The Dominion. TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 1908. A NOTABLE CONTEST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 177, 21 April 1908, Page 6

The Dominion. TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 1908. A NOTABLE CONTEST.

■ . —: —; ——. —.I . There have_ been many by-elections in 'Great Britain since ''the Liberal party swept the polls after tie' resig-, nation of the . Balfour Government.. ; Some of these, and notably the : MidDevon. contest that 1 was won fairly and /squarely,; by tariff \reform, have: beef) .unusually, interesting,: but-none haft excited so much attention, or, has been' the subject of so much strenuous, fighting, : 'asj. the important struggle now proceeding in-Manchester. It .is not 'alone .that Mr: Winstpn Clhirchill is a , picturesque political figure and the ' best-hated , man on the Ministerial benches. It is' not merely that in fighting him'the Unionist party has at Jast got to grips-with the enemy upon whom it has for two ' years concen- • tratcd its-bitterest fury. These facts alone would have'guaranteed-a memorable'conflict! But the election has fallen at an intensely .interesting: moment; in the. permanent political war between the Unionists and the Liberals. The: fiscal issue is, assisted as a !line of cleavage by half a .dozen other issues hot ini the public mind, v The Government ; has -just introduced its new Education Bill, and . a licensing Bill which: has almost placed the tariff in the background as in. occasion: of strife. The question of the franchise fo£ women, which the "suffragettes" had almost killed for serious "men, has ,been restored to a position of importance by'/the favourable vote of the House of Commons upon the motion for the second reading of a private member's Bill for the granting of wo-° men's i suffrage. Finally, the determination _ of the Government to embark upon a scheme of old-age pensions, as v the main plank in. a Radical programme, has made anti-Socialism a. live issue. : All these questions will play their part in the election, but . it seems likely that the deciding issue will be the tariff. , Now that Mr. A. G. Hales has withdrawn his candidature, • the way . is left clear for a straight-out contest beween Mr. Churchill and Mr. Joycson Hicks. Already, it would seem, the chances of the Unionist candidate have been weakened by the breach between the .extreme Tariff Reformers and the Unionist, freetraders. Ho appears to/be a very weak-kneed Tariff .Reformer, and to lack the wholesouled confidence which distinguishes the extremists, for he declined ,to make tariff reform a deciding issue, and sought, apparently, to declare that "the real issue is condemnation of the Government." Naturally, he has thus' "created much dissatisfaction in the ranks of the Tariffites," and he has alienated the Unionist Freetraders, who, through the Free Trade League, have requested the electors to support Mr.. .Churchill. Mr. Hioka .tkua ap-

pears to Have fallen heavily between the two fiscal stools, and it will bo surprising if the Freetrade vote is not large enough to carry Mr. Churchill to success against the forces opposing liim on other than fiscal grounds. The "Spectator" has over and, over again warned the Unionist party that insistence upon tariff reform as a plank, of the official policy would drive the Unionist Freetraders, however unwillingly, into the arms of the Government., The' "Spectator's" prophecy has already had a partial fulfilment in the manifesto of the Free Trade League. Nothing is more likely than that it will have a complete justification in, the success of Mr. Churchill as the result of the Unionist, support which will go to him because, however distasteful his general policy may be to Unionism, he is at any rate a sound Freetrader. More, therefore, depends on this interesting contest than has depended on any by-election sin ce the 1 return of the Liberals. The defeat of Mr. Churchill will _ be a triumph for Tariff Reform. 'His success will be a warning to the Tariff Reformers that the Unionist party can look for defeat l so long as tariff reform is made a plank of the party's policy. The result of the election, in short, will not only teach the Unionist party a lesson in tactics, but will furnish as reliable an indication as is possible of the real opinion of the British public upon the fiscal question. THE STRIKE SITUATION. : . ' —4 ; .V-' ■ ■■■' y , Now that the holidays are over, and Ministers have returned to Wellington, it is necessary to, remind the public that , close upon , two 'months have elapsed since'the Blackball miners went out on strike. When, in the early stages of the trouble, day succeeded day without any sign" from the Government that it intended to tako action, lit became' difficult to write with patience upon what has become fi political scandal of the grossest character. To-day, the situation is grave almost beyond i criticism. With one exception—the "Lyttelton Times" —the leading newspapers rof ■ the Dominion -have one by 1 one convinced themselves of the fact, which was patent from the very beginning, that the ' Government has , committed a grave offence iagainst , justice* and'.has dragged the law in the dust. It is not necessary to review the history of the Government's performance, or want of performance, during the,' past two months. The contempt with which it has treated public opinion and the law makes a very scandalous . chapter .in tin story, of its career, and one which will create amazement wherever it .is read. Not the least iamazing item -in the astounding sum total of the Government's conduct was the introduction of the intolerable principle, that the' law of' the' land shall not be enforced if ..the Government thinks,' or pretends to think, that, it contains a flaw. That such a monstrous prin-; ciplo should have been impqsed.upon. a community in ' a con'stitiitiotfal 'country will probably'-be ■ disbelieved by, everybody : outside N ott, .Anil Englishman would as 'readily • believe! tho Prime'. Minister capable of : over-riding, the Habeas Corpus Act.' Yet that violation of the fundamental principle of British law is an actual, fact,.' '■ ' ', :■ That the New Zealand public, with tho exception, of the. Socialists,' some: of the trades i unions/ and .a few .interested parties, ' are unanimous in thoir rpprobation of the; Government's policy, is beyond-all question.' Hofr/ then, is'it possible that the Govern-, ment can persist , ii) ; a policy whioh is a continued insult' to< the : community !• The reason, we think, lies in a general hope that the Government may after all do something to-retrieve its blunder. Cabinet is to-meet this week,; and the public is anxiously awaiting some pronouncement ■ concerning'V a' situation that is painful and humiliating beyond ' precedent! : . Nobody now retains much indignation at; the action of those, who have aided and abetted the strike. There is not much room for such /indignation in ■ the presence of the greater anxieties which have been bred by tlie Government's dethronement of tho law. What the public desires to know. is. whether 1 the Act, enforced as it stands, can; punish they offences which it exists .to discourage. That can only be ascertained by the institution of' proceedings against the persons and bodies concerned. It is to be hoped that the Blackball Company can see its way, by moving for the prosecution asked for\by the Employers' Federation, to assist a community which has been deserted by the Government's insolent neglect to do its duty as the servant of Parliament. „ The . public knows that the Arbitration Act can: punish strikers and those who aid or abet a strike. It has a right to know also whether the Act cap sustain, or will bieak down,_ under the weight of the responsibilities which it' may create by its penalties.