A FINAL WORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 December 1922, Page 4

A FINAL WORD.

The last shots in the election contests have been fired, and to-day electors will register their verdict and so decide whether the present Government is to be given a fresh lease of power, or the present Opposition is to take charge of the country’s affairs. The responsibility placed upon electors is no light one, and they should weigh well the consequences of their votes before casting them to-day. It is not a question of individuals, but of policy. Before the war, when the country had not the present stupendous load of debt to carry, and when, compared with to-day, there were no problems to solve, everything being plain-sail-ing, it was not a matter of really serious importance whether Liberals or Reformers were on the Treasury benches. To-day i conditions are entirely different. The country, to be perfectly plain, is passing through critical times. So far good progress has been made towards emergence from them, and daylight is visible on the horizon. This result is largely due to the courageous and wise leadership of the Prime Minister, who is the strongest man in New Zealand to-day, and probably one of the strongest in the Empire. Drop him, and the country may be placed in grave difficulties. There is no other man who can take his place and inspire the same measure of confidence. There is no other who would grasp the nettle so firmly and do what he has done and is doing to restore stability and prosperity. As a practical man, he knows that the restoration of the country cannot be brought about by any other means than the elimination of waste, the reduction of national expenditure, the exercise of industry and thrift on the part of the people, and the development of the rural resources of the country. This he is doing to the best of his ability, and risking, no doubt, the popularity of his party in so doing. Mr. Wilford’s ideas of bringing about reconstruction and economic restoration is for the Government to engage in all forms of State enterprises. They may appeal to the unthinking, but if given effect to, this policy would land the country in ruin. We cannot take any risks whatever at the present time. We simply must face the hard facts of the situation, and live within our income and go on developing our resources and attracting more population of the right kind. Columns have been written in praise and condemnation of the Government, but the voter should ignore it all and ask himself the simple question today: Is it’ wise to drop the proved leader for the unproved leader? And remember that the country just now is in no position to take risks, and that wise, efficient leadership is just as essential to success in the administration of the affairs of a State as in the affairs of a private business or a public company; and that if mistakes in policy are made now, the country may sustain a setback from which it may take years to recover. The issue is a vital one, and its importance such as cannot be too strongly emphasised. All other issues can be eliminated. The question is, Who shall rule—Massey or Wilford, with perhaps help from Holland? The electors must themselves decide, but our advice is, “Safety first;” because we feel the country is in no position to undertake experiments, such as are involved in State shipping, State banking, proportional representation, and the other garishy-dressed Opposition stock-in-trade.