The Evening Star THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1938. LABOUR’S FIRST SHOTS.

Evening Star, Issue 22938, 21 April 1938, Page 10

The Evening Star THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1938. LABOUR’S FIRST SHOTS.

The “ first shots ” in Labour's municipal campaign were fired, according to announcement, by a number of candidates last night. Though a session has still to intervene, the address which was broadcast simultaneously by Mr Savage from the Town Hall. Wellington, may be regarded as the first shot in his General Election Campaign. Until a few years ago the two series of contests would have had nothing whatever in common. Now .they are closely . united, because municipal contests have been made political in the interests of the Labour Party to an extent that did not prevail before. A Christchurch Labour candidate has had the hardihood to claim that “ it is vitally important that there should be a Labour majority on local bodies so that the Government may be helped in its work.” Thd* assumption is moonshine. City councils exist properly to conduct the affairs of cities, with their great services that are akin to business undertakings. Any city council will co-operate with any Government where the interests of its citizens are concerned. There is no need for parties or political divisions to enter into the matter for a single moment, and it is to the advantage of local government when they do not. That day has passed, however. A “ Labour ” council has ruled in Dunedin with the Labour Government always in its thoughts, and a past councillor can speak ridiculously of earlier bodies, when such divisions were normally unthought of, as “ anti-Labour ” councils. The disastrous result has been that candidates for the council can, no longer be judged by their merits, their zeal for the city, including all classes, and the individual business ability they may possess. The judgment must be by parties before anything else. Mr Savage was in joyous mood in his national address. He had reason to be so, because as Prime Minister Mr Savage has been a remarkably fortunate man. He came into office when a worldwide depression, which had made abnormal difficulties for his predecessors, was giving place to recovery, and he claims credit for his Government in large measure for a return of prosperity which has been the same in all the States of Canada and Australia, to name no others, without any question of Labour or non-Labour government. To that prosperity is due his expected surplus for the year of £BOO,OOO, far exceeding his Ministry's estimate, and the fact that the public debt will be less at the end ’ of tho financial year than it was at the beginning. Mr Savage spoke with pride of his record taxation revenue; he did not speak of the taxes he has failed to repeal, nor of the increased cost of living which has so largely offset advantages. Not much of his speech was new. All tho vaunts have been hoard before. They would not be heard long if tho prices for other products, over which the Government has no cqntrol whatever, should follow the latest prices of wool. There was a quaint, but not unnatural resemblance, at some points, between the Prime Minister’s pecan and the speeches of some municipal Labour stalwarts. Mr Savage was aggrieved about a?- “ whispering campaign,” which it might be thought he could ignore when he has a broadcast service and the Press both. together at his command to contradict and to discourage baseless rumours. Mr W. Inglis, chairman of one of the local meetings, also referred to a “ whispering campaign ” in con-nection”-with municipal matters. The public knows the strength of “ whispers ” when it is sought to get them into the Press, and they are cither refused publicity or exposed by reference to, and prompt contradiction from, Hie persons aspersed. Mr Inglis also bad .a, piost unwarrantable insinuation, to

make in respect of ” secret chambers,” I where reports of meetings were supposed to he “ mutilated," presumably in accordance with the opinions which those expi eased. Any reporter will tell any candidate that reports are never mutilated on the score of views. The strength of a newspaper lies in keeping its nows and views entirely separate, and we know of no newspaper in New Zealand that is not fully cognisant of that ftu-t. Dr M'Millan's speech was a paean containing the bold suggestion, which had not occurred apparently to the Prime Minister, that prosperity might be attributed almost as much to tho Dunedin Labour Council as to the Labour Government. It might be askfed whether, outside of its housing scheme, which meets a need in the meantime and whose cost to the ratepayers can only be shown by time, the Labour Council has done anything outstanding except bury some guns, push works for unemployed (who should be the Government’s charge) at the expense of renewal funds, and impose a hose tux, followed too soon by regulations against hosing. One thing it did, for which Cr M’Millan’s explanation does not appear as adequate. Will Cr M’Millau say whether, when Mr M. O. Henderson found that, while on full pay leave from the council, he could not contest a council position, his three months’ pny could not have been provided as a re-, tiring allowance? If it could, why was that not done? Tho failure to do it, after the first provision, to one who had given such long and pre-eminent service to the corporation and who happened to be standing as a Citizens’ candidate must appear as surely the ‘shabbiest act of the council. .