" Liberal " Difficulties.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15139, 1 December 1914, Page 6

" Liberal " Difficulties.

The people who are declaring that the repeal of the Second Ballot Act was merely an "electoral trick" as they call it, carried out with the object of "splitting the progressive voto" know quite well that it was nothing of tho kind. Tho Reform Party, when in Opposition, fought strenuously, upon grounds which oven the ''Liberals" subsequently admitted to bo good, against the introduction of tho second ballot, system. Their hostility to the second I ballot was declared sis ago, and

was renewed even after it was made clear that in actual practice it helped rather than injured thoir electoral position, lv order, therefore, to suggest that tho reversion to the old system was a device conceived in tho current year for party reasons, ono must entirely ignore all tho essential facts of tho matter. It was on national and non-party grounds that the Reformers opposed tho system when it was introduced, and ultimately repealed the Act. But what were the motives of tho Ward Administration in introducing the system j!i spite of the overwhelming case made out against'it? That is a, poiiit upon which the Opposition aro generally quite silent. The fact is that Sir J. G. Ward feared that the Labour Party would rise to a position pf somo influence and complete independence, to tho detriment of the '•Liberal" Party, and the Second Ballot Act was his method of destroying the aspirations of Labour at that time. I'pon this point wo have tho evidence, not only of the obvious farts of the situation in ICOS, but a statement by Sir J. G. Ward himself mndo at a gathering in Wellington in May last. In the course of a speech on that occasion he referred to the position created by tho death of Mr Seddon, and proceeded to urg.> that ho himself had done very well. He then revealed, in a rnro moment of candour, tho real inspiration of tho Second Ballot Act. A.s ;i matter of fact Che Kiid, as reported in the otfiHal Opposition journal), after Mr Soddon's aeath there was :i generally recognised movement qn tho part of a third party to win its way to ascendancy. He referred to tho Labour Party. And it was only natural to expect such a thing to happen. fl o . us Loader of the Liberal Party, had to fare ;in altered position. He had (o face the fact that there was a majority of men in Parliament who wore pledged to support Mr Seddon personally. They had Riven no pledge to .support him. Well, eoirrn of them had voted jignine; him, and in tho movement for a labour Party to win ascendancy, no exception could bo taken. All those things had niado difficulties in his way. This is a characteristically confused utterance, but its purport is clear, when it is remembered that it was tho preface to a discussion of electoral systems. What it means is that the Labour Party's bid for "ascendancy" was ono of the "difficulties in his way" after Mr Seddon's death, and that tho Second Ballot Act was Sir J. 0. Ward's method of checkmating, in tho "Liberal" Party's interest, tho move of the Labour Party. Times, of course, have changed. Evon Sir Joseph Ward realises that the "Liberal" Party by itself is a forco whose day is gone for ever. Tho most it can hope for —and here its hopes ;»re far too high, as will be soon a fow weeks hence—is that it can just secure a majority with the assistance of half a dozen Red Fod representatives. Accordingly, "Liberalism" cannot just now aiTord to talk of Labour aspirations as a "difficulty," and perhaps, the Red Feds will not* greatly care, now that they have the "Liberal" Party under their thumb, what that party attempted to do in 1908. But the facts we have recited will enable the public to measure the sincerity of the Ward wing of the "Progressives." Side by side with tho news that a section of the English' railway workers are determined to press a demand for a substantial rise in wages, comes an interesting decision from Australia respecting the powers of Wages Boards during war-time. Mr Justice Heydon wisely holds that at such a time as this Government employees must not look for higher wages, while as regards other workers tlio presumption is against any claims for increases. The judge, however, realises that conditions may improve shortly, and therefore, suggests that awards be renewed with tho right to apply for increases if circumstances warrant it. Since the railways at Home have been taken over ,by tho State, tho men are practically Government employees. In any case, an agitation for an increase of 5s a week is very ill-advised just now. It is true that conditions must bo pressing hardly on these men, many of whom are badly paid, but that is a misfortune not confined to raihvaymei*. There aro many thousands who havo no wages at all. The railwaymen deserve well of their country. By giving their best in service, they materially assisted in the rapid and smooth mobilisation of tho Expeditionary Force, and a large number of them have joined the colours. But not even these services would justify euch an ombarassmeut of tho Government at this critical juncture as would bo produced by a threat to strike. A strike would bo as mad and criminal a development as another Commune in Paris.

. In a long letter, written in language much more agreeable, for being temperate, than he usually employs, Mr l>. M. Isitt seeks to put himself right over his strange cauduct in opposing candidates who aro by conviction supporters of the bare raajoritv on the licensing issue. ' This, ho says, is his "last word on tho subject, either in the Press or on the platform." But he cannot expect that his silence will end the matter so far as other people aro concerned. The tortuous theory ho has constructed in his defence is ingenious, but it is obviously a theory built up for a special purpose. In any event, it fails to meet the fact, that ho has been commended to tho Christchurch North electors as tho "leader of the Temperance Party." and that as a-No-licenso leader he declared jn Dunedin last year, in quite unequivocal terms, that ho would support any decent man, oven though opposed to him in general politics, who supported the bare, majority.

We reprint this statement again today, together with an equally downright statement which has not previously been quoted. "Therefore/ , fie told that temperance gathering, "let them say to tho politicians, 'wo do not care what your creed is , ." Tho extent of his devotion to the No-license cause is a matter upon which the .No-license rotors must make up their own minds. But it is quite obvious to everybody, and has been obvious for a long time, that Mr Isitt has come to place the interests of'the ''Liberal , ' Party far above all other interests. Hβ has become, indeed, a party hack of the most obedient type. Whether this will help cr hurt the No-license cause we do not

know. We are more concerned, however, with general politics, and Mr hitt. and the politicians whom he supports and fights for. are clearly not thoso who deserve the support of people who care- for sincerity and canuour in public men. In the course of his letter Mr Isitt refers to the Avon olectorate, and makes, a series of statements which leave us, and which will surely leave everyone else too. in complete d;-übt as to which of the candidates he favour?. One thing only i< clear, that ho is oaretul uot to say a -.vord against his friend and ally, Mr RusseH. who stands for tho 00 per cent, majority. In tins connexion it U worth while in recall the statement made by Mr Isitt in a. letter to "The Press" when he rushed to defend Mr RusseH when that muchtroubled politician w:i< being analysed by Mr McComb.s last March. Mr Isitt then said: Knowing th;it Mr was likely ti> be includ.'d in the Mackenzie Cabinet, I approached him to ascertain what, his position would bo in reference to the 1 hive-fifths ha'ndioap. Mr Russell st-ated that hn w;is pi-'-dgod to die thr«efifths, but. when the time <if that pledge iviis cxpir»vd, ln> would Ho. prepared to supiwrt, -io-")-j on the National Prohibition issue . . . . 1 have no reason to Ik-Uovo that when the time comes Mr Russell will fail to fulfil his pledge. Mr Rγ ;soll has declared himself for iJio ihreo-nfths nuijority. J>ut hi :s friend seeing quite satisfied. Arcades ambo!