The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY. NOV. 14, 1928. WHY THE REFORM GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE RETURNED TO POWER.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10743, 14 November 1928, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY. NOV. 14, 1928. WHY THE REFORM GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE RETURNED TO POWER.

The electors have, no doubt, been chiefly - interested in the ■ views -put 'forward by the three main’ parties tor their consideration befoi'e casting their votes to-day./ What will have favorably impressed the bulk of them is that the Reform Party, least of all; has endeavoured to tickle their ears. Mr. Coates' had no difficulty in presenting a worthy programme of achievements on the part of his Government under great difficulties. It is its policy to push ahead with the development of the Dominion on prudent lines and, at the same time, further to lighten the burdens of all classes of the community. Nothing fantastic has been promised and, if he should, be permitted to carry out its programme.—and it does not seem to be open to the slightest doubt but that the Reform Government will be returned to office —manifold benefits should accrue in every direction. What 13 very important to note is that the Reform Party alone can claim that its policy cannot possibly lead to an increase in taxation, whilst, on the other hand, it is pledged to bring about a decrease in the taxation burden. It may, we think, also be taken for granted that industrial peace will continue to reign if it should be returned, seeing that one of its chief aims is to encourage Capital and Labour to reach, by means, of a further national conference, an amicable agreement on whether or not any improvement can be made in the method of adjusting industrial disputes. By this time, the electors must also feel assured that the nation’s credit could he in no better hands than those of the Reform. Party. As regards the Official Opposition, it will be agreed that it could not possibly carry out its pledges without heavily increasing taxation. . What Mi’. Holland and his party say is that they would, if they became: the Government, so adjust taxation that only companies and individuals with sub-, stantial incomes, would feel the extra burden, It should hardly require to 1 be stressed, • however; that such an ugly threat could only have the effect of restricting private enterprise at a time when it should he encouraged if unemployment is to be speedily reduced. The electors, too, fully realise that Labor, on this occasion, has unsuccessfully endeavoured to keep in the, background its real political and. industrial .objectives. - What might, ' therefore, |be reasonably dreaded is that if' Labor should be permitted to displace 5 Reform’ on the Treasury Benches a period of grave political, industrial and social unrest • would, at ' once be ushered in. In other words, more rapid ' progress and greater stability would he out. of the question, for this.;Dominion. ,Th© only other party whose;claims retire to be consider-

ed isi what :is now* called the United Party.' What is suggested hy its leader, Sir. Joseph Ward, is that he could do what 'no other statesman would ever pretend was within his powers. If he is to be believed, he could rafso huge loans at £5 below par andi re-lend. the money at only 5/- per cent, above the interest rate without. the taxpayers being called upon for a single penny in the way of taxation, direct or indirect; ho could finish the. railway works Tri three years, and;' although at least 20.000 men' would have to be employed, there would be' no unemployment at. the end of the task ; ho could settle from 300,000 to 400,000 liew people in the Dominion within the next 10 years without creating any upheaval in the labor market; and lie could build other public works out of surpluses which could only be created by the levying of enormously increased income and laud taxes, in view of a pledge to reduce Customs taxation substantially and grant subsidies to certain secondary. industries! The. Uniteds’ policy has, indeed, been fittingly described as one of “Borrow, Boom, and Burst,” or as one of “Eht and Drink and be Merry and Live iii Debt”. Mr Coates is right when he says that, where the three parties have candidates in the field, a vote for the United .Party might just as well be given to the Labor Party, seeing that Sir Joseph Ward lias told the electors that he would have no hesitation about going to the aid of the “Beds” if any opportunity should arise to secure the defeat of .the Reform Government! In all the circumstances, the elect6rs have no option but to return Mr. Coates and his party with a working majority if they wish to have regard to the best interests of the Dominion,

WHY MU. LYSNAR SHOULD BE RE-ELECTED.

It is to be regretted that personalities and side-issues were permitted to enter into the campaign for the Gisborne seat to such a great extent, seeing that it prevented the major political issues of the day from being discussed as thoroughly as was, desired. As far as the sitting member, Mr. Lysnar, is concerned, it will ba agreed that he did his best to keep his campaign free from such miserable tactics and that he put up a vigorous battle on behalf of the Reform Party and in support of bis own claims to re-election. Neither of his opponents was able in show that he had failed to continue to take a keen and intelligent interest in the business of Parliament or that lie had bean neglectful of the district’s requirements. He was, it is true, twitted with not being a straight-out supporter of the Government, but, in turn, he had a complete answer in the fact that Mr Coates had made it plain that he is well satisfied with the loyal support which he has given to Ills Government. Mr. Lysnar has, indeed, once again upheld his reputation for being a great battler—in fact, he lias had no difficulty in showing that, of the three aspirants for the seat, he is by far the strongest candidate. Mr. Lysnar, we. think, used good judgment in regarding the Labor nominee as being a greater thorn in his side than the aspirantplaced in the field on this occasion by the 'United Party. Since the 1925 General Election, Mr Coleman has had the honor of the Mayoralty Conferred upon him' and he has missed no opportunity that has offered to court the favor of the fair Lady Gisborne. Mr. Coleman’s han- ■ dicap is. however, that he is allied to a party which is held under grave political suspicion not only on account of the fact that its political platform is at variance with its real objective, which is socialisation, but also on account of the fact that amongst its more prominent members are avowed political revolutionaries. In the circumstances, Mr. Lysnar did well to stress upon the electors that the Dominion would run a great political risk if it allowed itself to be placed under Labor-Socialist rule. The other candidate, Mr Clayton, must realise by now tliai he might have had some chance of success in a field of three if he had had reasonable excuse for changing his political coat and if he had not adopted such wretched campaigning tactics. Most of his .hearers must have smiled when he told them that he had left the Reform Party because Mr. Lysnar would not agree to a suggestion which he favored —that Mr Lysnar’s name should go to a selection ballot in 1925—and because, despite that fact, the League had turned round and supported Mr. Lysnar’s candidature. As regards his campaign, right from the outset, of personal belittlement of supporters of the Reform Party, including tho Prime Minister and the Hon. Iv. S. Williams, not to mention Mr. Lysnar, perhaps tlie least that is now said the better, for it must at once have damned lus chances of polling very numerously. His subsequent groundless innuendoes in respect of the Waiouru rabbit farjn permit; his unsupported charge that Reformers “by a strange coincidence” owned land near the proposed Taupo line, etc., could have only further darkened his prospects. Mr. Clayton should have ' remembered that, when he stood as an anti-Seddonite in 1905 it did his candidature a lot of harm when he averred “that the accursed shadow of Tammany was over the land” and that, when he stood as an anjaTWardite in 1908 he met with no success by charging the Ward Government with, inter alia, . stuffing the Public ,Service with its friends. The electors, we are confident, will ‘again decide that Mr. Lysnar should be sent back to assist Mr, Coates arid his Government arid it should come as no surprise if, once again, he is given a very comfortable majority..

TO-BAY’S LICENSING POLL. There can bo. no question but that the Licensing poll campaign on this occasion has proved the quietest for very many years. What has led to this state, of affairs is, ■ of /course/ the fact that the New Zealand AI-

liance Has « engaged .to « like, so much propaynda_work « time ns In the past. ***#£! Of the movement an favour of ™aK ing this Dominion “dry ' W £ credited with having realised th . at a difficult period like the P r * the chances of National Prohibition being carried under the if* » three-issue ballot paper would be re mote. It is an open secret th, they' were very disappointed* the heavy polling against Prohibition recorded in connection with tne recent polls in Australia, and ovei the failure of the last Parliament to enact that the Licensing question should be decided by a bare majority on a straight-out vote for and against Continuance.. Dunne the 1925 election campaign the Alliance unquestionably did well in the matter of obtaining pledges _ favourable to their cause. In strict fact, i hll the members- could have been present to vote, the House. of Representatives would, last session, again have sent on to the Upper House proposals in keeping with the views of the Prohibition leaders throughout the Dominion. On this occasion, however, the Alliance has, in this regard, not proved so successful, but, ou the other hand, its president, Mr. Todd, and other additional prominent Prohibitionists are making a bid for political honors -with the object of prosecuting in Parliament the Alliance scheme for the adoption of a two-issue ballot paper and a straight-out decision on a bare ’’majority. Can it be, that the Alliance - regards defeat as inevitable in the case of to-day’s poll? Assuredly,- that would appear to be tho case. It so happens that the Government is finding it so difficult to balance the national ledger that it could not see its way last session to reduce taxation. Wliat ife likely to have a very adverse effect on the poll, from the point of view of the Prohibition Party, is, then,- that it is not open to dispute but that Prohibition would seriously lessen the national revenue. The fear that taxation would have to be appreciably increased if Continuance were riot again carried is, therefore, certain to sway many taxpayers against the adoption of Prohilfition. It will lie agreed, we also think, that impartial electors cannot have been favorably impressed with the reports that have been brought back to this Dominion by residents who have visited the United States concerning the effects of so-called Prohibition in that country* If the recent Presidential election in the United States had a bearing on the liquor problem it could only have been to the extent that a majority of the people oppose the return of the old saloon system, which proved a by-word throughout the whole world. No sound-thinking person in the United States can have any regrets that the old saloon system was wiped out, On the other hand, other, and grave, evils have arisen on account .of so large a section of the American people persisting in efforts to defeat the “dry” law. As is well-known’, the power of the Volstead Act to prohibit the use of liquor is far from complete. Possession of liquor for the personal consumption of the owner, his family and guests is not illegal, if it cannot be proved that it was obtained after the law became effective. What is more, licensed active physicians are empowered to 1 prescribe liquor “if they believe that the use of liquor as medicine by the person applying for the prescription is necessary” and “liquor prescribed by a physician may he bought without a permit”! (See “The World Almanac 1928 page 169). The fact that the law intends that the amount of liquor to be so obtained shall be limited can never do away with the opportunity afforded to abuse the enactment. It is further the position that the viewpoint has grown very considerably since the 1925 poll that this Dominion has a splendid opportunity to build up a much larger tourist “industry,” and that that opportunity would be completely spoiled if the principle of licensed hotels were to be jettisoned. It is also very well-known, too, that the proposal for the adoption of the system of light wines and light beers is gaining much favor in this Dominion. Those electors who do not • stand for the sale of liquor by private enterprise and do not feel that Prohibition could be an unqualified success should avail themselves of the opportunity to assist the movement in favor of State Control, even although the issue, as it at present stands, may not exactly meet their wishes. It seems to this journal that the day is not far distant when the salo of spirits will be placed in the hands of the State and that only light wines and light beers will be permitted to be sold hy private enterprise. Such a reform will not be assisted hy votes that are cast either for Continuance or for Prohibition and those who are in favor of it would do well to give their support to the State Control issue, which is the only means open to them to-day to indicate to Parliament that tho existing system concerning the sale of, liquor requires to he reviewed and improved.