Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. MONDAY, JULY 5th, 1915. TILE COALITION PROPOSAL.

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 July 1915, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. MONDAY, JULY sth, 1915. TILE COALITION PROPOSAL.

The careful consideration which is being • bestowed upon the Premier's proposal for the formation of a National Government in New Zealand lias caused the subject to,become one of extreme interest from one end of the Dominion to the other. Li goes without saying that the united energies of the country are required to discharge successfully our heavy obligations to the great cause we arc assisting to uphold, so that it is imperative that party conflict should be reduced to a minimum; that indeed one and all should put his or her “shoulder to the wheel’ 'so that nothing shall militate against the wholehearted performance of the one supremo duly which confronts us. Theoretically, the case for coalition in the national interests is a thoroughly strong one, but, in this connection, it is well to observe that the Deposition minority who doubt the scheme base their objections upon three facts, viz.: , (1) That the Government have established a Secret Defence Committee, upon which > the strongest men of the Liberal party have been placed; (2) that

the Liberal Leader has assured the Governent of the party’s hearty support in all war proposals ;ancl (S) that the Opposition lias already put all business through at lightning speed. These conditions certainly demonstrate the unity of the two main parties upon Imperial questions. “Empire first” is the practised slogan here as it is in the Motherland. Of course., there are very strong precedents in support of the coalition scheme. Immediately after the war began the French Government was entirely reconstructed on non-party lines; and more recently the British Imperial Cabinet has been similarly reconstituted. The reconstruction of the British Cabinet was not in any sense due to failure or administrative weakness on the part of the Liberals, but in the increasing urgent character of this great national emergency, which has made unprecedented demands upon the united strength of the nation. What Mr Asquith and Mr Bonar Law have decided to do in order to ensure the most effective employment of all our national and Imperial resources at this great crisis is advanced as a reason why Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward should now act similarly. Probably this contention is based upon sound commonsense, but already trouble has arisen. Apparently, Mr Massey is desirous of giving the Liberals three seats in the new Cabinet. As the Cabinet consists of nine Ministers, this proposal would certainly not satisfy the Opposition, which is almost exactly equal in strength to the Government. We may point out that when the British Coalition Ministry was formed, the Liberals had a vey substantial majority in the House of Commons, but out of a Cabinet of twenty-two members they reserved only twelve seats for themselves. The position of the “Reform” party here is infinitely weaker than that of the Liberal Government at Home before the Coalition was arranged; and it is quite obvious that Sir

Joseph would not be justified in- accepting anything like an ungenerously small share of the portfolios in a Coalition Ministry. Judging by to-day’s telegrams, the Hon. J . Allen is the “stumbling block” to fruition of the proposal, declining to yield up either of his. important portfolios, one of which would be Sir Joseph Ward's by right were coalition consummated. The Minister requires to take a broader view of the demands of the case. With both sides practically equal, an equitable distribution of the portfolios is an essential precedent to the formation of a National Cabinet. If this cannot be achieved under the present sys tem, then another portfolio should be created, the Leadership of the Council becoming an honorary position and there being nine Ministers in the House. If

the proposal is carried out on fair and reasonable lines and is accompanied by a condition, tbat tbe Coalition shall cease at the termination of the war there is no reason why the expedient should not be resorted lo in order to get over what is really a deadlock if party politics are once again introduced. The truth is ibat the strength of both parties is their greatest weakness. THE I’IUCES OE EOOD. The increasing cost of living has formed such a iruiifui subject of discussion oi iaie and lias been tbe cause of much alarm to the housekeepers tiiai it was naturally thought that the hood Trices Commission in its report to Tar-, iiamerit would present some illuminating evidence, arguments or conclusions upon the matter of supreme importance to the people of New Zealand. The report which Parliament received on Thursday last is at once disappointing and surprising, and simply compels the conviction that the whole investigation has been farcical in the extreme The judgment of the Commission is summarised in one passage,

thus: —“We had no evidence, nor was it suggested, that there was any combination amongst [merchants to maintain a high level of prices. On the contrary, we were satisfied that merchants _ and traders, with few exceptions, throughout the Dominion had acted fairly and reasonably, and had not sought to take advantage of the war to augment their profits at the expense of the public. ’ Of course, we dare not argue that the abnormal conditions due to the war have not been responsible for some proportion of the increased prices of foodstuffs, but the fact remains that the people will not rest content with the brief declaration made by the Commission on this momentous question. In the words of the Wellington Dost; “The people still await the refutation of Mr Andrew I airbairn’s accusation, and this expectation is not unreasonable. The secrecy of the Commission s sittings, to which the press had no admission, and the non-publi-cation of evidence could not fail to have their effect on the public mind, which is apt to ho suspicious in such circumstances. .Various critics throughout the country professed to have a lack of confidence in the Commission, and, though loud assertion may often be as unjust as it is inaccurate, the criticism appealed strongly to a considerable proportion of the population, and this attitude will not be changed for the hotter by the Commission’s report—with its brief statement that it did not discover any need of action on behalf of the public.” Under these circumstances, the duty of the New Zealand Parliament is obvious; it must act in the interests of the consumer s._ It must determine why the Colonial Sugar Company is continually “putting the screw on”; why the freezers are full of mutton which they aro

unable to ship through lack ol insulated space and yet the retail price remains as high as ever; why butter has soared to abnormal prices when also there is a lack of proper shipping facilities, and why the imported wheat is being sold at a price which gives the middleman a handsome profit. These are questions whereon the Commission has failed to give clear and effective answers, and it now devolves upon Parliament to ascertain the why and tile wherefore, and, if necessary, devise the safeguards necessary to protect the public from exploitation by the unscrupulous trader. A MAGNIFICENT EFFORT. It is a fair cry that in many parts of New Zealand, where the wealthy lauded people predominate, the public have not done their duty in regard to subscribing to the various funds being raised for war purposes. This reproach, which certainly can be levelled against -some districts, cannot be said to apply to the Wairarapa, where over TOO,OOO has, up to the present time, been raised for the war funds. Of this sum about £23,840 has been subscribed for the Allies Relief Fund, and £37,053 for New Zealand’s Sick and Wounded Soldiers Fund. These sums do not include the Lady Liverpool Fund, which now totals £3OOO. Of the £OO,OOO, Sir Walter Buchanan, M.L.C., a thoroughgoing Conservative and a landed proprietor of the best type, has subscribed no less (Gian £7OOO, in various ways. Some people will be prone to aver that he could afford it. But, to the contrary, it can be said that many people in his financial position have absolutely failed in their duty to their King and nation. We commend the whole-hearted generosity of Sir Walter to those who can afford to act similarly. The Wairarapa has done well and set a notable example to the rest of the wealthy districts in New Zealand. BaaQaagacaai jsxsssaxßßKßtißSXßKs