BATTLES OF THE POLLS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 133, 7 June 1915, Page 6

BATTLES OF THE POLLS

While 'Europe is shaking with the roar I of artillery and the greatest Empire of j the world's long history is in a strenu- ; ous fight to the death with, a strong j challenger, New Zealand's political par- I ties have their battles of the polls. ! These, contests are inevitable, but it is justifiable to contract the small fireworks of the platform with the tremendous events of the Old World In the Bay of Islands, Sir Joseph Ward is in pursuit of Mr Herdman, and ,Mr. Vernon tleid is on the trail of the Opposition's leader. So they run across country, from one hamlet to another. Each side has abundance of argument to demonstrate that it is the only one which has the jight programme for Imperialism, New Zealandism, peace with' honour, progress with prudence, and the like. When Sir Joseph went North he remarked- that matters of defence should be outside the scope of party politics at present, but as he again brought out the gift Dreadnought, and hinted that New Zealand's Expeditionary Forces were the natural corollary to the Ward Government's legislation, a controversy was necessarily provoked, and the dispute has continued, in and out of the press. However, it is probable that the shares of credit for the new defence system and for the help to the Mother Country will not be an important factor in the Bay of Islands and Taumarunui. This subject was well threshed out during the campaign of the General Elections, when the people had more patience for that kind of discussion than they have now. To the average elector the most important thing in his daily life is the cost of necessaries, and it is average human nature to blame the Govornment. • The people aro less disposed to look at arguments thali to gaze, with increasing resentment, at the prices. Shipping companies, farmers, pastoralists, butter-makers, and all kinds of middlemen have a variety of circumstantial detail to offer tho consumers, but what j proportion of the public accepts tho explanations? Reasons were givgn abundantly in Queensland a few weeks ago, but they were rejected emphatically by the great body of th© public Labour's •sweeping victory is largely explained by that much-heard phrase "cost of living." Hence the Government can bo thankful that the two by-elections are in country districts. Th© Opposition declares that Taumarunui is "safe" for the allies,/ and that Sir Joseph Ward may win the other seat by a small margin. The \li«»««teriali'sts' opinion is exactly the opposite. They feel sure of the Bay of Islands, and are inclined to believe that they will also recover Taumarunui. If the luck of the elections continues on the usual even lines, each side will win one seat, and the figures will be again : Government, 41 (including Mr Tau Henare) ; Opposition, 39. Such a result, with Mr Lang as Speaker, would leave the Government with an ascendency of ono on the floor of the House — a merely nominal bare majority However, this is an uncertain time for prophecy The next fortnight or three weeks may put a newcomplexion on this country's politics.