THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3141, 20 July 1917, Page 7

THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Sir,—Why all this outcry against tho National Government on (lie part cf the Hon. J. 1). Ormond, Sir "William HallJones, and Mr. von Haast? Ido not find in niy travels through the o.untry, and I move about a good deal, that tlero is any. real desire on the part cf tho people for either a .change «>f Government or-a general election. The public, is a. littlo fickle-minded at times, and to be led astray by the false cries and issues raised by the small ccterie of interested politicians, who are always ready to score a point or tub at tho expense of their moro successful fellows. But, apart from that, and a certain amount of grumbling which always goes on, no matter what Govornmqnt is in ofiice, I do not believe t'nero is anything like the grave amount of dissatisfaction with tho doings of the Government, spoken-of by the gentlemen to whom X have referred.. However, on the pic-sent occasion, I am more concerned with the views expressed by Mr. von Haast in his letter appearing in yesterday's Dominion, which reads moro liko the outcry of "a soured Liberal" than the patriotic sentiments of a citizen genuinely anxious that this country should see the all-im-portant part we are playing, in the defence of the Empire, carried through to a* successful finish.

I suppose none of us are satisfied with everything that tho Government does. Was there over a Government that succeeded! in satisfying everybody ? But could we expect any Government to do better work than our National Government has accomplished and is t'oingl" Mr. von Haast may believe that if the country would permit him to control the Government ho could do better things than Mr. Massey and his colleagues aro accomplishing, and I do not in any way underestimate his ability in that direction. He is blessed with unusual gifts. That is apparent to everyone who reads his spirited letters in your' esteemed paper. But, that: admitted, lam bound to challenge tlio correctness of the premises upon which he bases his indictment of tho National Government, and necessarily also tho conclusions arrived at. May 1 venture to suggest that, before Mr. von Haast proceeds to elaborate' his plans for the Government -of tho country during tho currency of tho wur, it would bo as well if ho puts niiuself right with tho public, and ,actcd ,'iioro justly by tho National Government ho has gone out of his way to assail, by icvismg, on lines more in accordance with fact, the statements ho makes concerning tho latter. I do not question Mr. von lumst's altr, but it seems to mo ho Juis cLosen ■a curious way of showing it. His legal mind and training must, I suppose, bo held responsible for tho method he has adopted to convince the public, that he, of all men, is tho most concerned for the welfare of the country, which, if ho is to bo believed, is so badly governed by our National Cabineij. To seize on tho weakest, point ill adversary's armour is obviously ono of -tlio first duties of counscl engaged in any case, but for Mr. von Haast to deliberately isolate a singlo passage from tl/o context of what was rightly described .by ono of' your contemporaries as "a noble speech," and lo make that tho text of an indictment intended to damn the Government, looks to me vory much.liko hitting i:elow (ho belt; especially when that speech was delivered by a. member of tho Government ho ijsrailed, and in defonco of a. principle to which the country stands committed, and whicli it could not repudiate without loss of moral dignity and honour, oir trancis Bell's memorable utterances in reply to the romarks of tho lien. ,1 D. Ormond and Sir William Hall-Jones deserved, and I am suro have received, moro kindly recognition.at tho huuds of the peoplo of this country than ill von -" aa :' ; ' : ' K ill-judged, comments aro likely lo bo in circlos in which they are read. .

Even did your spam. permit, ond yon wcro. 800(1 enough. to permit mo to traverse tbo many misleading assertions inado by your correspondent, it would ■bn out of tho question for me io do so. And no cood purpose could bo served by my foflowing'Mr. von Haust through tho mazo of doubt and suspicion in wliich he envelopes fho existence of llio National Government. There lire, however, just ona or two poiuis to which I should j list ljko to refer. Let me lake first hia references to tho part, our womenfolk uro .playing- in the war. Mr. von Haast suggests (inferentially, of course) that our women should, tako thu placo of mon in. the manual occupations and pursuits in which English womon havo replaced the men at Home, and that they should bo ; organised with that end in view. Ho infers, indeed, that they should have beon organised on those lines two yoars ago—that there should have been industrial conscription of both manhood and womai.hood of tho nation. 1 for ono do not agree with him. nor am I prepared to admit that tho necessity for such extromo action has yet arisen. I should indeed be exceedingly loth In see women in this country compelled to servo In coal yards, «|rf gasworks, and brickfields, on tho wharves and in the foundries. in tho fields, in general farm work, or 'in many other occupations that havo been rightfully set. apart for men oil account of their greater strength and power of «mlwinter. A large amount of,, female labour is. it is true, employed in.tho Motherland in such avocations; but it has.been all undertaken voluntarily. and without any compulsion, of any kind; and, although we havo 'been at war for noarlv throe .years, row-hero in l.ho British lirapire lias industrial conscription been seriously considered, as either necessary or desirable. In Great Britain, however, t ir.ay point out there is a very largo excess of women as compared with men, and 1 lljink T am right in saying thero were, prior to the war, something like six- million more women than, men, resident in the British: Isles. Her"\ qf course, the propurtiuii_ is lliu other, way aboul. added Io which our womenfolk are. in their own way, doing lino and . oß'colivo work lor our soldier oilizens, where they aro not actually fining positions in shops .formerly hold by men. now iu the fields or in training. Give the Government their (!ue, Mr. von Haast.' 'I'liey havo done, if not all that wo expected, much morn than'most of ui> anlicipaled they 1 could and would do.—l nil. etc.. P. W.-M.A^TON.