconstruction of :the future. The dexterity and skill with which the deputation put their case ‘rendered the Prime Minister’s eiforts at reply mere statemongcring in comparison. But what the masses of the people have to consider if disaster is not to over- ‘ take them is not how the men and the I Minister put Itheir respective cases, for the cleverest, most‘ dextevrous advocate does not -always found his reasonings upon the best of law. The masses are the jury to sift the evidence, not to be led away by dexterity «of advocacy, but rather to pick out and isolate fact from the mass of testimony availlable, piece "them together,‘ and pass gjudgment accordingly. To give a dei cision, on the coat-miners’ demands, for | instance, that, would commit this couni try to unbearable harassing conditions, (‘rendering the persistence of a general policy of neconstruction‘in .al‘l @- ipartments and -avenues of social, poli- }- tical and industl'ia'ii*life quite imprac- ] ticable would entail almost certain disaster. What we wish to urge is that i the miners’ demands may be the very ‘ essence of justice, but the present unsettled state of society makes it the i most inopportune moment in which to ,force a climax and a crisis. VVhat great, nay, unprecedented, work of i magnitude and truly vital import have ‘the masses of the people unavoidedly thrust "upon them at this time? They have disrupted, dishevelled social con- ’ ditions to unravel and lay out in lines lof justice and .liberty; they have in- ‘ dustrial chaos to bring back to human design and ‘order; misused works, and ifactories, and mines to :turn again to ‘that -production upon which isounclll healthful future life only can exist; they have to refashion and reconstruct i governments and -turn legislation more in accord with the lessons of the war; they have a sadly damaged Empire thrown upon their resourcefulness, a broken, crippled, almost banklrupt Emlpire, which will tax their powers of recuperation, work and} plan as they will, ‘to bring back to a semblance even of the Empire that was before the War. In fact, whether they are at present conscious of it lo‘-.r not, the masses of the’ people have upon their shoulders the work of rescuing civilisation, for it is not thinkable that the icollapse of the British Empire would !not carry down with it the very key- ! stone of the -great humane fabric that has already commenced to exhibit. signs of a tendency to crumble, Briefly, this outlines the unsliiftable obligations we, as the people of the British Empire, are charged with. If we concentrate } all our energies upon one small portion [of the great business that is forced l upon us, without taking into most carel'ful consideration its effect upon the ‘whole, do we not with deliberation preicipitate national and probably Empire calamity? If‘ the masses of the people Will think for themselves there is no danger that can overtake them, their Empire, or their race_ On the other hand, if they are led like sheep by men of unevenly balanced intellect; men who are chronic disputants; men who categorise all the ‘platitudes they can invent or annex, and talk ‘round them i for the sheer purpose of self-inrtcrest, or to smash up all social conditions, soi that they may have a chance of looting , something from the debris, then the masses of the people will have failed to I pass on intact“ to their children vandl children’s children the civilisation and "the Empire their fathers and fotrbears fought for, died for, to pass "down for tliéinvin keeping for those to come after them. An overwhelming major-' it)’ Of The people‘ of this Dominion real- K ise the righteousness of the claims of the masses; they are also sorrowfully awialrc that -the aflfairs of the people are in hopelessly incapable» hands. First We have to make loursclvos sure that the Einpire and race is in the condition we have ‘represcntmii, and if the most unreasonable sceptic will read the cabled words spoken by the B'ritish

Prime Minister———the foremost statesman Of the WoTld—.-which were printed in 0111' issue-of yesterday, will, if he is a rational being, be converted. To harp, ponder, dwell upon one social ill, be it 3 miners’ or watersiders’ trouble, "to the neglect of all others, it will be admitted by an intelligent, thinking people, is the direct road to the very worst that can happen _'to home 'life and progress. To hope fior the election of a government composed of the very best at the coun'try’s se’.rvic‘e While the masses of the people are frenzied by class or clique propaganda is to cling to the impossible. Er’ Lloyd George was selected by ’the people of Britain for the highest position they had to offer because he loathed the trickery and cunning others were practising, and if another election were taking place today, the leaders of labour, not omitting Robert Smillic and Sydney Webb and their confreres in labour’s inrterests, would again return hfr Lloyd, George, -knowing their mandate was safe in his clean, capable hands. The younger generation and later arrivals in “this Dominion have read of New Zcaland’s Lloyd George-—the Hon. John Ballancc -—the world was «amazed at what he accomplished for the people in the pioneer days of the labour movement, ‘and yet lab'ou‘r turned aside from that beneficent policy, of‘w.lTlch Sir Joseph Ward was one of the three ‘entrusted by the people with its adoption and administration. The .Ball«a.ncc-Scddon-XV-ard administrati.-on did more to advance Social conditions, to more uniformly distribute wealth earned, to increase production by putting men on the land, and so contribuite to the riches earning capacity of the country than all governments and administrations b'cfore or since -their time in power. We urge employers. as well as employees, not forgetting the great army of brave women who manage our homes, to again place the country’s affairs in honest, humane,’ capable hands; hold considerations of direct action, strikes, lock~outs, that cause so much poverty and degradation and are a step towards bloody revolution, in abcyancc till the franchise has been given its )opportunity at the forthcoming elections.