The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FRIDAY, JULY 10. THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLI, Issue 1, 10 July 1914, Page 5

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FRIDAY, JULY 10. THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

If Sir J. G. Waril 's purpose in moving his no-confidence motion on the Address-in-reply was to line uj) the members of the House on their respect jvi> positions, it is quite likely that his act ion is -'is welcome to .Mr Massey a>JT B av he to himself. If lie harboured any hopes of being able to oust the Government they were, of course, doomed to failure. The main grounds of the 110-confi'lem-e attack were the Public Service Act, the alleged "toy navy," and the Government finance. In regard to . {he latter, most people have long since arrive! at the conclusion that Mr Allen's finance is on a much more satisfactory basis than was that of Sir J. Q. Ward. Spasmodic attacks have been made upon it by the Leader of the Opposition aii'l some of his followers, but even in the opinion of many of the critics who support the Opposition Mr Allen has had very little difficulty in m ore than answering in plain figures, barked by authoritative documents, the attacks that have been made upon him. As regards the Navy, it is strange that Sir .1. G. Ward should find fault trrth Mr Allen for his insistence upon the amplification of the agreement entered into by Sir Joseph himself in 101.1. It may be a "toy navy," or it may be anything else the Opposition like to call it, but whatever it may be termed it is to all intents and purposes on all fours with the proposals assented to by Sir ,7. G. Ward himself at the Imperial Conference in the year referred to, the proweilings of which, by the way, make interesting reading. There is this to be remarked, however, that Mr Allen has never suggested anything that has approached in wildness and extravagance the views given expression, to by Sir Joseph himself in 1911. A mother basis of attack upon the Government in the no-confidence debate was the Public Service Act of the present Government. We fan quite understand the hostility of the Opposition in opposing anything that places beyond the sphere of patronage jnd political influence a long avenue of power and support to them in the past. They are loth to sever from the influence of the party in power for the time being a source of power which has been of such immense benefit to them in years gone by. But the country is with the present Government in its action in placing the public services of the country beyond the reach of political patronage and wire-pulling, and the electors should insist upon an explicit answer from every candidate at the forthcoming election whether or not they are in favour of repealing the Public Service Aet, as is stated to be the determinaItion of Sir Joseph Ward, in the extremely improbable circumstance of again securing the reins of office in this eountry. As to the Public Service, the legation that it is "seething with disMtent'" is a gross exaggeration. There idiscontent, and the reason of it is lite well known. But the service as a rtole is satisfied. Some of them may fave expected more than has been given totheni, but there are very few indeed »io are not better off now than they were before the Act came into force, M'l what is more, their future position is assured. We venture the opinion that those who are in favour of repealling the Act and going back to the old onler of things are very few in number. Promotion comes to the deserving dicer without the necessity of recourse to influence and pull, or sitting on the doormat at Ministers' back doors. And the country as a whole will find itself Better served. The electors should know ,aactlv where every candidate stands so this question at the ensuing election,