The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. MONDAY, JULY 19, 1920. PARLIAMENTARY CIRCLES ORGANISING.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3531, 19 July 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

MONDAY, JULY 19, 1920. PARLIAMENTARY CIRCLES ORGANISING.

/ With which is incorporated I "The Taihape Post and Waimarino i News."

With the increased cost of everything that is threatening almost every commodity whereby mankind lives it may be assumed that instead of the era of strikes and other industrial upheavals coming to an end it: is only really now about to begin in earnest. Leading journals of the world have : drawn attention to the insane whirl of,, extortion and dishonesty that is proceeding; statesmen, economists, so- ! otologists and notable ecclesiastics ' have pointed out that such orgies of corrupt .trading, or robbery as it is now commonly termed, can only end in the destruction of present govern- | ments and the setting up of labourI socialist administrations which will I come into power with real intent to | avenge the sufferings people have endured under the system of trusts and 1 combines. In Britain, as elsewhere, a [ leading London journal states, there is much discussion in Parliamentary and ' Club circles on the subject of trusts i which are said to be responsible for . the uprising'of a menace that may 1 soon revolutionise government even in conservative England. The general feeling in those circles is that there must only be two poHtical parties, of which labour will certainly be one. In ' fact, it is definitely stated that everyone 'recognises the changes in the. political situation. To-day there are only two great parties—labour on one hand, and all other parties combined on the other. Even with all other ■parties marshalled against labour the

j doubt is expressed whether the greed j of trusts will not cause the combination to have to. go to the elections I like a disorderly rabble to try eonI elusions with well-disciplined labour j forces. Leaders of parties in the House of Commons are; straining every effort to bring all those Members opposed to socialism in much closer combination so that united forces may commence a propaganda tfiat is calculated to stem the organised campaign of labour. The Labour Party has certain ideas and. It is stated that Mr Lloyd George, Mr Bonar Law, and Mr Asquith have to convince Labour that what they require can be achieved by better methods than those which Labour proposes. It is found that the whole of the trading, financial and commercial people'of Britain are formj ing themselves into trusts to exploit i the masses. These trusty are shortening supply and otherwise arbitrarily forcing up prices; "they are holding back reconstruction of British "trade, •and preventing Britain from assuming that position in the world's trade that is awaiting if. The housing problem

j. cannot, be solved in Britain because | different trusts are charging extravaI gant prices for the necessary materials, and because the builders and I workmen engaged in the various ! trades connected with building are all bound together in trusts or unions with the object of making as much as they can out of the general public. In fact, it is stated, the whole country J i is dominated by trusts, and it is only I the profiteers that are able to pay the resultant high prices. What is taking place in British parliamentary circles is mentioned because there seems to be some good reason why parliamentary circles in New Zealand should ponder over, if not review with concern, the situation, fading them. I here is no longer any soereey about the rift in the Reform, lute: Mr Massey ■'Us allayed the discontent temporarily ! by tuVing the disgruntled party's leaders Into his Cabinet, but anything allied to blackmail and bribery is not j lasting inasmuch as it does not remove I the cause of discontent. We would prefer to see that the Prime Minister . was taking such measures as would j load to much closer combination of all i ' parties opposed to the extreme social-':

wm that is rapidly winning over the "'asses of the people to its fold. It seems like, hoping against hop,, for -Mr Masscy is-now recognised as the only mainstay of (ho trusts which are as much dominating New Zealand as those which dominate Britain, hut something has to bo done or the country with its parasitic trusts will pass into the tender and merciful care of Messrs Holland and Company. The forces of Labour are gathering into e'osest combination, urge,! on bv the

(yramcal practice of getting workers into an agreement for wages in accordance with cost of living, and then immediately putting living beyond {lie means of the newly conceded wages again. Every increase in the cost of living is a new and just cause for increase of wages, and it should be understood, from experience, that workers will demand and. have the

increase. In Britain parliamentary circles are asking whether government and the country is safe while trusts are allowed to dominate both, what are parliamentary circles in New Zealand doing? In Britain parliamentary circles are endeavouring to bring those parties who favour the freeing of present society from the trust parasite, and government from the combine barnacle, so that they may not fall away to Bolshevism together. A closer combination of

parties is requisite for putting up any sort of a fight against the well organised, excellently disciplined forces of Labour. It is said that New Zealand trusts are safe for another three

years in carrying on their exploitation of the people to the full length of their tether, but that seems a very dangerous postulate indeed, and it

may be found unwise, if not disastrous, to seek such a fool's paradise. With discontent supreme and industry dis-

j organised British parliamentary circles I have realised that neither government 'nor society are safe; that government actually does exist by the will of the people, and that no further demonstration of that truth is either sought or needed. What obtains in Britain in that respect will talsc* assuredly obtain in New Zealand, and what are parliamentary cirelcs in Wellington doing about it? It is safe to say that New Zealand i s neither ultra-Bolshevik or u l tra-eonservativ,e, but there should be a ground on which all sane parties could meet and organise a winning campaign against either extreme. There are not wanting indications that ilf ;the tfelfishn/ees of lone coul/d 'be eliminated it would destroy the virus of the other.