The Daily News. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1922. ELECTION LESSONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 December 1922, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1922. ELECTION LESSONS.

Taking a calm and unbiassed view of the polling results on Thursday, no one can fail to be convinced that some of the factors governing the minds of those who cast their votes, both on the political and licensing issue, are the product of the exceptionally stringent period through which the country has been passing since the close of the Great War. There can be no doubt that the manual workers have been steadily organising with the view to holding the balance of power, yet, of themselves, they could not have sprung such a startling surprise as that indicated by their success at the polls, unless they had received substantial support from a considerable section of the pub’ie. Were it not for the extreme views of “Official” Labor leaders, which it was expected would alienate votes that might otherwise have been east for the Labor Party, the verdict in some of the constituencies would have been move easily understood. Taking the facts as they stand, it may be assumed that throughout the country there existed a larger undercurrent of opinion in- favor

of a change than was anticipated. Looking at the position of affairs from a moderate Labor point of view,, it seems evident there exists a determined effort to resist a. lowering of wages, and it is quite possible that the latest pronouncement of the Arbitration Court on this matter has been a powerful incentive to Labor’s efforts in the political arena. Whilst wages were high and the workers commanded their own terms, to work when they pleased and strike when they felt inclined, though there was much bombastic declaiming, there ' were no real grievances, but now that wages are being lowered and prosecutions instituted for breaches of awards, a rallying point has been created. It has been contended by Labor that while their comparatively small and hard-earned wages have been reduced, taxation concessions have been made in favor of what they call the wealthy class. They cannot, or will not see that their sacrifices, ( due to the aftermath of the war, j are infinitessimal as compared with those who have large amounts invested in primary production enterprises or large commercial and industrial undertakings. Partly for that reason, and in other part due to a desire for that change of Government which is generally the outcome of bad times and economic “cuts.” Labor has become a strong party in the House. Vote-splitting has also been a factor in their success, while other well known causes have contributed. To what extent the Civil Service vote aided Labor’s efforts cannot be estimated, but that, it' has to be reckoned with admits of no doubt. The returned soldiers’ i vote may probably also have been |to some extent east against the Government, every case of hardship forming a centre of disaffection. It would be impossible, however, to enumerate , a tithe, of the factors that contributed to the polling results. Mr. i Massey has a difficult task before 1 him. He desires a merging of the I moderate-minded Liberals with , his party. Probably men like I Mr. C. Statham (Independent), i Mr. Isitt, Mr. Allan Bell (Bay of ■ Islands), and Mr. A. J. Murdoch • (Marsden) would vote with the 'i Government on a no-confidence motion, which would enable the Government 1 to carry on, but it would be an unsatisfactory arrangement at best, and, disturbing and unsatisfactory as it may be in some respects it might be better to face the country again, end ask for a workable majority for those desirous of carrying on the affairs of the country on safe and prudent lines. To place itself in the hands of those elected to oppose the administration would sap independence, restrict initiative and liberty of action, and generally prove unsatisfactory. The country now sees the menace of extreme Labor and might well be expected to take a different view of the position in a month or two than it. did on Thursday. To carry on the government of the country at the dictation of Labor is clearly unthinkable.