TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 23, 28 January 1915, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY

"If he did not regain the seat, the Government and the comThe Fight bined parties in opposition for would stand equal. A Dunedin dissolution must follow," Central. runs a message in the common-sense speech of Mr. Statham to the electors of Dunedin Central. The state of parties to-day is : Governmenb 40 (including Mr. Tail Henare), Ward Party 33 (including Dr. M'Nab and 'Mr. Jennings), Labour 3 (Messrs. Veitch, Hindmarsh, and Walker), Social Democrats 2 (Messrs. Webb and M'Combs), indescribable, independent Socialist, 1 (Mr. Payne). Totals (temporarily)— Government 40 (exclusive of^ Mr. Statham), Opposition " combine " 39 (exclusive of Mr. Munro). The returns of • Dr. M'Nab, Mr. Jennings, and Mr. Henare have been questioned by petition. This brief statement shows why the whole of New Zealand is watching the extremely important duel in the South. It is a test of parties as well as a vigorous contest between two spirited young men. Mr. Statham's opponent, Mr. Munro, is a member of the Social Democratic Party, which is known officially as the "political expression " of the Red Federation of Labour. At present Mr. Munro has soft speech, wooing words for open-minded men whose Liberalism is not tied to either Sir Joseph Ward or Mr. Massey. Recent issues of the Social Democrats' official organ, the Maoriland Worker, have given some contemptuous comment on the Liberal Party (Sir Joseph's), but Mr. Munro is careful not to repeat the frank opinions of his party's paper. Tho Worker regards the Ward Party as a body to bo coerced into obedience to the i dictates of extreme Socialists. Here are I some significant lines from a Worker i article of 23rd December: — " Sir Joseph Ward may come into power with a precarious majority of one, in which case his Government would be entirely at the mercy of the soven Social Democratic and Labour members on the one hand, and three Liberal Maoris on the other hand. . . " Should Sir Joseph Ward achieve office, the position of Social Democracy and Labour in Parliament will be strong indeed. We shall be in a position to compel the measures we desire and the rescission of many evil classdevised enactments. Our party will in such an event maintain its identity as a separate party. Its members will not sit in the Liberal caucus, and will not line im at the crack of the Liberal ' whip ; and under no circumstances will any Social Democrat, or Labour man take offico in the Liberal or any other Administration." Will Dunedin Liberals agree to be in such abject submission to the Red will? By supporting Mr. Statham they can secure a stable Government, which has acted in accordance wibh Liberal principles and has improved on the administration of predecessors in some important respects. Mr. Statham is a young New Zealander, well - educated, well equipped for good service to the State. He is no party hack, no blind follower. He has the courage of his beliefs, which rest on a sound structure of broad and deep thought. He is not a garrulous, superficial " Hansardiser. " He thinks twice, and wisely, before he speaks once, and his words are always worth while. His record in the House proves him to be a genuine Liberal, whose political creed ia based on something better than a jargon of parrot phrases. Words of good cheer were given by the Primo Minister ab Justifiable Levin " yesterday. Optimism. People who may have distressed themselves by gloomy fears can take hearb of grace. Happily, this country is not afflicbed with any considerable proportion of pessimisbs. Beaubiful landscapes, bright skies, and pleasanb climate are nob favourable, for bhe disease of despair or bho blight of cynicism. Indeed, the people are temperamentally' inclined to be excessively opbimistic— exuberant in expendibure as well as in the jo-'ful spirit which springs from good health. Meanwhile the few chronic "croakers" have big figures of produce to swallow. Pasbures have been scorched and crops have been stunbed by the drought in some of the East Coast districts, but the yield from the country a whole is remarkably good. Last year the bobal of bhe exports ran to £26,000,000 (including £22,000,000 of produce from bhe land), and Mr. Massey has reason to believe that this year's aggregabe will be even larger. The public can sympathise hearbily with a number of setblers to whom the parching winds have been unkind, but the farmmg class in general is prosperous. "There is nothing like wool" and "nothing like meat" in bhese times. The higher values for meat and dairy produce in overseas markets do push up the prices here, but the consumers have one comfort ; the increase in the return from sales is spread through bhe community. We dp not say that this, issufficienb compensation in these times, during which many a household has anxiety, but it is a fact which has to be noticed in any survey of the 'cost of living. Though New Zealand can look confidenbly into bhe future, bhe people must prepare for possibilities of bemporary checkß. There is evidence bhat large numbers anticipabe that everything will go smoothly throughout the war — and after. We have already explained that a thorough triumph for the Allies cannot change suddenly the war's disturbance of the world's complicated financial and commercial systems — and every country | will have something to suffer. The j probability is that New Zealand's share of bhat kind of trouble will be less than the portion of any obher part of the Empire, but such a prospect should be no excuse for lavish spending to-day. There are signs that while the proportion of deferred payments due to tradesmen, or bad debbs, is rising, the cash takings by promoters of amusements are not declining. The invesbmenbs on the totalisator are also larger than ever. For the Chrisbmas and New Year meebings bhe aggregate turnover for New Zealand showed an advance of 10 per Cent, on the figures of bhe previous midsummer, and the machine's toll at the recent Wellington meeting (three days) was about 30 per cent, in excess of lasb year's sum.