The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1922. THE ISSUE TO-MORROW.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1922, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1922. THE ISSUE TO-MORROW.

To-morrow the electors of New Zealand will be called upon to exercise their Parliamentary franchise and to decide the kind of government that is to control the destinies of the country for the next three years. As on the last occasion, electors have the choice of three parties—Reform, Liberal and Labor. Except in the cities, Labor is making no determined effort to capture the reins of Government. It probably recognises that it has little or no chance of gaming any seats in the country, and so is concentrating upon the main centres, where conditions are more favorable for its nominees. Labor, however, aims at securing the balance of power. Nothing would suit its purpose better than that the Reform and Liberal parties should return from the polls with no working majority. It would then be in a position to impose its own terms — providing, of course, either side would submit to its dictation in order to carry on the government of the country, which, fortunately, is quite unlikely. The real contest, however, lies between the supporters of the Prime Minister and those of Mr. Wilford, and. it will be for the electors to decide as to who is the better fitted to govern the country for the next three years, during a time that is unlikely to be free from stress or trouble. Mr. Massey has had command for ten years/ a very long period for any Government, to hold office, and were conditions different and stable, a change might not be undesirable. But conditions are not normal, and the point which the elector has to decide is whether it is in the best interests of the country to put out a Government that, has been severely tried during the past few critical years, and not altogether found wanting, in favor of ’mother which is untried,

having a grandiose programme that cannot be given effect to without risking considerable harm to the finances and economic state of the Dominion. Many charges of mal-administration have been brought against the Government, but the great majority are trivial, and the gravest cannot be sustained. The Government has not been perfect—far from it, as we have had occasion to point out—but the unbiassed elector must take into consideration the stu pendous difficulties that have beset the country and are still besetting it, make allowances for the mistakes that have been made, and ask if any other Administration could have done better under similar circumstances, oi’ is likely to be an improvement upon the present one. There can be no questioning the honesty, the capacity and the patriotism of Mr. Massey—they stand out prominently. He is a tried and tested leader. On the other hand the Liberal leader has yet to win his spurs, and so cannot command the same measure of confidence, even amongst the party he is presumed to lead. Therefore we should view with considerable apprehension the occupancy of the Treasury benches at this juncture by inexperienced men, however individually brilliant they may be. At the same time we recognise that in order to ensure good government a strong and active Opposition is essential. For the lack of it since Sir Joseph Ward was unseated, the country has undoubtedly suffered, as indeed the Government itself has. Whatever party is in power, it is necessary that there should be an alternative Government in sight, otherwise the interests of the country may easily be flouted and endangered by proposing and passing hasty and ill-considered legislation under our democratic system by a leader surfeited with power. We do not regard any man as indispensable, but just at the present moment, when things are still unstable and more or less critical, we believe it would be a mistake to displace Mr. Massey and his party, who are pledged to a policy of moderation and development on sound, progressive lines. It is not a time for political experiments such as Mr. Wilford proposes, with his proportional representation, State shipping, State bank, State everything in fact. We want less of the State in business, and more business in the conduct of the State’s affairs. We want, more than anything else, stable government and assured finance for the next three years. In this connection it is well to bear in mind that the confidence of the London money market in the Dominion’s stability has been in large measure due to the favorable manner in which Mr. Massey’s administration of the country’s affairs has impressed the Home financial magnates. This fact has an important bearing on the question of the people of the Dominion again placing their confidence in Mr. Massey and his colleagues, because it is imperative there shall be no experimenting, but concentration on enabling the country to recuperate and get back into a strong and prosperous condition again. It is because the News, which is tied to no party, and therefore is no party organ, feels that of the two parties the Massey Party offers a more stable government, and it hopes that the Government will be returned with a good workable, though not an overwhelming majority to-morrow.