NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1309, 12 December 1911, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

We briefly noted yesterday, as another curiosity of a certain kind of journalism, our evening contemporary's strenuous support of Mr. Fi-KTCiiEii, the Wardisf; cundidatu, who, if elected, will support the party that the I'oU not so long ago denounced in terms never exceeded by any paper'denouncing any Government anywhere. The Government was degenerate, it said—n time-serving, false, opportunist, corrupt, Belf-seeking, incompetent, treacherous, prolligate Government. And this was before the Government was nearly so bad as it- is today. Yesterday, in an endeavour to defend itself and Mn. Fletcher, it protested against the "insinuation that if he is sent to the House of lte-

presentatives he will not be courageous enough to chide the Government for any wrong-doing." As if any Wardist candidate would not become what all Wardist candidate become. We know well enough how insignificant Mn. Fletcher's "duelings ' of the Government would besomething like Mr. Ism's, we should say. But our contemporary itself is the best witness to the hope-

lessness of expecting anything from Wardist politicians. It has said: There are many excellent: men, men of sensii anil men of integrity fsiich as it rays Mr. Fletcher is] in the ranks of the (.luverument parly; and the party machine has made them individually unimportant— nitre tools in the hands of the administrative clique.

That is the I'asl'x opinion, and it i; precisely what Mr. Fletcheis could not prevent.himself from becoming. Mr. Fletcher supports the. Warm party as a party, nnd when one lias said that one has said all that j = needful. But we may add our contemporary's way of putting the situation. In the article referred to. published only three years ago, it wound up its denunciation of th-2 Government with this sentence: - Who, othor than a sharer of flip spoil c«n in Ilioe circumstances be expected to voto for flic party as a jiart.v? '

If it says., as it is trying to say, that the land question is paramount, and that that excuses Mn. Fletcher and itself, it ought to explain how tha .situation has changed since October :0, 1908, when it declared, in reference to Mn. Massey's statement oE the need for Civil Service and public works reform:

There are no issues before the doctor comparable in. iiuiiortaucn villi these.

Even' more strange than their headlines of Friday announcing n, "further triumph for the Government" is_ the attempt of some of the Ministerialist journals to persuade their readers that Wardism secured •"0,000 more votes than fleform on Thursday. As a matter of fact, the figures (so far as they are available) show that in the contests of Thursday the votes were thus distributed: Ministerialist, 187,135; Opposition, 177,294; Independent, 36.290: Labour and Socialist, 43,G72. The Beform party, however, left eight seats un- | contested; there were two seats un- ' contested • by, W'nrdisfc candidates. In the two latter seats Micro must have, been some supporters of the Government, just as there must have been some lleform voters in the eight, other seats. A proper comparison requires therefore that we consider the contests in which the two parties met There were 65 such contests. In them the lleform votes totalled 171, Gil and the. Wardist Votes 158,'822. This speaks plainly of a great turnover of public opinion. When tbo elections are over, and all the figures are recorded, it will be found that this ratio will be increased in favour of Reform. The great bulk or the Labour votes are, of course, votes against Wardism too.

Two candidates who have particularly distinguished themselves during the present election struggle are Messrs. Campbell, of Hawked Bav, and EscoTT, of Pahiatua. Both have conducted spirited campaigns, and both have impressed the electors of their respective districts as men of ability and sincerity of purpose. It ■is a real pleasure in 'these days of shuffling and time-serving to " find candidates frankly and openly stating their convictions on political issues, and ready to stand or, fall bv their opinions. These arc the men who are needed in the Parliament of New Zealand to-day. These are the men above all others who can be relied on to help forward the cause of Reform and assist to bring about that honest administration of the country's affairs in the public interest which will benefit all classes and ensure national progress on sound lines. We would urge all advocates of Reform—all who realise the advantages of a change of Government after 'twenty years' control by the one circle of politicians—all especially who recognise the urgont call for a proper attention to the requirements of the settlers in the country districts—to voto next Thursday for Messrs. Campbell and Escott. _No vote can be spared if victory is to be assured.

We would direct the attention of the electors of Wellington East, and particularly that section of them that has looked with kindly eyes on the candidature of Mr. D. M'Laren to the record of his performances during his three years in Parliament which we publish elsewhere this morning. Mr. M'Laren has been talking somewhat boastfully of his ability to deal with his critics. W>> invite him to come down to facts instead of assertion, and explain away if ho can, the votes which we have taken out of Hansard and recorded as stated., Mr. M'Laren, amongst other things, voted to put the extra taxation on the public in the wav of Customs duty; ho voted on more than one occasion against Mr. Masset's proposal to reduce the duty on tobacco; and altogether proved himself an obedient follower at the heete of Sir Joseph Ward when divisions were called for. The spectacle of thn only Labour representative in Parliament voting in favour of increased taxation of -a kind that particularly affected the working classes should prove highly gratifying to those who .are advocating Mr. M'Laren's claims as the friend of the worker.

3lk. W. H. D. Bell announces today that in view of Mr. Mooke having met, with an accident he has cancelled all tho arrangements for his final election addresses. Mr.. Moore's mishap has not incapacitated him from continuing his platform campaign, ami perhaps Mn. Bell bo* ovor-ostimotod the amount of th? concession that he might make to

fiis opponent. There was really no obligation upon liim (o concede Mn. iMooiiii the platform, but it, was n sporting thing to do, and no doubt Mil. jMoohe mid his friends will appreciate (he courtesy of the. enemy. Mn. MooiiG has announced that he is unable to alter his arrangements and in doing this he is acting quite properly. Mn. Jteu, will be glad that his good-natured offer will be taken advantage- of by his opponent. W-.i have no anxiety about the result, but it is satisfactory to know that it will not be said that Mn. Brcu, owed his win to the slight misadventure of the rival candidate.

I'iib struggle for the Maßtcrlon scat is likely to prove a hard one. Mit. Hooo is an old campaigner and' knows all tlic tricks and artifices likely to in flu (.'rice electors. Manteiton has been very Rood to him in giving him the long innings it; has. It enabled him to win a portfolio in tlie Ward Administration, and h<; had the hall at hin feet. He, however, lost his Cabinet rank through differencefi with hin colleagues, and since that time has condemned tin; Government lock, slock, and barrel. And yet lie supports if,, and )kh helped to keep it i/i nlYiw nmi will continue to do so, Mil. How jn ■~ very estimable gentleman, and we have not a word to r.av againzt him personally, lint politically lii'k pro-! ])er place is that ui:rnii<: mlrad <it j the exhausted politician, the Legin-i lutive Council. We ean picture him there in his element., and no doubt some day he will find hin way to thai comfortable refuge. JI, is time, however, tJml, Mastcrton had a representativij who can press forward the interests of a district that has not progressed of late as it should have done. The Wairarapa has been penalised by the Wαm> Administration in the matter of its railway service, and the whole district has suffered. Mji. Sykes is in the happy position of possessing a thorough knowledge of the district and its re' fjiiirements, and, in addition, lie should prove a valuable member on account of bis knowledge of the needs of the country settlors. The Mastertou electors cannot afford to

ignore the fact that the Ward Administration practically stands defeated, and that if the Reform parly is to be given a working majority to carry out its progressive programme Mastcrton must do its share. It has treated Mn. Hogg very well, and it must noiv consider whether it is wise to miss tlie chance that is afforded it of making a change likely to prove beneficial to the district/ If those electors who recorded their votes for Mr. Herbert on Thursday last will again cast their votes for Reform, as represented by •Mγ,. Sykes, a great victory is certain. We hope to see it both in the interests of Masterton and of the country as a whole.

The intelligent section of the rank and file of Labour must be feeling very disgusted with the manner in which its chosen candidates left in

the second ballot for Wellington City and Suburbs arc conducting their election campaign. Up to tho close of the first ballot no complaint could be made. It was a straightout fight, in which the interests of Labour received proper prominence Mk. HiNDJMiisif, it is true, in his own peculiar and irresponsible fashion, made up for his lack of ideas on political issues by violent

invective, and at times unpleasantly coarse abuse, but on the whole tho Labour candidates fought hard ami ■well. Now they have changed their tactics, and Mi;. Hinpjiaesh especially appears to imagine that" th-i speediest way to the heart of the elector is to pelt his opponents and critics with verbal garbage and to attack them by name as pimps and hirelings. If there is one thing more than another likely to discredit Labour and damage the Labour cause it is the creation of the impression that the Labour candidates arc recklew and irresponsible people whose only idea of politics is to shriek maledictions at street corners and tp amuse the public with wild and meaningless rhetoric. Mn. HindjiarSh in the role of a serious politician is an amusing figure, but there is something more in politics than amusement. . It is interesting to note that Mn. HiNDiMRSit, who poses as an outspoken critic, lias joined tho ranks of the "wobblers" on the question of his attitude towards the Government. Like a good many other noisy people, he shirks a straight-out declaration, and on th» really vital issue of the election cuts a sorry figure, twisting and dodging clumsily. The genuine supporters of Labour m Wellington South and elsewhere may well feel humiliated that their cause should be made a subject for ridicule by the candidates they have chosen to voice its claims.