The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1919. END OF THE FRAY.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3363, 16 December 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1919. END OF THE FRAY.

With, which its incorporated. “The Taihape Post and Waimarino News."

On the -eve of a genenal election the people of any country, whatever be the time or the special circumstances are confronted with a sacred duty to periform; so important is lfhis duty regarded that more than one leglsl::.tl.lr3 fhas discussed the need of making it colnpl‘.<r-ry . So variedwand conln‘3.\: rare th: issues on the present ocea.-3i-.+n fin New Zealand -tliat we trust there ‘will not be a man or woman in this electorate ,who can possibly do 50, refrain from exercising the franchise of which everyone of them should he possessed. This CDonl'in'ion,i like all other countries, is emerging‘ from ‘a state of disorgaiiisation caused -by the war; it is quite natural that !there should be wide differences of opinion in the constituencies -as to the easiest, readiest: most economic, and, particularly, most just and humane methods of reconstruction, in which a readjustment of taxation will be not the l’ea.str -impojitant subject. iS’ta«te‘sm,’en and economists have pointed out what it is necessary -to do to avoid social chaos and industrial upheaval, and Directors of Banks lrave drawn the country’s attention to the dangers arising from waste and foolhardiness in land dealings. It is doubtful, however, whether any unprejudiced advice and precept has influenced the thought and action of more than 9a negligible few, the great majority being rather led by political factions dominated by a few gas—bags and bush lawyers. The incidence of taxation is the most pressing question that sho-uld concern workers generally, but throughout the campaign it‘ hag scarcely been men—~ tioned, let alone exhaustively discus-g sed. No subject is of such‘ moment‘ as tha-t of production and marketing,! but no one elector knows anything; more about that great problem than he * did before the election campaign com- A menced. The greatest issues seem tot have been side--tracked, and the time wasted in that which is anything but cdifying. In fact, lookng at a few American papers published just prior -to the last elections in that country, it is| beyond doubt that New Zealanders are I forsaking the good old British fair play methodsof conducting their elections, and replacing them with the worst that is descernible in the conduct of elections in Amcricla. It would be unreasonable almost to expect much’ more improvemenjt [on definite lines than what the three sections seeking electionhave gone to the electors with.‘ No ‘matter which faction an educated man may favour, when he stands off! and gets the whole clampaign into focus he will ‘be disgusted with it if he has a refinement left in him. But, as we have said, the extraordinary time and circumstances will account for all this, and it will not be until another general election takes (place that the various parties will understand the methods of each other better, i and so enable a much truer reflex of‘ the constituencies to be obtained. The Rangitikei electorate will, we believe,‘ furnish the record example in friendly riv&‘llT)‘: ‘sl2-9 three c|an.d'idateg «have followed no course that may be taken exception to, and though their polifi. cal aims are widely apart, ¢hey have managed to retain that honourable belaring that should characterise all such contests. One notable feature of the present election is that woman has come fully into her own as the political ‘equal of‘man_. and her jnfluonce in the contest may be felt much more than on any previous occasion, It has been said that two have no hope

[of success in the advancement of any ‘ happier conditions of society unless I aided by woman; the hope of society is woman, in fact, the hope of fhi‘ era We lare entering upon is woman. It is ‘woman that will mainly uphold the Irights 7of_’ man and frown down 3-I.l_ ‘ wrongs. We have come to realise that i if the position of woman is wrong -that [of man cannot be right. but what the - exercise of her vote will result in un|der such unprecedented" circumstances lag now obtain is an enigma that few lwill guess, but we feel sure that collectively considered her influence will lbe. for the estla.b_lishment of the high’est forms of democracy. ‘We are not ‘presuming to tell‘ our readers how they should vote, we have refrained ‘from taking allyV__such attitude right through 'the campaign, liaving clone lit(tle else than quote po~litie.al history that is undeniable, but there is -one phase of the Tl-iune contest that i should be referred to. Th; workers of this -and any country have an undoubtled right to representation in the Gov- ] ernment of their count:-y; they Constitute the greater proportion of the popullation, and although Members of Paliliament have not been ticketed “Labour,” Workers cannot claim that they lrave not been fairly rcpresen-ted, and that -they have .not had their gladiators in the legislative arena. If they have less representation at the present time it is owing less to popular Opposition or indifiference than to 'disorganisation of the times. It is because of this disorganisation, this pressing, essential need for rapid social and industrial reconstruction; -the vital necessity of increasing the volume of the country ’s iproducts, and provision of permanent; I and satisfactory -transport to whatever , ‘markets of the world most profitably} invite, that We are convinced workers"! i would immeasurably have betlrered the 1 ‘conditions of -the masses, have madethc life of the workers more bearable,‘ [had they refrained from making this -election what may correctly be termled la. “cut-throat” contest. Whatever hope Labour leaders had of snatching] the balance -of power, so that they could prevent either ‘of -the other two parties forming a GoVernmen=t, that hope ought to be dispersed now. It may have been a: jnstifiablc hope -un-‘ der other circumstanc‘esTbut the occasion is too serious; the time is fraught with so much possible disaster, that We think that for this election alone there should have been no third party, and, were it practicable, n-0 second party. We think the ‘electoral "indications war‘rant ‘the opinion that it doubtful whether Labour c'a'.'n hold the balance of power in the new Parliament, and] even should the unexpected -happen, what uselwill they make of it? Theyl cannot form a Government, they can only destroy whatever government the other parties set up, and they may force those other parties into a coaliltion which will place them into such a predicament that they might as well not be in the ‘_l-louse at all; they will be in ‘a negligible minority, -their voice 1 ‘will be so weak‘. so frail, that it will’ incl: be heard against the huge combinyatien against them. The other alterlnative, a. most unlikely one, is that ‘ another general election may be forced | on the country a year hence. Let it! be thoroughly realised that the working classes havfic two forces calling up- I on them, one is that coming from -the ‘Labour leaders, the other is that coming from their homes, their wives. and children. To adopt any course that is opposed to the most rapid recoinstruc-I tion of this country’s industries and‘ public works. and two «the return of social and industrial peace," is to destroy the "comforts of home life and, broadcast want throughout the land.l ‘However, workers are justified inl adopting whlatever measures they may deem best and most potent in securing to them these political rights they seek; that right is unassailable, and‘ whether they use the franchise on this, occasion, having in mind the mom-en l tuousiiess of -the issue: at stake. the} country must abide by their Lleeisionsfll Let every man and every woman vote as their consciences dictate, for that is the essence of elective government, «the basis of a true democracy. 1