A MANIFESTO.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1919, Page 5

A MANIFESTO.

TO THE ELECTORS OF NEW ZEALAND, (Published by Arrangement.) Napier, Last Night. On the eve of an election in which you are called upon to decide the most important issues ever placed before the electors of this country, it is my duty and privilege as Prime Minister of the Dominion to remind you of the grave responsibility that decision Entails, and to seek from you a renewal of the confidence you were good enough to bestow upon myself and those associated with me in 1914.

We have pßssed through strenuous times since then and have weathered the storm, stress, and perils of tho great war, from which we have emerged in triumph, not without many sacrifices and much sorrow, but with less dislocation to our national life than possibly any other country that entered the war, and certainly with less internal strife or industrial trouble than has been witnessed elsewhere, *nd next, to the patriotic impulse and devotion of my fellow citizens, I /(attribute this result to the unity of council and effort which was made possible through the coming together of the great political parties, New Zealand thus presenting a united front to the world and it» public men, sinking all party differences of opinion to concentrate on the one supreme object of winning the war. In its aftermath the war has left us to face many pressing problems which call for attention and solution, and it is to be regretted that as a people we are not facing them in the same united fashion that we met and successfully grappled with the problems presented by the war itself.

It is not through any wish or failure on my part that ' tho party barriers which were flung down during the war ! have been again erected. I had ventured to hope that those purely artificial divisons which separate the men who believe in constitutional action and woo loyally support the State as an integral part of the British Empire (to which I feel sure the great majority of New Zealanders are proud to belong) had gone once and for all, but since the parting lias come it is necessary that I should appeal to tho electors for the return of the Government of which I am the chief representative with an even more solid support than it received in 1914, and I make that appeal in what I conceive to be the best interests of the country, quite apart from consideration of party or self. At no time in its history has the Dominion been confronted with greater or graver problems than those wliieh must be settled in the immediate future, nor has there ever been such a well organised attempt on the part of men professing the most revolutionary principles to capture the Government of the country. The danger is that the (actional lighting that is proceeding between the Liberal and the Reform

Parties may result in the return to Parliament of "men who by no means represent the true sentiment and patriotic ideals of the people of New Zealand, and which were so magnificently demonstrated during the grpat war, Disclaiming all responsibility for this unfortunate state of affairs, 1,, would remind the electors that the impemwve need of the day is a strong, capable, and resolute government of proved administration capacity, able and willing to legislate for the good, not of one particular class, but of every class in the community, and to sympathetically and. successfully adjust on equitable lines those differences that unfortunately mar the relationships of capital and labor, and that interfere with the good feeling that should exist between workers and those who undertake their employment. The record of the past session alono demonstrates that the Rei'orm Party, which 1 have the honor to lead, possesses the necessary capacity to govern the country on such lines, and its records from 1912 on to tlie present time, have shown it to be every whit 'as liberal in its legislation as any Government that has preceded it. As a party it has clear-cut ideals making for Bound,

progressive and stable Government. It aims at promoting political unity and seeks- to work in harmony with all . loyal citizens and thus offers a rallying centre to all who are prepared to place the interests of the State above those of party. While it, stands inflexibly opposed to the revolutionary Socialists who would wantonly destroy the existing order of society with no clear idea of what should replace it. the Reform Party is only too anxious to co-operate with all who are honestly Intent upon making New Zealand audits people contended, happy, and prosperous. To achieve this it recognises that the legitimate aspirations of Labor must be satisfied, and the wage earning class must be remunerated on lines making for decency and comfort, and housed under improved sanitary and better conditions generally. The strong Government New Zealand needs for this purpose can, I submit, be best secured on tho Reform siile of politics. The Liberal vote is being everywhere cut into and must suffe* at the hands of the Labor candidates, of whom the greater number belong to the extreme revolutionary class, all hut two being tied hand and foot to the party machine. They make no secret of their intentions to vote against the_ Government on a no-confidence motion, and the to squeeze the Liberal Party should they thus succeed in putting them into power. Under the most favorable circumstances, therefore, the Liberals can only hope to govern the country with the help of these extremists, and under such a combination the nation would inevitably suffer. The wisest course the electors can therefore take is to strengthen the hands of the Government by returning the Reform candidates who are standing for election, thus giving it a good solid majority over both parties in the State. The Government stands for a policy of sane development along sound progressive lines, economical administration, fair play to every section of the community, increased educational facilities for the people, a vigorous public works policy including the speedier construction of railways, improved roading facilities, the vigorous prosecution of the hydro-electric schemes for which it has taken power to borrow the necessary moneys, improved shipping facilities both coastal and owrseas, the opening up of new coal mines, the elimination of the profiteer, the greater encouragement of local industries, including the fruit preserving and fishing industries, comprehensive housing schemes for all parts of the Dominion, and generally imnroved employment conditions. It appeals confidently for the support of every loyal citizen in the State, so that New Zealand may more efficiently play her part in the groat work of industrial reconstruction following upon the repatriation' of our gallant soldier citizens, and an indespdnsible unit of the Empire. —W. SV Masiey, Prime Mialitw.