The DAily News. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1918. TARANAKI BY-ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1918, Page 4

The DAily News. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1918. TARANAKI BY-ELECTION.

The by-election for the Taranaki seat opened in real earnest last evening, when Mr. S. Smith addressed the electors. The candidate received on the whole a sympathetic hearing. It must be acknowledged that there is a considerable feeling against the National Government, on account of its failures, perhaps, more than its accomplishments. The political fusion has not been altogether the success anticipated, and it can now be seen that the party system, with all its faults, is not without merit. The Coalition Government has been pathetically weak in many respects, preferring the line of least resistance to following a bold and statesmanlike course. This, no doubt, has been largely the result of the clashing of views and diversity of convictions of members of the Cabinet, who, report says, are not altogether a happy family. Without mutual give and take and harmonious co-operation no Cabinet can do the best work and conduct the affairs of the country with the fullest measure of success. It has to be recognised, however, that since the outbreak of war Cabinet has had no light task. The times have been abnormal, the problems unprecedented, and the difficulties very great indeed. The prosecution of the war has necessarily taken precedence over everything else, and the Government is not undeserving of commendation for what it has done in this respect. The bringing in of conscription marked a revolutionary change, and that it has worked so smoothly, and on the whole so satisfactorily, is as much to the credit of the Government as of the people. The Government saw clearly New Zealand's duty to help the Motherland, and to assist to the utmost of its ability in defeating the Germans, and it has not deviated from the course it set at the beginning, notwithstanding the persistent efforts made in certain quarters to limit the extent of New Zealand's assistance. Had the Government been as successful in putting the affairs of the country on a war footing there would have been little cause for complaint. No real organisation has been attempted, and a good deal of injustice and unnecessary loss has been caused as a result. A laissez faire policy has similarly been pursued in regard in regard to the increasing cost of living. This, no doubt, is a very difficult problem, but that is no excuse for leaving it practically alone. Having said this much in regard tp the Government, it is necessary to state the position as it appears to us in connection with the by-election. Mr. Smith is avowedly "agin" the Government. He stands as a "progressive democrat"—-whatever that means—and thus seeks to get over any scruples regarding the compact entered into between the main political parties that while the National Government is in existence there shall be no poaching on the territory of each other. It is our opinion that the truce should be loyally observed in this constituency, which has for some years been represented by a supporter of Mr. Massey. Those associated with the candidature of Mr. Smith may disclaim any obligation to adhere to the arrangement entered into by the leaders, but what if the boot were on the other foot? Suppose, for instance, Ta.ra.nn.lri had been represented by a supporter of Sir Joseph "Ward, and, an election occurring, the Reform Party nominated a candidate under another guise, and ran him for the seat, would not the Liberals have just cause to resent the action as a breach of faith? We think so. There never was a time in which fidelity to an agreement was of more importance than at present. After the war, when the political truce is at an end and a general election takes place, there will be ample scope for all sections of political thought to take part in parliamentary work, and the new problems to be solved will need the help of all sections, and particularly the representatives of Labor. But the need of the moment is unity, both in Parliament and outside, and the urgency of that need has been stressed throughout the whole Empire. There will be many reforms required—arid badly required—in New Zealand, but they can only come by a process of evolution, —not of revolution—and by an adherence to constitutionalism. The great bulk of the public have sound, moderate views, and will never tolerate extreme or revolutionary measures. We do not suggest that Mr. Smith subscribes to the revolutionary platform of Mr. ' Holland and others of his ilk; at' a matter of fact Mr. Smith's politics are fairly rational, if somewhat superficial; but we do say that if Mr. Smith succeeded on this occasion he could not help himself. He must either take a lone hand or ally himself with the • extremists, and thereby he might ; to large extent disfranchise the . elt/tors. However one may feel

and criticise and oppose its administration, this issue muat be kept in mind—it is, as the T*' mse stands to-day, a case of eitln cpporting theextremists or the National Government. Of the two evils the latter is the lesser. There was much in Mr. Smith's address last night to denote that he is treading on thin ice in his endeavor to reach the political arena He has done good service in the field of educational administration, and possibly in connection with Labor matters, but the representation of this important constituency in Parliament demands many qualities of the possession of which he has as yet given no indication. Above all he has to learn that no man, however confident of his abilities, can single-handed benefit a constituency." Parliament is ruled by the majority, so that it stands to reason that a supporter of the National Government will be far more likely to be of service to his electors and to the Dominion than one who is inspired by 'he meritorious but visionary desire to make sparks fly at a most critical period of the Dominion's history, when sacrifices are the order of the day.